Top Collegiate Athletic Programs

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Please note: THE LIST is now sortable and searchable and can be found HERE.

The men’s swimming program has established itself as a perennial power, and the wrestling program had a breakthrough season to finish in the NCAA top five. College athletics programs represent a multibillion dollar industry and are integrally linked to school branding and reputation. And while individual sports programs - even in Division I schools - don’t necessarily turn a profit, the many other benefits to colleges have far-reaching implications for students, faculty and community.

*7/7/20: Here’s a new updated version of THE LIST with multiple additions since this was first published on 5/23.

The college athletics landscape has seen some significant changes over the past few months, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’ve been tweeting about schools and leagues that have eliminated or suspended sports recently, and have been tracking college closures for a while. I finally decided to compile all of these (and more), into one document. The list below will be updated as changes occur. If I’ve missed any, please email me and I will add them.

Click on each college to view official announcement.

NCAA D1 schools eliminating varsity teams

  • Akron – Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Golf, Women’s Tennis
  • Appalachian State – Men’s Soccer, Men’s Tennis, Men’s Indoor Track & Field
  • Boise State – Baseball, Swimming & Diving
  • Bowling Green – Baseball (program reinstated with private funding on 6/3)
  • Brown – Men’s + Women’s Fencing, Men’s + Women’s Golf, Women’s Skiing, Men’s + Women’s Squash, Women’s Equestrian, Men’s Track & Field, Men’s Cross Country (all downgraded to club sports)
  • Central Michigan – Men’s Track & Field
  • Chicago State –Baseball (NOTE: CSU has ADDED men’s soccer)
  • Connecticut –Men’s Cross Country, Women’s Rowing, Men’s Swimming & Diving, and Men’s Tennis *Will all be cut following 20-21 school year
  • Cincinnati – Men’s Soccer
  • East Carolina – Men’s + Women’s Tennis, Men’s + Women’s Swimming and Diving
  • Florida International – Men’s Indoor Track & Field
  • Furman – Baseball, Men’s Lacrosse
  • Northern Colorado –Men’s + Women’s Tennis
  • Old Dominion – Wrestling
  • Southern Utah –Men’s + Women’s Tennis
  • Western Illinois – Men’s + Women’s Swimming & Diving (SUSPENDED)
  • Winthrop – Men’s + Women’s Tennis
  • Wisconsin-Green Bay – Men’s + Women’s Tennis
  • Wright State – Softball, Men’s + Women’s Tennis

NCAA D2 schools eliminating varsity teams

  • Alabama Huntsville – Hockey (which competes at the D1 level), (Hockey reinstated with private funding 5/30), Men’s + Women’s Tennis
  • Fayetteville State – Women’s Tennis
  • Florida Tech – Football
  • Rollins College (FL) – Men’s + Women’s Cross Country
  • Seattle Pacific – Gymnastics
  • St. Edward’s University (TX) – Men’s + Women’s Golf, Men’s + Women’s Tennis, Men’s Soccer
  • Sonoma State – Men’s + Women’s Tennis, Water Polo
  • Tiffin University (OH) – Men’s + Women’s Swim & Dive, Equestrian

NCAA D2 schools canceling sports for a season or year

Top College Athletic Programs Rankings

  • Morehouse College (GA)– canceled all fall sports
  • California Collegiate Athletic Association – canceled all fall sports competition. Affected colleges are:
    • Cal Poly Pomona
    • Cal State Dominguez Hills
    • Cal State East Bay
    • Cal State Los Angeles
    • Cal State Monterey Bay
    • Cal State San Bernardino
    • Cal State San Marcos
    • Chico State
    • Humboldt State
    • San Francisco State
    • Sonoma State
    • Stanislaus State

NCAA D3 schools eliminating varsity teams

  • Becker College – Men’s Lacrosse, Field Hockey
  • Earlham College (IN) – Men’s + Women’s Tennis
  • Fontbonne University (MO) -Men’s + Women’s Tennis (Suspended indefinitely)
  • Elmira College (NY) – Men’s + Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Golf
  • Ohio Wesleyan – Women’s Rowing
  • UMass Dartmouth – Women’s Equestrian, Men’s Golf, Men’s Lacrosse, Co-ed Sailing, Men’s + Women’s Swimming & Diving, and Men’s + Women’s Tennis.

NCAA D3 schools canceling sports for a season or year

  • Amherst College (MA) – All fall athletic competitions canceled
  • Bowdoin College (ME)– All fall & winter sports canceled during fall semester
  • Bryn Mawr College (PA) – All fall sports suspended
  • Claremont Mudd Scripps (CA) – Will not compete in high risk sports in fall: basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and water polo
  • Dickinson College (PA) – All fall sports suspended
  • Franklin & Marshall College (PA) – All fall sports suspended
  • Gettysburg College (PA) – All fall sports suspended
  • Grinnell College (IA) – Will not compete in athletics during Fall I quarter
  • Haverford College (PA) – All fall sports suspended
  • Johns Hopkins University (MD) – All fall sports suspended
  • Johnson & Wales (Denver) – Athletics eliminated immediately – school closing following 2020-21 school year.
  • McDaniel College (MD) – All fall sports suspended
  • MIT – All fall sports canceled
  • Muhlenberg College (PA) – All fall sports canceled
  • Pratt Institute (NY)-All sports canceled until at least 1/1/21
  • The College of New Jersey– canceled the following high-risk sports seasons for the fall semester: football, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, wrestling and men’s and women’s basketball.
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – All fall sports canceled. Decision on winter and spring will be made at an appropriate time.
  • Sarah Lawrence College (NY) – All fall sports canceled for 2020
  • Swarthmore College (PA) – All fall sports canceled for 2020
  • UMass-Boston – All fall sports canceled for 2020
  • Ursinus College (PA) – All fall sports suspended for 2020
  • Washington College (MD) – All fall sports suspended for 2020
  • Wellesley College (MA) – All fall sports canceled for 2020
  • Williams College (MA) – All fall sports canceled. Decision on winter sports will be made at some point this fall.

NAIA Schools eliminating varsity teams

  • Taylor University (IN) – Men’s + Women’s Tennis, Women’s Lacrosse

NAIA schools canceling sports for a season or year

  • Langston University (OK) – All fall sports canceled
  • Texas College – All fall sports canceled
  • University of Michigan-Dearborn – All fall sports canceled
  • Wiley College (TX) – All fall sports canceled

NJCAA schools canceling sports for a season or year (or more)

  • Bunker Hill CC (MA) – All sports suspended for the 2020-21 school year
  • Broward College (FL) – Eliminated entire athletics program
  • Columbus State (OH) – All sports suspended for 2020-21 school year
  • Cuyahoga Community College (OH) – Suspended all fall and winter sports
  • Eastern Gateway CC (OH) – Discontinuing athletics
  • Gillette College (WY) –Eliminated D1 athletics program
  • Laredo College (TX) – All sports suspended for 2020-21 school year
  • Lansing CC (MI) – All fall sports canceled
  • Lee College (TX) – All sports for the 2020-21 school year canceled
  • Lehigh Carbon CC (PA) –All sports for the 2020-21 school yearsuspended
  • Monroe College (Rochester) – All fall sports suspended
  • Northern Virginia CC – All sports for the 2020-21 school year canceled
  • Onondaga CC (NY) – All fall sports canceled
  • Owens CC (OH) – Fall + Winter sports suspended
  • Richard Bland College – All sports for the 2020-21 school year suspended
  • Sheridan College (WY) – Eliminated D1 athletics program
  • Sinclair CC (OH) – All sports for the 2020-21 school year suspended
  • Southwest Virginia CC – All fall sports canceled
  • SUNY Adirondack (NY) – All fall sports canceled
  • SUNY Erie CC (NY) –All fall sports canceled. Winter sports to start 1/1
  • Wake Tech (NC) – All fall sports canceled
  • Central Valley Conference (CA) – Suspended all fall sports competition. Colleges in the CVC wishing to compete may request to be hosted by another California community college athletic conference.
  • Minnesota College Athletic Association – Suspended all fall sports with the exception of Golf and Clay Target. 24 schools affected.
  • City Colleges of Chicago – All sports for 2020-21 school year suspended
    • Richard J. Daley College
    • Kennedy-King College
    • Malcolm X College
    • Olive-Harvey College
    • Harry S Truman College
    • Wilbur Wright College
  • Maricopa Community College District Presidents have proposed suspending athletics for the year. Would affect 10 colleges. More HERE.

NWAC schools canceling sports for a season or year (or more)

  • Yakima Valley College (WA) – Will not offer fall sports programming

Colleges closing permanently (some announced pre-COVID-19 outbreak, but listing them as well).

NCAA D2

  • Notre Dame de Namur (CA) – scheduled to close in 20-21 – athletics discontinued now.

NCAA D3

  • Johnson & Wales (Denver) – closing at conclusion of 20-21 school year
  • Pine Manor College (MA) – bought by Boston College – 2 yr “teach out” plan in place

NAIA

  • Johnson & Wales (Miami) – closing at conclusion of 20-21 school year

NJCAA

NCCAA

Other league and division notes

NCAA D1

Mid-American Conference (MAC) eliminates post-season league tournaments for:

  • Baseball
  • Softball
  • Men’s Soccer
  • Women’s Soccer
  • Men’s Tennis
  • Women’s Tennis
  • Women’s Lacrosse
  • Field Hockey

Men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, swimming, golf, and track & field all alter their tournament formats to include less teams in some cases, and less days for others. Complete details HERE.

NCAA D2

NCAA D2 as a whole reduced sport maximums, and reduced minimum games played by 33% for 2020-21

Sport-by-sport recommended maximums for the 2020-21 academic year only HERE.

NCAA D3

NCAA D3 Minimums needed for championship selection and sports sponsorship lowered by 33% in all sports.

Do you want to earn Athletic Training degree, but you worried about which college or university provides the best athletic training programs? Don’t worry, here we have to present a list of the ‘Best Colleges for Athletic Training 2018’ that will fit your needs.

The field of Athletic offers substantial rewards to the students and professionals who choose it as a career. Scroll down to see the most affordable universities for Athletic Training programs & choose the best one for your education. Good Luck!!!

Table of Contents

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan is the state’s oldest university that was founded in 1817. Michigan provides a stellar combination of top research, medicine, and athletics resources. Its program majors study the treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of injuries and many go on to work with elite athletes on some of the greatest athletic teams in the world. It offers 1 Athletic Training/trainer Degree program. Its curriculum combines classroom instruction in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology with hands-on clinical experiences and valuable mentorships.

Founded In: 1817
Ranking: 1st
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (734) 764-4472
Website: https://www.kines.umich.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/athletic-training

Boston University

The university has more than 3,900 faculty members and nearly 33,000 students and is one of Boston’s largest employers. It offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorates, and medical, dental, business, and law degrees through 17 schools and colleges on two urban campuses. Boston University offers 1 Athletic Training/trainer Degree program. It is a home to several athletic facilities and playing fields, the large West Campus dorm, and the new John Hancock Student Village complex.

Founded In: 1839
Ranking: 2nd
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 617-353-2713
Website:http://www.bu.edu/sargent/academics/departments-programs/physical-therapy-athletic-training/

Northeastern University

Northeastern University enrollment is approximately 18,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. Northeastern’s curriculum of experiential learning for more than a hundred years and is one of the largest co-op/internship programs in the world. The athletic training program at Northeastern University prepares students for a rewarding career in sports medicine as a certified athletic trainer. The program focuses on consultation with, and under the supervision of physicians to prevent and treat sports injuries and associated conditions.

Founded In: 1898
Ranking: 3rd
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (617) 373-2672
Website:http://www.gonu.com/

University of Miami

UM is ranked the 44th best national university in the United States. The university offers 116 undergraduate, 105 master’s, and 63 doctoral degree programs, of which 59 are research/scholarship and four professional areas of study. Athletic Training at the University of Miami is accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and currently offers a Bachelor of Science Athletic Training degree within the Department of Kinesiology and Sports Sciences in the School of Education and Human Development.

Founded In: 1925
Ranking: 4th
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 305-284-3711
Website:https://sites.education.miami.edu/athletic-training/

George Washington University

George Washington is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive universities in the United States. Prospective students interested in athletic training-related courses should review our available program guide for the BS in Exercise Science – Pre-Athletic Training/Sports Medicine concentration, which is accepting new students. The Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Program graduates are eligible to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) examination.

Founded In: 1821
Ranking: 5th
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 202-994-1000
Website:https://www.programs.gwu.edu/undergraduate/athletic-training

The University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin has the nation’s eighth-largest single-campus enrollment, with over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculties and staff. The Athletic Training Program (ATP) prepares students for a career as an athletic trainer, an allied health care professional that specializes in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses to athletes and those engaged in physical activity. Students interested in Athletic Training must complete specific prerequisites and a separate application for admission to the major. This major is highly competitive with an enrollment limit of 60 students.

Founded In: 1883
Ranking: 6th
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (512) 471-3223
Website:https://education.utexas.edu/students/undergraduate-students/kinesiology-health-education-undergraduate-programs/athletic-training-program

Chapman University

Top Collegiate Athletic Programs Colleges

Chapman University is a private non-profit university located in Orange, California, United States. The Master of Science in athletic training is an accredited professional graduate program by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The program prepares students for a career as a certified athletic trainer. The Master of Science in athletic training (MS.AT) is a full-time, cohort-model program. Athletic trainers (ATs) are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients.

Founded In: 1861
Ranking: 7th
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (714) 997-6815
Website:https://www.chapman.edu/crean/academic-programs/graduate-programs/ms-athletic-training/index.aspx

Brigham Young University-Provo

BYU primary focus is on undergraduate education, but it also has 68 masters and 25 doctoral degree programs. BYU offers a variety of academic programs, including liberal arts, engineering, agriculture, management, physical and mathematical sciences, nursing, and law. BYU has one of the earliest established educational programs in athletic training, and we are proud of our heritage and tradition. It is our goal to be one of the best and most effective athletic training programs in the United States, and the faculty, staff, and athletic training students work together to achieve this goal.

Founded In: 1875
Ranking: 8th
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 801-422-6507
Website: https://exsc.byu.edu/Undergrad-Majors/Athletic-Training

Pennsylvania State University

Summer Pre Collegiate Programs

Founded in 1855, the university has a stated threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service. The Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training degree is a competency-based professional program accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. The faculty in Athletic Training and Sports Medicine focus on research that relates to the delivery of clinical health services to physically active individuals including the pathoetiology, prevention, assessment, and treatment of common athletic and orthopedic injuries.

Founded In: 1855
Ranking: 9th
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 814-863-0442
Website:https://hhd.psu.edu/kines/undergraduate/major-athletic-training/athletic-training-major-0

Top Collegiate Athletic Programs 2019

University of Florida

Top Collegiate Athletic Programs

The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university. This two-year Master’s of Science program is designed for students who are BOC certified athletic trainers or certify-eligible. The program provides for intensive study in the sports medicine area emphasizing prevention, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, therapeutic modalities, and administration. It Prepares qualified and proficient health care professionals in the practice domains of athletic training to enter the workforce or continue on to post-professional graduate education.

Founded In: 1853
Ranking: 10th
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (352) 392-3261
Website: http://hhp.ufl.edu/about/academics/ms-apk/athletic-training/