Safety of college football student-athletes: Playing guarantee games against superior opponents

ABSTRACT Powerhouse college football teams have historically scheduled lesser opponents to start a new season. Universities competing at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) make up the highest level, while universities competing at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) are the level below. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if student-athletes from FCS schools had an increased potential for injury when competing against teams from the FBS level. A qualitative methodology was used while collecting data from eight FCS athletic trainers consistently involved in guarantee games. Because athletic trainers work to prevent injuries, the opportunity to hear rich, qualitative narratives was the foundation for this study. The findings indicated that a majority of FCS athletic trainers (N = 7) said their student-athletes suffered from increased soreness and in-game injuries following games against FBS schools.