There are over 380,000 athletes who are competing at American colleges. Over 160,000 prospective student-athletes submit their credentials every year. 65,000 of these athletes will compete at NCAA DI and DII. The NCAA is the largest  intercollegiate athletic association, and is in charge of all areas of athletics for four-year colleges including recruiting, eligibility, and financial aid. Colleges affiliated with the NCAA are ranked as either Division I, II, or III schools, with Division I being the most competitive, made up of larger colleges and universities, and offering athletic scholarships. Division II is less competitive and generally made up of smaller schools, but still offers athletic scholarships. Division III does not offer athletic scholarship.  

  

         The NCAA regulates the maximum number of scholarships that colleges can award in each sport. The number varies by Division. The number also varies by college, because they are not required to give out the maximum number of scholarships. You’ll need to contact individual colleges to find out how many scholarships they intend to award. The NCAA also imposes strict high school academic rules for student-athletes who wish to continue playing their sport in college. There are core course requirements that must be fulfilled before you are allowed to play at Division I or II schools in your freshman year. There is also a minimum combination of GPA and standardized test scores that you must achieve.

 

What is Division I?

        Division I is the highest level of athletics at the National Collegiate Athletic Association.  The NCAA is the governing body of a majority of intercollegiate athletics with DI, DII and DIII, the only exception being NAIA and NJCAA which are separate governing bodies. The Division I includes the collegiate power house conferences, generally more high tech and equipped facilities, larger total enrollments, larger budgets, and more scholarship opportunities. There are about 340 universities that make up the Division I level. There are subdivisions for football at the Division I level, FBS and FCS. All other sports only have one division.

 

How do scholarships work at the Division I level?

         The NCAA imposes limits on the total financial aid each Division I member may award based on sport. It divides sports that it sponsors into two type “Head-count” sports, in which the NCAA limits the total number of individuals that can receive athletic scholarships, but allows each player to receive up to a full scholarship. “Equivalency” sports, in which the NCAA limits the total financial aid that a school can offer in a given sport to the equivalent of a set number of full scholarships. Roster limitations may or may not apply, depending on the sport.

 

What Sports are Head- Count Sports?

• BCS Football: 85 Scholarships

• M. Basketball: 13 scholarships

• W. Basketball: 15 scholarships

• W. Tennis: 8 Scholarships

• W. Indoor Volleyball: 12 Scholarships

 

 

Division I Recruiting Timeline

        The Division I recruiting timeline is the most accelerated

of all divisions. DI programs are normally creating lists of

athletes they are interested in during their middle school

athletic career, and then heavily recruiting them by their

freshman and sophomore year, with offers coming shortly

after. Division I usually offers their athletes first, and then

Division II and III will recruit after.