Rates and Determinants of Return to Play after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Division 1 College Football Athletes: A Study of the ACC, SEC, and PAC-12

Background:For competitive athletes, return to play (RTP) and return to preinjury levels of performance after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are the main goals of surgery. Although outcomes of ACL surgery are well studied, details on factors influencing RTP in elite college football players have not been evaluated thoroughly.Purpose:To determine the rate of RTP following ACL surgery among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 collegiate football athletes and to examine variables that may affect these rates. The hypothesis was that the RTP rate in this cohort will be influenced by factors reflecting skill and accomplishment; that is, athletes higher on the depth chart, those on scholarship, and those later in their careers will have higher RTP rates. It was also predicted that graft type and concomitant procedures may have an effect on RTP rates.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Using athlete- and surgery-specific data from participating institutio...