NAIA - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is a college athletics association for small colleges and universities in North America.
- 2. The NAIA was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.
- 3. The NAIA currently has over 250 member institutions across the United States and Canada.
- 4. The NAIA sponsors 27 national championships in 13 sports, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, and track and field.
- 5. Student-athletes in the NAIA can receive scholarships to compete in their respective sports, but the amount and availability of scholarships vary by school.
- 6. The NAIA has a unique eligibility system that takes into account factors such as academic performance, amateur status, and character.
- 7. The NAIA has a "Champions of Character" program that promotes sportsmanship, integrity, and character development among student-athletes.
- 8. The NAIA has its own set of rules and regulations for competition, separate from the NCAA and other college athletics associations.
- 9. The NAIA has a small-school focus, with most member institutions having fewer than 2,000 students.
- 10. The NAIA has a long history of producing successful student-athletes who have gone on to compete at the professional level in their respective sports.