College Athletics
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a member-led organization dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes. NCAA schools award nearly $3.5 billion in athletic scholarships every year and provide vast support to help student-athletes graduate at a rate higher than their general student peers.
More than 500,000 college athletes across all three divisions compete for about 1,100 member schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and even Canada. Regardless of where they start, student-athletes strive to end each season at one of the NCAA’s 90 championships in 24 sports.
Division I - 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.
Division II - Division II provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletics competition and a focus on service to the community.
Division III - 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.
Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete - This guide is intended to help potential collegiate student athletes. It is intended to equip them with information about academic requirements to compete, but also informs you about what to expect when becoming a collegiate student-athlete. Initial eligibility determines your ability to receive an athletics scholarship and to practice and compete in your first year as a full-time college student.
Eligibility Center - The NCAA Eligibility Center verifies the academic and amateur status of all student-athletes who wish to compete in Division I or II athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs dedicated to championships in balance with the overall college educational experience. Each year more than 77,000 NAIA student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports, earn over $800 million in scholarships, and compete for a chance to participate in 28 national championships.
The National Junior College Athletic Association, founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states and is divided into 3 divisions.