What is NAIA Basketball? Everything You Need to Know …

The NAIA in stands for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. They are the governing body for smaller athletics programs which includes NAIA basketball. They are a very good option for college student athletes to consider if they want to seriously pursue a college basketball career after graduating from high school. This is a very good option for many, so don’t limit yourself to only NCAA, explore the NAIA division a little and see if this is something that might work for you.

HOW LONG HAS THE NAIA BEEN AROUND?

The NAIA has been around since 1937. It started with a men’s basketball tournament in Kansas City. Since then, it has become the longest running event in college basketball. From this, the NAIA grew into an association. Also, the NAIA was the first collegiate athletics association to invite historically black institutions into membership and be a full sponsor for both men’s and women’s national championships.

WHAT IS THE NAIA ALL ABOUT?

The NAIA are dedicated to character-driven basketball. Basically, what this means is they are all about enhancing the character building aspects of basketball through what they call, Champions of Character®. Through this, the NAIA aims to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator are committed to the true spirit of competition through their five core values. These character values will help young aspiring basketball players to make good choices in all aspects of their life as well as reflecting the true spirit of competition on the court.

NOTE: In 2010 the NAIA brought in the NAIA Eligibility Center for student-athletes to evaluated for academic and athletic eligibility and gives integrity to the selection process by leveling the playing field, guiding student-athletes to ensure fair competition.

WHAT IS NAIA BASKETBALL?

Each year more than 77,000 NAIA student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports. These athletes have the chance to earn over $800 million in scholarships, and compete for a chance to participate in 27 national championships. A lot of theses student athletes choose to play college basketball and get award scholarships to do so.

WHAT IS NAIA BASKETBALL COMPETITION LIKE?

As a basketball player playing NAIA basketball as a student-athlete you can compete during four “seasons of competition” within the first 10 semesters (or equivalent) in college. A season of competition is taken when you
participate in one (or more) intercollegiate contests; whether that’s at varsity, junior varsity or freshman level, or in elite level or non-collegiate competition.

NOTE: To be able to compete, as a student athlete you must be enrolled in at least 12 hours every semester or quarter and be making normal progress toward a bachelor’s degree. You must also meet freshman and continuing eligibility rules.

HOW DO I GET RECRUITED TO NAIA?

Compared to the NCAA division, getting recruited to play NAIA men’s basketball is as a freshman or transfer student is less complex as they have fewer restrictions on contact between a prospect and a Coach. This allows for more frequent communication which enables you the student athlete, to become more comfortable with the Coach, other Staff members and the School.

NOTE: Once you have started at an NAIA college either by enrolling and/or attending classes or drawn equipment and begun organized practice, you can no longer be contacted by a representative from another NAIA school. This no-contact policy applies even if you have not started classes yet.

HOW DO I TRANSFER TO AN NAIA SCHOOL?

NAIA coaches are not allowed to contact players so if you are a player looking to transfer to an NAIA school then you are going to have to contact the coach first. You can do this by emailing or giving them a call. Once you have initiated contact with an NAIA Coach, the Coach has 10days in which the are obligated to notify your Athletic Director (or any other representative) of the school you are currently enrolled at. The Coach doesn’t need permission to respond to your email or call but your current school must get notification that the contact from you has been made.

To be considered a transfer student you have either: taken time off between high school and coming to the NAIA or, you have attended a 2-year or 4-year college and are considered a transfer student regardless of whether
you participated in intercollegiate athletics or not. If you’re a transfer who has never participated in basketball at an NAIA school, you will need to register with the NAIA Eligibility Center at PlayNAIA.org to have your eligibility determined.

CAN I VISIT AN NAIA SCHOOL FOR A TRYOUT?

Yes you can but you are only allowed a maximum of 2 days throughout your entire basketball career. Some NAIA schools have a reimbursement policy for all prospective student athletes who come for a tryout so you should look into this before or when you get there.

WHAT ARE THE ADMISSION & ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS TO PLAY NAIA?

Admission into NAIA schools requires a student athlete to have graduated from a U.S. high school this spring and to be looking to enroll in college this coming fall. A freshman must: be a graduate of an accredited high schoo1 and Meet two of the three following requirements:

1. Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 970 on the SAT
2. Achieve a minimum overall high school grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
3. Graduate in the top half of your high school class

What if I didn’t attend U.S High School?

The criteria for those student athletes who obtained their high school education an alternative such as GED, HOme School or International is slightly different as shown below:

GED Students – must have the following two things:

1. Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 970 on the SAT
2. GED students are recognized as having met the GPA requirement.

International Students – must have two of the following three:

1. Achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 970 on the SAT
2. Achieve a minimum overall high school grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
3. Graduate in the top half of your high school class

NOTE: International students must provide their academic records in both the language of issue as well as word-for-word English translation.

Home Schooled Students:

Home school students who have a 20 on the ACT or 1040 on the SAT are considered to have met the freshman eligibility requirement.

HOME SCHOOL WAIVER: If a home schooled student completes a home schooling (in line with the State laws of their State of residence) but they don’t meet the test score requirement; a home school waiver may be requested from the NAIA Home School Committee. They can also become eligible without a test score by completing nine institutional credit hours with a “C” or better prior to identification at any institution of higher learning. Coursework must be accepted as institutional credit on the certifying NAIA transcript and be shown as earned prior to the term in which the student wishes to compete.

mynaia.org

IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT TO PLAY NAIA BASKETBALL?

There is no age limit for basketball players to participate in NAIA college basketball. Instead of an age limit, student athletes are restricted to four seasons of competition and have 10 university semesters to complete those four seasons of competition in.

HOW DO I REMAIN ELIGBILBLE TO PLAY BASKETBALL WHILE AT AN NAIA SCHOOL?

NAIA student-athletes must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours at all times and also be making progress towards achieving a degree. When you reach junior year (either athletically or academically), every student athlete must maintain a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Your eligibility is reviewed at the end of every term.

DO ALL BASKETBALL PLAYERS HAVE TO DO A NAIA CLEARINGHOUSE APPLICATION?

Yes, just like the NCAA, players who want to play in the NAIA division must complete an NAIA Eligibility Center application. By completing this application, the NAIA can determine the eligibility of first-time student-athletes. All NAIA schools are bound by the center’s decisions. If you are interested in playing NAIA basketball the first thing you must do is register online with the NAIA Eligibility Center to receive your eligibility determination.

NOTE: Student athletes must receive an eligible decision by the NAIA Eligibility Center prior to competing for the first time in the NAIA. This applies to high school seniors and transfers from 2 and 4 year colleges.