The National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA, offers fewer sports and recruiting restrictions than the NCAA, but its level of play is similar to that of the NCAA II division. There are close to 300 schools in the NAIA that tend to be smaller in campus size and student enrollment, making this division a good choice for students looking for a supportive environment both on and off the playing field.

The NAIA prides itself on having a straight forward approach to intercollegiate athletics.  The NAIA focuses on:

• Allows and encourages interaction between coaches and students
• Permitting flexibility in areas like sport sponsorship, athletics aid, and staffing
• Focusing on character development and lessons for life
• Fully integrating athletic departments with the mission of the institution

The NAIA does not impose minimum financial aid or staffing requirements. The NAIA offers a straight forward rules system and allows institutions to allocate a large percentage of resources to coaching and athletics aid. In the NAIA, the average athletics budget is one half of NCAA Division II and evidence suggests there is very little difference in the caliber of play.

The NAIA exists to advance character driven intercollegiate athletics.