University sports competition in America is divided into different divisions, belonging to different sports leagues.

Most universities fall under the NCAA, NAIA or the NJCAA. These are the best known and most active sports leagues. Each sports association oversees leagues with different divisions. It is not that one league is better at sports than another league. This varies by university and there is a lot of overlap between the unions and divisions in terms of sport and study level.

As an example, in the NCAA you have three different divisions, Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3, where Division 1 is the highest and Division 3 is the lowest.

The sports league and division you end up in depends on your athletic level, your results in school and whether the coaches would like to have you on the team. Slamstox can give a good indication of what is achievable and realistic for you.

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The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the umbrella sports association in the United States that organizes all regional and national leagues and championships. In addition, this organization manages the three largest and most well-known college sports leagues(NCAA Division I, II & III).

Universities in NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II give out athletic scholarships and academic scholarships to student-athletes who can strengthen their teams. In NCAA Division III, only academic scholarships are issued and no athletic scholarships.

It is not that the teams in Division I are necessarily better than the teams in Division II or Division III. There is a lot of overlap in the various divisions. This is because schools as a whole are assigned to a division, often based on school size, American football/basketball leagues and other financial reasons. Because of this, there can be large level differences in individual sports.

Before you can play sports and study in America, your playing eligibility or “eligibility” is determined by the NCAA in America. Only if you meet all the requirements can you play in one of the divisions as a student-athlete. Slamstox will assist you in this process and can apply for your playing eligibility.

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The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics(NAIA), like the NCAA, is an American college sports association. About 250 universities fall under the NAIA.

Compared to the NCAA, the schools that have joined the NAIA are often private universities and are generally somewhat smaller in terms of student body size. Nevertheless, there are certainly universities that have teams at least as good, or even better, than certain NCAA Division 1, 2 & 3 universities. Thus, an NAIA university also provides good opportunities for athletes to develop to their full potential.

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The National Junior College Athletic Association(NJCAA) is the organization that oversees college sports from Junior Colleges, Community Colleges and State Colleges. These are all 2-year programs that train you to obtain your Associate’s Degree.

After completing an NJCAA program, it is possible to transfer (transfer) to an NCAA or NAIA university. It is then customary to take your coursework with you and complete year 3 and year 4 of your bachelor’s degree at your new university.

The NJCAA consists of 24 regions and is divided into three divisions. The academic level and tuition costs are lower than at other universities, and different playing eligibility rules apply than at the NAIA and NCAA. In general, it is easier to be admitted to NJCAA schools because the admission requirements are somewhat less stringent.

In addition to being divided into different divisions, universities within those divisions are divided into conferences, similar to regional groups or pools. These poules are based on region or university size. They usually consist of 8, 10 or 12 universities.

The teams in a pool all compete against each other during the league season for the ultimate championship. Upon winning this championship, there is no promotion because the division always remains the same. However, it does provide opportunities to compete in regional and even national championships. That is the ultimate goal of every team.

Wondering which conferences all exist? Check out the full list here!

It is important during the recruiting process to look closely at the conference in which the schools operate. This is where much of the sports level, and the opposition, is determined during the season. Slamstox can help you assess the level of the team and the conference you will be joining.

As a student-athlete, you have four years of eligibility to play: that means you have four years of eligibility to play games and receive a scholarship. But you can’t just do that: Eligibility rules are certain rules you must meet as a student-athlete to be allowed to play for an American university’s sports team.

It is necessary to be eligible to play; only then can you sign a contract with a university and play games. The requirements vary by sports league and division. For example, in some divisions you may not have made money from your sport or been part of a professional club, in other divisions you may. Sports leagues also look at your academic background and the grades you earned in school.

It is important to know what your status is and make sure everything is in order. This is one of the first steps in the process and Slamstox helps you do this.

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