More than 480,000 NCAA athletes are competing across 24 sports, yet only six sports have professional leagues where athletes can make a good living and under 2% of college athletes end up going pro. These percentages all approach zero when Division 1 programs are taken out of the equation–for DII, DIII, junior college, and club athletes, going professional in any of the six major professional sports can be seen as impossible and every athlete's career ends eventually, pro or not. 

But not everyone drops their sport because they do not see themselves making a living off of playing it. Here are three common reasons athletes drop their sport before they graduate. 

1. The Time Commitment is Too Much

A big part of college is adjusting to a new life and college sports are a different level of competitiveness–instead of the main focus being on education like in high school, in college, the main focus is often on sports. The time commitment is off the charts. You can ask any college athlete what that is like. It is a very serious responsibility. Some students have athletic scholarships which rely on their performance during NCAA competitions. Students in this situation would not be able to drop their sport and remain a student, but scholarships still create a more competitive environment within college athletics compared to high school.

Related: 5 Signs It's Time to Quit a Sport to Preserve your Mental Health

2. The Competition (and Everything That Comes With it)

Athletes drop their sport for several other reasons, whether it be injuries, coach/teammate conflicts, academic struggles, or lack of playing time/success. These reasons can at least somewhat be attributed to the higher level of competition that exists at the college level. It can frustrate some athletes or be too much pressure for others, or even change a student's mind about their sport in general. 

Related: Arielle Sanders: Having an Injury as a College Athlete

3. Too Much Sacrifice

College athletes are forced to sacrifice a lot to compete and succeed at the collegiate level, and sometimes the comfort they used to find in their sport in high school is no longer there for them once they play at the college level. This can make the sacrifices they are making,  or have already made, outweigh the positives about playing their collegiate sport. Losing your passion for playing your sport is frustrating and upsetting, and some athletes quit because of it.

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

Athletes who are considered professional talent have a massive advantage to being a collegiate athlete, but most student-athletes are not going to play professionally. Once the student-athlete loses their connection with their sport they are likely to reconsider if staying on the team is worth it. Finishing out the season is always recommended, do not quit in the middle of a season, this would not be fair to the players or your coaches. But when that season is over take the time to talk to family members and counselors to decide if staying on the team is the best decision for you. 

Have an idea for a story or a question you need answered? Want to set up an interview with us? Email us at [email protected]

* Originally published on January 18, 2023, by Griffin Rubin