Understanding College Athletic Divisions

Understanding College Athletic Divisions NCAA Divisions The NCAA is organized into three divisions, and there are separate athletic conferences within each division. The NCAA is focused on "safeguarding the well-being of student-athletes and equipping them with the skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom and throughout life." Hundreds of schools fall within each NCAA division. Member-schools' athletic teams play against other schools in the same division. Related Articles College Football Rankings Explained College Football Rankings Explained Guide to High School Basketball National Rankings Guide to High School Basketball National Rankings What Is the Difference Between a College and a University? What Is the Difference Between a College and a University? NCAA Division I Schools within Division one are typically the largest schools (in terms of student enrollment) with the most visible and widely-known sports programs. Over 170,000 student-athletes participate in organized sports as part of the more than 6,000 teams associated with Division I schools. There are close to 350 schools in this division. These schools generally devote the largest amount of funds to athletic programs and offer the most athletic scholarships. As of January 2015, Division I schools can award athletic scholarships that cover "the incidental costs of attending college" in addition to tuition, room and board. Incidental costs may include things like "transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses." Football Subdivisions: Only for football, there are two subdivisions within Division I: the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). According to FootballGeography.com, what is now the FBS was once referred to as Division I-A and schools in this subdivision are considered the top tier in college football overall. The current FCS was previously known as Division I-AA. There are no subdivisions within Division I for any other sports.