College athletics in the United States facts for kids

College sports in the United States are a big deal! They involve athletic training and competitions organized by colleges and universities. These sports are split into two main types. The first type includes highly organized sports overseen by groups like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Many top athletes in these sports can even get athletic scholarships to help pay for college. The second type includes fun intramural and club sports, open to more students.

Unlike in many other countries, college sports in the U.S. are super popular. They often compete with professional sports for TV time and attention. Most universities offer at least twenty different sports. In 2002, about 400,000 young men and women participated as student athletes. The NCAA is the largest organization, and basketball is the most common sport, with thousands of teams. College sports aim for fair play, good sportsmanship, and strong academic standards for all athletes.

An old drawing of a Nebraska Cornhuskers football player from a 1904 yearbook.

Understanding College Sports in the U.S.

How College Sports Began

College sports in the U.S. were inspired by early competitions in England. For example, Oxford University and Cambridge University had cricket matches in 1827 and boat races in 1829.

The first organized college sports club in the U.S. started in 1843 at Yale University for rowing. Harvard University quickly followed. These clubs led to the first intercollegiate event in 1852: a rowing race between Yale and Harvard. This race began a famous rivalry and sparked the growth of college sports.

Baseball became popular in the late 1840s. The first college baseball game was in 1859 between Amherst College and Williams College. By 1870, college teams played many games. Other sports like cricket and track and field also grew. The first college football game happened on November 6, 1869, between Rutgers College and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).

A funny sculpture at Princeton University showing a "fight" between academics (a graduate) and sports (a football player).

Who Organizes College Sports?

Many organizations help run college sports. The biggest is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). But there are others too, like:

• The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for junior colleges.
• The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) for Christian colleges.
• The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for smaller colleges.
• Other groups like the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).

These organizations create rules and championships for different sports. Some focus on many sports, while others are just for one sport, like sailing or boxing.

The Role of Sports at Universities

Years ago, student-athletes helped make many decisions about college sports. They were involved in setting rules and choosing events. Today, students have much less say in how sports programs are run.

Colleges often face a challenge: balancing strong academics with successful sports teams. Many schools want to be known for both great academics and winning sports. This can sometimes create difficulties for student-athletes who need to excel in both areas.

Universities also try to make money from their sports programs. However, they also want to keep sports fair and offer many different options. This means balancing income from popular sports with supporting less profitable ones.

Why College Sports Are So Popular

College sports have been popular since the 1920s. Their popularity grew even more with television broadcasts. These sports are important for both culture and the economy. They bring together diverse students from different backgrounds.

Economically, some schools earn a lot from ticket sales, merchandise, and donations. Over 460,000 student-athletes, both male and female, participate in NCAA sports. Many schools offer scholarships to over 200,000 athletes, spending billions of dollars each year. College sports in the U.S. are also popular worldwide, with over 20,000 international athletes joining in.

College sports are a key step in the "performance pyramid" of sports. Youth sports are at the bottom, open to everyone. As you go up, the competition gets tougher, and fewer athletes participate. College sports are a major stepping stone for elite athletes hoping to become professionals. This system is different from many other countries, where governments often fund sports programs that feed into professional leagues.

Graham Harrell, a former college football player.

Money and Fairness in College Athletics

How Money Works in College Sports

College sports, especially at the Division I level, involve a lot of money. In 2014, the NCAA earned nearly $1 billion in revenue. This money comes from television deals, advertisements, and licensing. However, donations, ticket sales, and merchandise sales usually go directly to the schools.

Universities spend huge amounts on their sports programs. This includes facilities, coaches, and equipment. In many states, the highest-paid public employee is often a college football or basketball coach. Some athletic programs do not make enough money to cover their costs. They might use student fees to help fund their programs. This can be a concern due to rising student debt.

Only a small number of Division I programs actually earn more money than they spend. Many rely on donations or student fees to cover their expenses. A lot of money is spent on coaching staff, games, and fancy facilities. The amount spent on a football player at a big Division I school can be very high.

Equal Opportunities: What is Title IX?

Title IX is a U.S. law passed in 1972. It requires equal opportunities for boys and girls in any educational program that gets money from the federal government. This law has had a big effect on college sports.

Title IX means that colleges must offer equal athletic opportunities for both male and female students. To follow this law, schools usually need to meet one of three main goals:

• Offer sports opportunities that match the number of male and female students.
• Show that they are always adding new sports opportunities for the gender that has fewer options (usually females).
• Fully meet the interests and abilities of female students, even if fewer females than males play sports.

Since Title IX became law, female participation in college sports has almost doubled. Before 1972, fewer than 30,000 girls played college sports. By 2011, over 200,000 girls were participating. This law has been praised for increasing opportunities for women. However, some people still debate how fair things are between male and female athletes.

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

Should College Athletes Be Paid?

A big discussion in college sports is whether athletes should be paid beyond their scholarships. For a long time, NCAA rules said athletes could not receive extra money.

Arguments for Paying Athletes

Some people believe athletes should be paid. They point out that colleges earn a lot of money from TV deals and merchandise. They argue that athletes, who create this value, should share in the income. Some schools even own their own TV networks, like the University of Texas with The Longhorn Network.

Athletes spend many hours practicing and playing. Some scholarships don't cover all living expenses. Paying athletes could encourage them to stay in school and finish their degrees. It might also reduce the temptation to accept benefits that go against the rules. If an athlete gets a serious injury, their scholarship might not cover all medical bills.

Arguments Against Paying Athletes

Others argue that college athletes already receive many benefits. Full scholarships can be worth a lot, covering tuition, room, board, and books. Athletes often get special perks like early class registration and top tutoring. They also get access to excellent facilities, coaches, and medical care.

Many believe that paying athletes would make them lose focus on their studies. Also, most college athletic departments do not make a profit. If athletes were paid, many schools would struggle to afford it. This could lead to cutting sports that don't make money, which would reduce opportunities for many students.

Title IX is also a factor. If male athletes in popular sports like football are paid, then female athletes in other sports would also need to be paid equally. This would significantly increase costs for universities.

Athletes and Their Likenesses

For a long time, college athletes could not make money from their own image or name. For example, a player couldn't sell a game-worn jersey, even if the university sold replica jerseys with their number.

This changed on June 30, 2021. The NCAA agreed to a new policy called Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). This policy allows student-athletes to earn money by using their name, image, and likeness. For example, they can get paid for endorsements or social media posts. This is different from being paid directly by the university to play.

The NIL policy applies to all three NCAA divisions. It aims to keep college sports from becoming "pay-for-play." This means athletes are not paid just for playing their sport. They earn money through their own efforts using their name, image, and likeness.

Coaches' Salaries vs. Athlete Benefits

College coaches can earn very high salaries, sometimes millions of dollars. They can also get endorsement deals from shoe companies or other businesses. Coaches have the freedom to choose which school they work for, and they can move to a school that offers them a higher salary.

Student-athletes, however, have different rules. They are not allowed to move freely between teams in the same way coaches can. This difference in rules and pay between coaches and athletes is part of the ongoing discussion about fairness in college sports.

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