5 things student athletes should know about college athletic programs

Becoming a collegiate athlete can be a very exciting process.  There are several things that parents and athletes should consider as they embark on this adventure together.

Three athletic associations govern collegiate sports: 

1. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

2. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

3. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

 The NCAA is the primary collegiate athletic organization offering three divisions (I, II, and III) for nearly 500,000 athletes representing approximately 1100 schools.  The NCAA requires athletes to maintain specific eligibility criteria pertaining to academic courses and grades which can be found at: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future.

The three separate divisions have very different characteristics:

• Division 1 (DI) schools typically have large student bodies and offer the most generous amount of athletic scholarship money.  The 350 DI schools oversee more than 6,000 athletic teams for over 170,000 student-athletes.  Participation in a DI sport requires an immense degree of commitment and training can be required continuously, year-round, including the ‘off’ seasons.

• Division II (DII) schools generally do not have the financial resources to devote to their athletic programs and typically offer student-athletes a mix of funding through athletic scholarships, academic aid, need-based grants and/or employment earnings.  More than 300 colleges and universities are classified as DII schools and approximately 87 percent have fewer than 8,000 students where athletes comprise a high percentage of the student body.  DII emphasizes regional competition in order to reduce missed class time and allows student-athletes more time to engage in broader campus experiences and community involvement. 

• Division III (DIII) is the largest division with 446 participating institutions. DIII is unique in not awarding athletic scholarships, however many student-athletes receive academic scholarships. DIII student-athletes compete quite literally for the love of the sport which enables students to integrate and balance their athletic experiences with academic interests and other co-curricular activities and leadership positions. 

Another league, The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA), promotes sports for 250 smaller colleges that can offer athletic scholarships.  Information can be found at: http://www.playnaia.org/?DB_OEM_ID=27900. The NAIA is a smaller association than the NCAA and has lower grade and eligibility standards. It includes two divisions (Division I and II) and DI in the NAIA is comparable to DII in the NCAA. Often athletes will compete in multiple sports.  Over 90% of NAIA schools offer a combined total of approximately $800,000,000 in scholarships which allows NAIA schools to draw some very talented athletes that would not be eligible for NCAA standards.

The NJCAA governs over 500 two-year junior colleges. More information can be found at:  http://www.njcaa.org/eligibility/index.  Advantages of attending a junior college can be increased playing time and athletic development prior to transferring to a more competitive NCAA school.

When playing sports in college, parents and students should know:

1. Begin the recruiting process early (grades 9 and 10) by registering on the NCAA, contacting coaches and sending them ‘highlight’ videos.  Do not get discouraged if coaches do not respond as the NCAA has very rigid guidelines on when coaches can actually contact student-athletes.  Many coaches have their recruiting classes selected by the end of grade 11 (high school junior year) – so waiting until your senior year is too late.

2. Prospective collegiate athletes (and parents) should visit the schools, work out with the teams and meet with current team members.  This enables recruits and parents to build relationships and to demonstrate their interest in the desired school and program and to determine if the culture of the program and team is an appropriate fit.

3. The NCAA now allows each prospective student-athlete/recruit unlimited ‘official’ visits at collleges where the travel and lodging costs are by the college being visited.

4. The primary focus of a recruited athlete in a DI program is the sport.  Academics are secondary.  Athletic time commitments are not as intense for DII, DIII and NAIA level schools which allows for a better balance with academic and other campus activities and may not require such an intense travel schedule.

5. DI Collegiate athletes often forego other collegiate opportunities such as study abroad programs and internships due to their intensive year-round training schedules.

6. Per Andrew Windham of the College Planning Institute, “93% of student athletes still pay for 50% of their college costs” as most scholarships are only a ‘partial’ scholarship.  Very few scholarships are ‘full’ scholarships.  It benefits the student-athlete and the athletic programs for coaches to wait and offer the athletic scholarship after financial aid and ‘needs-based’ scholarships have been applied for.  Additionally, academics matter as often academic and merit-based scholarships can be obtained to make-up any financial disparities that may exist.

7. Most Ivy League schools only provide ‘needs based’ scholarships and do not provide athletic or merit-based aid.  Being a recruited athlete at a highly-selective school with a very low admissions rate may provide an avenue for admittance however these schools typically require their recruits and athletes to have certain minimum academic criteria beyond what the NCAA requires.  All potential student athletes should review this information on the schools’ websites or with coaches to determine if that school is a good academic fit for them – as the demands of collegiate athletic competition, including travel, can be extremely excessive and impact class attendance. 

8. MOST IMPORTANTLY, a student-athlete is just one injury away from not being able to compete in collegiate sports.  Therefore, the selected college or university should be a good ‘all-around’ fit for the student including appropriate academic interests and fields of study.  Also, consider the possibility of a change in the current coaching staff as often times coaches move to other schools for better positions.

There are many fine schools with wonderful programs and opportunities both athletically and academically that can be the right fit for student-athletes.  Start the process early and research the options.  Being a recruited athlete is a wonderful ‘hook’ to gain admissions to highly selective schools with lower admission rates. Having a counselor or advisor who can aid in the navigation process can be a significant resource.  For further advice or assistance in the college search process, please contact Barbara Stager at: Barb@admissionslogic.com or 303-877-8187.