1 definition by Small College Athletics Fan
The NAIA is an intercollegiate athletic sanctioning organization. NAIA is an acronym for National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics. Members of the NAIA tend to be small, private liberal arts colleges, but occasionally public colleges and universities are members. Colleges that are members of the NAIA usually emphasize academics over athletics. That's why events are never heavily publicized outside of the school itself and the Internet. The best known event sanctioned by the NAIA is the annual Men's Basketball Tournament held in Kansas City every March. Also, the NAIA holds a football championship game in Rome GA every December the weekend before Christmas.
Events sanctioned by the NAIA are so much better than the NCAA because the events are laid back and cheaper to attend due to the lack of commercialization that NCAA Division I events have.
by Small College Athletics Fan May 5, 2011