With Race Gone as a Factor in Admissions, Is Student Athlete Status Next?

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision on universities’ affirmative action policies, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA), has garnered significant political, cultural, and media attention. 

The overall focus has centered on the decision’s determination that  race can no longer be used as a factor to achieve diversity in university admissions. Less attention has been paid to the manner in which the winding trials and ensuing appellate process lifted the veil on college admissions and how various factors other than race, including legacy and athletic ability, tip the scales in admissions decisions.