This article gives an overview of English-language literature in the area of sport and race relations. The recent publication of three studies on the subject is an opportunity for critically assessing how issues, knowledge and theoretical debate have evolved in a field at the intersection of sociology and social history, a field whose academic legitimacy remains relatively low. The analysis makes it clear that sport constitutes a particularly relevant locus for observing the race-related relegation that has been operative for over two centuries in the United States. Local social-class configurations combine with ethnic and religious membership in subtle ways, making it possible to envisage a relevant research agenda focused on the intersection of the questions of race and sport.