ObjectiveTo estimate the number of retirements following concussion among American football programs of the NCAA autonomy five conferences (A5) in 2018.DesignSurvey. Questions pertaining to retirement following concussion at each program during the 2018 football year (winter conditioning – bowl game) were analyzed.SettingA football safety meeting sponsored by the National Football League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was held June 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.ParticipantsThe head athletic trainer and team physicians from A5 universities.Main ResultsMedical staff from 45 (69.2%) of 65 A5 football programs completed the retirement portion of the survey. Participating universities reported 25 retirements following concussions in the 2018 football year with 44% of universities having at least one football athlete retire. The extrapolated rate of retirements following concussion among all A5 football programs was 36.1, which equates to a rate of 0.55 retirements per university during 2018. Of all football related concussions in 2018, 3.9% (36.1/937) were followed by retirement from football.ConclusionsThis study, based on information directly reported by sports health providers at A5 institutions, estimates a 3.9% retirement rate following concussion specifically for NCAA A5 football programs, which has not been previously reported. It may provide a benchmark for comparison and allow assessment of the effectiveness of future safety and counseling measures implemented after 2018.