Athletics and College Process

For the driven athlete, our approach is to find a school where the student could not only play, but also love even if they cannot play for any reason. We understand the desire to learn and the desire to play can be equally strong, and we use that to help inform our search and application process.

The Athletic Recruitment Process in 3 Main Steps:

1) Assess athletic ability

2) Identify appropriate colleges/universities

3) Contact coaches

Step 1 can be the hardest, but it is the most important. We encourage you to have your son speak to his coach(es) about their opinion on the level (Division I, II or III) he could compete. Still unsure? Consider using an outside assessment group like RecruitU (details on Family Connection).

Need a checklist to stay on track through the recruitment process? Login to Family Connection and download a 4-Year Checklist!

NCAA

"The NCAA is a membership driven organization dedicated to safeguarding student-athlete well-being and equipping them with the skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom and throughout life." - NCAA.org

Includes 1,800 total schools across the three divisions (Division I, Division II, and Division III)
All students playing Division I or II must pass through the NCAA Eligibility Center.
The NCAA has statistics on the % of students going professional after college.
Recruiting Fact Sheet

NAIA

"The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is a governing body of small college athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics." - NAIA.org

Includes 248 colleges and universities and 21 conferences
All students playing for the NAIA must register with the eligibility center.

Curious about the athletic recruitment process for the the sport of rowing? Read about it here.

Want to see slides from our latest information session? Log into Family Connection!

We encourage you to attend one of our sessions on the athletic recruitment process, check the School Calendar.