To compete in a collegiate sport is an accomplishment very few college students achieve. Going professional after NCAA competition ends is a feat even fewer athletes accomplish. For most college athletes, the NCAA is the end of the road, leaving them with a major shift in identity, from both student and athlete to neither in a matter of months.
For most high school athletes the probability of playing their sport in college is less than 10 percent, with a few sports having slightly greater chances, according to the NCAA. Furthermore, fewer than one percent of college athletes go on to play professionally, leaving most with a huge transition after their eligibility expires, according to another NCAA article.