NAIA

NAIA VS. NCAA: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

What is NAIA?

NAIA is a college athletics governing body for small college athletics programs. The NAIA offers student-athletes an opportunity to earn athletic scholarships in 28 different sports at more than 250 schools across the country.

What does NAIA stand for?

NAIA stands for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

According to the NAIA’s website, each year:

WHAT IS THE NCAA?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is made up of members who serve college athletes. The NCAA is divided into D1, D2, and D3 leagues. According to their website, they participate in 102 athletics conferences and there are 1,098 schools split as follows: 

Generally, athletes in D1 schools practice and train the hardest. D2 and D3 school athletes practice less, with D3 athletes practicing and training the least.

IS THE NAIA AS GOOD AS THE NCAA?

NAIA programs are comparable to NCAA D3 schools. Top-level NAIA programs match the talent found at mid/high-level NCAA D2 schools. Sometimes athletes will select a top 25 NAIA program over a lower ranked D2 program because the competition level is quite similar.

In the video below, NCSA recruiting experts Kyle Winters and David Kmiecik sit down with former NJCAA, D3 athlete and NJCAA coach, Pat O’Malley, to explain the differences between NAIA vs. NCAA, including some significant advantages NAIA schools can provide for student-athletes.

The NAIA is still growing. In August 2020, the NAIA approved five institutions for membership, including one NCAA school, Oakland City University. This is the sixth NCAA institution to return to the NAIA in recent years, and the association is currently discussing membership opportunities with nearly a dozen other NCAA members.

Additionally, many institutions across the country seek out the NAIA for their introduction to collegiate athletics instead of the NCAA. Texas A&M-San Antonio and the University of North Texas at Dallas are two of these institutions. 

As the NAIA continues to grow, so does the competition level. NAIA schools are recruiting a larger pool of athletes than they used to, creating a deeper, more talented level of competition.

For athletes who may be just short of reaching NCAA recruiting standards, the NAIA offers a competitive alternative to the NCAA. You can still compete rigorously in the NAIA. 

Information from this site: https://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting/how-to-get-recruited/college-divisions/naia-vs-ncaa

HOW DO I CONTACT THE NAIA?

Families can contact the customer relations team Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 5 pm CT by:

Contact the NAIA Academy Help Desk at 816.595. 8100 or via email at naiaacademy@naia.org for other log-in issues. The NAIA Help Academy Help Desk is available 8:30-5 pm CDT Monday-Friday.