The NCAA serves as a governance and administrative structure
through which its members:

• Enact legislation to deal with athletics problems when the problems spread across regional lines and when member institutions conclude that national action is needed.

• Interpret legislation adopted by the membership.

• Combine to represent intercollegiate athletics in legislative and regulatory matters on the state and Federal levels. This involvement includes such areas as Federal taxes affecting college athletics, antibribery and gambling laws, television, international competition, and Federal aid to education affecting sports and physical education.

• Provide financial assistance and other help to groups that are interested in promoting and advancing intercollegiate athletics.

• Promote their championship events and all intercollegiate athletics through planned activities of the NCAA national office. In addition to general public relations activities, the Association publishes The NCAA News and dozens of other publications on behalf of its members.

• Compile and distribute football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, and women's softball and volleyball statistics. Regular-season records are maintained in women's volleyball, football and basketball; championships records are maintained in all sports in which the members sponsor NCAA championship competition.

• Maintain committees to write and interpret playing rules in 13 sports.

• Conduct research as a way to find solutions to athletics problems. These efforts include surveys about academics, television, postseason events, athletics and recreational facilities, sports injuries and safety, recruiting, financial aid, playing seasons, the cost of intercollegiate athletics, and the effects of participation on the student-athlete.

• Annually produce, in conjunction with NCAA Productions, special programs for television along with television coverage of NCAA championships not carried by a national network. This operation includes a library of films and videotapes of more than 100 titles available for purchase and rental, plus the NCAA Television News Service, which supplies information to television and cable networks.

• Maintain a compliance services program that assists members in conducting institutional self-studies through a central resource clearinghouse and counseling agency to answer questions about intercollegiate athletics and athletics administration.

• Administer insurance programs, including a lifetime catastrophic injury insurance program, to ensure that member institutions can provide protection for student-athletes during competition, practice and travel. The Association also arranges disability insurance protection for elite student-athletes.

• Promote and participate in international sports planning and competition through membership in the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Basketball, the United States Collegiate Sports Council, The Athletics Congress (track and field), the U.S. Volleyball Association, and the U.S. Baseball, Gymnastics and Wrestling Federations.

• Sanction postseason competition and certify certain noncollegiate contests to protect their institutional interests and those of their student-athletes.

• Support several community service programs, including NYSP (National Youth Sports Program), and offer Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinics at numerous NCAA championship locations.

• Administer national and international marketing and licensing programs to enhance intercollegiate athletics and to expand youth development programs.