Mar 11
10
College Basketball In The United States
Article by Jim Brown
There are a number of different rules and procedures for students making the transition to college basketball from the high school competitions. Learning the differences in play is just one of the things that the aspiring college player will need to accomplish. Yet, moving into the college level sports play can be very important to the young person’s desires for a college education. Sports scholarships are among the best ways for a student to finance a college degree.
* College basketball is made up of three Divisions that form the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Division I conferences number 32, with a total of 347 teams. Division II has 23 conferences and Division III contains 449 facilities, making it the larges of the three Divisions.
* Division I schools are the highest level of institutions. Their athletic programs are large and varied and are well funded. Division I schools provide higher levels of athletic scholarships and have a larger student enrollment. Although football is often considered to be the most important of the factors that goes into determining the level of sports participation of a college, college basketball is another program that influences the financial support provided by fans and alumni.
* Division II schools field sports teams, including basketball teams at the intermediate level of play. The schools are often private schools or smaller public institutions. Scholarships are still an important part of the participation in basketball teams at these schools. In addition to playing other teams in the same Division, Division II school teams often compete against Division I teams and Division Iii teams. Often, Division II basketball teams take part in money games where the Division II team is invited to compete against a Division I team and receives a financial compensation from the Division I school. This practice helps to provide funding for further sports competitions throughout the balance of the basketball season.
* Division III schools often choose not to offer financial scholarships related to athletic participation. Division III is the largest of the three divisions. Schools in Division III play for the fun of playing. The basketball teams compete as an extra curricular activity, not as a fund-raising program. Division III schools have the option of playing in Division I sports for up to two sports, one per gender. Only a small number of school, 12 in number, will take advantage of this option. Movement between Divisions is currently under a moratorium.
* College basketball is closely related to National Basketball Association teams. In fact, most professional team members were recruited from the ranks of college players. College teams took the place of minor football leagues for the professional leagues. A number of players are signing with professional basketball teams prior to graduation, but it is still not the norm.
College basketball is televised for some games, but not nearly at the level found in college football games. Usually television coverage is for games in the men’s teams, but occasionally women’s basketball is televised, thus adding sources for increased financial resources for the school.
About the Author
James Brown writes about NBAStore.com web code, NFLShop.com web code and Football Fanatics web code