How many athletes are there in the ncaa

What colleges offer full ride scholarships? Competing at a large university in front big crowds against some of the best athletes in your sport. But just know the competition for your spot on the team is fierce and your time is not your own—that includes weekends and off season.

Practice, training, travel, and study. You will be tired. Internships, spring break getaways, even part-time jobs are pretty much out of the question. The DI athlete is truly dedicated to their sport for the next four years. For some, it can be overwhelming-even exhausting. But almost every one would say they would not trade their DI experience for anything. Some of the oldest and most prestigious schools in the country make up the Ivy League. More than 8, student-athletes compete every year for these schools.

Most choose the Ivy League for its ultra-high level of competition in both athletics and academics. If an Ivy League school is on your target list, just note that these schools do not award academic or athletic scholarships. Financial aid is based on need determined by the Financial Aid Office at each school.

Insider tip : Time management is key. Student-athletes who want a high level of competition but a more balanced approach to sports and academics are giving serious consideration to DII schools. DIII programs offer a more well-rounded college experience where academics take more of the lead. The time commitment, however, for DIII athletes is not nearly as intense which gives them more opportunity to explore life outside of the classroom and outside of their sport.

DIII athletes often feel they are more a part of the general college community where DI and DII athletes feel a little more separated from the rest of the college or university. With about mostly private, smaller schools, more than 60, student-athletes compete at NAIA colleges in a variety of popular sports.

That, along with more aggressive recruiting is driving more talent to these schools and bringing up the level of competition. A Gallup-Purdue Index Study of former NCAA student-athletes who graduated between and found this population significantly leads other college graduates in four out of five elements of well-being.

E ven student-athletes who already possess a post-college game plan face a learning curve when their playing days are done. While finding a job commands the focus of most upcoming graduates, the transition to life after competition generates other lifestyle changes unrelated to resumes, interviews and a new work-ready wardrobe.

Eating habits may need to be adjusted when calorie-annihilating team workouts dissipate. Motivation to exercise may be harder to muster without encouragement from a coach. For many former student-athletes, the challenge is not only learning how to stay fit in a new lifestyle, but also coping with a new sense of loss. Some level of anxiety, sadness or insecurity may be hard to avoid as they shed the athlete label — something they have worn proudly over years of dedication to their sport.

Three out of four former student-athletes report experiencing difficulty retiring from competitive sport, according to one NCAA study. During that time, it was kind of easy to continue working out.

I was still living in Ann Arbor, so I was able to do drop-in practice with the masters swim team. I had enough time to take care of myself. I was studying all the time. I was not eating well because I was trying to do quick meals.

I was not sleeping as much because I was studying. I started having panic attacks. I came to my mom after the first one. Have you been getting enough sleep? Have you been working out? The more I talked with her, it made sense. I was always kind of a baseline anxious person, even with swimming. Make yourself a priority. The assistant professor had experienced the same feelings a decade earlier, when she was completing her last competitive season of field hockey at Saint Francis Pennsylvania.

Her own unexpected difficulties with the transition away from her sport led her to collaborate with a small team of researchers and develop Moving On!

Launched in , Moving On! It was really weird. I was roommates with underclassmen, and they were still going to weights and practice. You look forward to that freedom of not having to be somewhere and be held accountable by someone, but you also grow to like it.

You feel a little left out when your old teammates Once I left, not having that team aspect, I just remember being a little bit lonely.

Blair Russell in red poses with some members of the team. As an athlete, you are constantly connected with your teammates. In college, you have your friends lined up for you the first day of preseason when you show up. I interviewed for the assistant volleyball coaching position I have now in April before I graduated. I threw myself into it like I did when I was playing volleyball. Honestly, I just needed to give myself time. I am not an athlete anymore, and I just had to kind of accept it.

If she was no longer a field hockey player, who was she? What made her stand out in the world like she did as an athlete?

Reifsteck, who majored in psychology as an undergraduate, used this minor identity crisis as fuel for a new endeavor. She entered the sport and exercise psychology graduate program at UNCG, focusing on athletic identity and transitioning from sport to career.

For help post-college, look at what you already know. Rob Curley left and Phil Costa are writing a book to help former athletes. Submitted by Phil Costa. In college, your days were heavily structured. Conditioning at 6 a. Class at 9. NCAA men's basketball final four appearances by team NCAA division I men's basketball attendance leaders This feature is limited to our corporate solutions. Please contact us to get started with full access to dossiers, forecasts, studies and international data.

Skip to main content Try our corporate solution for free! Single Accounts Corporate Solutions Universities. Male NCAA athletes made up approximately 56 percent of this athlete population, with a total of , male athletes competing in NCAA college sports in this year. Loading statistic Show source. Download for free You need to log in to download this statistic Register for free Already a member? Log in. Show detailed source information?

Register for free Already a member? More information. Other statistics on the topic. Christina Gough.