An organization of colleges and universities, the NCAA was established in 1906 in response to the concerns of President Theodore Roosevelt and college administrators about the numerous injuries and deaths occurring in the new sport of college football. The core purpose of the NCAA is to govern athletic competition in a fair, safe, equitable, and sportsmanlike manner and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education. Nationally, more than 390,000 student athletes participate in NCAA sports that offer national championships. Participation levels in NCAA men’s sports have grown steadily over the past two decades. In 2005-06, more than 225,000 male student athletes were enrolled in NCAA member schools—up more than 30% from 1981-82 (the earliest year for which comparable data exist)—while nearly 169,000 female student athletes were enrolled in 2005-06—up nearly 130% from 1981-1982.

The NCAA and Datalys Center are partnering to expand and advance research capabilities, with a goal of delivering an enhanced injury surveillance program that will strengthen the basic needs of surveillance while improving performance, data quality, security and responsiveness.