NCAA D1 Colleges
There are 347 DI Schools across 49 different states. D1 schools range from small private schools to the largest universities in the US. The division 1 level is what most people associate with college sports. This is the top level of competition with more people turning professional from this level than any other.
What Sports are Like at the NCAA DI Level
D1 is where the best high school and prep athletes go to play and compete. NCAA DI programs generate millions of dollars in revenue each year and the pressure to perform and win impacts all of the decisions made regarding coaches, athletes and scholarships. Many athletes and families feel that D1 programs are run too much like a business and choose to play at a division level where academics and athletics are more balanced.
NCAA D1 Athletic Scholarship Facts
Only 15% of college athletic scholarship opportunities exist at the DI level. While some of the scholarships are full-ride scholarships, most are only partial scholarships. It is also important to remember that you can lose your scholarship at anytime. Scholarships are only good for one year and need to be renewed each year. Athletes lose scholarships for many reasons, including but not limited to injuries, their performance dropping, coaching changes or someone better at their position coming into the program. D1 scholarships are great if you can get them but should not be the only reason you want to attend a school.
How to Get Recruited by a DI School
DI programs and coaches get contacted by thousands of high school athletes and parents of athletes every year. These coaches need to quickly be able to make an initial evaluation of your talents and decide whether or not to pursue recruiting you further. The only way to do that is to make your academic information and highlight video immediately available to them. For the majority of D1 coaches, this means having your information available online with an online profile or emailing them a resume and video posted online.
You can use a free profile, like those available by clicking the parent or athlete button above or you can look for schools on your own using our free search tool and contact them directly.
Author: David Frank
