What Avenues Exist for Athletes to Continue Their Playing Careers Post-College?
Written by: Tex Greene
For many people, making it to college athletics is the dream. To be at a big time program, you’re required to be at the top of your class at your sport, dedicate yourself to that sport often from an early age, navigate the recruiting process, and be a solid student. But, what opportunities are there for these gifted college athletes to further their playing careers post-college? Let’s break down the options for five of the most prominent sports in the NCAA: Basketball, Football, Gymnastics, Lacrosse and Track and Field.
Basketball has arguably the most possible options post-college. Of course, the best of the best declare for the NBA Draft, and a lucky 60 are selected by teams. Many that go undrafted will play professional basketball overseas. The demand for overseas basketball is high, as there are pro leagues in many foreign countries. Some of the more notable ones are Japan’s B-League, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the EuroLeague, Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL), and so many more. Top players in these leagues can make 6-7 figures, making the country switch very profitable. However, those still focused on chasing their NBA dream often play in the NBA’s G-League. The minor league affiliate of the NBA, players from the G-League can be called up to NBA teams on ten day contracts, or can be on a two-way contract where they play for an NBA team and their G-League affiliate at the same time. However, while the G-League has a high level of competition, it pays far less than its rival leagues overseas. For those looking to gain exposure for a spot overseas or in the G-League, there are semi-pro leagues, such as the American Basketball Association (ABA), East Coast Basketball League (ECBL), and The Basketball League (TBL).
Football doesn’t have as many options as basketball, unfortunately. After all, American football is just that…American. The NFL is where the most talented football players compete, but after the prestige of the NFL, playing options drop off quickly. NFL Europe is the NFL’s equivalent to the NBA G-League, but unfortunately, this is really all that’s overseas in the way of American football. There are some smaller football leagues in America (most notably the XFL), but none that pay anything near the NFL, or offer the exposure and competition that the greatest football league in the world does. There’s no American football in the Olympics either, unlike Gymnastics.
For Gymnastics, being a professional means competing in the Olympics; that’s it. Most gymnasts start very young, and end up competing in the Olympics before they’re college-aged or during their college years. Gymnasts at the cream of the crop previously had to make a difficult decision: turn pro and compete in the Olympics, or compete in college. However, there is now a path for college gymnasts to compete in college, and then turn around and attempt to qualify for Olympic competition. Unfortunately, aside from the Olympics, there aren’t any professional gymnastics leagues or competitions.
Lacrosse has quite a few professional options post-college. There are two major lacrosse leagues in America: Premier League Lacrosse (PLL) and the North American Lacrosse League (NALL), which is indoors. There was another league called Major League Lacrosse (MLL), but it merged with PLL a few years ago. Overseas, the options for Lacrosse are increasing as well. There’s a European Lacrosse Federation that is increasing the game’s exposure in European countries; however, this is more tournament based as opposed to a season. There are professional leagues in Canada, Australia, and Asia, making it possible to be involved in Lacrosse all over the world. However, the salaries aren’t that high, so while it’s easy to continue playing the game after college, doing so for a living is far more difficult.
Lastly, there’s track and field. Track and Field is an Olympic sport, and that’s where the best of the best competition takes place. There’s also the Diamond League, which is an annual competition for the most elite track and field athletes. It’s the best non-Olympic track competition there is for professionals, and after that it drops off pretty quickly. The top few runners in the entire world are able to make over six figures, but after those few people, the rest of Olympic runners make on average less than $15,000 per year running. That $15,000 is not from a salary they receive signed by a team, but rather comes in the form of prize money for winning competitions. Only 20% of the best American track and field athletes ever end up making more than $50,000 per year, meaning it’s difficult to make a career purely off running races. Aside from basketball, there aren’t many opportunities in these other sports to make a serious living post-college, which makes it all the more important collegiate athletes maximize their earnings with NIL. And, there’s no better place to get started with that than MK Hustle.