A Comparison of Professional Sports Career Aspirations among College Athletes

Abstract

A sample of 380 NCAA Division I male basketball and football student-athletes from 31 institutions completed a questionnaire on their professional sport aspirations. Participants were classified by the variables of family income, race, year in school, grade point average, and athletic honors. Significant differences were found for year in school, race, and family income. African-American, high income, freshman, junior, and fifth-year senior student-athletes were the most likely to aspire to participate in professional sports. Student-athlete performance in the classroom was not related to level of professional sports aspiration.