What is the NCAA?

 The National Collegiate Athletic Association is an organization dedicated to providing a pathway to opportunity for college athletes. More than 1,100 colleges and universities are members of the NCAA. Those schools work together with the NCAA national office and athletics conferences across the country to support half a million college athletes that make up 19,500 teams competing in NCAA sports. The NCAA’s diverse members include schools ranging in size from those with hundreds of students to those with tens of thousands. 

The NCAA’s current three-division structure was adopted in 1973 to create a fair playing field for teams from similar schools and provide college athletes more opportunities to participate in national championships. Among the three NCAA divisions, Division I schools generally have the biggest student bodies, manage the largest athletics budgets and offer the highest number of athletics scholarships. The Division II approach provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletics competition and a focus on service to the community. The Division III experience offers participation in a competitive athletics environment that pushes college athletes to excel on the field and build upon their potential by tackling new challenges across campus.