Overview – NAIA – What is NAIA – Rankings – Conferences – Videos
Student-athletes come first in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics – NAIA. They are the inspiration that drives us to make character a core component and benefit of all intercollegiate sports.
All first-time NAIA student-athletes must register and receive an eligibility determination before they are permitted to play.
NAIA and NCAA are two separate associations with different certification processes. If you would like to play in the NAIA, you must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
NAIA Rankings and Full list of schools (Women)
NAIA Rankings and Full list of schools (Men)
- In the NAIA, a student-athlete can compete during four “seasons of competition” within the first 10 semesters (or equivalent) in college. A season of competition is charged when you participate in one or more intercollegiate contests whether at the varsity, junior varsity, or freshman level or in professional-level, non-collegiate competition. To compete, student-athletes must be enrolled in at least 12 hours every semester or quarter and be making normal progress toward a bachelor’s degree. They must also meet freshman and/or continuing eligibility rules.
- To participate in athletics in the NAIA, you must be admitted to the college or university under admission standards equal to or higher than those applied to the general student body.
- NAIA rules on financial aid are straightforward. Each school determines how much aid it awards to an individual student-athlete. Under no conditions may anyone else provide direct financial assistance to any student-athlete. Scholarships, grants-in-aid, or student loans are controlled by each institution through the same committee that handles all student loans and scholarships.
- For international (non-American high school) students click here