NCAA Division I: Is it right for you?

The NCAA Divisions :

As I mentioned in a my previous post on recruiting services any prospective student-athlete needs to have an understanding of what the NCAA is and the difference in it's divisions. The NCAA stands for National Collegiate Athletic Associations and it has three divisions comprised of more than 1,200 institutions. Yes it's a juggernaut and has started to monopolize the college athletic landscape over the years as it's popularity has increased, but thats for another article.

NCAA Division I:

Division I is the most popular and the one you have probably seen on tv in the form of Men's Basketball or Football. Of course with the introduction of ESPNU, ESPN3 , and other cable sports channels you can probably get glimpse of some of the other Division I sports. Division I is made up of the larger colleges and universities and typically divided by power conferences and mid-major conferences. Conferences are leagues that universities compete in with similar size and type schools. The power conferences such as the ACC, SEC, BIG12, BIG10, and PAC12 are made up of typically large schools with enormous finances and resources at there disposal. Mid-Major conferences are made up of smaller Division I schools whom typically don't have resources of their big brother counterparts.

Division I Advantages:

So what are the advantages to playing at the Division I level? First of all, if your playing at the Division I level your typically playing with and competing against the very best. There is no better way to improve and reach your potential than competing at the highest level. Division I student-athletes typically have the best scholarship packages, but doesn't necessarily mean a full-ride as there are restrictions in certain sports on how many full scholarships they can offer. The university athletic facilities at this level are absolutely amazing. This can be a huge benefit to any athlete. When you have the best facilities at your disposal it gives any student-athlete the opportunity to improve and reach heights they never dreamed of. Athletics at this level is highly structured and demands the same level of commitment. With this structure comes demanding practice schedules, off-season workouts, strength training, academic support services, and lengthy team schedules. All of this is designed to help student-athletes succeed so teams and universities can win championships.

Division I Disadvantages:

Division I sounds great right? So are there any drawbacks to playing at this level? What makes Division I great can also be detrimental to a student-athlete. The commitment required to compete at this level is immense. It can be seen more of as an occupation or job than playing a sport. Your sport maybe a specific time of year  but your athletically related activities will not be confined to the season. The NCAA allows teams to conduct activities out of their main season to prepare and develop players for the upcoming season. Some sports even have two seasons and in combination with off-season activities there can seem like no end in sight. So when does a student-athlete go to class and study? Regardless of how much the NCAA wants to prioritize academics and the amount of assistance universities provide the player can eventually become more of athlete-student rather than a student-athlete. Time management is crucial to a student-athlete at any level but even more so at the Division I level. If a student-athlete has poor time management skills at this level it will cost them dearly. The university in essence is paying you to play a sport and win championships everything else eventually becomes secondary if you allow it to.

Mid-Majors:

So what about the Mid-Majors? Mid-Majors are more like Division II schools, which I will discuss in another post, but are typically smaller than Power Conference schools. This can be an advantage academically. The smaller the school the smaller the class size and possibly the better learning environment. I would imagine most people learn better in small groups or individually than having 500 people in one of their classes. This maybe the only advantage Mid-Majors have on Power Conference schools. Everything else is an advantage to the larger schools with all the resources and immaculate facilities they have. The NCAA regulations are the same. The schedules and time constraints are similar. The amount of travel may differ since the power conferences have the financial resources to travel more.

The Right Choice:

So which is right for you? before pursuing opportunities at any division you have to be honest about your skill level and if your good enough to compete at that level. You also need to evaluate your academic situation honestly. Can you meet the initial requirements to qualify at the NCAA Division I level? Also do you have the time management skills necessary to be a student-athlete at this level? If you have answered those questions and are receiving offers from Division I schools then it becomes more about which school and coach is the right fit. Examine the schools academic program and make sure they have the academic programs your interested in. I would also recommend getting a good sense of the coaches philosophy as it relates to academics and athletics. Regardless of how great an athlete you maybe eventually your career will end and you will need an education to fall back on.