The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, is a voluntary association of over 1200 schools. It is through this organization that colleges make decisions on athletic matters on a national level. They enact rules and guidelines used throughout college sports.
The University of Southern Maine is a Div. III school, which is defined by NCAA as an “institution that sponsors at least five sports for men, and five for women, with two sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender … Division III athletes feature student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in th university.”
The Southern Maine women’s basketball team, as well as individuals from indoor track teams have or will compete in NCAA championships this year, of there being 87 in 22 different sports overall, and 13 championships for men and 14 for women in Div. III.