Many kids dream of playing sports at the collegiate level. The NCAA is the organization that rules the world of US collegiate athletics. It breaks down schools into three categories: Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3. The divisions are distinguished by their philosophies, including major differences with university involvement, academic experiences, and scholarships. The largest distinctions are between Division 1 and Division 3 athletics, as Division 2 falls as a medium. D1 is the most competitive level with the most funding, while D3 disperses less money to athletics and none for scholarships. D1 has cutthroat competition, as it is the gateway to professional sports, and generally housed by the nation's largest schools. Division 3 schools tend to be smaller, and the level of competition ranges greatly.
One of the biggest differences between D1 and D3 schools is the student-athlete experiences. The biggest aspect of this is scholarships. Scholarships make athletics similar to a job and no longer just a sport. Division 1 schools have allotted money to offer financial reward for student athletes to attend the school. These range from a few thousand dollars to full rides. This creates differences between players on a team and higher competitiveness as scholarship amounts can change over the years and are not guaranteed to stay the next year. In Division 3 sports, there are no financial rewards for student athletes. That factor creates an environment where student athletes commit to play on a neutral level, without separation created by monetary dispersement, and also for reasons not influenced by direct reward.
The commitments for each division differ as well. For example, D1 athlete freshman are required to devote 8 hours to student-athlete specific study hall each week, while D3 freshman only complete 3 a week. Also, D3 athletes focus more on regional competition while D1 athletes travel further for competitions, raising the amount of time and effort put into the program. As a Division 3 soccer player with a twin playing Division 1 soccer, I know that these commitments make a big difference for the college experience.
Overall, D1 athletes tend to receive more reward for their efforts, including higher turnouts, more advertising and publicity, more gear, and of course money. However, the pressure to perform is a downside of D1 athletics.
Some students can only play D3 sports and would not make a Division 1 team. However, there are many student athletes that choose to play Division 3 despite having the ability to play D1. So why would any student choose Division 3 if the rewards for D1 are so much greater?
Former baseball student-athlete baseball player Sean Sornsin at Cornell College put it, "Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans, sometimes 25. But we still play hard...you know us, you know more than just our names... Like all of you we are students first. We don't sign autographs. But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams, and student body petitions." When we miss a kick or strike out, we don't let down an entire state. We only let down our teammates, coaches, and fans."
A Division 3 student-athlete experience is focused more on academics over athletics. The student-athletes participate in their sport because of a deep passion, knowing that they will not be rewarded in the same way as a higher division would. Or maybe they choose D3 because of a larger commitment to academics and for a more well-rounded college experience. Division 1 is for those who devote athletics as a job and commit to athletics as their sole campus involvement.
Both are opportunities to participate in collegiate-level athletics and to be distinguished as a college athlete, however there are distinctions that separate the divisions and make them unique to themselves.
