THE NCAA
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The National Collegiate Athletic Association - NCAA is the governing body of college soccer in the United States. It is responsible for monitoring, developing, and promoting college soccer programs, as well as providing educational opportunities for student-athletes.
NCAA soccer provides a competitive and exciting environment for student-athletes to compete and grow. With rigorous standards and a commitment to excellence, the NCAA is proud to offer an unparalleled soccer experience.
The NCAA is a membership-driven organization that governs intercollegiate athletics across three divisions (I, II, and III). Today, the NCAA consists of 1,098 colleges and universities and 102 athletic conferences. As the oldest and largest collegiate sanctioning organization, the NCAA has distributed billions of dollars to member institutions and represented college athletics for over a century.
Over the years, more and more colleges have developed athletic programs and joined the NCAA. Today, more than 460,000 college athletesmake up the organization. As the NCAA continues to grow, the health and safety of its student-athletes remain a central focus. To address these issues, the NCAA is governed by over 150 committees.
NCAA rules are developed and maintained by more than 1,500 committee members hailing from nearly 450 institutions across the country. These representatives include a mix of athletic directors, college athletes, and college presidents, who introduce legislation and vote on topics related to health, safety, and sports rules.
The NCAA Board of Governors, however, is the highest governing body and supervises association-wide issues, such as determining where to allocate funds and upholding equal opportunity measures. Primarily composed of chancellors and presidents, the Board of Governors can implement policies that must be followed by all member schools across divisions.
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY IN THE NCAA
Both college-bound and continuing student-athletes must meet academic standards to participate in NCAA sports. While Division I and Division II schools slightly differ in their minimum standards, both require incoming students to complete at least 16 core courses in high school and earn a qualifying SAT or ACT test score. These academic requirements include courses in English, math, natural or physical science, and social science.
Division I and Division II student-athletes must maintain full-time status, fulfill credit requirements, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.3 or a 2.2 respectively