NCAA History
Founded more than one hundred years ago as a way to protect student-athletes, the NCAA continues to implement that principle with increased emphasis on both athletics and academic excellence. MORE »
In the Arena:
The NCAA's First Century
A book by former University of Nevada President Joseph N. Crowley chronicles the development of the modern-day NCAA, with special attention on the history of the last 25 years of the NCAA's first century.
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How Athletics Programs are Classified
Colleges and universities determine the level at which they will compete, and new members must petition to join the division they choose. Once division affiliation is determined, members must comply with rules (personnel, amateurism, recruiting, eligibility, benefits, financial aid, and playing and practice seasons) that vary from division to division.
The division structure enables each NCAA member institution to choose the level of competition that best fits its mission. The NCAA does not assign membership classification. NCAA rules permit limited multidivision classification.
- Division II programs may classify one men’s and one women’s sport at the Division I level.
- Division III programs may sponsor one men’s and one women’s program at the Division I level but cannot offer athletically related financial aid in those sports (several Division III members were grandfathered in under previous rules and are permitted to provide aid in those sports).
- Division I members may not classify any of their sports in other divisions.
