In recent years, Republican lawmakers have crusaded to ban trans athletes from competing in college sports, claiming that they have an unfair advantage over their cisgender counterparts. But if they really care about a level playing field, they should actually be worrying about college football, where teams with Black coaches receive more penalties than teams with white coaches, according to a new study.
The study, published in Social Science Quarterly, analyzed the number of penalties given during Division 1 college football games from 2014 to 2020. They found that teams with Black coaches were given anywhere between five to seven more penalties per season than teams with white coaches, regardless of the experience level of the coach or the competency of the team, per Buzzfeed News. Although that’s only about 5% more penalties than teams with white coaches, just a few more penalties per season in a sport like football could make a difference in a team’s overall success.
