Opportunities
Eligibility
To be eligible for division 1, 2 or 3 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scholarships you
need to have a minimum GPA of 2.3 and have completed 16 core subjects across the final 4 years of high school.
In addition, you may need to sit the SAT – a standardised entrance exam for college applicants in the USA.
You have limited time to play college football. Once you begin playing football after high school
(in some circumstances you can have a gap year), you start your 5-year clock.
The clock consists of a 5-year playing window in which you can compete in 4 of those years.
This allows for a medical or academic shirt (a year in which you don't play). Once the clock has begun,
the end of the window starts counting down.
If you want to learn more about eligibility visit the NCAA eligibility centre
Division 1 College (NCAA)
Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is the highest level of college football with 131 schools. Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) is a slightly lower level of competition with 130 schools. Both divisions make up the bulk of NFL draftees and offer “full ride” scholarships to play.
Division 2 College (NCAA)
The intermediate level of play is facilitated by the NCAA. Div 2 colleges have a more complicated system for the allocation of scholarships and this is the least likely option for international players. There are 186 Div 2 colleges with football programs.
Division 3 College (NCAA)
Division 3 colleges do not offer athletic scholarships; however, they do provide some international & academic scholarships. If you happen to be a good football player, this is looked upon kindly. At Div 3 level, most scholarships are partially funded meaning the player will be out of pocket.
NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is a separate division of college sports to the NCAA. Unlike the NCAA, NAIA will offer scholarships if you have previously attended university or played in other divisions of football. These scholarships vary from full rides to partial scholarships.
Junior College (NJCAA)
Junior College (JUCO) is run by National Junior College Athletic Association and is not an undergraduate system. From a football standpoint, JUCO is primarily for players who do not meet the GPA or core subject requirements or need more time to develop raw potential. Very few JUCO’s offer full rides, especially to internationals.
Global Opportunities
Gridiron has a strong history in Europe, especially in Germany where many American army bases are located.
Teams with large enough budgets can bring in “imports”.
An import is a non-native player, generally teams are allowed something like
4 Americans and 4-8 “non-American imports”.
A former Brisbane player had accommodation, phone, gym, and transport paid for in addition
to 1500 Euros per month to much lower levels where clubs will organise a job for you but no other financial support.
The top league in Europe is the European League of Football (ELF) comprising 16 teams.
The next level below this is the Germany Football League (GFL) which consists of 2 tiers itself.
GFL1 was the premier league in Europe until the ELF started in 2021.
From here the standard or football does not have an obvious format,
but Gridiron is played in 29 countries ranging from Ireland, Turkey,
Norway and the Ukraine. While Europe is the most common destination for players there are also leagues in Central and South America and Japan.
It is becoming a global game and there are opportunities to travel the world for decent players.