Background <p>Employability is an increasing issue for Chinese university graduates. While sports participation fosters personal development, there is a limited understanding of the psychological and social mechanisms by which organized sports influence perceived graduates’ employment-readiness.</p> Methods <p>The study used stratified random sampling to collect data from various regions across China in a cross-sectional study. A total of 1,019 graduates from STEM, business, and social science fields completed standardized questionnaires evaluating their participation in sports, resilience, social capital, soft skills, and self-reported employment outcomes. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling to examine direct, mediated, and moderated relationships.</p> Results <p>Perceived graduate employability showed a positive relationship with their participation in organized sports, as assessed by intensity/duration, teamwork, and leadership roles. Sports experiences indirectly influence employability through the mediation of psychological resilience and soft skills. Graduates with stronger professional networks derived more benefits from sports engagement, as career-related social capital alleviated the repercussions. Bootstrapping analyses confirmed that the indirect pathways were statistically significant.</p> Conclusions <p>The findings indicate that Chinese graduates who engage in organized sports, particularly those supported by career-oriented networks, may possess a competitive edge in the labour market. While the study design precludes causal inference, the data suggest that structured sports activities within higher education may yield beneficial outcomes.</p>