The collegiate athletics system plays a major role in Team USA's success on the Paralympic stage. A total of 116 athletes - more than 50% of the U.S. Paralympians on the 2024 roster - competed collegiately as part of their journey to Team USA, including club sports and non-NCAA championship sports, as well as athletes who competed at the junior college level and in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. 

In total, 90 schools will have one or more Paralympic athletes competing in Paris. 69 of them are NCAA schools, representing 42 conferences and all three divisions. Six US teams have at least 50% collegiate participation on their US Paralympic rosters: Paratriathlon (58%), Powerlifting (50%), Rowing (100%), Swimming (61%), Track and Field (71%) and Wheelchair Basketball (92%). 

"We are proud to introduce the Team USA athletes who will represent the United States at the Paralympic Games in Paris this summer. Their journey to the pinnacle of their careers is a testament to their unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence - attributes shared by our community of National Governing Bodies, coaches, families and USOPC staff who strive to help them achieve," said Sarah Hirshland, USOPC CEO. 

"We have seen what Paris has to offer the world's athletes competing and sports fans celebrating. Now we look forward to the extraordinary moments and awe-inspiring Paralympic competition that lies ahead, and we can't wait for Team USA to show what they can do," she added.

The USOPC and the NCAA Office of Inclusion have launched a new hub for para-collegiate sports, paracollegesport.com. An online resource dedicated to supporting college sports for adaptive athletes, the one-stop shop will serve as a central platform to grow adaptive sports programs on college campuses nationwide. 

Designed for high school student-athletes and college administrators, the website aims to expand the presence and pipeline of Paralympic sport in the United States. The initiative is an outgrowth of the 2021 USOPC/NCAA Para-College Inclusion Project and offers a collection of resources, including how to start a new adaptive programme on campus, where to find existing programmes and more. 

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games begin on Wednesday 28 August and run until 8 September. During this time, Paris will welcome more than 4,400 Paralympians to compete in 22 different sports. There will be 549 medal events, with Paralympic competition taking place in 17 different venues. 

A list of the 2024 US Paralympic athletes with collegiate ties can be found here. The list does not include athletes who are currently registered as alternates for the Paralympic Games. Any changes after the 2024 USA Paralympic Team is announced will be posted on teamusa.com and usopc.org.