What is the NAIA?
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is the organizing body that oversees college athletics for its member schools. Schools who are members of the NAIA are made of smaller colleges located in the United States and Canada. The NAIA was established in 1952, as an organization to establish competition between colleges. The NAIA sponsors 13 different sports and runs 23 annual championships for those sports, in both men’s and women’s athletics.
The NAIA has different member schools than the NCAA and has different eligibility requirements as well. To make sure you are eligible to compete at an NAIA school, you need to register with the NAIA Eligibility Center at www.playnaia.org.