Does everyone, regardless of race or gender, have a chance to operate the business of professional soccer?
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida’s College of Business Administration released the 2014 Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) for Major League Soccer (MLS), demonstrating a significant decline in the league’s gender hiring practices. Racial hiring practices showed no marked change from the previous report. The MLS League Office continued to be the standard bearer for the entire league with minorities comprising 39.1 percent of all professional positions, while women filled 37.4 percent of these positions. Additionally, the percentage of team CEOs and presidents who are minorities increased from 5.9 percent in 2013 to 6.3 percent in 2014.
The MLS earned an A+ for the League Office racial hiring practices, a B+ for team professional administration and assistant coaches, and a B for team senior administration. For general managers and head coaches, MLS received grades of F and C+, respectively. MLS received an A+ for racial diversity in the category of players for the 2014 season.
The report can be read in full at http://www.tidesport.org/.
Richard Lapchick, principal author of the study and director of TIDES, said, “It is disappointing that Major League Soccer’s grade for gender hiring practices fell so far that they joined the NFL and Major League Baseball with gender grades below a B, with a C+ in the category. The MLS League Office remained as the pacesetter with an A+ in racial hiring and an A- in gender hiring as Commissioner Don Garber’s office continued to lead the entire MLS by example. Results at the team level were alarming.”
TIDES publishes the Racial and Gender Report Card to indicate areas of improvement, stagnation and regression in the racial and gender composition of professional and college sports personnel and to contribute to the improvement of integration in front office and collegiate athletics department positions.
About the College of Business Administration:
Established in 1968, the UCF College of Business Administration offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting are accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business now and in the future. As such, the college establishes partnerships with some of the nation’s most innovative leaders to model new and best practices that harness evolving technology. In addition, the college promotes a unique culture of engagement, risk-taking, cross-disciplinary collaboration and data-driven decision making in an effort to ensure students are well prepared to enter a dynamic marketplace.
America’s Partnership University:
The University of Central Florida, the nation’s second-largest university with nearly 60,000 students, has grown in size, quality, diversity and reputation in its first 50 years. Today, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at its main campus in Orlando and more than a dozen other locations. UCF is an economic engine attracting and supporting industries vital to the region’s future while providing students with real-world experiences that help them succeed after graduation. For more information, visit https://www.ucf.edu/news/.