Most of us are familiar with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, better known as the NCAA. But are you familiar with the NAIA, NJCAA, or the NCCAA?

  When we think of college athletics, big schools and big conferences immediately come to mind. The SEC, Big Ten and the Pac 10 with schools such as Florida, Ohio State and USC get lots of national exposure. These schools are member schools of the NCAA Division 1.

  As a high school student athlete, you may dream of one day having the opportunity to play for one of these schools. It is great to have dreams, but the reality is most athletes are not cut out to participate at such a high level. To continue a playing career while pursuing a goal of a higher education, most student athletes need to consider what lies beyond these big name institutions. Once you get beyond Division 1, you can begin to evaluate the many schools that can potentially offer you an athletic opportunity.

  I hope you will find the following information useful.

  Colleges and Universities in the United States are grouped into different divisions based on criteria such as size, academic curriculum offered, athletic programs and the amount of financial assistance available.

  The NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA are a few of the the governing bodies that regulate these divisions.

  National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) The NCAA comprises over 1,200 colleges and universities divided into 3 divisions. Academic standards are high and the level of competition is high as well. Member schools of Division I have more scholarship money available to distribute, and as a result, the level of competition tends to be higher. With no age limit for Div II, it is often the case that the top teams in Div 1 and Div II are evenly matched. Institutions in Div III do not offer athletic scholarships.

http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/divisionListing

  National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) There are approximately 350, mostly smaller colleges in the NAIA, organized by districts. Many NAIA colleges have excellent sports programs and may offer some athletic scholarships. The level of athletic ability is still high, although the standard is not set as high as for NCAA teams.

http://naia.cstv.com/member-services/about/members.htm

  National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) The NJCAA is the National Junior College Athletic Association comprising over 500 member schools. These are essentially preparatory institutions for student athletes to attend with a view to achieving the required results for entrance to a higher-level college or university.

http://www.njcaa.org/colleges.cfm

  National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) The NCCAA is an association of approximately 100 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada which see collegiate sports primarily as an opportunity for Christian fellowship and ministry. The NCCAA currently consists of two divisions, Division I, which is predominantly four-year Christian liberal arts universities and colleges, and Division II, which is primarily Bible colleges and smaller four-year Christian colleges. The divisions are further subdivided into eight geographic regions. Many NCCAA member schools are also members of the NCAA, NAIA or ACCA.

http://www.thenccaa.org/allmembers.html

  Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) The ACCA is an organization of approximately 20 collegiate athletic programs. The ACCA was incorporated to provide an opportunity for smaller Christian College members to compete on an equal level of competition with schools of like size.

http://www.accathletics.org/

  So as you can see, there are many schools that provide academic and athletic opportunities beyond the few you see on television each week. Each offers the chance for you, a prospective student athlete, to continue playing a sport you love at the next level. But most importantly, can offer you an education that will take you far beyond your playing days. The next step is to determine which of these schools may be the best fit for you personally, academically and athletically. If you haven't started to think about what options may be out there for you to pursue, now is a great time to start.

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