What You Need to Know: College Athletics
When considering your participation in athletics during college, there are a few key aspects of the process that you’ll need to navigate. It’s likely that you have questions about the recruitment process, scholarships, and college conferences, among other things. Here is some information you should know:
Recruitment and Eligibility
If you decide that you are interested in playing a sport beyond club and intramural leagues in college, keep in mind that there are typically two ways to join a college team — either as a walk-on athlete or as a recruited athlete. A walk-on athlete is not offered an athletic scholarship, requires permission from the college coach to try out, and teams typically have limited spots. You may want to consider this if you are a late bloomer or have developed as an athlete and in your sport after the recruiting cycle has ended for your sport. . If you are interested in being recruited, on the other hand, read on for more information about the recruitment process. Keep in mind that not every college, university or even sport will offer both walk-on and recruited athletics, so consider doing your research and determine which colleges on your list offer the best option for you.
For students interested in being recruited, you’ll want to start early, ideally during your high school years. This might mean creating a recruiting profile, researching colleges and programs, and reaching out to coaches (you may be able to do this directly, or by filling out a student-athlete interest form on the program’s website). Keep in mind that coaches often identify and start recruiting athletes well before their senior year.
[Note: depending on the level of competition there are different regulations for when a coach can initiate communication with you, although student-athletes are generally able to initiate communication with coaches at any time. More on this below 👇)
In addition to the rules of the recruitment process, you will also want to consider the eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible, you will need to graduate high school, complete a certain number of approved core courses, maintain a minimum GPA, maintain amateur status (meaning you cannot have received payment or benefits beyond necessary expenses for a sport), and register with either the NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Center.
Scholarships
Athletic scholarships are financial aid awards given to student-athletes to assist in covering the cost of their education in exchange for their contribution and participation in a college or university’s sports program. Scholarship availability can vary by level of competition and the funding by individual sports at each college or university. You may be offered a full scholarship, covering the entire cost of tuition, fees, room and board, and sometimes additional expenses. These scholarships are often most common in revenue sports like football, basketball, and ice hockey. In most cases, student-athletes are offered a partial scholarship to cover a portion of the total cost of attendance as determined by the college coach and the institution's athletic department. The student-athlete and their family are then responsible for the remaining expenses.
Finding Balance
As you are exploring your options as a prospective college athlete, you will want to consider the time commitment and resources available to help you find balance as a college student. Get information on available majors, tutoring opportunities, academic support, if you’re able to study abroad, and even if you’ll be required on campus during the summer months. Beyond your academic goals, consider your mental and physical health. Being a college athlete can be demanding so ensuring that your college or university offers physical therapy services and mental health services may be a good place to start.
At the end of the day, being a college athlete is meant to improve your overall college experience if you choose to participate, not take away from it. Understand what parts of college outside athletics you think will be most important to you before making the commitment to be a student-athlete.
College Athletics Conferences and Organizations
Within college athletics, there are a variety of governing bodies that help establish rules for their member institutions. These rules extend from the recruitment and eligibility process all the way through scheduling and championships. Additionally, institutions can choose to move between divisions, and some schools may have different divisions for different sports. We go into these divisions and their rules below.
NCAA
The NCAA, also known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, is the main governing body for all college sports in the United States. Within the NCAA there are 3 divisions — Division I, Division II, and Division III. We go into detail on these below.
Division I (D1): This is the most competitive level of the NCAA and typically features schools with larger athletic programs, and typically more athletic scholarships. D1 also has the most strict contact periods when it comes to coaches contacting prospective student-athletes. The specific timelines vary by sport, but in most cases college coaches can contact student-athletes on September 1st of their junior year If a student-athlete is offered a scholarship, they are required to sign a Letter of Intent to officially commit to the college and accept the scholarship if any is awarded. This happens on what is called “College Signing Day.”
Division II (D2): This is the second most competitive level of the NCAA and typically features more balance between athletics and academics. While they can offer scholarships, there are often fewer available than D1. While there are still contact period restrictions between coaches and students, they are less strict than D1. Coaches can begin reaching out to you on June 15 at the end of sophomore year.
Division III (D3): This is the least competitive level of the NCAA and often places a very strong emphasis on the overall college experience and does not offer athletic scholarships. There are no contact period restrictions of Division III.
NAIA
The NAIA, also known as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, is an alternative to the NCAA. It consists of smaller colleges and universities and offers its own set of rules and regulations for college athletics. The NAIA can offer athletic scholarships to student athletes, although the number and amount varies by sport and institution. Similar to NCAA Division III there is a strong focus on the overall college experience, and there are no rules of when NAIA coaches can initiate contact with prospective student-athletes.
NJCAA
The NJCAA, also known as the National Junior College Athletic Association, governs two-year college athletics, primarily at the junior college or community college level. Similarly to the NCAA it has 3 divisions — Division I, II and III. There are no specific contact period restrictions in the NJCAA. While NJCAA institutions can offer athletic scholarships, there are a limited number a team can award. These may cover tuition, fees, books, and sometimes room and board.
As you continue learning more about the college athletics recruitment process and which level of competition may be best suited for you, don’t forget to utilize Scoir to discover colleges and universities that offer your sport of interest and level of competition that fits your preferences. There is also a whole world of club sports, particularly at the bigger universities, that is super fun and competitive, and offers a rewarding experience and lifetime friendships.
