College athletics and the broader higher education sector are facing sustained headwinds from ongoing challenges, emerging threats, and unprecedented change. The complex and ever-changing nature of this instability makes it difficult to fully assess the implications this has for the NAIA and its members.
During the NAIA National Convention earlier this spring, Chesney Sallee, vice president of membership value and governance, outlined the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics while inviting three industry leaders to speak on how this affects small colleges and universities.
To conclude the session, the panel explored the opportunities emerging from current challenges. NAIA President & CEO Jim Carr noted, “I really do think the time is right for us. We’re college athletics the way it was meant to be. We are the right way to play, and our biggest opportunity is to tell that story and get people to come alongside us.”
Each year, Return on Athletics® (ROA) captures data from across the organization to track what’s trending across NAIA athletics and how those trends can be used by institutions to make decisions. From emerging sports to the amount of financial aid awarded, sports expenses, and net return, these trends are the benchmarks NAIA institutions can use […]
Tuva Hammarlund chose a university she had never visited. Josiah Winans returned to football after two season-ending injuries, unsure whether anyone would see beyond his visual impairment. Henry Ngang arrived on campus five days after ACL surgery, wearing a brace, walking on crutches and wondering what his future would hold. Not exactly the easiest first-day-of-college […]
Return on Athletics® (ROA) is a free NAIA member resource that helps institutions make more informed, data-driven decisions about their athletics programs. By bringing together institution-, sport-, and student-level data, ROA provides insights into enrollment, retention, financial aid, and athletics finances, enabling campus leaders to evaluate performance, identify opportunities, and strengthen long-term financial sustainability. How […]
FROM THE PRESIDENT The Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) was introduced in May 2026 to establish guardrails for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, transfers, and media rights. With the SCORE Act stalled in the House, the PCSA is currently the leading bill on collegiate athletics reform. While the focus of this bill is primarily on NCAA […]