Explore Options

NCAA Overview — Eligibility Center

• The largest and most well-known governing body for 4-year universities, featuring over 1,100 schools. It is divided into three divisions:

  • Division I: Highly elite, largest athletic budgets, and full scholarship opportunities

  • Division II: Balanced lifestyle with partial scholarships available

  • Division III: Focuses strictly on academics; no athletic scholarships are offered

NAIA Overview — Eligibility Center

• A separate 4-year governing body that typically represents smaller, private colleges. The NAIA has a single, unified structure and competitive levels generally comparable to NCAA Division II.

NJCAA Overview — Eligibility Center

• Governs sports for 2-year community and junior colleges. It allows athletes to develop their academics or athletic skills before transferring to a 4-year institution, offering Division I, II, and III structures.

USCAA Overview — Eligibility Center

•  A smaller governing body that focuses primarily on smaller, specialized institutions, faith-based colleges, and trade schools. It offers a highly competitive varsity experience, often with lower enrollment numbers and budgets than the NCAA/NAIA.

Club & Intramural Sports

• Club Sports: Highly structured but student-run teams that hold tryouts, practice regularly, and compete against other universities' club teams. While they are highly competitive, they offer a more flexible time commitment than varsity sports and often require membership fees.

• Intramural Sports: The most casual level of competition. Teams consist of students, faculty, or staff who play against other teams within their own university. Games do not involve traveling, tryouts are rare, and the focus is on fitness, recreation, and fun.