Track & Field Scholarships are very limited in numbers compared to other sports with similar roster size. The scholarships for track and field are also combined with those for cross country, though most distance runners will participate in both sports.
Track and field/cross country schools in NCAA DI have 12.6 scholarships for men and 18 for women. NCAA DII has 12.6 for both men and women. NAIA schools have 12.6 for both men and women and the largest allotment is in the NJCAA which has 30 scholarships for men and women each. It is also classified as an equivalency sport which means the scholarships can be divided into partial amounts and usually are. Meaning if you are awarded a .4 or 40% partial scholarship, then the coach in NCAA DI Men’s would have 12.6 scholarships to divide among as many athletes as they wish.
In order to earn a track and field scholarship you must at the minimum qualify for State’s as a high school athlete. Each state is slightly different and at the state meet you want to place in the top-8 in your even or multiple events to qualify for All-State status. This will place you in the top 400 in the country essentially for that event.
Here are 5 tips for success in earning a track and field scholarship:
- Be able to perform well at two or more events. Specialization is rare at the collegiate level and it is easier for a coach to award a scholarship if you can be a points earner in multiple events. If you throw the shot put well, make sure you work as hard at the discuss also. Distance runners should be able and have show success in cross country and distance track events.
- Be able to contribute immediately. With scholarships scarce in collegiate track and field, it is hard to award scholarships on athletes that show potential but may never meet collegiate standards. Work hard in the off-season and do extra in-season to continually improve your strength and conditioning.
- Begin recruiting early. You need to start your recruiting game plan in your junior year for track and field scholarships. Waiting until your senior track season has started is too late.
- Cast a wide net. Search and contact at least 50 colleges. Track and field scholarships fill up fast and coaches can’t recruit you if they don’t know about you.
- Get good grades. We have said this many times in other articles but we feel it can’t be said enough. Having less than a 3.0 makes it impossible for 50% of NCAA DI schools to recruit you because they can not get you past the admissions office.
Use those 5 tips for success as a starting point for getting a track and field scholarship along with a solid recruiting game plan. With some hard work you can earn a college athletic scholarship in this sport if you start early, take the right steps, communicate with coaches correctly and beat out the competition.
CLICK HERE to get the insider guide to getting the track and field scholarship you deserve and have earned.
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Tags: athletic scholarship, coach, Education, Financial Aid, high school athlete, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Junior College Athletic Association, Recruiting, Scholarship, Sports, track a
