National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" or "N-C-Two-A") is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. Its headquarters are currently located in Indianapolis, Indiana and it is currently under the leadership of president Charlie Baker. The NCAA is the largest collegiate athletic organization in the world.

From 1906 to 1955, the NCAA had no "divisions" among its institutions. From 1956 to 1972, there were two divisions: NCAA University Division (Major College) and NCAA College Division (Small College). However, these divisions may not have been totally formal, and some schools could move between the two. In 1973, the NCAA split its membership into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III. Under NCAA rules, Division I and Division II schools can offer scholarships to athletes for playing a sport. Division III schools may not offer any athletic scholarships. Generally, larger schools compete in Division I and smaller schools in II and III.

Further Reading

• Philip Yates: "The PING Ratings: A Model for Rating NCAA Baseball Teams", The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 40, Number 2 (Fall 2011), pp. 107-113.

External Sites

NCAA

Source: Wikipedia