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WHAT IS THE NCAA?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the largest sports governing body in the United States. It has over 460,000 student-athletes, 24 different sports, and 1,200-member universities. The NCAA has two main focuses: 1) to ensure that all students put their studies before their sports and 2) to guarantee the fairness of competition by making sure that no student has played sports on a professional level at any time before attending college.
The NCAA has three divisions – Division I, II, and III. The classification of universities and colleges into these divisions is based on their sports budget, and not on the quality of the university itself. For example, the University of Alabama, known for its all-conquering football team, is a Division I university, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Division III university, as it prioritizes academic spending over athletic investment.
WHAT IS THE NAIA?
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is a sports governing body that coordinates the sports played between small and medium-sized universities. There are about 300 NAIA member universities and around 60,000 student-athletes. These universities tend to be smaller, private colleges, offering a personalized experience that focuses on academic excellence and competitive athletics.
The NAIA, on the other hand, has only one division for all sports except basketball, for which there are two divisions. This is mainly due to size, as it has far fewer member universities than the NCAA. Competition is no less fierce, as these are often private universities with exceptional facilities.
