What is the NCCAA? Read This and Know Your Options as a College Basketball Prospect

As a student athlete looking to get recruited to college it is advisable to have as many options as you can. The NCCAA is a great option for a lot of basketball players, maybe that’s you? The NCCAA is not as well known as the NCAA or NAIA so, with that said, this article is aims to fill you in on who the NCAA is, what they can offer student athletes and how this can be a realistic option for you.

WHAT IS THE NCCAA?

The NCCAA stands for the National Christian College Athletic Association. They were established in 1968, with the aim of combining college athletics with the positive of impact of Christ for all student athletes and coaches involved. The NCCAA is also a non-profit association focused solely on promoting and enhancing college basketball competition in Christian center member schools. This came out of the belief that there is an ever present and growing need for the promotion of athletics through the stand point of Christianity’s perspective. There aim with this is to reduce questionable ethical and moral decisions of student athletes when in the college environment. To implement this, the NCCAA works closely with their member schools, setting standards that must be adhered to, to ensure that all student athletes have the best NCCAA college experience.

THE HISTORY OF THE NCCAA:

The NCCAA started in 1968 in Canton, Ohio. The first tourment was held that year for men’s basketball. That same year, board members elected, there were 15 coaches at the first official meeting, and a list of schools was compiled of those who wanted to participate in the NCCAA. Later, the board members voted to move the headquarters to Tennessee.

Christian colleges were competing well with secular liberal arts colleges. In I973, the NCCAA divisions were introduced. This helped to make good match-ups between the participating schools. In 2000, the NCCAA moved for a second time to Greenville, South Carolina where the headquarters are now located.

The National Christian College Athletic Association remains an organization that prioritizes the growth and character of its student athletes and staff. The board members of the NCCAA are not compensated, meaning they do not receive a salary. The NCCAA does take donations. CLICK HERE for more information on how to give to the NCCAA.

WHAT IS THE NCCAA #KINGCHASING PROGRAM?

The #KingChasing program is a program imitative for all their student athletes. It is a term used in all their athletics programs (including basketball). It is used by their student athletes and Coaching staff to describe their goal of winning a championship. Within the NCCAA #KingChasing program, they focus on their foundation of seeking Christ first in everything they do, including winning championships. The #KingChasing program focuses on four main values which are: Love, Integrity, Faith and Excellence (the Game Plan 4 LIFE). The NCCAA schools use this to enhance their student athletes college basketball experience because they want it to be more than just winning championships. There are 90 member schools who are NCCAA members.

The #KingChasing Program Mission: To keep Christ at the center of the student athletes experience.

WHAT IS GAME PLAN 4 LIFE?

The NCCAA’s Game Plan 4 LIFE (GP4L) is built on four Biblical traits: Love, Integrity, Faith and Excellence. These traits are important within competition and are also essential to every day life. NCAA school who choose to participate in the #KingChasing Program choose to so they can promote and teach the #KingChasing standards. NCCAA schools use the GP4L’s four values to instill a foundation that helps prepare student athletes for life after graduation.

NCCAA schools nominate student athletes and athletic staff for certain awards like, character awards in the GP4L Character Award Series. Each of the NCCAA’s 24 sanctioned championship sports has a character award to recognize and honor NCCAA student athletes who exemplify the four values of the Game Plan 4 LIFE. Athletic staff may be nominated for the end of year Men’s and Women’s Game Plan 4 LIFE Award.

DOES NCCAA Basketball HAVE DIVISIONS?

Yes it does. It has a men’s basketball division 1 and men’s basketball division 2. They have their own website thenccaa.org. Here you can find everything you need such as:

• All list of all NCCAA D1 member schools with links to their NCCAA Handbook, rankings, stats, championships, awards, and schedules.
• All list of all NCCAA D2 member schools with links to their NCCAA Handbook, rankings, stats, championships, awards, and schedules.

COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF NCCAA BASKETBALL DIVISION 1 MEMBER SCHOOLS:

There are a total of 52 member schools in the NCCAA men’s basketball division 1.

COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF NCCAA BASKETBALL DIVISION 2 MEMBER SCHOOLS:

There are a total of 37 member schools in the NCCAA men’s basketball division 2.

CAN THE NCCAA OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS?

In the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) only the NCCAA Division 1 schools can offer athletic scholarships. NCCAA Division 2 school cannot offer athletic scholarships.

CAN NCCAA MEMBER SCHOOLS BE MEMBERS OF OTHER DIVISIONS?

Yes they can. It is quite common to find NCCAA member schools to also be members of the either the NCAA or NAIA or ACCA divisions too.

WHERE IS THE NCCAA LOCATED?

If you need to contact the NCCAA, what ever the reason may be, you can find them at the following address or call or fax them on the following numbers:

The NCCAA is located at the following address: National Christian College Athletic Association, 302 West Washington Street,Greenville, South Carolina 2960. Their contact number is: 864-250-1199 and their fax number is: 864-250-1141.