College athletics in the United States facts for kids

Illustration of a Nebraska Cornhuskers football player published on a 1904 Yearbook

College athletics in the United States means sports and training organized by colleges and universities. It's a big part of American education. There are two main types of college sports.

The first type includes sports overseen by large groups like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Only top athletes can join these teams. Some colleges even offer athletic scholarships to help these athletes pay for school. The second type includes intramural and club sports. These are open to more students, not just the elite athletes.

Unlike many other countries, college sports in the U.S. are super popular. They can even be as big as professional sports! Many universities have at least 20 different sports teams. They also offer lots of fun intramural sports. In 2002, about 400,000 male and female student athletes played in organized college sports. The NCAA is the biggest group for college sports. Basketball is the most common sport, with over 2,000 teams.

College sports follow important rules. These rules ensure fairness, good sportsmanship, and strong academics. They also promote equality and prevent discrimination.

How College Sports Started

Humorous sculpture depicting a "academics vs sports" (represented by a graduate and a football player respectively) fight. The sculpture is located at The Eating Clubs of Princeton University

The very first organized college sports club began in 1843. Yale University started a boat club. Harvard University followed a year later. These clubs raced against each other in rowing events called Regattas.

The first ever college sports event in the U.S. happened in 1852. Yale's rowing team raced Harvard's team at Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. This race started a famous rivalry between the two schools. It also kicked off college sports in America.

In the late 1850s, bat and ball games became very popular. Baseball started to grow in U.S. universities. The first college baseball game was in 1859. It was played between Amherst College and Williams College. By 1870, college baseball teams played many games. The first official college baseball league formed in 1879.

Other sports also grew. The first college cricket match was in 1860. Track and field became popular too. The first college track and field event happened in 1873. It was a two-mile race. The first college soccer game was on November 6, 1869. It was between Princeton and Rutgers. The first college rugby game was in 1874. Harvard played against McGill University. The first college football game was also on November 6, 1869. Rutgers played against Princeton.

How College Sports Are Organized

Besides the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), there are other big groups for college sports. Many of these groups have hundreds of member schools.

Here are some of them:

• The Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA)
• The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA)
• The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
• The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA)
• The National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)
• The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)
• The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
• The Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC)

There are also groups for single sports. These include leagues and conferences. They help organize championships for different sports.

The Role of College Sports at U.S. Universities

Graham Harrell, a former college football player

In the early 1840s, student-athletes helped run their sports programs. They made rules and decided which games would happen. Today, athletes usually don't have this much control. Student governments might have some say in how money is given to sports.

College sports can sometimes cause problems with academics. Colleges want their sports teams to be national champions. They also want their academic programs to be top-ranked. This can create challenges for student-athletes. They have to do well in both sports and school.

College leaders try to balance university values with making money from sports. Some athletic directors say they have to cut men's non-revenue sports. This is to keep their budgets balanced. These sports might get less money in the future.

NCAA Division I schools must have at least seven men's teams and seven women's teams. They also need two team sports for each gender. And each gender must have a team in the fall, winter, and spring seasons.

Why College Sports Are Popular

College sports have been popular since the 1920s. Their popularity grew even more when games started being shown on TV. College sports are important for both culture and money. They bring together people from different backgrounds.

Economically, some schools make a lot of money from their sports. This comes from ticket sales, merchandise, and donations.

College sports in the U.S. are huge. Over 460,000 male and female student-athletes play in NCAA sports. Even in the late 1980s, big college sports programs had many full-time staff. These included coaches, trainers, and administrators.

NCAA Division I, II, and NAIA schools offer scholarships to over 200,000 athletes. Every year, these schools spend billions on athletic scholarships. College sports in America are popular worldwide. Over 20,000 international athletes play in U.S. college sports.

The Florida State Seminoles and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the 2014 ACC Championship Game

College athletics also helps athletes get to the professional level. It's like a "performance pyramid." Youth sports are at the bottom, open to everyone. As you go up, the competition gets tougher. Fewer athletes make it to the top, which is professional sports. College sports act as a stepping stone for many elite athletes. This system is different from most other countries. They often have government-funded sports programs that feed into professional sports.

History and Growth of College Sports

Before 1910, sports weren't strictly regulated. This led to many injuries. President Roosevelt stepped in and formed the Intercollegiate Athletic Association (IAA). This group is now known as the NCAA. The NCAA was created to make rules for college sports.

Over the years, the NCAA added more rules. They wanted to improve competition between schools. In 1956, they started dividing schools into divisions. This was based on how competitive their programs were. In 1973, the top division became Division I. Other schools were split into Division II and Division III. This split was based on whether they offered athletic scholarships.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, college sports grew a lot. They also made more money because games were shown on TV. By the 2017–18 school year, almost 500,000 students played college sports.

Money in College Sports

Big amounts of money come from Division I athletics. But only a few schools actually make a profit from their programs. In 2014, the NCAA made almost $1 billion in revenue. Most of this came from TV deals and marketing. Donations, ticket sales, and merchandise sales go directly to the schools.

Some college football programs are very valuable. For example, the University of Texas's football program was worth over $133 million in 2013. This means they made a lot of money just from football.

Universities spend a lot of money on their sports programs. This includes money for facilities, coaches, and equipment. In many states, the highest-paid public employee is a college football or basketball coach.

Many sports programs don't make enough money to cover their costs. So, they use student fees to help fund them. This can be a problem because of rising student debt. In 2016, only a few Division I programs made enough money to cover their spending. Most schools are partly funded by the state or student fees. A lot of the money is spent on coaches' salaries and fancy facilities. The amount spent on an athlete can be much higher than what's spent on a regular student.

Title IX and Gender Equality

Title IX is a law passed in 1972. It says that no person can be treated unfairly in any education program that gets federal money, because of their sex. This law has greatly changed college sports for girls and boys.

In 1975, rules for sports were added to Title IX. They said that schools must offer "equal athletic opportunity" for both sexes. To follow Title IX, schools must meet one of three requirements:

1. Equal Opportunities: Offer sports chances that are similar for male and female students, based on how many are enrolled.
2. Growing Opportunities: Show that they are always adding more sports opportunities for the gender that has fewer sports (usually females).
3. Meeting Interests: Fully meet the interests and abilities of the gender that has fewer sports.

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) helps make sure Title IX is followed. They can take away federal money from schools that don't follow the rules. But they usually work with schools to help them become compliant.

Studies show that smaller schools are more likely to follow Title IX. Also, schools that don't have big football programs are more likely to comply. The attitudes of school leaders, like the university president, are very important.

Impact on College Sports

Before Title IX, fewer than 30,000 girls played college sports in 1972. By 2011, over 200,000 girls participated! Title IX has been praised for increasing female participation.

However, Title IX has also led to some changes. Before Title IX, most women's college teams were coached by women. After the law, more men started coaching women's teams. But women haven't had the same chances to coach men's teams.

Should College Athletes Be Paid?

There's a big discussion about whether college athletes should be paid. For a long time, college athletes only received scholarships. They weren't allowed to get other money. But now, colleges make a lot of money from TV deals. Some people think athletes should share in this money.

Arguments for Paying Athletes

Some people argue that athletes should be paid.

• A few schools own their own TV networks, like the University of Texas.
• If athletes were paid, they might be seen as employees. This could lead to them forming unions.
• Only a small number of college teams make a lot of money for their school. This money goes to coaches and administrators, not directly to the players.
• College sports take a lot of time and effort. Many scholarships don't cover all living costs. Athletes often don't have time for a job.
• Paying athletes might encourage them to stay in school and finish their degrees. It could also reduce the temptation to take illegal payments.
• If an athlete gets a serious injury, their scholarship might not cover all medical bills.

In 2013, a football coach named Steve Spurrier said that many coaches wanted to pay athletes. He suggested paying football players up to $300 per game.

The College Athletes Players Association (CAPA) wants football and basketball players to get paid. But the NCAA has said that student-athletes are not employees.

Some famous college athletes have faced issues for accepting benefits. Critics say that colleges set the rules, and athletes have no say. Athletes spend many hours a week on their sport. This makes it hard to earn extra money or help their families.

Court Cases and NIL

There have been lawsuits against the NCAA. Former UCLA player Ed O'Bannon sued the NCAA. He argued that the NCAA made money from players' images without paying them. The court agreed that the NCAA was taking advantage of players' images. But the ruling only said schools had to cover the cost of attendance.

In 2014, some Northwestern University football players argued they should be able to form a union. The court agreed for those on scholarship. They said that demanding practice schedules reduced time for studies.

On June 21, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court made a big decision. They ruled that the NCAA could not stop colleges from giving student-athletes education-related benefits.

Then, on June 30, 2021, the NCAA agreed to a new rule called NIL. NIL stands for "Name, Image, and Likeness." This rule allows student-athletes to make money by using their own name, image, and likeness. For example, they can get paid for endorsements or social media posts. This is different from being paid by the university to play. Athletes have to find these opportunities themselves.

The NIL policy is the same for all three NCAA divisions. The NCAA still says that college sports are not "pay-for-play." This means athletes are not paid just for playing their sport. The new rules also keep in place rules against improper recruiting.

Arguments Against Paying College Athletes

Many people argue against paying college athletes.

• Athletes who get full scholarships already receive many benefits. These include free room, board, books, and classes. They also get the best dorms and first choice of classes. A full scholarship can be worth over $100,000.
• Some worry that paying athletes would make them focus less on their studies.
• Most college sports programs do not make a profit. Only a few football and basketball programs do. If athletes were paid, most universities couldn't afford it. This might mean cutting many sports teams.
• Athletes also get special perks. These include team-only workout facilities, top coaches, and medical care. They get free gear, travel to games, and customized meal plans. They also get to play in big stadiums with many fans. This helps them get media attention.
• Athletes know what they are getting when they accept a scholarship. They get an education and a chance to play their sport at a high level.
• Title IX is a big factor. If football players were paid, other teams, including women's teams, would also need to be paid. This would be very expensive for schools.
• NCAA President Mark Emmert believes paying athletes could lead to bribery. He thinks it would put more pressure on boosters to pay athletes to play for certain schools. He believes student-athletes are students first. He points out that student-athletes have higher graduation rates than non-athletes.

Licensing of Likenesses

Before NIL, college athletes could not make money from their own likenesses. For example, a player was suspended for selling a game-worn jersey. But his university could sell replica jerseys with his number and make money. Critics said the NCAA was taking advantage of athletes.

In 2009, retired basketball player Ed O'Bannon sued the NCAA. He said that video games used his image without paying him. The NCAA argued that paying athletes went against the idea of amateur sports.

Eventually, the video game company settled the lawsuit. The NCAA and some conferences then stopped their deals with the video game company. A judge ruled that the NCAA's rules against paying athletes broke antitrust law. The judge said universities should be able to cover athletes' costs and give them a trust fund.

With the new NIL agreement in 2021, student-athletes can now make money from their name, image, and likeness. They must follow state laws and school rules. This new policy allows athletes to earn money, but it still keeps college sports from being "pay-for-play."

Coach's Pay

College coaches can be paid a lot of money. They can also get endorsements and sponsorships from outside companies. This can include deals with shoe companies or book deals. Some coaches earn millions of dollars each year. In some cases, college coaches are paid more than professional coaches.

Unlike student-athletes, coaches can choose which school they coach for. They can move to a school that offers them a higher salary. Student-athletes, however, cannot freely move between teams.

Longest-Running International Sporting Event

Every year, the United States Military Academy (Army) Black Knights play the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Paladins in an ice hockey game. This series started in 1923. It is said to be the longest-running uninterrupted annual international college sports event in the world.

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