Here are some key points about college sports in the United States ¹:
– College sports in the United States are extremely popular, competing with professional championships for media coverage
– The largest collegiate sanctioning organization is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
– Basketball is the most popular college sport, with 2,197 teams at all levels
– The first organized college sports club was a boat club established by Yale University in 1843
– The first intercollegiate sporting event took place in 1852, when the Yale rowing team competed against Harvard at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire
– The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) was established in 1938
– The NCAA earned $989 million in revenue in 2014, with a profit of $80.5 million
– College sports are important both culturally and economically, with many schools benefiting from their athletic programs through ticket sales, merchandise sales, and outside donations
– Over 20,000 international athletes participate in college athletics in the United States
– The NCAA offers scholarships to well over 200,000 athletes every year, spending over $4 billion in athletic scholarships
– The popularity of college sports has increased over the years, with more than 460,000 student-athletes participating in NCAA sports
– College sports play an important role in the hierarchy of sport organizations, serving as a feeder system to professional sports