National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (better known as the NAIA) traces its roots to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball, which was formed in 1940. In 1952, the NAIB was transformed into the NAIA, and with that came the sponsorship of additional sports. The NAIA began sponsoring intercollegiate championships for women in 1980, the first coed national athletics association to do so. The NAIB/NAIA was formed on the grounds that the older, larger NCAA was predominately oriented toward larger institutions, particularly those which played "big time" college football.Sports: cross country, football (men), soccer, volleyball (women), basketball, swimming, track and field, wrestling (men), baseball (men), softball (women), and tennis.
Ice hockey (men) was also sponsored until 1984.
See also:
- NACDA Director's Cup
- NAIA national football championship
- NAIA national men's basketball championship
- NAIA national women's basketball championship
- NAIA national ice hockey championship
- NAIA national baseball championship
External link