For whom does participation matter and why? : the earnings of former college athletes

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Previous research has found conflicting evidence regarding various consequences of athletic participation. Most scholarship has focused on the ways that athletic participation during adolescence affects labor market and educational outcomes for its participants. The current project is one of a small number which focuses on the earnings of former college athletes. Using nationally representative data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey, the current project examines the extent to which college athletes' (both intramural and varsity) earnings are different from their non-participating peers. Further, the research investigates the role that race and gender play in predicting the relationship between early career earnings and collegiate athletic participation. The findings suggest that athletes do earn higher salaries than their peers who did not participate, but that this relationship is dependent upon race, gender, and whether the athlete participated in intramural or varsity sports. The results point to the need for scholarship which utilizes multiple theoretical frameworks to help illuminate the processes which result from athletic participation based on group differences. The paper closes with suggestions for directions of future research in the area.