Junior College, also known as JUCO or Community College, is perceived usually as the lowest level of collegiate competition. However, Junior College is filled with higher division players looking for an opportunity to earn a scholarship or an offer from a higher division school. Junior College athletes are typically underrecruited players, players with off the field issues (grades or behavior), or players who are not developed enough to play at the division I-III level. Junior College offers players a one to two year pitstop for players to grow, mature, and ultimately earn a scholarship to a four year university. Junior College provides an affordable higher education that allows students to traditionally go as quickly or slowly as they would like (Jee Hang Lee).
Junior College is made up of two year academic institutions with the highest degree offered typically being an associates degree. Almost all Junior Colleges have a 100% acceptance rate and have smaller class sizes. Junior Colleges are much more affordable than four year colleges and universities.
The amount of Junior Colleges are shrinking, and there are only 53 Junior College football programs in the nation (besides California). Junior College is split up into two associations: the NJCAA and the CCCAA. The NJCAA has teams located in 14 states (North Dakota, Minnesoda, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas). Teams within the NJCAA can offer athletic scholarships to their players as well as provide housing, meal plans, and other accommodations. The NJCAA has a similar playoff format to the four team FBS format. The number one seed plays the number four seed and the winner plays the winner of the two and three seed game. CCCAA or California Junior Colleges are completely separate from the NJCAA. The CCCAA has 67 Junior College football programs all across the state of California. The schools within the CCCAA are not allowed to give athletic scholarships, provide meal plans, or any other accommodations. This forces players to pay for their education as well as food and any other accommodations such as housing. However, on average the competition in the CCCAA is higher than that of the NJCAA. This attracts players to play in California despite the lack of funding and support these programs receive.
Junior College is a mixed bag when it comes to competition. There are many teams with many high caliber players who go on to play at the division I FBS level, but the majority of teams do not have that talent. Many teams in Junior College go 2-10 and 1-11 consistently while schools such as East Mississippi Community College have won four out of six championships in a six year span.
Junior College is a great jumping off place into the world of higher level college football. Under recruited players such as Josh Allen and Aaron Rogers had to go to Junior College in order to earn scholarships and offers to FBS schools. However, Junior College is not for the weak of heart. As a player you will be pushed to your limits and questioned if you even want it. All while taking classes and potentially working a job if you’re not on scholarship.