Celebrities Whose Kids Play College Sports (or Have Gone Pro!)

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Whether they're booing a bad call or delivering a motivational pep talk (or, in Jon Bon Jovi's case, supplying the pre-game pump-up song), these celebrity parents are their kid's number one sports fan

Gregory Shamus/Getty
Gregory Shamus/Getty

Bill Murray

Gregory Shamus/Getty
Gregory Shamus/Getty

Though we assume Bill Murray came by his basketball fandom via his role in 1996's Space Jam, he maintains it by supporting son Luke, an assistant coach for the Connecticut Huskies.

"I'm very proud of this boy, he's a wonderful kid and he's worked very hard," Murray said in an interview with The Big East after being spotted in the stands during the 2023's NCAA Men's Championship.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Are mom dance moves embarrassing when they're The Elaine from Seinfeld? To celebrate Northwestern's inclusion in the NCAA March Madness bracket for the first time ever, the actress posted a gif of her infamous moves with the caption "We're going to the dance, boys!"

Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel, the proud mom of Charlie (who now acts!) admitted she's not afraid to "look like an idiot" in the stands on behalf of her kids. (Pictured with her is husband Brad Hall, who also seems willing to get silly for a sports game.)

David Beckham

MEGA
MEGA

Your average rookie soccer player might be intimidated to have one of the most legendary players in the sport's history on the sidelines for your first match – but to Romeo Beckham, that's just dad. David showed up to cheer on his second kid as he made his debut for Premier League Brentford's B team in January 2023.

Jon Bon Jovi

Joel Auerbach/Getty Images
Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

There was no "halfway there" when it came to Bon Jovi's fandom for the Fighting Irish, after his eldest son Jesse Bongiovi joined Notre Dame's football team as a walk-on cornerback in 2013. Since then, Bon Jovi has made his support known in the stands, on a yacht, and even via a "pep talk" that had the team joining in on a verse of the singer's megahit "Livin' on a Prayer."

John Mellencamp

Duke Football Facebook
Duke Football Facebook

John Mellencamp's eldest son Hud (with his ex Elaine Irwin) also played as a walk-on cornerback for Duke starting in 2012. Interestingly, he did not have a background in football when he joined the squad (he was a highly-ranked boxer in high school) but after practicing with the team for several years he ended up with playing time his junior and senior years.

Ahead of a Duke matchup with his father's beloved Indiana University, Hud told the South Bend Tribune. "We've always talked about the Duke-IU matchup and how it's been a fantasy for us. It's going to be really fun."

Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos

Kelly Ripa/Instagram
Kelly Ripa/Instagram

They've got a ringer! Literally: Joaquin, the eldest son of the two TV stars, was a member of the University of Michigan's championship-winning wrestling squad in 2019, and Kelly and Mark were often seen in the bleachers showing their support.

Snoop Dogg

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg (seen giving advice to a team of pee wee players including his son Cordell Broadus) was a proud football dad when Cordell — long a hot college ball prospect — committed to play at UCLA in 2015. The rapper's reaction to the news? "I'm gonna back him up 1000% and throw out my USC drawers."

Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Justin Dior Combs Instagram
Justin Dior Combs Instagram

Another rap star's son on the UCLA squad: Diddy's son Justin, who nabbed a scholarship to the prestigious school to play as a defensive back for the Bruins.

Bruce Springsteen & Patti Scialfa

Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Musical power couple Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa are no stranger to performing for thousands on a huge stage — but their daughter Jessica Springsteen might have them beat, as she made the Olympic equestrian team for the first time at the Tokyo games and came home with a silver medal.

Dennis Rodman

Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Bulls legend Dennis Rodman is used to being the center of attention — but now he happily stands on the sidelines to cheer for his soccer superstar daughter Trinity, who plays for the Washington Spirit. (Here, he's seen surprising her at a playoff game in 2019.)

"I think maybe when I was younger, a lot of people had this expectation that everything was handed to me," Trinity told PEOPLE of early criticism of her success, "but in terms of actually on the field, I don't think I struggled that much with that, just because we do play different sports and I don't think anybody had the performance expectations."

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