Navigating NCAA Track and Field Scholarships: Requirements and Opportunities

Universities and colleges award track and field scholarships to talented track and field athletes. These scholarships allow athletes to participate in collegiate, intercollegiate matches, and national championships. Earning a spot on a collegiate track-and field-roster-and being awarded athletic scholarship money-isn’t easy. Understanding the process of earning Track & Field scholarships and what it takes to secure them is crucial.

Understanding the NCAA Landscape

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is the largest governing body for college sports in the US. The NCAA oversees three divisions, with varying scholarship opportunities. At any given time, there are more than 488,000 female track-and-field high school student athletes competing across the country. Only 2.7 percent go on to compete at the NCAA Division I level, 1.5 percent at Division II and 1.9 percent at Division III. Track-and-field programs also recruit internationally.

NCAA Divisions

Division I: This is the highest level of college athletics, and schools in this division offer the most athletic scholarships.
Division II: DII schools offer fewer scholarships compared to Division I, with a limit of 12.6 scholarships for women’s Track & Field. Scholarships can be divided among multiple athletes.
Division III: These schools do not offer athletic scholarships, but the competition is still strong. Academic scholarships are more common in this division.

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Other Associations

Besides the NCAA, the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) also provides track and field scholarships, with up to 12 scholarships available per team. The NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) governs junior college athletics, including track and field. NJCAA is broken up into D1-D3 levels where there are no athletic scholarships given at the D3 level.

Key Requirements for Track and Field Scholarships

Athletic Performance

Performance in high school Track & Field events is critical. Women’s collegiate track-and-field recruiting standards refer to the performance benchmarks that college coaches use to evaluate potential recruits. Different track-and-field events have different recruiting standards. For example, the required times for sprints (e.g., 100m, 200m, 400m) or distances for jumps (e.g., long jump, triple jump) will vary.

Coaches often value athletes who can perform well in multiple events, as this versatility can contribute more significantly to a team overall. The highest standards, with many programs expecting recruits to have elite performances that place them among the top high school athletes in the country. Competitive but slightly lower standards than Division I.

Academic Eligibility

While athletic performance is crucial, academic performance is equally important, especially in NCAA Division III, where academic scholarships are more common. The NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA all have their own separate eligibility requirements. These give specific parameters that you have to fulfill in order to receive a scholarship. There are certain courses you have to take in high school, as well as certain grades for each level. Essentially the better you are as a student, the easier it will be for you to find a college coach who is willing to recruit you.

Versatility and Potential

Coaches often look for athletes who have shown steady improvement over their high school careers or who have the potential to grow and develop further in college. Coaches also look at an athlete’s potential, it’s a vital aspect of the sport, as coaches know from experience that even moderate athletic performance can be boosted immensely with their intensive training methods. A college recruitment coach will look at a sport CV , videos, and our staffs advice regarding the athletes ability.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

Recruitment

Track & field is unique in the world of collegiate sports because there’s no “typical” recruiting process. Knowing how to navigate the track-and-field recruiting process may give you an advantage over other student athletes who are not as familiar with its requirements and eccentricities. Never forget, in track & field-as in all collegiate sports-you need to take charge of your own recruiting. Narrow down the schools you’d like to attend and compete for. Then, take responsibility for introducing yourself to your sport’s decision-makers at these schools.

For NCAA DI and DII coaches, contact is essentially off-limits until June 15 after the recruit’s sophomore year in high school. In creating these rules, the NCAA was trying to make sure elite recruits didn’t get overwhelmed by constant contact from coaches. The best time to begin recruiting and go to the USA for a track and field scholarship is right after graduation from high school or up to two years after. Only athletes ages 18 - 24 can compete within the NCAA college leagues. Athletes older than 24 may compete in the NAIA. Coaches are increasingly committing to recruit younger athletes as this gives coaches a longer period of time to work with the athlete.

Navigating the Scholarship Landscape

Scholarship Types and Limits

Women’s track scholarships are available at the NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 levels, NAIA schools and junior colleges. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is the largest governing body for college sports in the US. NCAA oversees three divisions: Division I offers up to 18 scholarships per track and field team, Division II provides up to 12.6 scholarships per team, and Division III does not offer sports scholarships but may provide other forms of financial aid to the athlete. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) also provides track and field scholarships, with up to 12 scholarships available per team.

*Scholarship limits per team: This number represents the maximum number of scholarships a program is allowed to award each year. Because not all programs are fully funded, the true number of women’s track and field scholarships available varies from college to college. **Equivalency scholarship: Women’s track and field is an equivalency sport at both the NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 levels, which means coaches can divide scholarships up among several athletes as partial scholarships. For example, a D1 coach can split the 18 scholarships among 33 qualified athletes, offering a mix of partial and full scholarships depending on the recruit.

Understanding Walk-On Opportunities

Walk-ons have historically been a big part of D1 programs because of current NCAA scholarship limitations. Walk-on standards define the minimum performance levels coaches expect from athletes. There are two types: preferred and non-recruited. Preferred walk-ons are recruited by the coach, securing a roster spot without athletic aid. Walk-on standards vary at each program, much like the recruiting and scholarship standards.

How Coaches Make Decisions

College coaches prioritize scholarships for recruits who can make an impact right away and score points at meets. For example, a student-athlete’s times might meet the standards of a NCAA Division 1 school, but they can potentially earn more scholarship money at the Division 2 level where they might make a bigger impact. Of course, this depends on the school’s recruiting budget.

Maximizing Your Scholarship Potential

Post athletic profiles online.
Excel academically.
Be proactive.

Coaches tend to award scholarship money to athletes who hit recruiting or scholarship standards in multiple events-for instance, a sprinter who is also a hurdler-or to athletes who compete in certain events. Some schools focus on specialty athletes, such as pole vaulters, while others highly value a distance runner who can also compete in cross country. Sprinters who can do well in several events are often the first to get athletic scholarships. Distance runners are chosen based on how well their running style fits with a school’s training program. Throwers with a good combination of size, strength, and potential are a great addition to any team. Remember, college equipment is heavier than in high school. Jumpers who can score points right away are very valuable.

The Impact of New NCAA Rules (Starting 2025-2026)

July 2025 - Recent NCAA rule changes will cap team sizes but allow more scholarships for track and field/cross country student-athletes. In 2025, the NCAA implemented major changes to Division I roster sizes and athletic scholarship rules as part of a court settlement. These new rules (effective for the 2025-26 season) eliminate the old sport-specific scholarship caps and instead impose maximum roster limits for each team.

D-I schools that opt into the settlement can now offer scholarships to every athlete on a team roster, but they must keep team rosters under a certain size. These changes were approved in June 2025 and took effect on July 1, 2025 as part of the House v. NCAA legal settlement and mark a historic shift in NCAA policy toward more athlete benefits. The NCAA Board’s vote formally codifying these rules noted that removing scholarship caps could “dramatically increase” the total scholarships available to athletes, while roster limits maintain competitive balance.

Which Programs Are Impacted?

Despite misconceptions among the public, including prospective recruits, all NCAA track and field/cross country programs are not directly affected by these recent changes. The list below outlines which colleges will have track and field/cross country programs with no scholarship limits, but restricted roster sizes beginning in 2025-26.

Division I: The new roster cap and scholarship rules apply exclusively to NCAA Division I programs. No Division II or III teams are impacted (the changes were enacted by the D-I Board for D-I members). However, the new roster and scholarship rules will not apply to all Division I track and field/cross country programs.
Power Conferences: D-I schools in the “Power” (formerly "Power Five," now referred to as “Power Four,” “Power 4,” or simply “Power") conferences - ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC - are required to adopt these changes as part of the settlement. These conferences were defendants in the lawsuit and will be implementing the new roster limits across their sports. All track and field and XC teams in these conferences must comply with the roster maximums (45 for track, 17 for XC; 35 and 10 respectively for men's SEC rosters) starting in 2025-26.
Other D-I schools opting in: While only programs in the Power conferences must follow the new rules, the settlement allows any D-I school to opt in. Many programs outside the Power conferences have indicated they will opt in to gain the same benefits for their athletes. This means some mid-major conferences (and other Division I schools) will also adopt the roster caps and scholarship-unlimited model.

Impact on High School Recruits

Fewer roster spots = less room for developmental recruits: Power Four (and many opt-in programs) now take fewer walk-ons, reducing opportunities for “raw potential” athletes to develop over time. Many coaches now prioritize freshmen who can score right away, not long-term projects.
Rise in transfer portal recruiting: Coaches favour proven college performers (from D-II, U SPORTS, NAIA, non-Power D-I) over untested high schoolers. Older athletes with scoring potential crowd out incoming recruits. The transfer portal is now a primary pipeline, not just a fallback.
More value placed on event versatility: Multi-event recruits who can contribute points across multiple disciplines (e.g.

Potential Downsides of the New Roster Limits

Having no limit on the allotment of scholarship opportunities isn’t inherently bad. This change will allow more athletes to afford a college education. However, the most significant impact will be felt in the form of roster limitations. With these new limits, coaches will be forced to focus recruitment on athletes who can make an instant impact. They may no longer take chances on developing athletes who need more time. As a result, many promising runners who would have previously been recruited and nurtured will now miss out on the opportunity to grow within a college program. What this means: You’re going to see a significant decrease in walk-on level athletes on NCAA D-I rosters.

Impact on Track and Field Specialization

The roster size limitation also extends to track and field, where only 45 athletes are allowed per team. With 22 outdoor events in NCAA track and field, this averages just two athletes per event. As a result, teams may become more specialized, focusing on a narrower range of events while potentially fielding no athletes in others. Alternatively, this also increases the value of versatile athletes who can compete across multiple events. However, it may hinder athletes from pursuing event-specific excellence or breaking NCAA records, as they could be required to spread themselves across multiple disciplines. The broader impact? Some future greats may never get their shot.

Strategies for Aspiring College Track Athletes

With the adoption of capped roster sizes and limitless scholarship slots, making the leap from high school directly to a Division I powerhouse may have become more challenging for recruits, but that doesn’t change the fact that there are still NCAA D-I teams without roster caps that have athletic and academic scholarships available and coaches at the helm who are strong recruiters.

If you’re a parent/guardian or soon-to-be recruit, do not let these rule changes hinder your progress. When it comes to recruiting, consider:

Exploring event versatility.
Being open to non-Power schools in your search for a fit. Division I alone is home to over 300 schools with amazing track and field/cross country programs, many of which have elite facilities and top-notch academic pathways. At the end of the day, even if you’re not competing in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or ACC, you can still qualify for the same NCAA D-I championship meets - in XC, indoor, and outdoor seasons - as athletes on Power rosters.
Considering U SPORTS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and JuCo (NJCAA) programs as well.

Maintaining a Scholarship

The first misconception about sports scholarships is that they are guaranteed for your entire time in college. However, they are actually renewed every year you are in college. It is also worth noting that most scholarships are not full rides.

How to keep your scholarship

A failure to maintain academic eligibility is the quickest way to lose your scholarship. A coach quite literally can’t keep you around if you are unable to compete.
If you have an injury that will keep you from competing in the future, some coaches may choose to cancel your scholarship at the end of the year. This varies from school to school but if a coach feels they need to allocate that money elsewhere they may feel pressure to cancel the scholarship going forward.
For any number of reasons a coach can simply decide not to renew a scholarship. Typically this is not just because you did not “perform up to standard” but more likely will be for disciplinary reasons. Sometimes new coaches may choose to pull pre-existing scholarships but that is also rare. Scholarships are given with the expectation that you as an athlete will uphold a standard. Any failure to meet this standard, can call into question whether you should continue as a scholarship athlete. Remember that athletic scholarships are one year renewable so choosing not to renew, is not truly “cancelling” a scholarship.

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