Not many high school student-athletes are aware of the athletic scholarship opportunities at NAIA colleges. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has been assisting student-athletes since 1937 and serves close to 300 colleges and universities throughout the country. NAIA, like the more notable NCAA, focuses on the tradition that student-athletes are first a student studying to earn a degree and secondly a dedicated athlete who will be passionate about being part of a collegiate team.
Is NAIA the right thing for you?
If you are an athlete looking to participate in college sports, but aren’t sure if you have what it takes to make it at top level NCAA division I or division II, than NAIA may be the right choice for you. NAIA colleges market the fact that their member institutions are smaller in student-body population; mostly under 10,000 students and have a more personal feel to them.
NAIA schools offer its students a number of sponsored teams, if you participate in any of these sports than an NAIA University could be what you are looking for.
Men’s NAIA Sports
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Indoor Track & Field
Outdoor Track & Field
Football
Golf
Soccer
Swimming/Diving
Tennis
Wrestling
Women’s NAIA Sports
Basketball
Cross Country
Indoor Track & Field
Outdoor Track & Field
Golf
Soccer
Softball
Swimming/Diving
Tennis
Volleyball
Emerging NAIA Sports
Men’s & Women’s Competitive Cheer & Dance
Men’s & Women’s Bowling
Men’s Volleyball
Advantages Recruits can take when searching for an NAIA school
Recruits who are proactive in their recruiting by activity researching college programs and creating a sports resume will be happy to know that the NAIA recruiting process is less restrictive than those of the NCAA. The NAIA makes it easy for potential recruits to contact college coaches; it even allows student-athletes to send their sports resumes to NAIA coaches while signing up on their online eligibility center. This will open up many opportunities for student-athletes since they will be better able to build relationships with coaches early on in their recruiting process and learn about possible opportunities without having to wait for designated contact periods.
Getting there
The NAIA helps NAIA colleges make sure recruits meet minimum academic standards as well as amateur status. Student-athletes who are sure that they will be attending an NAIA college to play sports will need to register with the NAIA eligibility center. The eligibility center is where the NAIA will compile all of the students’ academic records, ACT or SAT test scores and sports team information in order to endorse the athletes’ eligibility to participate on an NAIA sponsored sport. Meeting NAIA eligibility standards means that athletes will be cleared to participate at the NAIA level; they will still have to meet individual University standards of the college they plan to attend if the school has different minimum requirements.
If you have more questions about NAIA colleges and Universities than leave your comment below or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
What is the best website to find more information about NAIA schools?
Playnaia.org is the NAIA official website. You can find more information there, we are also happy to answer any questions you have about NAIA schools. Which colleges are you considering?
How do I find colleges in the NAIA program?
as a sr. in high school my son was phiitcng in a game when his arm started hurting. the next day we brought him to the hospital.they took a xray and said it was growing pains.his growth plates were not fused together.that was march3 2007.so he play the rest of the year at shortstop in pain.he was not recruit at all because of a weak arm, it was his sr year and he loves the game .that why he kept playing.that summer he play summer ball and the got worst.in aug.when baseball was over we brought him to a orthopedic surgereon.he told us to get x rays from hospital and bring it to him.when he saw the x ray he could not believe how my son play.his arm was broken olecranon fracture non union.the hospital read the xray wrong.so in sept.21 he had surgery.he could not walk on to play baseballhis 1st. year he was just a student.2008 baseball season was not his fault.in the fall he went to a jr. college and to walk on his arm was not ready topitch or practice at the level. he still had pain on long toss.he did not make the team.the coach told him to get stronger and try next year.so that 2 years no baseball.the fall of 2009 he tried again and was named starting ss. he play 58 games and batted over 250 times the most on the team. He beatout all of the returning players of the year before, that was the 2010 season. The 2011 season he played 57 games with no pain in his arm, and for the first time four-year colleges started recruiting him. He signed with a college team. Does he get two more years to play baseball at the division 3 school? The first 2 years of college were out of control. We have the paperwork from his operation. Sorry for so much detail, just hoping to get that extra year. Thank you.
Hi Varsha,
Glad to hear your son had a great recovery and is able to play once again. Unfortunately I will not be able to give you an exact answer to your question, I will explain what you and your son should do next.
If your son is getting recruited to play at the DIII level than he will be able to find out from the college coach how many years of eligibility he will have remaining. It is at the DI and DII level that things will get complicated and he will have to go through the eligibility center.
It is great that you have all the documentation in case it needs to be referred to at a later date.
Please let us know if you have any other recruiting questions.
Rick,My son is a freshman on a D1 socalhrship. In the fall of 2011 in the second official practice he was injured and had surgery and will be medically red shirted this year. Meanwhile his team is doing horrible and the coach has threatened to re-evaluate all the socalhrships for the players. he specifically told my son that he was not earning his socalhrship which is obvious because he cannot play this year. My son is concerned about his and the teams future. The coaches job is apparently being re-evaluated by the administration and this whole situation is very unstable. Can you tell me what my son’s options would be at this point? It seems like having to wait till July to find out if my son’s socalhrship will be renewed, is wasting a lot of time. If it is not renewed can he transfer to another D1 school and play next year or does he have to sit out a year? He has already missed this entire year and would hate to loose another. His first choice would be to try and play next year at another D1 program otherwise possible go the JUCO route. We just are not sure if playing at another D1 school is possible or does he have to sit out another year if he goes the D1 route?Thanks!
Hi Lina,
Thank you for contacting us. Your son’s situation is complicated. He can ask to be released from his scholarship or wait until the end of the academic year before he can reach out to other DI college coaches. If he plans to play at DI he will more than likely have to sit out that first year- since it is a case by case basis with the NCAA you will need to contact them directly at 1.877.262.1492
If he plans to go the JC route he should be eligible to play right away.
The hard part is waiting for the scholarship renewal and/or getting a release from the AD.
Please let us know if we can help in any other way.
Hi my brother got drafted #9 to Dallas in 2011 is there any combine I can go to just to be a walk on player
Jerry, You don’t necessarily have to go to a combine to be a walk-on for a college team. To learn about walk-on opportunities you will need to be in contact with college coaches and see if they have availability on their team for a player of your position.
If you are looking for combines in your area you can search them out or even contact college coaches you want to play for and see if they recommend any specific camps or combines. Good combines will let you know in advance which college coaches will be in attendance or how they can help w/ your recruiting. Please let us know if you need any other assistance in your recruiting.
Can I play NAIA tennis if I have already played DII for four years but I din’t get to graduate?
No. You have five years to play four years at any division level. If you have played four years you would be out of eligibility.
i am a jr. in georgia, and i was unable to participate in football this year because i recently just moved from arizona around the last week of august. so i didnt do football, and i the college team i would like to play for are the Cal Bears. since i didnt do football my jr. year, is it to late to be looked at? and how could i get them to look at me as a recruit, if im not doing football this year? PLEASE HELP ME
Hi Charles,
Getting recruited for a division I team is extremely tough. Coaches want to see players playing and improving on their skills as high school athletes. They need to know who you are and the best way for that to happen is for you to send them your sports resume and highlight video. Do what you can to get your grades in good standing since CAL considers academics a priority too. You can also start filling out recruiting questionnaires on college websites. The best thing for you to do is get prepared to play your senior year and be ready to start making contact with college coaches. A walk-on opportunity may be something to consider if you only want to play for CAL. Let us know if you have any other questions about the recruiting process- we are here to help.
My son is thinking about leaving the football team. Can the school take the football money he is receiving for fall semester as well as the upcooming spring semester?
My son is a Jr in high school and plays football he wants to play college football how do i go about putting him out to let everyone know he a good player and really wants to get a scholarship to play with out a scholarship he wouldnt be able to go to college so if anyone know how to get me started on putting him out there please let me know.
Thank you for your question. The best thing you can do is get a highlight tape together from this season ans begin emailing college coaches that video. I would also work with your son so that he feels comfortable calling coaches and seeing what it takes to be recruited. That last part will be finding a way to attend some combines and camps this summer. We hope this helps. Best of luck.
Im 23 years old and I was wondering if I was still eligible to play college football.. I’ve played in high school but never for a college team? Also could u send me a list of available schools I can apply for if I was Eligible.
You do not have any eligibility to play at a four year university. From the time you graduate high school you have one year you can delay enrollment into school, then you have 5 years to play four years. The only exception would be if you have been active duty military.