1. What's the difference between Divisions I, II, III, NAIA and NJCAA?

Division I
Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. For sports other than football and basketball, Division I schools must play 100 percent of the minimum number of contests against Division I opponents -- anything over the minimum number of games has to be 50 percent Division I. Men's and women's basketball teams have to play all but two games against Division I teams; for men, they must play one-third of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified as Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Football Bowl Subdivision schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Football Bowl Subdivision teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (average 15,000 people in actual or paid attendance per home game), which must be met once in a rolling two-year period. NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements. Division I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed.
Level of Play: This is the highest level of athletic talent in the United States. These are the athletic programs that you watch on TV on a regular basis.

Division II
Division II institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, (or four for men and six for women), with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria -- football and men's and women's basketball teams must play at least 50 percent of their games against Division II or Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) opponents. For sports other than football and basketball there are no scheduling requirements. There are not attendance requirements for football, or arena game requirements for basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division II school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student-athletes. Many Division II student-athletes pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings. Division II athletics programs are financed in the institution's budget like other academic departments on campus. Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletics programs.

Division III
Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics features student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete's experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.

NAIA
The NAIA is the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. It is an organization that promotes athletics as an integral part of education. NAIA member colleges award athletic scholarships. For further information please go to the NAIA website at http://naia.cstv.com/.

NJCAA
The NJCAA is the National Junior College Athletic Association. Junior college is an excellent way to get both a quality education and play college sports at an affordable price. NJCAA member schools in Division1 and 2 offer athletic scholarships. NJCAA Division 3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships but may have endowment money available or academic money for athletes that qualify. For more information please visit their site http://www.njcaa.org/.

2. How do I choose?

There are many things to consider when choosing which colleges to focus your energy on in promoting your talents. We suggest seeking out the professional opinion of an expert in your sport. Make sure the person you choose has some history as a former professional athlete, trainer, former college coach, travel team coach or former collegiate athlete etc. They can help guide you to the right choice based on your abilities. If you are a Division III caliber player and attempt to promote yourself to a Division I college your chances of placement drop significantly. Be realistic in your approach and match your athletic talents based on recommendations from people you trust. Go watch games at the collegiate level in your area and watch the level of play on the field... visit Division I, II and III programs and a junior college if possible.
Note: If your academics are not up to NCAA standards and you have fallen short on credits...don't give up! Focus your attention on NJCAA and NAIA school's to start. These colleges are generally two year colleges that feed their talent to Division I, II and III programs. Focus on getting your grades up and continue to use the Right Fit Sports system until you move to the next level.

3. If I play for a Division II, III, NAIA or NJCAA college does it prevent me from turning PRO?

While just having the chance to play your sport in college is difficult enough... taking it PRO is even tougher. A college coach has several things to worry about before he/she can consider you for their athletic programs. Can you get accepted academically? And Can you afford to pay? (when little or no scholarship money is available). When a professional scout comes calling to watch you play in college they only have ONE question to answer. Is he/she good enough to play professionally? We have seen many athletes playing Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA get drafted professionally in the past... it has NO bearing on getting to the professional level.
Note: Remember to focus on getting your college degree first and athletics second. "Most of you are going on to become a professional in something other than sports" - NCAA quote.

4. Which Divisions offer athletic scholarships?

NCAA Division 1, NCAA Division 2, NAIA , NJCAA Division 1 , and NJCAA Division 2 can offer athletic scholarships. Also you should be aware that individual colleges and conferences have their own athletic scholarship rules and policies. Division III programs do not offer athletic scholarships but often have academic money available (depending on your grades) or endowment money to access.