The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is a governing body of collegiate athletics supporting junior and community colleges. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the NJCAA is the second-largest intercollegiate athletics organization in the country behind the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Founded in 1938 out of a desire to create more opportunities for student-athletes, the association has long provided a platform for athletes to prepare, compete, succeed, and achieve their goals – in their sport, in their studies, and in the community.
The NJCAA is often viewed as a “launchpad, reset point, or a first opportunity” for thousands of athletes. After competing in the NJCAA, many student-athletes are recruited to play at four-year NCAA or NAIA schools. The list of success stories is long and the NJCAA has a host of notable alumni in a variety of sports:
- Baseball: Jake Arrieta, Mark Buehrle, David Freese, Eric Gagne, Bryce Harper, Andy Pettitte, Kirby Puckett, Albert Pujols, Jim Thome
- Basketball: Danielle Adams, Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, Steve Francis, Yolanda Griffith, Amber Holt, Avery Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Marion, Bob McAdoo, Elaine Powell, Mitch Richmond, Sheryl Swoopes, Spud Webb
- Football: Deion Branch, Larry Brown, Tyreek Hill, Alvin Kamara, Gardner Minshew, Cam Newton, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jeremy Shockey, Roger Staubach
- Golf: Bubba Watson
- Softball: Crystl Bustos
- Track & Field: Kenny Bednarek, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Andre De Grasse, Tyson Gay, Brittney Reese
By partnering with Opendorse as the exclusive NIL partner for its member schools, the NJCAA continues is tradition of preparing athletes with best-in-class resources. This innovative partnership includes an association-wide Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) marketplace, as well as tools and education for all student-athletes. The short-term and long-term benefits of the relationship are extensive.
“The NJCAA is setting the standard on how to compliantly and efficiently support its student-athletes in the NIL era,” said Opendorse Co-Founder/CEO Blake Lawrence. “Their commitment to growing in this space and enhancing opportunities for student-athletes will lead the way in year two of NIL. I’m proud that Opendorse can assist the NJCAA in its effort to support nearly 70,000 student-athletes on their path to financial freedom.”
It’s all about both organization’s shared vision to help every athlete.
NJCAA By The Numbers
- 3 Divisions of Competition
- Division I, Division II, Division III
- 5 Sanctioned Bowl Games in 2021
- Scooter’s Coffee Bowl (Broncbuster Stadium in Garden City, Kan.)
- Salt City Bowl (Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson, Kan.)
- The Graphic Edge Bowl (UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa) – two games
- TIPS C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas)
- 24 Regions
- 31 Sponsored Sports
- Baseball*
- Basketball***
- Beach Volleyball**
- Bowling***
- Cross Country***
- Flag Football**
- Football*
- Golf***
- Half Marathon***
- Lacrosse***
- Soccer***
- Softball**
- Swimming & Diving***
- Tennis***
- Track & Field***
- Volleyball***
- Wrestling***
*Men’s only | **Women’s only | ***Men’s and Women’s
- 44 States Represented
- All states are represented in NJCAA competition except Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
- 53 Championship Events
- One for each sanctioned team sport and various individual events
- 84 Years of Supporting Student-Athletes at Junior and Community Colleges
- Founded in 1938 after the NCAA prohibited 13 two-year colleges from competing in its Track & Field Championships
- 500+ Member Institutions
- Explore the NJCAA Member Directory to find schools near you
- ~70,000 Active Student-Athletes
- Athletes interested in competing in NJCAA intercollegiate athletics should review the Compete NJCAA Homepage for information and next steps
