JUCO is a commonly used abbreviation for junior college. Junior colleges can be a great option for student-athletes for several reasons including affordability and more playing time as a freshman.
JUCO football stands for junior college football. For many athletes, junior college provides an opportunity to improve their academics, develop physically and get more experience competing.
Oftentimes, football players opt to compete on a junior college football programs (also referred to as JUCO football teams) after their senior year in high school. In fact, many junior colleges are feeder programs for powerhouse D1 college football teams.
For many athletes, junior college gives them an opportunity to improve their GPA and knock out some general education requirements. It also gives athletes some time to develop physically and get experience competing against older, more challenging football players. For athletes who aren’t sure what they’d like to major in or don’t have the grades in high school, this is a great way to keep playing football while moving academics forward.
Make no mistake, junior college football teams compete at an extremely high level! Competing at a junior college gives athletes an opportunity to get two more years of experience playing against college-level athletes, which can help them prepare for the rigors of four-year collegiate football.
There are 65 JUCO football teams in the United States. Teams are classified into the following JUCO football conferences: Independent, Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, Minnesota Athletic Conference, Mississippi Association of Junior & Community Colleges, Northeast Football Conference, Southwest Junior College Football Conference and Western States Football League. To start exploring the wealth of junior colleges across the country, use the following list of junior colleges with football teams. Search by state, conference or school name.
Related Articles
In December 2022, the NJCAA conducted a poll to rank the top NJCAA football teams. Student-athletes can see a full list of the top ranked team and learn more about each program on the NJCAA website.
Visit NCSA’s Power Rankings to view a list of the best football colleges in all divisions.
To start exploring the wealth of junior colleges across the country, use the following list of junior colleges with football teams. Search by state, conference or school name.
Recruiting in your hands.
Tools and advice to find the right fit.
