The Best Insurance Options for Intercollegiate Athletics?

College-level sports are a lot different from the average little league team. College teams are generally professionally managed, include very skilled players and have significant financial investments connected with their success. Therefore, a college sports team has a significantly higher level of liability attached to it than the average casual sports league. It’s imperative that teams carry appropriate levels of insurance to help them be ready for any potential setbacks. 

Bene-Marc, Inc. is here to help every intercollegiate team get the quality insurance benefits that they deserve. Let’s take a closer look at the essential benefits that will provide great coverage solutions for your team’s needs. 

What Are Intercollegiate College Teams? 

There are many different definitions of an intercollegiate team. Generally speaking, these are the teams that are managed and sponsored by a college or university. Officially, the U.S. legal code defines intercollegiate sports as a sport played at the collegiate level for which eligibility requirements for participation by a student athlete are established by a national association for the promotion or regulation of college athletics. 

All in all, these are colleges’ official sports teams. They usually are subject to rules set by both their respective universities and other national groups, such as the NCAA® or the NJCAA®. Any number of teams might be sponsored by the college, and they receive significant funding from the school while retaining the right to use official university licensing and logos.  

Often, only qualified athletes can join these teams, and they must face a rigorous vetting process before they make the team. They also must meet academic standards and other eligibility requirements to remain members of the team. Players often serve as quasi-ambassadors for the school they represent. All in all, they are large, regulated and branded teams that have to follow strict rules both on the field and off. 

Do These Teams Differ? 

There are many different organizational structures for intercollegiate teams. Usually, factors like the size, funding and skill levels of school teams help athletic associations break these teams into different groups.  

For example, the NCAA® breaks its member programs into three divisions: D-I®, D-II® and D-III®. 

• D-I schools are generally thought of as the schools with the most-elite teams. They are usually the largest schools, have the largest sports programs and the most teams and athletes. Usually, they also have a lot of scholarship money available, and many can attract the most-talented athletes. 
• D-II teams are the middle layer, usually mid-sized schools that have smaller athletic departments. There might have fewer sporting opportunities and less scholarship money. 
• D-III teams are those that usually have the smallest athletic departments with the fewest number of sports. However, the defining factor of these schools is that they do not offer scholarship money to players. 

These divisions do not represent the level of skill, competition, professionalism or opportunity that a given team has. Nor do they have anything to do with the quality of the education that a school offers. Rather, they illustrate precisely what each school’s level of liability is when it comes to their sports programs.  

Getting The Right Insurance 

A college team’s insurance needs are directly related to the size and scope of their operations. All in all, both the program and the individual actors can benefit from specific coverage, including that which will cover participants in case they get hurt during play. Most programs need: 

• Basic Athletics Insurance: This is coverage for most of the common injuries that players and other participants might sustain. 
• Catastrophic (CAT) Athletics Insurance: Particularly devastating accidents could end a athlete’s career and even create ongoing pain and suffering for them. This coverage can offer extended protection to help the player live a normal life. Besides covering medical costs, coverage can help with education, housing and extended disability benefits. 
• Staff Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance: Members of the athletic department staff can receive this coverage in the event they die in an accident related to their work. 

In most cases, policies can apply to all student athletes, team managers, band members, drill teams and other categories of students. Furthermore, athletics departments might need other types of specialty coverage. Before buying coverage, check with your athletic association to determine if they offer you any coverage, or if they require you to carry certain policy limits.  

We can help you determine the appropriate course of action to meet any insurance requirements set by the NCAA®, NAIA®, NJCAA® or other groups. We also can help schools insure their athletic intramural teams, where necessary.