American University Athletic Leagues

If you are a licensed and professional athlete, you can choose the country and school you will study in according to your qualifications, and you can study at a university abroad with an athletic scholarship. Many universities allow you to receive academic education on a scholarship along with the chance to continue playing sports in their leagues.

There are some divisions between sports by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), the main governing body of intercollegiate athletics. NCAA Divisions distinguish schools based on their level of competition and the resources of their athletic departments.

From March Madness to the College World Series, most college sporting events you see on television are contests between Division I schools. Division I schools have the largest student bodies, largest athletic budgets and scholarships. 350 or more schools, which provide opportunities for more than 170,000 student-athletes and have more than 6,000 teams, are members of NCAA Division I. Ivy League schools are also Division I members but do not offer athletic scholarships. Athletes wishing to enter these schools must prove their academic success (e.g. minimum SAT score of 1450). When the coach of one of these schools wants to accept you, he also presents your academic success to the school and makes a request accordingly.

Approximately 300 schools are part of Division II. Division II schools offer athletic scholarships, but there are fewer scholarships available than in Division I. Full athletic scholarships are more common in Division I; Most Division II athletes receive partial scholarships because their athletic department budget is smaller than that of Division I. Examples of Division II schools include UCSD, West Florida University, Northern Michigan University, Oklahoma Baptist University and Valdosta State University.

Division III is the largest of all NCAA divisions. Division III includes 444 institutions and more than 170,000 student-athletes. One major difference in Division III is that there are no athletic scholarships. However, the majority of athletes receive some form of academic or need-based aid. Additionally, Division III has shorter work hours and less travel for games. In Division III, the emphasis is on the value of competing in the sport, so there is less focus on generating revenue or creating events for spectators. Examples of Division III schools include Babson College, California Institute of Technology, Emory, Eastern Connecticut State University and Rochester University.

As a result, your sport can be an important factor in determining your college decision, and sports can play a large role in your college experience. Your school's NCAA division plays a role in determining what your college experience will be like.

Frequently Asked Questions About American University Athletic Leagues

American University Athletic Leagues

American University Athletic Leagues

Search All Blogs.

Recently added blogs

Similar Blogs