Due to agreements between conference members, or an individual college's choice, many NAIA colleges do not offer all the scholarships that their national rules might permit. But the best NAIA teams are usually on a par with the best NCAA Division II teams. One obvious result of these rules is that the schools that offer scholarships generally get the better athletes and, thus, generally, can win against those that don't. The evaluation of high school athletes by recruiters begins early and labels are quickly attached to potential recruits. The sifting process is not perfect.
Athletes often choose their college for reasons other than just money or the quality of competition.
That's why NDSU's Division II football team could beat some Division I teams. That's why an NDSU women's basketball team could beat a lot of Division I teams. People are touchy about being labeled. As a nation, we came into being by claiming that an unlimited horizon is everyone's birthright. And this resilient idea has shaped huge chunks of our history.