National Collegiate Equestrian Association - NCEA (NCAA Emerging Sport)

The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA), in concert with the mission and vision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), is committed to providing collegiate opportunities for female equestrian student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while embracing equity, diversity and promoting academic and competitive excellence. NCAA Equestrian student-athletes, coaches, and programs adhere to their respective NCAA Division rules and regulations. Currently 27 colleges and universities sponsor equestrian as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women with more being added each year. More than 1,400 women are listed on NCAA team rosters across the United States.

The NCEA features a head-to-head team competition format in four events: Jumping Seat Flat and Fences, Western Horsemanship and Reining. The NCEA deatures a head-to-head team competition format for Single Discipline Teams (Jumping Seat)in two events: Jumping Seat Flat and Fences. Student-athletes from each team are matched to their mounts by random draw prior to each meet. Horses are designated by event to be ridden by each pair of opposing student-athletes competing head-to-head. The rider receiving the higher score from the judges earns a point for her team. The team with the most combined points from the events is the winner.

The NCEA National Championship is held in April each year. Qualification for this seeded bracket championship requires participation in a minimum of three NCEA regular season meets. The NCEA National Champion is determined by competition between the two teams that advance from the semifinal meets.

The NCEA promotes the advancement of NCAA Equestrian within college athletics and its guiding vision is to be recognized globally as the premier level of competition for elite female collegiate equestrian student-athletes.

For more information, please visit our website collegiateequestrian.com.