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NCAA student-athlete participation hits 450,000

By Gary Brown
NCAA.org

The number of NCAA student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics surpassed 450,000 in 2011-12, an all-time high.

Participation levels for both male and female student-athletes were the highest in NCAA history, with total at 453,347 student-athletes participating in sports for which the NCAA conducts championships, according to the NCAA’s Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates report.

The 2011-12 report, the 30th since the NCAA began compiling these data annually, also includes sport-sponsorship data showing that the number of NCAA championship sport teams last academic year – 18,561 – exceeded the previous all-time high of 18,314 in 2010-11. The increase came from both genders, with 154 more women’s teams and 93 more men’s.

As for the participation numbers, male student-athletes make up 56.8 percent of the total, but the gap between the percentage of males and females has decreased over time. In 1981-82, when the NCAA began tracking participation rates annually, males composed 72.2 percent of the student-athlete population. Ten years later, the percentages were 66 male and 34 female. The current 57-43 gap has held steadily for the past decade.

The proportion of male to female student-athletes is highest in Division II with 59.1 percent of participants being male. In Division I, the proportion has been slightly decreasing for men with 54.5 percent being male in 2008-09 and 53.7 percent being male in 2011-12.

Football is the primary reason for the male majority. More than 69,600 football players participated last year, while the highest number of participants in a female sport was outdoor track with just slightly more than 26,200. Soccer, the second-place sport in terms of female participation, featured more than 25,000 players in 2011-12.

Sport sponsorship increases

In 2011-12, just as in 2009-10 and 2010-11, 53.0 percent of the championship sport teams were women’s teams. More women’s teams than men’s have been sponsored every year since the 1996-97. The number of women’s teams has increased each year for the past 30 years.

The number of men’s teams has decreased two of the last 10 years but has been steadily increasing since 2003-04 and is at a record high in 2011-12.

Among other highlights in the 2011-12 report:

• In 2011-12, just as in the past three years, the average NCAA member institution sponsored approximately 17 teams, eight for men and nine for women. The trend of sponsoring more teams for women than for men began in the 1997-98 academic year. Compared to the 1981-82 academic year, the average NCAA school now sponsors approximately two more women’s teams and one less men’s team.
• Since the 1981-82 academic year, there have been more women’s basketball teams sponsored than any other women’s team. Volleyball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, and track and field are the next most highly sponsored sports for women, in that order. A look at each division separately reveals the same general trend in sponsorship of specific women’s sports, with basketball being the most common, although cross country is nearly as common as basketball in Division I.
• As is the case with women’s sports, there have been more men’s basketball teams sponsored than any other men’s sport. The next most highly sponsored sports for men are, in order, cross country, baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, outdoor track and field, football and indoor track and field. A look at each division separately reveals the same top eight sports, but with some variation in the order. For example, men’s soccer is sponsored nearly as often as basketball in Division III, but in Division II, men’s soccer is the fifth most sponsored team.
• Traditionally, women’s track and field had more female student-athletes than any other women’s sport. But since the 1999-00 academic year, women’s soccer now has replaced indoor track and field, but not outdoor track and field, as the sport with the most female student-athletes. Softball, basketball, volleyball, cross country, swimming and diving, and tennis follow in that order.
• Since 1981-82, football has had the most participants of any men’s sport, and in 2011-12 that trend continues with football having more than twice as many participants as baseball. The next highest participation levels for men are in indoor and outdoor track and field, soccer, basketball and cross country.
• Last year, 187 men’s teams and 231 women’s teams were added at NCAA member institutions. Since 1988-89, there have been 3,450 men’s teams added and 4,872 women’s teams added with each specific academic year having more women’s teams added than men’s. In 2011-12, golf and outdoor track and field were the most-added women’s sports (24 each), followed by lacrosse, cross country, soccer, indoor track and field, and tennis. The women’s sport that has been added the most since 1988-89 is soccer (655 new programs).
• The sports with the highest numbers of men’s teams added in 2011-12 were outdoor track and field and cross country with 19 new programs each, followed by indoor track and field, soccer and lacrosse. The men’s sport that has been added the most since 1988-89 is indoor track and field with 442 new teams. Some of the other sports with large numbers of men’s teams added since 1988-89 are cross country, golf, outdoor track and field, tennis, swimming and diving, and lacrosse.
• In 2011-12, there were 68 men’s teams and 46 women’s teams dropped at NCAA schools. Since 1988-89, there have been 2,816 men’s teams dropped and 1,989 women’s teams dropped with each specific academic year having more men’s teams dropped than women’s teams, except the 2010-11 year when 10 more women’s teams than men’s teams were dropped.
• In 2011-12, the sport with the highest number of women’s teams dropped was golf with eight, followed by swimming and diving, cross country and bowling. The women’s sport that has been dropped the most since 1988-89 is indoor track and field with 230 programs eliminated. Some other women’s sports with large numbers of teams dropped since 1988-89 are, in order, cross country, golf, tennis, and outdoor track and field.
• The sport with the highest number of men’s teams dropped in 2011-12 was golf with 12 teams eliminated, followed by wrestling and cross country. The men’s sport that has been dropped the most since 1988-89 is indoor track and field with 299 teams discontinued. Some of the other sports with large numbers of men’s teams dropped are wrestling, tennis, golf, cross country, and outdoor track and field.

Student-athlete participation (five-year increments)

Sponsorship for selected sports (teams; all divisions; 10-year increments)