Does the journey of being recruited and participating in a Division I college football program enrich the experience of the student-athlete’s college life athletically and academically?
This Industry Analysis examines the stakeholders within the constructs of the college football environment and seeks to explain the various impacts on key stakeholders within the constructs of this industry. More importantly, this research tracks the student-athlete with regards to both decision paths of either seeking a professional football career or an education with the benefits to playing football.
The student athlete will face many decisions within his journey as a football player and it can be critical that the supporting people within his family environment become a voice of practicality when making a college selection or deciding when to leave college in order to pursue the quest of playing in the National Football League (NFL). This decision for a young adult can be challenging, as it will have a binary outcome of either success or failure that will result in a direct and far-reaching impact on his adult life.
Many Division I student-athletes, at some point in their collegiate careers, will face the struggle of making the decision to remain a college student or leave college early to play professional football. For some this decision will not be an issue as there are some student-athletes that will accept the reality that professional football will not be their career vehicle. However, there are a large majority of student-athletes that will need to go through that decision thought process. Understanding how to distinguish attainable reality compared to chasing a dream of playing professional football and comprehending the low probability of that intended dream will need to be understood by the student-athlete and their support system(s).
The parent(s) may have to become more aware of the long-standing impacts as they introduce their child to football and consider the level of importance that they may place on their child’s athletic success. A balanced approach must be in place that prioritizes success in both college football and academically. Thus, the student-athletes journey cannot be defined by expectations of playing professional football alone.
Author: Carl E. Gilmore, Jr.
Link: https://doi.org/10.28945/4139
Cite as: Gilmore Jr., C.(2018). Division I college football in the U.S., Muma Business Review 2(6). 63-82. https://doi.org/10.28945/4139