Enrollment trends in Basic Instruction Programs (BIPs) have shown a gradual decrease during the past four decades. This trend is significant because of the numerous studies that have declared Americans as unfit, inactive and leading unhealthy lifestyles (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). College and university BIPs are a means in which adults can be introduced to healthy lifestyle and a life of physical activity. A primary goal of BIPs is to promote healthy lifestyles, so its gradual elimination from the general education curriculum has come at some cost. Previous research has explored student motivations for participating in physical education and activity classes. The findings from these studies have resulted in the emergence of four basic factors. The authors of these studies have used different terms to label the factors, but the factors can be categorized as 1) self worth, 2) physical fitness, 3) social benefits, and 4) lifetime use (Avery & Lumpkin; Lumpkin, Leath & Almekinders, 1990; Quarterman, Harris & Chew, 1996; Savage, 1998; Soudan & Everett, 1981, and Yoh, 2001). In addition to the aforementioned factors, Savage (1998) included a single item in his survey of BIP participants concerning the importance of receiving a high letter grade in the course, thereby suggesting that academic benefit may be a potential motivational factor for BIP participants. Building on the research of Savage (1998), the goal of the present study was to determine the motivating factors of enrollees in a BIP at a large university in the Southeast United States to determine if academic benefit was a significant predictor of behavioral intentions. An exploratory factor analysis revealed four motivating factors explaining 68.44% of the variance. The factors were labeled as a) self-worth, b) health benefit, c) gratification, and d) academic benefit. ANOVA indicated males reported significantly higher academic (p = .002) and self-worth (p = .003) motives and lower health (p = .004) motives than females. Since significant motive differences were found on the basis of gender, separate backward deletion linear regressions of participant motives on behavioral intentions were calculated to provide more specific information to marketers regarding the relevant motives for each gender. The results indicated gratification and academic motives were significant predictors of behavioral intentions for males and females while the motive of health benefits was a significant predictor of behavioral intentions for females only.Keyword(s): curriculum, exercise/fitness/physical activity, sport management