Briar Cliff University Athletics

Briar Cliff competes in the NJCAA, the junior college division that typically serves two-year schools, making it unusual for a four-year university. The Chargers field 15 varsity sports with 410 total athletes, meaning an impressive 65% of the 626-student body participates in athletics. Athletic scholarships total $4.6 million across all sports. This high participation rate reflects the intimate campus culture where sports serve as a major social connector rather than big-ticket entertainment. The NJCAA level means competition is less intense than NCAA divisions but still organized and competitive. With such a large percentage of students involved in athletics, games and matches become campus-wide events where teammates, classmates, and faculty regularly show up to support the Chargers.