Harassment on social media is rampant, violent in the NCAA

COLUMBIA, S.C. – An NCAA investigation into abuse of athletes, coaches and other officials on social media during championship events found that nearly one in five posts flagged by an AI-based algorithm and determined to be offensive were involved sexual harassment and that 12 percent were related to sports betting, according to pilot study results released before the weekend.

College athletics’ governing body’s findings from its first online harassment investigation using Signify Group’s Threat Matrix examined more than 72,000 posts flagged by an algorithm. More than 5,000 of those messages were confirmed to contain offensive, discriminatory or threatening content and were reported to social media companies.

The study, conducted during 2023-2024, examined social media posts related to championship-level events in six sports: baseball, basketball, gymnastics, soccer, softball and volleyball.

The study found that 80 percent of abusive messages were directed at March Madness athletes, with female basketball players receiving approximately three times more abusive messages than their male counterparts.

The study cited an unidentified athlete who received more than 1,400 harassing messages in a two-week period.

“The risks and mental health issues associated with being a victim of online abuse or threats are real and have a direct and immediate impact on athletes, coaches, officials and their families,” the NCAA wrote in its report. “This can impact them on both a personal and professional level, ultimately affecting their well-being and ability to perform at their best.”

The NCAA said sports betting harassment was spread across all championships covered in the investigation.

About 10 percent of the offensive messages examined were racist comments, but the study found that the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments were the focus of such content.

“Toxic online fans resorted to racist ridicule, comparing players to monkeys and labeling them as villains,” the NCAA investigation found.

Women’s basketball players, teams and officials received such treatment, the NCAA said.

“The level of Dogwhistle content during the (basketball) women’s championships should also be highlighted in relation to racism,” the governing body said in the report.

The study tracked the accounts of 3,164 student-athletes, 489 coaches, 197 game officials, 165 teams and 12 official NCAA channels using Signify Group’s artificial intelligence Threat Matrix.

It identified several areas of online abuse and threats, and established 16 categories into which messages deemed offensive could be sorted.

The NCAA told The Associated Press that the algorithm’s flagging system was based on a series of issue-specific keywords and that human analysts had categorized the offending messages.

According to the research, violence was found to be the subject of 6 percent of all verified offensive and threatening content.

College football at the FBS level, the men’s basketball tournament and volleyball all received “a high percentage of violent, offensive or threatening content.”

Other threatening messages related to homophobia and transphobia, doping and steroids use and match officials.

The NCAA said risks exist in all sports, saying volleyball and gymnastics in some cases generated more “concerning” abusive messages than March Madness or the College Football Playoff.

The NCAA report states that abuse and threats on social media can have a significant effect on athletes and others involved in college sports.

Even if an athlete targeted by such abuse says he is doing well, “this should not be considered the case,” NCAA said.

Such targeting can continue after a welfare check, “therefore action must be taken to protect them in the long term,” the organization said.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said the study is evidence of what some athletes face during their time in college.

“We will exhaust all options to reduce the harassment and vitriol that student athletes too often face today,” he said in a statement. AP

Image credits: AP