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Returns to education in professional football

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  • Böheim, René
  • Lackner, Mario

Abstract

After three years in college, football players face a trade-off between spending more time in college and pursuing a career in the National Football League (NFL). We analyze the salaries for rookies in the NFL and instrument the endogenous decision to enter the professional market with the month of birth (relative age effect). A player enjoys a 6 percent higher starting salary in the NFL for each additional year with the college team. The returns to education in professional sports are sizable and similar to returns to formal education.

Suggested Citation

  • Böheim, René & Lackner, Mario, 2012. "Returns to education in professional football," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 114(3), pages 326-328.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:114:y:2012:i:3:p:326-328
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2011.11.009
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Returns to education in professional football
      by kevin denny in Kevin Denny: Economics more-or-less on 2011-05-16 01:36:46

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Luca Fumarco & Giambattista Rossi, 2015. "Relative Age Effect on Labor Market Outcomes for High Skilled Workers – Evidence from Soccer," Management Working Papers 9, Birkbeck Department of Management, revised Mar 2015.
    2. Fumarco, Luca & Gibbs, Benjamin & Jarvis, Jonathan & Rossi, Giambattista, 2016. "The Relative Age Effect Reversal among NHL Elite," MPRA Paper 75691, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Luca Fumarco & Benjamin G Gibbs & Jonathan A Jarvis & Giambattista Rossi, 2017. "The relative age effect reversal among the National Hockey League elite," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Tukiainen, Janne & Takalo, Tuomas & Hulkkonen, Topi, 2019. "Relative age effects in political selection," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 50-63.
    5. W. David Allen, 2015. "The Demand for Younger and Older Workers," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 16(2), pages 127-158, February.
    6. Martin Grossmann, 2021. "Asymmetric Opportunities After an Unsuccessful Sports Career," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 22(5), pages 587-612, June.
    7. Tukiainen, Janne & Takalo, Tuomas & Hulkkonen, Topi, 2019. "Relative age effects in political selection," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 50-63.
    8. Tukiainen, Janne & Takalo, Tuomas & Hulkkonen, Topi, 2017. "Gender Specific Relative Age Effects in Politics and Football," Working Papers 94, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    9. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2018_015 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Raluca Buhaș & Alexandru Ilieș & Sorana Săveanu & Paul Szabo-Alexi & Mariana Szabo-Alexi & Sorin Buhaș, 2023. "Socio-Professional Implications of Sports Events: A Perspective from Dual-Career Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-13, May.
    11. Chassman, Stephanie & Littman, Danielle Maude & Bender, Kimberly & Santa Maria, Diane & Shelton, Jama & Ferguson, Kristin M. & Hsu, Hsun-Ta & Narendorf, Sarah C. & Barman-Adhikari, Anamika & Petering,, 2020. "Educational attainment among young adults experiencing homelessness in seven cities across the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    NFL; Returns to education; Ability bias; Labor markets in sports;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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