List of college athletic conferences in the United States facts for kids

In the world of college sports in the United States, colleges and universities often join groups called conferences. These conferences help organize games and competitions. Different groups, called governing bodies, oversee these conferences.

What are College Sports Teams?

College sports teams are often called "varsity teams." These teams are usually supported by the college's sports department. For some sports, players can even get scholarships to help pay for their education. These scholarships are given because of their athletic skills.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is one of the biggest organizations for college sports. It helps manage sports for over 1,000 colleges and universities across the U.S. The NCAA divides its schools into three main groups, called divisions, based on things like school size and how much they offer in sports scholarships.

NCAA Division I: Top-Level College Sports

Division I is the highest level of college sports in the NCAA. Schools in this division often have large sports programs and offer many athletic scholarships. They compete at a very high level.

Here are some of the major conferences in Division I:

• America East Conference
• American Athletic Conference
• Atlantic Coast Conference
• Big 12 Conference
• Big Ten Conference
• Coastal Athletic Association
• Conference USA
• Ivy League – This league is famous for its strong academics and does not offer athletic scholarships.
• Mid-American Conference
• Southeastern Conference
• Sun Belt Conference
• West Coast Conference

Some conferences are just for one sport, like football or ice hockey. For example:

• Missouri Valley Football Conference (for football only)
• Hockey East (for ice hockey only)

NCAA Division II: A Balance of Sports and Academics

Division II schools offer a good balance between sports and academics. They also provide athletic scholarships, but usually not as many as Division I schools. These schools are often smaller than Division I universities.

Some conferences in Division II include:

• California Collegiate Athletic Association
• Conference Carolinas
• Great Lakes Valley Conference
• Lone Star Conference
• Northeast-10 Conference
• Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

NCAA Division III: Focus on the Student-Athlete Experience

Division III is the largest NCAA division by number of schools. Schools in Division III do not offer athletic scholarships. The focus here is on the overall experience of being a student-athlete, with sports being an important part of college life but not the main reason for attending.

Some conferences in Division III include:

• American Rivers Conference
• Centennial Conference
• College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
• Middle Atlantic Conferences
• New England Small College Athletic Conference
• Ohio Athletic Conference
• Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is another important organization for college sports, especially for smaller colleges and universities. It also offers athletic scholarships.

Some NAIA conferences are:

• American Midwest Conference
• Appalachian Athletic Conference
• Cascade Collegiate Conference
• Heart of America Athletic Conference
• Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

Junior College Sports: NJCAA and CCCAA

Junior colleges (also called community colleges) also have sports teams. Two major organizations for these schools are the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). These associations help students develop their skills before possibly moving on to larger four-year colleges.

Some NJCAA conferences are:

• Arizona Community College Athletic Conference
• Iowa Community College Athletic Conference
• Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference

Some CCCAA conferences are:

• Bay Valley Conference
• Orange Empire Conference
• Western State Conference

Other College Sports Organizations

Besides the major associations, there are many other groups that organize specific sports at the college level. These can include sports not sponsored by the NCAA or NAIA, or specialized leagues.

For example:

• Boxing: National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA)
• Cycling: Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC)
• Rowing: Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC)
• Sprint Football: Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) – This is a version of football with weight limits for players.
• Wrestling: National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA)

Oldest College Sports Conferences

College sports have a long history! Here's a look at some of the oldest conferences and organizations that have shaped college athletics in the U.S.

See also

• List of NCAA conferences
• List of NAIA conferences
• National Junior College Athletic Association