"The Big Dance" is what many fans call the college basketball tournament known as March Madness. It features sixty-eight of the nation's premier teams facing off in single elimination game play. It's considered one of the greatest times in sports and offers almost all the emotions a fan can experience in a short amount of time. Over 30 million people watch the final four games every year.
After March Madness is when most college athletes will need to be at their best. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association only 1.2 percent of all college basketball players will go on to play professionally.
"I think it is way fun and exciting to watch, but I don't really think about what happens to players after March Madness," said Tanner Field, a freshman and devoted college basketball fan majoring in business finance. "The players probably just finish school like everyone else."
Most college athletes graduate college and move onto careers in business, communications, and other fields just like other graduates.
"Coaches don't really talk about how many athletes go pro," said Marcel Davis, starting point guard for the Utah State University basketball team. "I am undeclared right now, but I will major in engineering. "
For many college athletes, a degree in the field of their choice is their first priority. Colleges help them with requirements for grade averages, and tutors that can aid student athletes with subjects in which they are enrolled. Scott Ross is a student athlete who showed just how much his education meant to him.
"I played semi-pro for six months for a team called BFW Tornadoes," Ross said. "I also played soccer for Utah State, but I stopped playing because I knew I needed to get better grades. I hope to go to grad school and get my PHD to become a physical therapist."
For the majority of student athletes the madness truly will come after March. They prepare for graduation and a life beyond the playing field, though many like Davis still enjoy watching as many games as he can.
"My favorite part of March Madness are all of the crazy upsets," Davis said. "Any team can win and any team has a chance."
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