Football Players' Perspectives on Academic Involvement: Support Services Which May Lead Towards Graduation at Universities with Division 1-A Athletic Programs

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of student academic support services, specifically academic involvement, which may lead a Division I-A football player to persist towards graduation. Within the past several decades, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) implemented academic mandates for Division I-A athletic programs to increase academic standards and graduation success rates among student-athletes. Of the 119 Division I-A football programs in the nation, the NCAA advertised that student-athlete graduation rates have increased since the early 1990s. The most recent Graduation Success Rate data revealed that 79 percent of all student-athletes who entered Division I-A colleges as freshmen nationwide graduated within six years. However, for football the graduation success rate was 67 percent. This study collected data from one of the Division 1-A universities, which earned a national recognition as the overall top athletic program in 2007. The university reported an overall student body graduation rate of 89 percent, 79 percent for all student-athletes, but only 56 percent for football players. These statistics indicate that while improvements are present, the achievement gap for Division I-A athletes "big revenue" sports, specifically football, has continued.;Previous research has substantiated how vital the academic support services component is in assuring that universities improve the graduation success rates for football players. The study was based on key theories of retention, specifically the variables that lead to an increase in football players' academic involvement, and thus raise the likeliness that they will persist towards graduation. This qualitative study expanded the current literature by providing the perspectives of the student-athletes on their academic experiences and identifying factors that may lead them to graduate from the university.;Findings were complied from a sample of Division 1-A scholarship football players, as well as academic support staff members. The study identified which support services develop greater academic involvement for football players. In general, data revealed that the football players do feel the academic support services are vital to their academic involvement and do lead them to persist to graduate. The study assessed the academic support services and included recommendations for improved services, as well as a model survey instrument for similar athletic department academic support services at academically competitive Division I-A universities to increase the probability of raising athletes' graduation rates.