Smells Like School Spirit: 2-Year Colleges Add Sports Teams

Thousands of students enroll in community and junior colleges every year, generally as an alternative to higher priced private and public 4-year colleges. In the past that meant foregoing the "college experience" complete with sports teams, dorm life, student government and lots of school spirit in exchange for less stringent admissions requirements, low per-unit costs, flexible schedules and a shorter path to a degree (an associate's degree).

Junior and community colleges still offer these great benefits, but, in response to the demands throngs of students ages 18-24, they are now attempting to provide a more authentic college experience by adding or expanding athletic programs. Students--both those interested in playing sports and those who simply want to cheer them on--are responding by enrolling in greater numbers to those community and junior colleges that boast athletic teams. And that's just what the colleges' presidents had in mind.

The National Junior College Athletics Association has reportedly added more than 40 colleges since 2003, ten of those in 2006 alone, bringing their total membership to 500 colleges.

Here's a sampling of the new additions:

2006

• Arkansas Baptist College (Little Rock, Ark.)
• Berean Institute (Philadelphia)
• Coastal Bend College (Beeville, Tex.)
• Guilford Technical Community College (Jamestown, N.C.)
• Jackson Community College (Jackson, Mich.)
• Little Big Horn College (Crow Agency, Mont.)
• Marion Military Institute (Marion, Ala.)
• Mayland Community College (Spruce Pine, N.C.)
• Simmons College of Kentucky (Louisville, Ky.)
• University of South Carolina at Lancaster (Lancaster, S.C.)

Find junior and community college athletic programs in your state!