New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart warms up during an NFL football practice, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
- According to a study conducted by The Sports Geek, Mississippi athletes have an overall chance of 1 in 1,958 of being added to a professional roster in sports such as the NFL, NBA, MLB or MLS.
Even though Mississippi has no major professional sports franchise, Magnolia State athletes are statistically more likely to reach the professional level in four major sports.
According to a study conducted by The Sports Geek, Mississippi athletes have an overall chance of 1 in 1,958 of being added to a professional roster in sports such as the NFL, NBA, MLB or MLS.
Mississippi also ranks first in the nation for the odds of being drafted to an NFL team, at 1 in 2,813, four times better than the national average of 1 in 10,243. Louisiana ranked second at 1 in 2,825.
The study shows that Mississippi ranks high in the odds due to an inherent football culture that follows the sport from high school to college to the NFL. The strength of college football programs at Ole Miss and Mississippi State as well as the ability for players to train year-round due to a favorable climate also played a factor, the findings outline.
As for professional basketball, Mississippi ranked first in the odds of becoming a pro player, at 1 in 15,533. Louisiana ranked second in that category as well, with odds at 1 in 18,091. Even without a major NBA team, the findings found Mississippi ranked so high due to a deep basketball culture.
Nationally, going pro in the NBA, is a bit more difficult at 1 in 36,136 due to smaller rosters and the fact teams typically recruit taller players. The findings determined the average height of an NBA player to be 6 foot 3 inches.
The Sports Geek study found that statistically America’s athletes have a greater chance of entering the NFL because it’s the most popular sport in the nation and has the largest roster. Soccer (1 in 23,884) and the Major League Baseball (1 in 25,476) follow in second and third place, respectively.
The top three sports deemed the hardest to turn pro in are the NHL (1 in 68,179), golf (1 in 106,151) and tennis (1 in 764,285).
“Some of the most expensive sports like hockey and golf have a higher barrier to entry for lower GDP states,” the report explains.
