Factors that positively affect academic performance of African -American football student -athletes who graduate from Southeastern Conference institutions

African-American male student-athletes who attend predominantly White institutions graduate at lower rates than the general student body, White teammates, female student-athletes, and other male student-athletes. In particular, graduation rates for African-American football student-athletes at many Division I-A institutions are abysmally low. However, some African-American male student-athletes overcome obstacles and graduate from college. What is it about the African-American football student-athletes who succeed academically that separate them from their African-American teammates who do not? This study sought to answer this and other important questions.;Qualitative research methods, which included standardized, open-ended interviews, written documents, and demographic questionnaire information, were used to collect data for this study. Eighteen African-American former football student athletes and six student-athlete support program staff members from six Southeastern Conference institutions furnished the data.;Findings revealed that six factors positively affected the academic performance and graduation of African-American football student-athletes who matriculated at SEC institutions. These factors were: family member/significant other influence, teammate influence/peer acceptance, institutional commitment, self-motivation, fraternity influence, and spirituality. Participants also identified major obstacles to academic performance of AAFSAs who failed to graduate from their respective institutions. Emerging themes regarding student-athlete failure to graduate included: unhealthy team subcultures, institutional barriers, racism, lack of positive interaction with campus and community constituents, and personal challenges.;A major goal of this study was to generate strategies for improvement and change that could enhance the academic and developmental experiences of African-American football student-athletes. The study concludes with recommendations to the field and suggestions for further research. Some of the recommendations included: altering student-athlete support programs, holding coaches more accountable for educating their student-athletes, enhancing the African-American football prospect recruitment process, improving communication between athletic departments and parents of student-athletes, revamping student-athlete support programs, increasing the number of African-American coaches and athletic administrators, encouraging male African-American student-athletes to join historically Black fraternities, and encouraging African-American student-athletes to remain connected to the African-American community by attending African-American churches and interacting with students who attend historically Black institutions. If implemented, these and other recommendations will alter the current culture of African-American football student-athlete academic nonperformance and improve the graduation rates of the student-athletes.