College Football Camps for High School

Every summer, high school football players converge on college campuses across the country. Some want to improve their skills as scholastic athletes to gain an edge for the upcoming fall season. Others have various college recruiters on their minds. Still others are there to impress the head coach and staff of the sponsoring university. Football camps serve both those who wish to showcase their athleticism and those who want to develop it for the future.

  1. Division I (FBS)

    • TV coverage and the prospect of playing professionally make Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools particularly attractive. Given its victory in the most recent BCS National Championship game, Auburn University is highly coveted by campers in the South. Offering various camps throughout the summer, Auburn provides training to individuals as well as whole teams, including distinct camps for offensive and defensive line training. Similarly, the West Virginia University Mountaineers clinic provides intensive instruction for passing and kicking. Like most FBS schools, WVU conducts a coaches' clinic, as well. Out West, the University of Utah camp is oriented toward strengthening fundamental skills and gives special attention to local teams from the Salt Lake City, Utah, area.

    Division I (FCS)

    • Shorter on the excitement and glamour of FBS programs, Football Championship Subdivision institutions nevertheless have advantages that many students seek out. Most of the Ivy League schools fall into this category, as do a larger share of religious colleges. The Yale Bulldogs, among other offerings, have instituted a Blue Chip Prospect Camp, focusing on individual positions and real-time scenarios. Likewise, Sacramento State University stresses superior performance under realistic competitive situations. Those who wish to have their training augmented by spiritual values might look at Liberty University, where coach Danny Rocco conducts a week of drills and plays for aspiring collegians.

    Division II

    • Schools with smaller budgets and support staffs can benefit student-athletes with individual attention and more balance between football and academics. Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania is a non-contact football camp, concentrating on improving individual technique. Abilene Christian University, on the other hand, includes coordination of offensive and defensive line performance. Finally, the University of New Haven holds separate camps for individual and squad practices.

    Division III

    • Division III colleges and universities offer the fewest scholarships and other less perks afforded students in the other divisions. Yet participation on squads of this classification should not be discounted. Securing a place on a Division III team allows for the opportunity to play championship football, albeit on a smaller scale. Along with the possibility of burnishing athletic credentials and possible NFL eligibility, players also beef up their resumes for whatever their futures may hold. Institutions such as Case Western Reserve University, Gettysburg College and Linfield College all offer individual attention at their respective camps and evaluate each player's collegiate potential.