College Athletics Organizations

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)  – www.ncaa.org  *

The NCAA is the governing body for Division I, Division II and Division III institutions. The NCAA is a member-led organization dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes.  Across all divisions, the membership is comprised of a total of 1,098 colleges and universities divided into 102 athletic conferences.  There are a total of 24 sports represented within the membership. *

NCAA Division I

• DI institutions commit to maintaining a high academic standard for student-athletes in addition to a wide range of opportunities for athletics participation.
• Largest student bodies
• Largest athletic budgets
• Offer the most number of scholarships
• 350 schools
• 6,000 athletic teams
• 170,000 student-athletes (SA)
• 1 in 23 students are athletes
• 57% of athletes receive athletics aid – multiyear, cost-of-attendance athletics scholarships

NCAA Division II

• Philosophy is “Life In Balance” – pursue academic areas of interest with low teacher to student ratio; engage in highly-competitive athletics, governed in a fiscally responsible way; and, be involved in a robust community engagement program
• Offer partial scholarships with most SA’s having a combination of athletic and academic financial aid
• Members located in 45 US states as well as Canada & Puerto Rico
• On campus student bodies range from 2,500 to 25,000 with an average of 8,000
• Most number of SA’s participate in NCAA Championships (including regional play and NCAA Championship Festivals)
• 310 schools
• 4,917 athletic teams
• 100,000+ student-athletes
• 1 in 10 students are athletes
• 60% of athletes receive athletics aid

NCAA Division III

• Focus on sportsmanship & positive societal attitudes through a wide variety of sports with the participants being the focus
• Assure and support ethnic and gender diversity for all constituents
• The 3 D’s of DIII
  • Discover – pursue interests and passions beyond the classroom and sports
  • Develop – in addition to small classes and competing, the emphasis is to participate in outside classroom activities to build well-rounded adults
  • Dedicate – achieve your full potential through dedication to manage a busy schedule including school, sports and all student body challenges.
• All aid is based upon need or academic scholarships, no scholarships are awarded solely upon athletic ability or participation
• 446 schools
• 44 conferences
• 195,000 student-athletes
• 1 in 6 students is an athlete
• 80% of athletes receive non-athletics aid

*Information gathered from www.ncaa.org

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) – www.naia.org **

• Philosophy for NAIA SA’s is “Champions of Character” – Pillars of success are
  • Integrity – internal traits that guide behavior
  • Respect – treating others the way you wish to be treated
  • Responsibility – the social force that binds one to the good of the team
  • Sportsmanship – follow the rules, spirit & etiquette of athletic competition
  • Servant Leadership – serve the greater good while focusing on the team’s mission and purpose
• 250 schools
• 27 championship sports + 3 invitational sports + 1 emerging sport
• 21 conferences
• 77,000 student-athletes

** Information gathered from www.naia.org

National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) – www.njcaa.org ***

• Overall mission is to foster a national program of athletic participation in an environment that supports equitable opportunities consistent with the educational objectives of member colleges based upon a two-year college model.
• 525 schools
• 26 championship sports
• 24 regions

*** Information gathered from www.njcaa.org

California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) – www.cccaasports.org ****

• The purpose of the CCCAA is to establish and oversee the enforcement of the rules and regulations and to guide the administration of the intercollegiate athletic programs of the California community colleges.
• CCCAA is an integral part of California’s extensive community college system
• 24 championship sports
• 13 Conferences
• Approximately 24,000 student-athletes

**** Information gathered from www.cccaasports.org