This qualitative study examined African-American student athletes' perceptions of engagement at a Division One Predominately White Institution. Bronfenbrenner's social ecological theory was used as a framework to explore the following research questions: How do African-American student-athletes make meaning of campus engagement? How do African-American student-athletes engage with their university?
Four themes emerged from the data: (a) Unfulfilled Expectations; (b) Feelings of Isolation; (c) Commitment to Sport and (d) Social Involvement. The findings suggested that home, school community and societal factors may be linked to the differential experiences African-American student-athletes reported, and, as a result, may be worthy of additional exploration. Implications for African-American student-athletes and their families, as well as K-16 administrators were reported.