Associations

What are the main athletic associations that sponsor collegiate sports?

These three associations are the most popular for collegiate sports participation:

• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
• National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA)

Two of the lesser known Athletic Associations are:

• National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
• United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)

The NCAA is widely known as the elite athletic association for college sports. What is the difference between NCAA Divisions I, II and III?

Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. For sports other than football and basketball, Division I schools must play 100% of the minimum number of contests against Division I opponents -- anything over the minimum number of games has to be 50% Division I. Men's and women's basketball teams have to play all but two games against Division I teams, for men, they must play 1/3 of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified as Division I-A or I-AA. Division I-A football schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Division I-A teams have to meet one of the following minimum attendance requirements:

• 17,000 people in attendance per home game
• 20,000 average of all football games in the last four years
• 30,000 permanent seats in their stadium and average 17,000 per home game
• Be a member of a conference in which at least six conference members sponsor football or more than half of football schools meet attendance criteria

Division I-AA teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements. Division I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed.

Division II institutions have to sponsor at least four sports for men and four for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria -- football and men's and women's basketball teams must play at least 50% of their games against Division II, Division I-A, or Division I-AA opponents. For sports other than football and basketball there are no scheduling requirements. There are not attendance requirements for football, or arena game requirements for basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division II school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student-athletes. Many Division II student-athletes pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings. Division II athletics programs are financed in the institution's budget like other academic departments on campus. Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletic programs.

Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics features student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletic departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete's experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletic opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.

I know that you have to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse if you wish to participate in NCAA athletics. Is there a similar registration process with the other associations (ie: NAIA or NJCAA)?

No. There are no clearinghouses with which you need to register if you wish to play collegiate sports aside from the aforementioned NCAA Clearinghouse.