
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
Ep 16: Community College Athletics
According to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), about 60% of community colleges offer sports programs. This translates to approximately 60,000 student-athletes in community colleges around the United States participating in more than two dozen sports. According to Eddie Comeaux and Eric Davidson, student-athletes have higher GPAs than their non-athlete counterparts; community colleges often provide their athletes with positive, holistic academic support; and while community college athletics programs have expanded in the last twenty years, their overall support for female athletes and their programs has remained stagnant. Yet this component of community college life often remains on the sidelines.
Deconstructing community college athletics are three guests who know this world well: Dr. Dan Kinney, President of Iowa Western Community College, a college which has garnered 18 NJCAA National Championships; Dr. Brett Monaghan, Vice President of Championship, Membership, and Sports Governance at the NJCAA, and former athletic director at Indian Hills Community College; and Alaura Sharp, the Head Women’s Basketball coach at Appalachian State and a former community college athlete and coach.
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