Mississippi athletes have a better chance than those in other states of being added to professional rosters in the NFL, NBA, MLB or MLS, according to a study by The Sports Geek reported by the Magnolia Tribune. The study found the overall odds for a Mississippi athlete are about 1 in 1,958.
The Sports Geek ranked Mississippi first for the odds of being drafted to the NFL, at about 1 in 2,813, roughly four times better than the national average of 1 in 10,243. Louisiana ranked second at 1 in 2,825, the study said.
The study attributed the high NFL odds in Mississippi to an ingrained football culture that follows players from high school to college to the professional level. It cited the strength of programs at Ole Miss and Mississippi State and a climate that allows year-round training as contributing factors.
Mississippi also ranked first for the odds of becoming a professional basketball player, at about 1 in 15,533, while Louisiana ranked second at 1 in 18,091, The Sports Geek found. Nationally, the study put the odds of reaching the NBA at about 1 in 36,136 and estimated the average NBA player height at 6-foot-3.
The Sports Geek ranked the NFL as the most accessible of the major sports, saying its popularity and larger rosters increase players’ chances. The study listed soccer at about 1 in 23,884 and Major League Baseball at 1 in 25,476. It identified the hardest sports to turn pro in as the NHL (1 in 68,179), golf (1 in 106,151) and tennis (1 in 764,285), and noted that “some of the most expensive sports like hockey and golf have a higher barrier to entry for lower GDP states,” the report explained.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
