The University of Phoenix and Morning Consult released new data showing that a majority 57 percent of Americans believe professional athletes should earn a college degree.
Among respondents who said professional athletes should earn a college degree, 78 percent of survey respondents said it is because a degree will prepare them for life after their athletic career ends. Additionally, 55 percent of Americans surveyed believe professional sports teams should incentivize their players without degrees to encourage them to earn degrees while playing. The most popular incentives were teams paying for the players’ education (40 percent) or teams providing players with tutors (25 percent).
The National Football League (NFL) currently requires players to be out of high school for at least three years in order to be eligible for the NFL draft.
