National Collegiate Athletic Association

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"NCAA" redirects here. For the unrelated athletics association in the Philippines, see National
Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines). For other uses, see NCAA (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with NCCAA or NCCA (disambiguation).
National Collegiate Athletic Association

Abbreviation NCAA
March 31, 1906; 115 years ago (IAAUS)[1]
Founded
1910; 112 years ago (NCAA)
Legal status Association
Headquarters Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Region served United States and Canada[2]
Membership 1,268 schools/institutions, conferences or other associations
President Mark Emmert
Main organ Board of Governors
NCAA official website
Website
NCAA administrative website
NCAA divisions

Division I

Division II

Division III
 v
 t
 e

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)[a] is a nonprofit organization that regulates
student athletes from up to 1,268 North American institutions and conferences. It also organizes the
athletic programs of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and helps over
480,000 college student athletes who compete annually in college sports. The organization is
headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In August 1973, the current three-division system of Division I, Division II, and Division III was
adopted by the NCAA membership in a special convention. Under NCAA rules, Division I and
Division II schools can offer scholarships to athletes for playing a sport. Division III schools may
not offer any athletic scholarships. Generally, larger schools compete in Division I and smaller
schools in II and III. Division I football was further divided into I-A and I-AA in 1978. In 2006,
Divisions I-A and I-AA were respectively renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and
Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). In its 2016–17 fiscal year, the NCAA took in
$1.06 billion in revenue, over 82% of which was generated by the Division I Men's Basketball
Tournament.

Controversially, the NCAA formerly capped the benefits that collegiate athletes could receive from
their schools. The consensus among economists is these caps for men's basketball and football
players benefit the athletes' schools (through rent-seeking) at the expense of the athletes.[3][4][5]
Economists have subsequently characterized the NCAA as a cartel.[6][7][8] On June 21, 2021, the
Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled that the education-related benefit caps the
NCAA imposes on student athletes are in violation of US antitrust law.[9]

Contents
 1 History
o 1.1 Formation and early years
o 1.2 1970s–present
o 1.3 Notable court cases
 2 Headquarters
 3 Structure
o 3.1 Presidents of the NCAA
o 3.2 Chief medical officer
o 3.3 Division history
 4 Player eligibility
 5 NCAA sponsored sports
o 5.1 Men's programs
o 5.2 Women's programs
o 5.3 Emerging sports for women
 6 Sports added and dropped
o 6.1 Men's sports
o 6.2 Women's sports
 7 Championships
o 7.1 Trophies
o 7.2 Football Bowl Subdivision
 8 Conferences
o 8.1 Division I
 8.1.1 Division I FCS football-only conferences
  8.1.2 Division I hockey-only conferences
o 8.2 Division II
o 8.3 Division III
 8.3.1 Division III football-only conferences
 8.3.2 Other Division III single-sport conferences
 9 Media
 10 Office of Inclusion
o 10.1 Inclusion and Diversity Campaign
 10.1.1 NCAA Inclusion Statement
 10.1.2 Gender equity and Title IX
 10.1.3 LGBTQ
 10.1.4 Race and ethnicity
 10.1.5 Student-athletes with disabilities
 10.1.6 International student athletes
 11 College team name changes
 12 Rules violations
 13 Sponsors
 14 Finances
o 14.1 NCAA expenditures
 14.1.1 Expenses by category
o 14.2 Player compensation proposals
 15 Individual awards
 16 Other collegiate athletic organizations
o 16.1 In the United States
o 16.2 Foreign equivalents
o 16.3 International governing body
 17 See also
 18 Notes and references
o 18.1 Notes
o 18.2 References
 19 Further reading
 20 External links

History
Formation and early years

Further information: List of charter members of the NCAA

Intercollegiate sports began in the United States in 1852 when crews from Harvard and Yale
universities met in a challenge race in the sport of rowing.[10] As rowing remained the preeminent
sport in the country into the late-1800s, many of the initial debates about collegiate athletic
eligibility and purpose were settled through organizations like the Rowing Association of American
Colleges and the Intercollegiate Rowing Association. As other sports emerged, notably football and
basketball, many of these same concepts and standards were adopted. Football, in particular, began
to emerge as a marquee sport, but the rules of the game itself were in constant flux and often had to
be adapted for each contest.
The NCAA dates its formation to two White House conferences convened by President Theodore
Roosevelt in the early 20th century in response to repeated injuries and deaths in college football
which had "prompted many college and universities to discontinue the sport."[1] Following those
White House meetings and the reforms which had resulted, Chancellor Henry MacCracken of New
York University organized a meeting of 13 colleges and universities to initiate changes in football
playing rules; at a follow-on meeting on December 28, 1905, in New York, 62 higher-education
institutions became charter members of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United
States (IAAUS).[1] The IAAUS was officially established on March 31, 1906, and took its present
name, the NCAA, in 1910.[1]

For several years, the NCAA was a discussion group and rules-making body, but in 1921, the first
NCAA national championship was conducted: the National Collegiate Track and Field
Championships. Gradually, more rules committees were formed and more championships were
created, including a basketball championship in 1939.[11]

A series of crises brought the NCAA to a crossroads after World War II. The "Sanity Code" –
adopted to establish guidelines for recruiting and financial aid – failed to curb abuses, and the
Association needed to find more effective ways to curtail its membership.[12] Postseason football
games were multiplying with little control, and member schools were increasingly concerned about
how the new medium of television would affect football attendance.[11]

The complexity of those problems and the growth in membership and championships demonstrated
the need for full-time professional leadership. Walter Byers, previously a part-time executive
assistant, was named executive director in 1951, and a national headquarters was established in
Kansas City, Missouri in 1952.[11]

Byers wasted no time placing his stamp on the Association. A program to control live television of
football games was approved, the annual Convention delegated enforcement powers to the
Association's Council, and legislation was adopted governing postseason bowl games.[11]

1970s–present

NCAA logo, 1971–1979

As college athletics grew, the scope of the nation's athletics programs diverged, forcing the NCAA
to create a structure that recognized varying levels of emphasis. In 1973, the association's
membership was divided into three legislative and competitive divisions – I, II, and III.[13] Five years
later in 1978, Division I members voted to create subdivisions I-A and I-AA (renamed the Football
Bowl Subdivision and the Football Championship Subdivision in 2006) in football.[11]
Until the 1980s, the association did not govern women's athletics. Instead, the Association for
Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), with nearly 1,000 member schools, governed
women's collegiate sports in the United States. The AIAW was in a vulnerable position that
precipitated conflicts with the NCAA in the early-1980s. Following a one-year overlap in which
both organizations staged women's championships, the AIAW discontinued operation, and most
member schools continued their women's athletics programs under the governance of the NCAA.[14]
By 1982 all divisions of the NCAA offered national championship events for women's athletics. A
year later in 1983, the 75th Convention approved an expansion to plan women's athletic program
services and pushed for a women's championship program.[11]

By the 1980s, televised college football had become a larger source of income for the NCAA. In
September 1981, the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and the University of Georgia
Athletic Association filed suit against the NCAA in district court in Oklahoma. The plaintiffs stated
that the NCAA's football television plan constituted price fixing, output restraints, boycott, and
monopolizing, all of which were illegal under the Sherman Act. The NCAA argued that its pro-
competitive and non-commercial justifications for the plan – protection of live gate, maintenance of
competitive balance among NCAA member institutions, and the creation of a more attractive
"product" to compete with other forms of entertainment – combined to make the plan reasonable. In
September 1982, the district court found in favor of the plaintiffs, ruling that the plan violated
antitrust laws. It enjoined the association from enforcing the contract. The NCAA appealed all the
way to the United States Supreme Court, but lost in 1984 in a 7–2 ruling NCAA v. Board of Regents
of the University of Oklahoma.[15] (If the television contracts the NCAA had with ABC, CBS, and
ESPN had remained in effect for the 1984 season, they would have generated some $73.6 million
for the association and its members.)

In 1999, the NCAA was sued for discriminating against female athletes under Title IX for
systematically giving men in graduate school more waivers than a woman to participate in college
sports. In National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Smith, 525 U.S. 459 (1999) the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled that the NCAA was not subject to that law, without reviewing the merits of the
discrimination claim.[16]

Over the last two decades recruiting international athletes has become a growing trend among
NCAA institutions. For example, most German athletes outside of Germany are based at US
universities. For many European athletes, the American universities are the only option to pursue an
academic and athletic career at the same time. Many of these students come to the US with high
academic expectations and aspirations.[17]

In 2009, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, became the NCAA's first
non-US member institution, joining Division II.[18][19] In 2018, Division II membership approved
allowing schools from Mexico to apply for membership; CETYS of Tijuana, Baja California
expressed significant interest in joining at the time.[20][21]

In 2014, the NCAA set a record high of $989 million in net revenue. Just shy of $1 billion, it is
among the highest of all large sports organizations.

During the NCAA's 2022 annual convention, the membership ratified a new version of the
organization's constitution. The new constitution dramatically simplifies a rulebook that many
college sports leaders saw as increasingly bloated. It also reduces the size of the NCAA Board of
Governors from 20 to 9, and guarantees that current and former athletes have voting representation
on both the NCAA board and the governing bodies of each NCAA division. The new constitution
was the first step in a reorganization process in which each division will have the right to set its own
rules, with no approval needed from the rest of the NCAA membership.[22][23]

Notable court cases

 In the late-1940s, there were only two colleges in the country, Notre Dame and
Pennsylvania, with national TV contracts, a considerable source of revenue. In 1951, the
NCAA voted to prohibit any live TV broadcast of college football games during the season.
No sooner had the NCAA voted to ban television than public outcry forced it to retreat.
Instead, the NCAA voted to restrict the number of televised games for each team to stop the
slide in gate attendance. University of Pennsylvania president Harold Stassen defied the
monopoly and renewed its contract with ABC. Eventually, Penn dropped its suit when the
NCAA, refusing Penn's request that the U.S. Attorney General rule on the legality of the
NCAA's restrictive plan,[24] threatened to expel the university from the association. Notre
Dame continued televising its games through 1953, working around the ban by filming its
games, then broadcasting them the next evening.[25]
 In 1957, the Colorado Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of deceased
Trinidad College football player Ray Herbert Dennison. Despite suffering a lethal
concussion injury on the field in a game versus Fort Lewis A&M College, Dennison was not
entitled to any compensation because he was not under a contractual obligation to play
football. Furthermore, the court stated that the "college did not receive a direct benefit from
the activities, since the college was not in the football business and received no benefit from
this field of recreation".[26]
 In 1977, prompted partly by the Tarkanian Case, the US Congress initiated an investigation
into the NCAA.[27] It, combined with Tarkanian's case, forced the NCAA's internal files into
the public record.[28]
 In 1998, the NCAA settled a $2.5 million lawsuit filed by former UNLV basketball coach,
Jerry Tarkanian. Tarkanian sued the NCAA after he was forced to resign from UNLV, where
he had been head coach from 1973 to 1992. The suit claimed the agency singled him out,
penalizing the university's basketball program three times in that span. Tarkanian said, "They
can never, ever, make up for all the pain and agony they caused me. All I can say is that for
25 years they beat the hell out of me". The NCAA said that it regretted the long battle and it
now has more understanding of Tarkanian's position and that the case has changed the
enforcement process for the better.[29]
 In 1999, the NCAA was sued for discriminating against female athletes under Title IX for
systematically giving men in graduate school more waivers than a woman to participate in
college sports. In National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Smith, the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled that the NCAA was not subject to that law, without reviewing the merits of the
discrimination claim.[30]
 In 2007, the case of White et al. v. NCAA, No. CV 06-999-RGK (C.D. Cal. September 20,
2006) was brought by former NCAA student-athletes Jason White, Brian Pollack, Jovan
Harris, and Chris Craig as a class action lawsuit. They argued that the NCAA's current limits
on a full scholarship or grant-in-aid was a violation of federal antitrust laws. Their reasoning
was that in the absence of such a limit, NCAA member schools would be free to offer any
financial aid packages they desired to recruit the student and athlete. The NCAA settled
before a ruling by the court, by agreeing to set up the Former Student-Athlete Fund to "assist
qualified candidates applying for receipt of career development expenses and/or
 reimbursement of educational expenses under the terms of the agreement with plaintiffs in a
federal antitrust lawsuit."[31]
 In 2013, Jay Bilas claimed that the NCAA was taking advantage of individual players
through jersey sales in its store. Specifically, he typed the names of several top college
football players, Tajh Boyd, Teddy Bridgewater, Jadeveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel, and
AJ McCarron, into the search engine of the NCAA's official online store. The search results
returned corresponding numbered team jerseys. The NCAA subsequently removed the team
jerseys listed on its site.[32]
 In March 2014, four players filed a class action antitrust lawsuit, alleging that the NCAA and
its five dominant conferences are an "unlawful cartel". The suit charges that NCAA caps on
the value of athletic scholarships have "illegally restricted the earning power of football and
men's basketball players while making billions off their labor".[33] Tulane University Sports
Law Program Director Gabe Feldman called the suit "an instantly credible threat to the
NCAA." On September 30, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that
limiting compensation to the cost of an athlete's attendance at a university was sufficient. It
simultaneously ruled against a federal judge's proposal to pay student athletes $5,000 per
year in deferred compensation.[34]
 In August 2015, the National Labor Relations Board reversed a decision settled in the prior
year that classified members of Northwestern University's scholarship football players as
employees, thus, granting them the right to collectively bargain for their rights. The
unionization efforts were a direct effort led by the College Athletes Player Association and
Kain Colter, who operated with the support of the United Steelworkers group.[35] The case
was ultimately struck down due to difficulties in applying the ruling across both public and
private institutions. The NCAA made several improvements to the value of athletic
scholarships and the quality of healthcare coverage in response to this movement by the
Northwestern football players.[35] These reforms included guaranteeing the entire four years
of scholarship in the event of a career-ending injury, the implementation of “cost of
attendance” stipends, the institution of “unlimited” athlete meal plans, and protections for the
name, image, and likeness of athletes by third parties such as Electronic Arts.[35]
 In 2018 former UCF kicker Donald De La Haye filed a lawsuit alleging that the university
violated his First Amendment rights when it rescinded his full athletic scholarship over the
income De La Haye made from his monetized YouTube channel, which he started before he
attended college. UCF argued De La Haye violated the NCAA policy forbidding student-
athletes from using their likenesses to make money.[36] De La Haye ultimately settled with
UCF so that he could obtain his degree from the university.
 In June 2021 the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously affirmed a ruling that
provides for an incremental increase in how college athletes can be compensated. Justice
Neil Gorsuch wrote the court's opinion, which upheld a district court judge's decision that the
NCAA was violating antitrust law by placing limits on the education-related benefits that
schools can provide to athletes. The decision allows schools to provide their athletes with
unlimited compensation as long as it is some way connected to their education. The idea that
college athletes should not be paid, a fundamental tenet of the 115-year-old NCAA, has
faced increasing scrutiny in recent years. Federal antitrust lawsuits have slowly eroded strict
amateurism rules during the past decade.[37]

Headquarters
National Office, Indianapolis
The modern era of the NCAA began in July 1955 when its executive director, Kansas City, Missouri
native Walter Byers, moved the organization's headquarters from the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago
(where its offices were shared by the headquarters of the Big Ten Conference) to the Fairfax
Building in Downtown Kansas City. The move was intended to separate the NCAA from the direct
influence of any individual conference and keep it centrally located.

The Fairfax was a block from Municipal Auditorium which had hosted men's basketball Final Four
games in 1940, 1941, and 1942. After Byers moved the headquarters to Kansas City, the
championships would be held in Municipal Auditorium in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1961, and 1964.

The Fairfax office consisted of three rooms with no air conditioning. Byers' staff consisted of four
people: an assistant, two secretaries, and a bookkeeper.[38]

In 1964, it moved three blocks away to offices in the Midland Theatre. In 1973, it moved to
Shawnee Mission Parkway in suburban Mission, Kansas in a $1.2 million building on 3.4 acres
(14,000 m2). In 1989, it moved 6 miles (9.7 km) farther south to Overland Park, Kansas. The new
building was on 11.35 acres (45,900 m2) and had 130,000 square feet (12,000 m2) of space.[39]

The NCAA was dissatisfied with its Johnson County, Kansas suburban location, noting that its
location on the south edges of the Kansas City suburbs was more than 40 minutes from Kansas City
International Airport. They also noted that the suburban location was not drawing visitors to its new
visitors' center.[40]

In 1997, it asked for bids for a new headquarters. Various cities competed for a new headquarters
with the two finalists being Kansas City and Indianapolis. Kansas City proposed to relocate the
NCAA back downtown near the Crown Center complex and would locate the visitors' center in
Union Station. However Kansas City's main sports venue Kemper Arena was nearly 30 years old.[40]
Indianapolis argued that it was in fact more central than Kansas City in that two-thirds of the
members are east of the Mississippi River.[40] The 50,000-seat RCA Dome far eclipsed the 17,000-
seat Kemper Arena. In 1999, the NCAA moved its 300-member staff to its new headquarters in the
White River State Park in a four-story 140,000-square-foot (13,000 m2) facility on the west edge of
downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Adjacent to the headquarters is the 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2)
NCAA Hall of Champions.[41]

Structure
The NCAA's Board of Governors (formerly known as the Executive Committee) is the main body
within the NCAA. This body elects the NCAA's president.[42]

The NCAA's legislative structure is broken down into cabinets and committees, consisting of
various representatives of its member schools.[citation needed] These may be broken down further into
sub-committees. The legislation is then passed on to the Management Council, which oversees all
the cabinets and committees, and also includes representatives from the schools, such as athletic
directors and faculty advisers. Management Council legislation goes on to the Board of Directors,
which consists of school presidents, for final approval. The NCAA national office staff provides
support, acting as guides, liaisons, researchers, and public and media relations.
The NCAA runs the officiating software company ArbiterSports, based in Sandy, Utah, a joint
venture between two subsidiaries of the NCAA, Arbiter LLC and eOfficials LLC. The NCAA's
stated objective for the venture is to help improve the fairness, quality, and consistency of officiating
across amateur athletics.[43][44]

Presidents of the NCAA

The NCAA had no full-time administrator until 1951, when Walter Byers was appointed executive
director.[1] In 1988, the title was changed to president.[45]

 Walter Byers 1951–1988

 James Frank 1981–1983 (Executive Director)
 Dick Schultz 1988–1993
 Judith Sweet 1991–1993
 Cedric Dempsey 1994–2002[45]
 Myles Brand 2003–2009[45][46]
 Jim Isch (interim) 2009–2010[47]
 Mark Emmert 2010–present

Chief medical officer

In 2013, the NCAA hired Brian Hainline as its first chief medical officer.[48]

Division history

Further information: List of NCAA Division I institutions, List of NCAA Division II institutions,
and List of NCAA Division III institutions
Years Division
1906–1956 None
College Division (Small
1956–1972 University Division (Major College)
College)
1973–
Division I Division II Division III
present
Division I-A Division I-AA
1978–2006 Division I-AAA Division II Division III
(football only) (football only)
2006– Division I FBS Division I FCS Division I (non-
Division II Division III
present (football only) (football only) football)

Player eligibility
To participate in college athletics in their freshman year, the NCAA requires that students meet
three criteria: having graduated from high school, be completing the minimum required academic
courses, and having qualifying grade-point average (GPA) and SAT or ACT scores.[49]

Hosick, Brutlag, and Sproull in 2012 said, "NCAA members are motivated by the principle that
participation in intercollegiate athletics is part of the higher education experience; student-athletes
must be students first".
The 16 academic credits are four courses in English, two courses in math, two classes in social
science, two in natural or physical science, and one additional course in English, math, natural or
physical science, or another academic course such as a foreign language.[50]

To meet the requirements for grade point average and SAT scores, the lowest possible GPA a
student may be eligible with is a 1.70, as long as they have an SAT score of 1400. The lowest SAT
scores a student may be eligible with is 700 as long as they have a GPA of 2.500.[49]

As of the 2017–18 school year, a high school student may sign a letter of intent to enter and play
football for a Division I or Division II college in either of two periods.[b] The first, introduced in
2017–18, is a three-day period in mid-December, coinciding with the first three days of the
previously existing signing period for junior college players.[52] The second period, which before
2017 was the only one allowed for signings of high school players, starts on the first Wednesday in
February.[53] In August 2011, the NCAA announced plans to raise academic requirements for
postseason competition, including its two most prominent competitions, football's now-defunct
Bowl Championship Series (replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff) and the Division I
Men's Basketball Tournament; the new requirement, which are based on an "Academic Progress
Rate" (APR) that measures retention and graduation rates, and is calculated on a four-year, rolling
basis.[54] The changes raise the rate from 900 to 930, which represents a 50% graduation rate.[54]

Student-athletes can accept prize money from tournaments or competitions if they do not exceed the
total expenses from the event. During high school, D1 tennis players may take up to $10,000 in total
prize money. If the student surpassed the amount of $10,000 of prize money in a calendar year, they
would lose eligibility.[55]

Students are generally allowed to compete athletically for four years. Athletes are allowed to sit out
a year while still attending school but not lose a year of eligibility by redshirting.

NCAA sponsored sports

The NCAA currently awards 90 national championships yearly – 46 women's, 41 men's, and coed
championships for fencing, rifle, and skiing. Sports sanctioned by the NCAA include the following:
basketball, baseball (men), beach volleyball (women), softball (women), football (men), cross
country, field hockey (women), bowling (women), golf, fencing (coeducational), lacrosse, soccer,
gymnastics, rowing (women only), volleyball, ice hockey, water polo, rifle (coeducational), tennis,
skiing (coeducational), track and field, swimming and diving, and wrestling (men). The newest sport
to be officially sanctioned is beach volleyball, which held its first championship in the 2015–16
school year.

The Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I determines its own champion separately from the
NCAA via the "College Football Playoff"; this is not an official NCAA championship (see below).
The most recently added championship is a single all-divisions championship in women's beach
volleyball, which was approved by leaders of all three divisions in late 2014 and early 2015. The
first championship was held in spring 2016.[56] The NCAA had called the sport "sand volleyball"
until June 23, 2015, when it announced that it would use the internationally recognized name of
"beach volleyball".[57]

The NCAA awards championships in the following sports:

 NCAA sports
Division I Division III Division I Division II Division III
Division II (M) Sport
(M) (M) (W) (W) (W)
1947– 1968– 1976– Baseball
1939– 1957– 1975– Basketball 1982– 1982– 1982–
Bowling 2004–
1938– 1958– 1973– Cross country 1981– 1981– 1981–
1941– Fencing 1941–
Field hockey 1981– 1981– 1981–
1978–
(FBS)
1973– 1973– Football
1978–
(FCS)
1996–99; 1996–99;
1939– 1963– 1975– Golf 1982–
2000– 2000–
1938– 1968–84 Gymnastics 1982– 1982–86
1978–84; 1993–
1948– 1984– Ice hockey 2001– 2002–
99
1974–79; 1980– 1974–79;
1971– Lacrosse 1982– 2001– 1985–
81; 1993– 1980–
1980– Rifle 1980–
Rowing 1997– 2002– 2002–
1954– Skiing 1954–
1954– 1972– 1974– Soccer 1982– 1988– 1986–
Softball 1982– 1982– 1982–
Swimming &
1924– 1964– 1975– 1982– 1982– 1982–
Diving
1946– 1963– 1976– Tennis 1982– 1982– 1982–
Track & field
1965– 1985– 1985– 1983– 1985; 1987– 1985; 1987–
(indoor)
Track & field
1921– 1963– 1974– 1982– 1982– 1982–
(outdoor)
Volleyball
1970– 2012– 1981– 1981– 1981–
(indoor)
Volleyball
2016–
(beach)
1969– Water polo 2001–
1928– 1963– 1974– Wrestling

 In addition to the sports above, the NCAA sanctioned a boxing championship from 1948 to
1960. The NCAA discontinued boxing following declines in the sport during the 1950s and
following the death of a boxer at the 1960 NCAA tournament.

The number of teams (school programs) that compete in each sport in their respective division as of
the 2019–2020 season are as follows:[58]
Men's programs
Division Division Division Women's programs
Sport
I II III
Baseball 299 261 389
Basketball 351 309 422
Cross Country 318 280 403
Fencing[note 1] 21 2 11
Football 255 168 246
Golf 298 220 306
Gymnastics 14 0 1
Ice Hockey 60 7 84
Lacrosse 74 74 247
Rifle[note 1] 17 2 3
Skiing[note 1] 10 6 15
Soccer 204 213 417
Swimming and
132 77 241
Diving
Tennis 251 160 331
Track and Field
270 177 295
(Indoor)
Track and Field
289 224 326
(Outdoor)
Volleyball 23 25 108
Water Polo 25 8 16
Wrestling 78 64 108
Division Division Division
Sport
I II III
Basketball 349 310 437
Beach Volleyball 62 17 5
Bowling 34 34 19
Cross Country 348 301 422
Fencing[note 1] 27 2 15
Field Hockey 77 36 168
Golf 266 196 240
Gymnastics 60 6 15
Ice Hockey 36 5 67
Lacrosse 117 114 292
Rifle[note 1] 22 2 3
Rowing 88 16 46
Skiing [note 1]
11 7 15
Soccer 335 265 438
Softball 296 288 411
Swimming and
193 104 269
Diving
 Division Division Division
Sport
I II III
Tennis 311 221 368
Track and Field
333 202 302
(Indoor)
Track and Field
340 254 338
(Outdoor)
Volleyball 333 297 432
Water Polo 34 12 19

Notes:

1.

1. Coed Championship sport

Emerging sports for women

Main article: NCAA Emerging Sports for Women

In addition to the above sports, the NCAA recognizes Emerging Sports for Women. These sports
have scholarship limitations for each sport, but do not currently have officially sanctioned NCAA
championships. A member institution may use these sports to meet the required level of sports
sponsorship for its division. An "Emerging Sport" must gain championship status (minimum 40
varsity programs for team sports, except 28 for Division III) within 10 years, or show steady
progress toward that goal to remain on the list.[59] Until then, it is under the auspices of the NCAA
and its respective institutions. Emerging Sport status allows for competition to include club teams to
satisfy the minimum number of competitions bylaw established by the NCAA.

The five sports currently designated as Emerging Sports for Women are:

 Acrobatics & tumbling

 Equestrian
 Rugby
 Triathlon
 Wrestling

Sports added and dropped

The popularity of each of these sports programs has changed over time. Between 1988–89 and
2010–11, NCAA schools had net additions of 510 men's teams and 2,703 women's teams.[60]

The following tables show the changes over time in the number of NCAA schools across all three
divisions combined sponsoring each of the men's and women's team sports.

Men's sports
The men's sports with the biggest net gains during the 1988/89 to 2010/11 period were indoor track
and field, lacrosse, and cross country (each with more than 100 net gains). The men's sports with the
biggest losses were wrestling (−104 teams), tennis, and rifle; the men's team sport with the most net
losses was water polo.[60] Other reports show that 355 college wrestling programs have been
eliminated since 2000; 212 men's gymnastics programs have been eliminated since 1969 with only
17 programs remaining as of 2013.[61]

Additionally, eight NCAA sports—all men's sports—were sponsored by fewer Division I schools in
2020 than in 1990, despite the D-I membership having increased by nearly 60 schools during that
period. Four of these sports, namely wrestling, swimming & diving, gymnastics, and tennis, lost
more than 20 net teams during that timeframe. As a proportion of D-I membership, men's tennis
took the greatest hit; 71.5% of D-I members had men's tennis in 2020, compared to 93.2% in 1990.
[62]

Men's Team Sports:

Number of Schools Sponsoring[63]
No. Sport 1981–82 2011–12 Change Percent
1 Basketball 741 1,060 +259 +43%
2 Baseball 642 927 +285 +44%
3 Soccer 521 803 +282 +54%
4 Football 497 651 +154 +31%
5 Lacrosse 138 295 +157 +116%
6 Ice hockey 130 135 +5 +4%
7 Volleyball 63 98 +35 +56%
8 Water polo 49 43 –6 –12%

The following table lists the men's individual DI sports with at least 5,000 participating athletes.
Sports are ranked by number of athletes.

Men's individual sports

Teams Teams
No. Sport Change Athletes[63] Season
(2015)[63] (1982)[63]
1 Track (outdoor) 780 577 +203 28,177 Spring
2 Track (indoor) 681 422 +259 25,087 Winter
3 Cross country 989 650 +339 14,330 Fall
4 Swimming & diving 427 377 +50 9,715 Winter
5 Golf 831 590 +241 8,654 Spring
6 Tennis 765 690 +75 8,211 Spring
7 Wrestling 229 363 −134 7,049 Winter

Women's sports

The women's sports with the biggest net gains during the 1988–89 to 2010–11 period were soccer
(+599 teams), golf, and indoor track and field; no women's sports programs experienced double-
digit net losses.[60]
 Women's Team Sports:
Number of Schools Sponsoring
Sport 1981–82 2011–12 Change Percent
Basketball 705 1,084 +379 +54%
Volleyball 603 1,047 +444 +74%
Soccer 80 996 +916 +1245%
Softball 348 976 +628 +180%
Lacrosse 105 376 +271 +258%
Field hockey 268 266 –2 –1%
Ice hockey 17 86 +69 +406%
Water polo — 64 +64 ——
[63]

The following table lists the women's individual NCAA sports with at least 1,000 participating
athletes. Sports are ranked by number of athletes.

Women's individual sports[63]

Teams Teams
No. Sport Change Athletes[63] Season
(2015) [63]
(1982)[63]
1 Track (outdoor) 861 427 +434 28,797 Spring
2 Track (indoor) 772 239 +533 26,620 Winter
3 Cross country 1,072 417 +655 16,150 Fall
4 Swimming & diving 548 348 +200 12,428 Winter
5 Tennis 930 610 +320 8,960 Spring
6 Golf 651 125 +526 5,221 Spring
7 Equestrian 47 41* +6* 1,496
8 Gymnastics 82 179 −97 1,492 Winter

 Equestrian was not a women's varsity sport in 1982 and the NCAA report does not include
the number of teams for that year. Equestrian is first listed in the NCAA report in 1988–89
with 41 teams, and so the number of teams for that season is listed in the table above.

Championships
Further information: List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships and List
of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships
See also: NACDA Directors' Cup, Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
championships, List of college athletics championship game outcomes, and Intercollegiate sports
team champions
2006 NCAA championship banners hang from the ceiling of the NCAA Hall of Champions in
Indianapolis

NCAA National Championship trophies, rings, and watches won by UCLA teams

Trophies

For every NCAA sanctioned sport other than Division I FBS football, the NCAA awards trophies
with gold, silver, and bronze plating for the first-, second-, and third-place teams respectively.[citation
needed]
In the case of the NCAA basketball tournaments, both semifinalists who did not make the
championship game receive bronze plated trophies for third place (prior to 1982 the teams played a
"consolation" game to determine third place).[citation needed] Similar trophies are awarded to both
semifinalists in the NCAA football tournaments (which are conducted in Division I FCS and both
lower divisions), which have never had a third-place game. Winning teams maintain permanent
possession of these trophies unless it is later found that they were won via serious rules violations.

Starting with the 2001–02 season, and again in the 2007–08 season, the trophies were changed.[citation
needed]
Starting in the 2006 basketball season, teams that make the Final Four in the Division I
tournament receive bronze-plated "regional championship" trophies upon winning their Regional
Championship which state the region they won and have the Final Four logo. The teams that make
the National Championship game receive an additional trophy that is gold-plated for the winner.
Starting in the mid-1990s, the National Champions in men's and women's basketball receive an
elaborate trophy with a black marble base and crystal "neck" with a removable crystal basketball
following the presentation of the standard NCAA Championship trophy.
As of April 18, 2021,[64] Stanford, UCLA, and Southern California (USC) have the most NCAA
championships. Stanford has won 128 and UCLA has won 119 NCAA team championships in men's
and women's sports, while USC is third with 107.

Football Bowl Subdivision

Main articles: College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS and College
Football Playoff

The NCAA has never sanctioned an official championship for its highest level of football, now
known as Division I FBS. Instead, several outside bodies award their own titles. The NCAA does
not hold a championship tournament or game for Division I FBS football. In the past, teams that
placed first in any of a number of season-ending media polls, most notable the AP Poll of writers
and the Coaches Poll, were said to have won the "national championship".

Starting in 2014, the College Football Playoff – a consortium of the conferences and independent
schools that compete in Division I FBS and six bowl games – has arranged to place the top four
teams (based on a thirteen-member committee that selects and seeds the teams) into two semifinal
games, with the winners advancing to compete in the College Football Playoff National
Championship, which is not officially sanctioned or recognized by the NCAA. The winner of the
game receives a trophy; since the NCAA awards no national championship for Division I FBS
football, this trophy does not denote NCAA as other NCAA college sports national championship
trophies do.

Conferences
See also: List of NCAA conferences and List of college athletic conferences in the United States

The NCAA is divided into three levels of conferences, Division I, Division II, and Division III,
organized in declining program size, as well as numerous sub-divisions.

Division I

See also: NCAA Division I and List of NCAA Division I athletic directors
Notes

 FBS conferences in football are denoted with an asterisk (*)

 FCS conferences in football are denoted with two asterisks (**)
 Conferences that do not sponsor football or basketball are in italics

 American Athletic Conference (The  Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)

American) * **
 America East Conference  Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)
 ASUN Conference  Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
 Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) (MPSF)
 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) *  Mountain West Conference (MW) *
 Big 12 Conference (Big 12) *  Northeast Conference (NEC) **
 Big East Conference  Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) **
  Big Sky Conference **  Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) *
 Big South Conference **  Patriot League **
 Big Ten Conference (Big Ten or B1G) *  Southeastern Conference (SEC) *
 Big West Conference  Southern Conference (SoCon) **
 Coastal Collegiate Sports Association  Southland Conference **
(CCSA)  Southwestern Athletic Conference
 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) ** (SWAC) **
 Conference USA (C-USA) *  The Summit League (The Summit)
 Horizon League  Sun Belt Conference (SBC) *
 Ivy League **  West Coast Conference (WCC)
 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference  Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
(MAAC)  NCAA Division I Independents
 Mid-American Conference (MAC) *

Division I FCS football-only conferences

 Missouri Valley Football Conference

 Pioneer Football League

Map of NCAA Division I FCS schools

Division I hockey-only conferences

Men only

 Atlantic Hockey
 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) – revived in 2021; previously operated from
1971–2013
 National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC)

Women only

 College Hockey America

 New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA)
 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA)

Men and women

 ECAC Hockey
 Hockey East

Division II

See also: NCAA Division II

 California Collegiate Athletic Association  Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics
(CCAA) Association (MIAA)
 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference  Mountain East Conference (MEC)
 (CACC)  Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10)
 Central Intercollegiate Athletic  Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Association (CIAA) (NSIC)
 Conference Carolinas (CC)  Pacific West Conference (PacWest)
 East Coast Conference (ECC)  Peach Belt Conference (PBC)
 Great American Conference (GAC)  Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic (PSAC)
Conference (GLIAC)  Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) (RMAC)
 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-  South Atlantic Conference (SAC)
MAC)  Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Conference (SIAC)
(GNAC)  Sunshine State Conference (SSC)
 Gulf South Conference (GSC)  NCAA Division II Independents
 Lone Star Conference (LSC)

Division III

See also: NCAA Division III

 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate  Midwest Conference (Midwest or MWC)
Conference (AMCC)  Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
 American Rivers Conference (ARC) Conference (MIAC)
 American Southwest Conference (ASC)  New England Collegiate Conference
 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) (NECC)
 Centennial Conference (Centennial)  New England Small College Athletic
 City University of New York Athletic Conference (NESCAC)
Conference (CUNYAC)  New England Women's and Men's
 Coast to Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Athletic Conference (NEWMAC)
 College Conference of Illinois and  New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC)
Wisconsin (CCIW)  North Atlantic Conference (NAC)
 Colonial States Athletic Conference  North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
(CSAC)  Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) (NACC)
 Empire 8 (E8)  Northwest Conference (NWC)
 Great Northeast Athletic Conference  Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)
(GNAC)  Old Dominion Athletic Conference
 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (ODAC)
(HCAC)  Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC)
 Landmark Conference (Landmark)  Skyline Conference (Skyline)
 Liberty League (Liberty)  Southern Athletic Association (SAA)
 Little East Conference (LEC)  Southern California Intercollegiate
 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Athletic Conference (SCIAC)
Conference (MASCAC)  Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic (SCAC)
Association (MIAA)  State University of New York Athletic
 Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) – An Conference (SUNYAC)
umbrella organization of the following  St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic
three conferences: Conference (SLIAC)
 o MAC Commonwealth, sponsoring  United East Conference
competition in 14 sports, but not  University Athletic Association (UAA)
football  Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
o MAC Freedom, sponsoring (UMAC)
competition in the same set of 14  USA South Athletic Conference (USA
sports South)
o Middle Atlantic Conference,  Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic
sponsoring 13 sports, including Conference (WIAC)
football  NCAA Division III Independents

Division III football-only conferences

 Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC Football) – Started play as the New England Football
Conference in 1965; taken over by the Commonwealth Coast Conference after the 2016
football season, though the football league remains a separate legal entity.
 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC)

Other Division III single-sport conferences

 Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) – men's volleyball

 ECAC East – men's and women's ice hockey
 ECAC Northeast – men's ice hockey
 ECAC West – men's and women's ice hockey
 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) – men's volleyball
 Midwest Lacrosse Conference (MLC) – men's lacrosse
 Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference (MWLC) – women's lacrosse
 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) – men's and women's ice hockey
 Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC) – men's and women's lacrosse
 United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) – men's and women's ice hockey
 United Volleyball Conference (UVC) – men's volleyball

Media
The NCAA has current media rights contracts with CBS Sports, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN
Plus, Turner Sports and the Golf Channel for coverage of its 88 championships. According to the
official NCAA website,[65] ESPN and its associated networks have rights to 21 championships, CBS
to 65, Turner Sports to one and NBC's Golf Channel to two. The following are the most prominent
championships and rights holders:

 CBS: Men's basketball (NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, with Turner
Sports, and NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament), track and field, ice hockey
(women's division I), golf (Divisions II and III, both genders)
 ESPN: Women's basketball (all divisions), baseball, softball, ice hockey (men's Division I),
football (all divisions including Div. I FCS), soccer (Division I for both genders)
 Turner Sports: NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament with CBS
 NBC and Golf Channel: golf (Division I, both genders)
WestwoodOne has exclusive radio rights to the men's and women's basketball Final Fours to the
men's College World Series (baseball). DirecTV has an exclusive package expanding CBS' coverage
of the men's basketball tournament.

From 1998 to 2013, Electronic Arts had a license to develop college sports video games with the
NCAA's branding, which included its NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball (formerly NCAA March
Madness) and MVP Baseball series. The NCAA's licensing was not required to produce the games,
as rights to use teams are not licensed through the NCAA, but through entities such as individual
schools and the Collegiate Licensing Company. EA only acquired the license so that it could
officially incorporate the Division I Men's Basketball Tournament into its college basketball game
series. The NCAA withdrew EA's license due to uncertainties surrounding a series of lawsuits, most
notably O'Bannon v. NCAA, involving the use of player likenesses in college sports video games.[66]
[67]

Office of Inclusion
Inclusion and Diversity Campaign

The week-long program took place October 1–5, 2018. The aim was to utilize social media
platforms in order to promote diversity and inclusion within intercollegiate athletics. Throughout the
NCAA's history, there has been controversy as to the levels of diversity present within
intercollegiate athletics, and this campaign is the NCAA's most straightforward approach to
combatting these issues.[32]

NCAA Inclusion Statement

As a core value, the NCAA believes in and is committed to diversity, inclusion and gender equity
among its student-athletes, coaches and administrators. It seeks to establish and maintain an
inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for
coaches and administrators from diverse backgrounds. Diversity and inclusion improve the learning
environment for all student-athletes and enhance excellence within the Association.[32]

The Office of Inclusion will provide or enable programming and education, which sustains
foundations of a diverse and inclusive culture across dimensions of diversity including but not
limited to age, race, sex, class, national origin, creed, educational background, religion, gender
identity, disability, gender expression, geographical location, income, marital status, parental status,
sexual orientation and work experiences.

This statement was adopted by the NCAA Executive Committee in April 2010, and amended by the
NCAA Board of Governors in April 2017.[32]

Gender equity and Title IX

While no concrete criteria are given as to a state of gender equity on campuses, an athletics program
is considered gender equitable when both women's and men's sports programs reach a consensus.[68]

The basis of Title IX, when amended in 1972 to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, criminalized
discrimination on the basis of sex.[69] This plays into intercollegiate athletics in that it helps to
maintain gender equity and inclusion in intercollegiate athletics. The NCAA provides many
resources to provide information and enforce this amendment.

The NCAA has kept these core values central to its decisions regarding the allocation of
championship bids. In April 2016, the Board of Governors announced new requirements for host
cities that include protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
for all people involved in the event. This decision was prompted by several states passing laws that
permit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in accordance with religious
beliefs.[70]

LGBTQ

The LGBTQ community has been under scrutiny and controversy in the public eye of collegiate
athletics, but the NCAA moves to support the inclusion of these groups. The NCAA provides many
resources concerning the education of the college community on this topic and policies in order to
foster diversity.[71] Title IX protects the transgender community within intercollegiate athletics and
on college campuses.

On January 19, 2022, the NCAA approved a new policy for transgender athletes, effective
immediately. Generally, the participation of transgender athletes in a particular sport is to be
governed by the rules of the sport’s national governing body, international federation policy, or IOC
policy criteria (though an NCAA committee may provide its own recommendation).[72]

Previously, the NCAA used testosterone levels to qualify transgender athletes for participation. A
transgender male student-athlete was not allowed to compete on a male sports team unless they had
undergone medical treatment of testosterone for gender transition, and a transgender female student-
athlete was not allowed to compete on a women's sports team until completing one calendar year of
testosterone suppression treatment. Under this policy, transgender males were ineligible to compete
on a women's team, and transgender females were ineligible to compete on a men's team, without
changing the team's status to be a mixed team.[73] In December 2021, John Lohn, the editor-in-chief
of Swimming World, criticised NCAA policy; writing about transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, he
argued that the "one-year suppressant requirement is not nearly stringent enough to create a level
playing field between Thomas and the biological females against whom she is racing".[74]

In 2010, the NCAA Executive Committee announced its support and commitment to diversity,
inclusion, and gender equality among its student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. The
statement included the NCAA's commitment to ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to
achieve their academic goals, and coaches and administrators have equal opportunities for career
development in a climate of respect.[71] In 2012, the LGBTQ Subcommittee of the NCAA
association-wide Committee on Women's Athletics and the Minority Opportunities and Interests
Committee commissioned Champions of Respect, a document that provides resources and advocacy
that promotes inclusion and equality for LGBTQ student-athletes, coaches, administrators and all
others associated with intercollegiate athletics. This resource uses guides from the Women's Sports
Foundation It Takes a Team! project for addressing issues related to LGBTQ equality in
intercollegiate athletics.[75] The document provides information on specific issues LGBTQ
sportspeople face, similarities and differences of these issues on women's and men's teams, policy
recommendations and best practices, and legal resources and court cases.[76]
The NCAA expressed concern over Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act that allows
businesses to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. This bill was proposed
just before Indianapolis was set to host the 2015 Men's Basketball Final Four tournament.[77] The bill
clashed with the NCAA core values of inclusion and equality, and forced the NCAA to consider
moving events out of Indiana. Under pressure from across the nation and fearing the economic loss
of being banned from hosting NCAA events, the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, revised the bill
so that businesses could not discriminate based on sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability.
The NCAA accepted the revised bill and continues to host events in Indiana.[78] The bill was enacted
into law on July 1, 2015.[79]

On September 12, 2016, the NCAA announced that it would pull all seven planned championship
events out of North Carolina for the 2016–2017 academic year.[80] This decision was a response to
the state passing the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (H.B. 2) on March 23, 2016. This
law requires people to use public restrooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth and stops
cities from passing laws that protect against discrimination towards gay and transgender people.
[citation needed]
The NCAA Board of Governors determined that this law would make ensuring an
inclusive atmosphere in the host communities challenging, and relocating these championship
events best reflects the association's commitment to maintaining an environment that is consistent
with its core values.[80] North Carolina has lost the opportunity to host the 2018 Final Four
Tournament which was scheduled to be in Charlotte, but is relocated to San Antonio. If H.B. 2 is not
repealed, North Carolina could be barred from bidding for events from 2019 to 2022.[81]

Race and ethnicity

Racial/Ethnic minority groups in the NCAA are protected by inclusion and diversity policies put in
place to increase sensitivity and awareness to the issues and challenges faced across intercollegiate
athletics. The NCAA provides a demographics database that can be openly viewed by the public.[32]

Historically, the NCAA has used its authority in deciding on host cities to promote its core values.
The Association also prohibits championship events in states that display the Confederate flag, and
at member schools that have abusive or offensive nicknames or mascots based on Native American
imagery. Board members wish to ensure that anyone associated with an NCAA championship event
will be treated with fairness and respect.[70]

Student-athletes with disabilities

The NCAA defines a disability as a current impairment that has a substantial educational impact on
a student's academic performance and requires accommodation. Student-Athletes with disabilities
are given education accommodations along with an adapted sports model. The NCAA hosts adapted
sports championships for both track and field and swimming and diving as of 2015.[71]

International student athletes

Over the last two decades recruiting international athletes has become a growing trend among
NCAA institutions. For example, most German athletes outside of Germany are based at US
universities. For many European athletes, the American universities are the only option to pursue an
academic and athletic career at the same time. Many of these students come to the US with high
academic expectations and aspirations.[71]
College team name changes
As of 2018, there has been a continuation of changing school mascots that are said by some to be
based on racist or offensive stereotypes. Universities under NCAA policy are under scrutiny for
specifically Native American-inspired mascots. While many colleges have changed their mascots,
some have gotten legal permission from the tribe represented and will continue to bear the mascot.
This Native American mascot controversy has not been completely settled; however, many issues
have been resolved.[82]

Here is a list of notable colleges that changed Native American mascots and/or nicknames in recent
history:

 Stanford – Indians to Cardinals (1972); became Cardinal in 1981

 UMass – Redmen and Redwomen to Minutemen and Minutewomen (1972)
 Dartmouth – Indians to Big Green (1974)
 Siena – Indians to Saints (1988)
 Eastern Michigan – Hurons to Eagles (1991)
 St. John's (NY) – Redmen to Red Storm (1994)
 Marquette – Warriors to Golden Eagles (1994)
 Chattanooga – Moccasins to Mocs, suggestive of mockingbirds (1996)
 Miami (OH) – Redskins to RedHawks (1997)
 Seattle – Chieftains to Redhawks (2000)
 Colgate - Red Raiders to Raiders (2001)
 Quinnipiac - Braves to Bobcats (2002)
 Southeast Missouri State – Indians (men) and Otahkians (women) to Redhawks (2005)
 Louisiana–Monroe – Indians to Warhawks (2006)
 Arkansas State – Indians to Red Wolves (2008)[83]
 North Dakota – Formally dropped Fighting Sioux in 2012; adopted Fighting Hawks in
2015[84]

Others:

 Illinois – Removed Chief Illiniwek as official symbol in 2007. Athletics teams are still called
Fighting Illini.
 Bradley, Alcorn State – Both schools stopped using Native American mascots but have
retained their Braves nickname.
 William & Mary – Adjusted Tribe logo to remove feathers to comply with NCAA. Athletics
teams are still called Tribe. (2007)
 Chattanooga – removed the mascot, Chief Moccanooga and the Moccasin Shoe imagery in
1996; Kept the term, "Mocs", but reassigned its representation to the official State Bird.

Of note: Utah (Utes), Central Michigan (Chippewas), Florida State (Seminoles) and Mississippi
College (Choctaws) all appealed successfully to the NCAA after being deemed "hostile and
offensive." Each cited positive relationships with neighboring tribes in appeal.[83] UNC Pembroke
(Braves), an institution originally created to educate Native Americans and enjoying close ties to the
local Lumbee tribe, was approved to continue the use of native-derived imagery without needing an
appeal.
Rules violations
See also: List of NCAA institutions on probation

Member schools pledge to follow the rules promulgated by the NCAA. Creation of a mechanism to
enforce the NCAA's legislation occurred in 1952 after careful consideration by the membership.

Allegations of rules violations are referred to the NCAA's enforcement staff, who monitor
information about potential violations, investigate and process violations, provide notice of alleged
violations, and bring cases before the NCAA's Committees on Infractions.[85] A preliminary
investigation is initiated to determine if an official inquiry is warranted and to categorize any
resultant violations as secondary or major. If several violations are found, the NCAA may determine
that the school as a whole has exhibited a "lack of institutional control." The institution involved is
notified promptly and may appear on its own behalf before the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

Findings of the Committee on Infractions and the resultant sanctions in major cases are reported to
the institution. Sanctions will generally include having the institution placed on "probation" for a
period of time, in addition to other penalties. The institution may appeal the findings or sanctions to
an appeals committee. After considering written reports and oral presentations by representatives of
the Committee on Infractions and the institution, the committee acts on the appeal. Action may
include accepting the infractions committee's findings and penalty, altering either, or making its own
findings and imposing an appropriate penalty.[85]

In cases of particularly egregious misconduct, the NCAA has the power to ban a school from
participating in a particular sport, a penalty is known as the "Death Penalty". Since 1985, any school
that commits major violations during the probationary period can be banned from the sport involved
for up to two years. However, when the NCAA opts not to issue a death penalty for a repeat
violation, it must explain why it did not do so. This penalty has only been imposed three times in its
modern form, most notably when Southern Methodist University's (SMU) football team had its 1987
season canceled due to massive rules violations dating back more than a decade. SMU opted not to
field a team in 1988 as well due to the aftershocks from the sanctions, and the program has never
recovered. The Mustangs did not post a winning season until 1997, did not appear in their next bowl
game until 2009, did not post consecutive winning seasons until 2011 and 2012, and did not return
to the national rankings until 2019. The devastating effect the death penalty had on SMU has
reportedly made the NCAA skittish about issuing another one. Since the SMU case, there are only
three instances where the NCAA has seriously considered imposing it against a Division I school; it
imposed it against Division II Morehouse College's men's soccer team in 2003 and Division III
MacMurray College's men's tennis team in 2005. In addition to these cases, the most recent Division
I school to be considered was Penn State. This was because of the Jerry Sandusky Incident that
consequently almost landed Penn State on the hook for the death penalty. They received a
$60 million fine, in addition to forfeited seasons and other sanctions as well. The NCAA later
reversed itself by restoring all forfeited seasons and overturning the remaining sanctions.

Additionally, in particularly egregious cases of rules violations, coaches, athletic directors, and
athletic support staff can be barred from working for any NCAA member school without permission
from the NCAA. This procedure is known as a "show-cause penalty" (not to be confused with an
order to show cause in the legal sense).[86] Theoretically, a school can hire someone with a "show
cause" on their record during the time the show cause order is in effect only with permission from
the NCAA Infractions Committee. The school assumes the risks and stigma of hiring such a person.
It may then end up being sanctioned by the NCAA and the Infractions Committee for their choice,
possibly losing athletic scholarships, revenue from schools who would not want to compete with
that other school, and the ability for their games to be televised, along with restrictions on
recruitment and practicing times. As a result, a show-cause order essentially has the effect of
blackballing individuals from being hired for the duration of the order.

One of the most famous scandals in NCAA history involved Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback
Cam Newton of the Auburn Tigers in 2011. As a direct effect of not being compensated for his
college athletics, Cam Newton's family sought upwards of 100,000 dollars for him to instead play at
Mississippi State. This was revealed days before the conference SEC championship game; however,
Cam Newton was later reinstated as there was insufficient evidence against him.[87]

Sponsors
The NCAA has a two-tier sponsorship division. AT&T, Coca-Cola, and CapitalOne are NCAA
Corporate Champions, all others are NCAA Corporate Partners.[88]

Company Category Since

Buffalo Wild Wings Bar and restaurant 2015
AT&T Telecommunications 2001
Coca-Cola Non-alcoholic beverages 2002
GEICO Insurance 2018
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Car rental 2005
Lowe's Home improvement 2005
CapitalOne Banking and credit cards 2008
Nabisco (Ritz and Oreo) Snack foods 2017
Hershey's (Reese's) Confections 2009
Google Cloud Computing 2017
UPS Package delivery and logistics 2009
Nissan (Infiniti) Car & parts 2010
Wendy's Fast-food restaurant 2016
Pizza Hut Restaurant 2016
Intel Computing 2017
General Motors (Buick) Car and parts 2013
Marriott Hotels and hospitality 2017
Uber Eats Software/Food delivery 2018

Finances
As a governing body for amateur sports the NCAA is classified as a tax-exempt not-for-profit
organization.[89] As such, it is not required to pay most taxes on income that for-profit private and
public corporations are subject to. The NCAA's business model of prohibiting salaries for collegial
athletes has been challenged in court, but a 2015 case was struck down.[90] As of 2014 the NCAA
reported that it had over $600 million in unrestricted net assets in its annual report.[91] During 2014
the NCAA also reported almost a billion dollars of revenue, contributing to a "budget surplus" –
revenues in excess of disbursements for that year – of over $80 million.[91] Over $700 million of that
revenue total was from licensing TV rights to its sporting events.[91] In addition, the NCAA also
earns money through investment growth of its endowment fund. Established in 2004 with
$45 million, the fund has grown to over $380 million in 2014.[92]

NCAA expenditures

According to the NCAA, it receives most of its annual revenue from two sources: Division I Men's
Basketball television and marketing rights, and championships ticket sales. According to the NCAA,
"that money is distributed in more than a dozen ways – almost all of which directly support NCAA
schools, conferences and nearly half a million student-athletes."[93]

In 2017 total NCAA revenues were in excess of $1.06 billion.[94] Division I basketball television and
marketing rights generated $821.4 million, and "championships ticket sales" totaled $129.4 million.
Other "smaller streams of revenue, such as membership dues" contributed an unspecified amount.[93]

Expenses by category

The NCAA provided a breakdown of how those revenues were in turn spent, organizing pay-outs
and expenses into some 14 basic categories. By far the largest went to Sports Scholarship and
Sponsorship Funds, funding for sports and student scholarships under the Division I Basketball
Performance Fund, expenses incurred in producing Division I Championships (including team food,
travel, and lodging), the Student Assistance Fund, and Student Athlete Services. Together these top
five recipients accounted for 65% of all NCAA expenditures. General and Administrative expenses
for running the NCAA day-to-day operations totaled approximately 4% of monies paid out, and
other association-wide expenses, including legal services, communications, and business insurance
totaled 8%.[93]

The categories:

 $210.8M Sport Sponsorship and Scholarship Funds

Distributed to Division I schools to help fund NCAA sports and provide scholarships for
college athletes.

 $160.5M Division I Basketball Performance Fund

Distributed to Division I conferences and independent schools based on their performance in

the men’s basketball tournament over a six-year rolling period. The money is used to fund
NCAA sports and provide scholarships for college athletes.

 $96.7M Division I Championships

Provides college athletes the opportunity to compete for a championship and includes
support for team travel, food and lodging.

 $82.2M Student Assistance Fund

 Distributed to Division I student-athletes for essential needs that arise during their time in
college.

 $71.8M Student-Athlete Services

Includes funding for catastrophic injury insurance, drug testing, student-athlete leadership
programs, postgraduate scholarships and additional Association-wide championships
support.

 $50.3M Division I Equal Conference Fund

Distributed equally among Division I basketball-playing conferences that meet athletic and
academic standards to play in the men's basketball tournament. The money is used to fund
NCAA sports and provide scholarships for college athletes.

 $46.7M Academic Enhancement Fund

Distributed to Division I schools to assist with academic programs and services.

 $42.3M Division II Allocation

Funds championships, grants and other initiatives for Division II college athletes.

 $39.6M Membership Support Services

Covers costs related to NCAA governance committees and the annual NCAA Convention.

 $28.2M Division III Allocation

Funds championships, grants and other initiatives for Division III college athletes.

 $9.5M Division I Conference Grants

Distributed to Division I conferences for programs that enhance officiating, compliance,

minority opportunities and more.

 $3.3M Educational Programs

Supports various educational services for members to help prepare student-athletes for life,
including the Women Coaches Academy, the Emerging Leaders Seminars and the Pathway
Program.

 $74.3M Other Association-Wide Expenses

Includes support for Association-wide legal services, communications and business

insurance.

 $39.7M General and Administrative Expenses

 Funds the day-to-day operations of the NCAA national office, including administrative and
financial services, information technology and facilities management.

According to the NCAA, the 2017 fiscal year was the first in which its revenues topped $1.0 billion.
The increase in revenue from 2016 came from hikes in television and marketing fees, plus greater
monies generated from championship events and investment income.[94]

An ESPN critique of the organization's 2017 financials indicated some $560.3 million of the total
$956 million paid out went back to its roughly 1,100 member institutions in 24 sports in all three
divisions, as well as $200 million for a one-time payment the NCAA made to schools to fund
additional programs.[95]

The Division I basketball tournament alone generated some $761 million, with another $60 million
in 2016–17 marketing rights. With increases in rights fees it is estimated the basketball tournament
will generate some $869 million for the 2018 championship.[95]

Player compensation proposals

See also: National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston and Fair Pay to Play Act

The NCAA has limited the amount of compensation that individual players can receive to
scholarships equal to school tuition and related expenses. This rule has generated controversy, in
light of the large amounts of revenues that schools earn from sports from TV contracts, ticket sales,
and licensing and merchandise. Several commentators have discussed whether the NCAA limit on
player compensation violates antitrust laws. There is a consensus among economists that the
NCAA's compensation caps for men's basketball and football players benefit the athletes' schools
(through rent-seeking) at the expense of the athletes.[3] Economists have subsequently characterized
the NCAA as a cartel and collusive monopsony.[6][8][7][96][97]

Pro-rating payouts to Division I basketball players in proportion to the size of revenues its
championship tournament generates relative to the NCAA's total annual revenues would be one
possible approach, but will open the door to litigation by students and schools adversely affected by
such a formula.

According to a national study by the National College Players Association (NCPA) and the Drexel
University Sport Management Department, the average FBS “full” athletic scholarship falls short of
the full cost of attending each school by an average of $3285 during 2011–12 school year, and
leaves the vast majority of full scholarship players living below the federal poverty line. [98]

In 2020, the NCAA Board of Governors announced that they supported rule changes that would
permit players to receive athletics-related endorsements from third-parties.[99] All divisions were
expected to adopt new rules relating to the use of players' names, images, and likenesses before the
2021-2022 academic year begins.

On May 6, 2021, Governor Brian Kemp signed Bill 617 into law, giving collegiate athletes the
ability to profit off their Name, Image and Likeness. The University of Georgia have said they will
immediately compensate their student athletes, while Georgia Tech and Georgia State University
have not set anything yet.[100]
On June 21, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court held unanimously in National Collegiate Athletic
Association v. Alston that the NCAA's restrictions on education-related payments were unlawfully in
violation of Sherman Act's anti-trust and trade regulations.[101][102] Though this holding did not
address restrictions on direct compensation payment to athletes, it also opened the door for the
possibly of future court cases concerning this matter.[103][101]

The NCAA announced on July 1, 2021, that as a result of O'Bannon and numerous state laws giving
college players the ability to manage their publicity, the board had agreed to new rules that removed
restrictions on college athletes from entering paid endorsements and other sponsorship deals, and
from using agents to manage their publicity. Students would still be required to inform the school of
all such activities, with the school to make determinations if those activities violate state and local
laws.[104]

On the first day of effect for the NIL rule change (July 1), athletes such as D'Eriq King (Miami (FL)
quarterback), Justyn Ross (Clemson wide receiver), Bo Nix (Auburn quarterback), Antwan Owen
(Jackson State defensive end), McKenzie Milton (Florida State quarterback), Malik Cunningham
(Louisville Quarterback), Michael Penix Jr. (Indiana quarterback), Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma
quarterback), Lexi Sun (Nebraska volleyball), Paige Bueckers (UConn basketball) and twins Hanna
& Haley Cavinder (Fresno State basketball), all signed deals and/or unveiled trademarks to profit off
of their names, images, and likenesses. As of day one, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne is projected to be
the highest earning college athlete of 2021-2022, out of both men's and women's sports.[105]

The new NiL agreement has given student athletes big time deals and opportunities to put
theirselves out there and gain profit using their name, image, and likeness. For example, Ga’Quincy
McKinstry, quarterback from Alabama signed a deal with Kool-Aid. Not only can they partner up
with companies, student athlete's can get paid for other talents; such as, singing.

Russel Steinberg in 2021 says, "In addition to his prowess on the football field, where he has a shot
at tying the school record for most starts, Marshall’s Will Ulmer is a talented musician who wasn’t
able to earn money using his own name — until now. He had been going by “Lucky Bill” to avoid
running afoul of NCAA regulations, but now says he is ready to book shows using his real name"
(Steinberg 2021).[106] The NIL has allowed Ulmer great opportunities to further pursue his football
and musician career.

Some companies have partnered up with multiple athletes and created a team of their own. Degree,
the deodorant brand, started a team of 14 student athletes to help promote their brand. Degree calls
this team Breaking Limits. "The Unilever-owned antiperspirant brand has committed $5 million
over the next five years to inspire people to break limits.The first group of athletes that Degree has
selected represent a diverse range of backgrounds regarding race, gender, and sport, and their stories
will be unveiled on Instagram. These athletes will also have the chance to participate in events to
help their local communities" (Steinberg 2021). [107]

Individual awards
See also: Academic All-America, Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award,[108] Best Male
College Athlete ESPY Award,[108] Senior CLASS Award, Honda Sports Award, College
baseball awards, and Sports Illustrated 2009 all-decade honors (college basketball &
football)
 See footnote[109]

The NCAA presents a number of different individual awards, including:

 NCAA Award of Valor (not given every year); selection is based on the heroic action
occurring during the academic year.
 NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award, honoring an individual who has provided significant
leadership as an advocate for intercollegiate athletics.
 NCAA Inspiration Award (not given every year); selection is based on inspirational action.
 NCAA Sportsmanship Award, honoring student-athletes who have demonstrated one or
more of the ideals of sportsmanship.
 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award, the highest honor that the NCAA can confer on an
individual.
 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, honoring a senior student-athlete who has distinguished
herself throughout her collegiate career in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.
 Elite 90 Award, honoring the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA who has
reached the competition at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 men's and women's
championships (in Divisions I, II, and III, plus "National Collegiate" championships open to
schools from more than one division).
 Silver Anniversary Awards, honoring six distinguished former student-athletes on the 25th
anniversary of their college graduation.
 The Flying Wedge Award, one of the NCAA's highest honors exemplifying outstanding
leadership and service to the NCAA.
 Today's Top 10 Award, honoring ten outstanding senior student-athletes.
 Walter Byers Scholarship, honoring the top male and female scholar-athletes.

In previous years, the NCAA has presented the following awards at its NCAA Honors event:
Astronaut Salute, Business Leader Salute, Congressional Medal of Honor Salute, Governor Salute,
Olympians Salute, Performing Arts Salute, Presidents Cabinet Salute, Prominent National Media
Salute, Special Recognition Awards, U.S. House of Representatives Salute, and U.S. Senate Salute.
[110]

Other collegiate athletic organizations

The NCAA is the dominant, but not the only, collegiate athletic organization in the United States.
Several other such collegiate athletic organizations exist.

In the United States

 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) – two-year colleges (does not operate
in California or the Pacific Northwest)
 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) – two-year colleges in
California
 Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) – two-year colleges in Washington, Oregon and
Idaho
 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA)
 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)
  Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) – disbanded in 1982, after
NCAA began sponsoring championships in women's sports

Foreign equivalents

 Australia: UniSport Australia and other school affiliations such as Athletic Association of
the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (GPS), and Combined Associated Schools
(CAS)
 Canada: U Sports, and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)
 Indonesia: Liga Mahasiswa (LIMA)
 Philippines National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) (NCAA), and University
Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
 United Kingdom: British Universities & Colleges Sport
 South Africa: Varsity Sports (South Africa)