Exit Discrimination in the NFL: A Duration Analysis of Career Length

Abstract

Exit discrimination is defined as the involuntary termination of employment due to racial characteristics holding productivity constant. We test for exit discrimination in the National Football League (NFL) using a panel study on career length. Our analysis focuses on six positional groups: defensive backs, defensive linemen, linebackers, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers. In our analysis, in addition to race, we include performance variables to determine their importance in determining career length. Using both parametric and semi-parametric hazard models, we find no evidence of exit discrimination in the NFL.

Managerial time constraints and young worker productivity: Natural experiments with NFL rookies

“…On net, 2009–2010 rookies also show significantly increased career longevity when their careers began under coaches with less experience as a college coach. Elsewhere, rookie offensive players exhibit significantly longer careers than defenders, and non‐White players exhibit longer careers than do White players, echoing findings by Atkinson and Tschirhart () and Ducking et al (). One might view these circumstances as advantageous to career longevity; earlier evidence also indicated significant rookie productivity effects associated with several of these factors (though not player ethnicity) in the control period.…”

“…All of the paired-season models yield highly significant model chi squares, indicative of the overall statistical validity of these specifications. 27 For more pointed studies of the durations of NFL playing careers, see Atkinson and Tschirhart (1986), Hendricks et al (2003), and Ducking, Groothuis, and Hill (2015). 28 The sample career duration ranges from one to six completed seasons (averaging 3.43), with approximately half exhibiting a duration of two to three seasons.…”

Race and Retention in a Competitive Labor Market

“…Past studies by Humphreys (2000), Cunningham and Sagas (2005), and Jewel (1994, 1995) all report evidence of racial discrimination in college basketball. With the exception of Hoag and Rascher's (1999) study of the NBA, the research by Mixon and Trevino (2004) and Holmes (2011) on college football, Groothuis and Hill (2008) on MLB, Groothuis and Hill (2013) and Groothuis, and Hill (2004) on the NBA, and Ducking et al (2015) on the NFL all report no evidence of exit discrimination. LaFave et al 5 Data This study follows the performance and coaching turnover of every men's collegiate basketball program classified as Division I throughout the 1994/1995-2012/2013 seasons.…”

“…In an effort to control for this problem, they estimated semiparametric hazard functions using data from 1990 to 2008; their results failed to uncover a statistically significant relationship between race and the hazard ratio. Finally, Ducking, Groothuis, and Hill (2015) test for exit discrimination in the NFL employing a panel data set for the period 2000-2008; based on the estimates obtained from both parametric and nonparametric hazard models, they fail to find any statistically significant relationship between race and length of career.…”

Compensation Discrimination: An Analysis of Linebackers, Defensive Linemen, and Defensive Backs in the National Football League

“…Several studies have examined the effect of race in the NFL with some studies finding evidence of discrimination against Blacks (Berri & Simmons, 2009;Keefer, 2013;Scully, 1973;Volz, 2015) and other studies finding little to no evidence of discrimination against Blacks (Burnett & Van Scyoc, 2013, 2015a, 2015bDucking, Groothuis, & Hill, 2014, 2015Gius & Johnson;2000;Kahn, 1991Kahn, , 1992Mogull, 1973Mogull, , 1981. Recently, Keefer (2013) finds white linebackers were paid a premium while Burnett and Van Scyoc (2015b) find no white premium for either rookie linebackers or rookie offensive linemen.…”