So You Want to Play in College? Here’s Where to Start

Dreaming of playing your sport in college? The recruiting process may seem daunting, but you don’t need to be a five-star recruit to succeed. Start by mastering the basics: explore the different levels of college athletics, including NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, NAIA, MLCA and NJCAA programs. Each level of play offers distinct opportunities, competition tiers, and student-athlete expectations—understanding these differences helps you as a student-athlete identify where you might thrive academically and athletically.

Once you’ve researched the landscape, take an honest look at your abilities and skill set. Ask your current coaches both club and high school for feedback on your collegiate potential and ask where they believe you’d fit best. Don’t just chase the biggest programs—prioritize schools that offer the right balance of sports, academics, campus culture, and location.

With this foundation, begin building your target school list. Research institutions that excite you beyond the field or court, considering factors like academic majors, class sizes, location, internship programs and extracurricular opportunities. Create a balanced list of reach, target, and safety schools. By approaching the process methodically, you’ll transform an overwhelming journey into an achievable recruiting roadmap to collegiate athletics.