The College Football Opportunities Most Athletes Never See

Pictured: San Antonio Vipers, NJCP Member Team

LAS VEGAS, Nev. / CRWE Press Release / August 17, 2026 — Ask a high school player where he wants to play and the answer usually names a program he has watched on a Saturday broadcast. Ask most high school coaches where he is most likely to be recruited, and the answer is probably somewhere he has never heard of.

The National Football Foundation reported 773 colleges and universities playing football in its 2023 Football by the Numbers report across FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and other levels, with more than 81,000 players on NCAA and NAIA rosters. Its figures also list 123 junior colleges offering football.

Those numbers describe a football landscape far larger than the one most families see on television, which shapes how athletes evaluate their options often to their own disadvantage. Many of those programs have rosters to fill every year without the national visibility that puts them in front of the average high school athlete.

Those programs also recruit differently, as FCS and Division II can offer partial athletic scholarships, while Division III does not award athletic scholarships, although academic and need-based aid may be available. The result is that some athletes rule themselves out early. A player who decides he is not a Division I prospect may stop pursuing football entirely, even though the roster spot available to him was never at that level to begin with.

For an athlete who wants to keep playing, the important question is not whether he can reach the level he watches on television, but whether there is a path that allows him to keep developing and put current film in front of the programs that could recruit him. That is where a season matters. NJCP athletes practice weekly, compete on a full schedule, and play games that are recorded and livestreamed, creating a current body of work that can be evaluated by college coaching staffs at every level.

The opportunity does not always look like the program on television. Sometimes it starts with one more season, one more roster, and one more chance to be seen. NJCP was built to give athletes that opportunity. For players who are not finished with football, the next step does not have to be the end of the road. It can be another season to develop, compete, and put their game in front of the coaches who are still looking.

Athletes and families interested in learning more about NJCP, available teams, and opportunities for the 2026 season can visit www.njcpfootball.com.

Sources

Program and participation totals are drawn from Football by the Numbers, published by the National Football Foundation in 2023.

About NJCP Football League:

The National Junior College Prep Football League is the first national system for junior college prep football, designed to organize, showcase, and develop overlooked football talent across the United States. Built by former NFL athletes and veteran coaches, the NJCP provides a platform for player development, media exposure, and community impact for athletes across the nation.

For more information, please visit www.njcpfootball.com or follow @NJCP_Football on our official social media channels:

YouTube: NJCP Football

X (Twitter): @NJCP_Football

Instagram: @njcp_football

Facebook: NJCP Football League

For media inquiries or partnership opportunities, contact:

National Junior College Prep Football League

admin@njcpfootball.com

(435) 922-3335