What Are the College Sports Divisions?

The NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II, and Division III.

What are the differences between the divisions?

Division I

Division I schools are typically the largest and most competitive. They offer the most athletic scholarships and are usually associated with large universities.

Division II

Division II schools are smaller than Division I schools and usually have fewer resources. They offer fewer athletic scholarships, but they compete at a

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NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletes from 1,268 North American institutions and conferences. It also organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and helps more than 480,000 college student-athletes who compete annually in college sports. The organization is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

D-I

NCAA Division I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. Division I schools are typically the largest public and private institutions in terms of enrollment and athletic scholarships.

There are currently 347 institutions that compete in NCAA Division I. The largest school by enrollment is Liberty University, while the school with the most national championships is UCLA.

The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is the only one of the NCAA’s three divisions that holds a postseason football championship, the College Football Playoff. All other FBS schools play in a bowl game at the end of the regular season.

The vast majority of NCAA Division I schools are public universities, but there are also some private institutions, such as Notre Dame, Boston College, and Duke.

D-II

D-II sports are grouped into two categories: ˚ Championship and Emerging. Championship sports are those in which NCAA member schools compete for national titles, while emerging sports are those in which member schools are working to establish a national footprint.

There are currently 20 championship sports for D-II men and 20 for D-II women. Each year, more than 6,000 student-athletes compete in D-II championship events. Those events include 12 individual and team sports for men and women, as well as 8 men’s and 7 women’s emerging sports.

Championship Sports:
Men’s – Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track & Field, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track & Field, Soccer, Tennis
Women’s – Basketball, Cross Country, Golf , Gymnastics , Indoor Track & Field , Lacrosse , Outdoor Track & Field , Soccer , Softball , Swimming & Diving , Tennis , Volleyball

Emerging Sports:
Men’s – Bowling, Esports*, Rugby*, Sand Volleyball*, Skiing*, Water Polo*
Women’s – Beach Volleyball*, Bowling*, Crew/Rowing*, Esports*, Field Hockey*, Rugby*, Sand Volleyball*, Skiing* *Emerging sports activities are designated by an asterisk.

D-III

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, is the organization that governs college sports in the United States. There are three divisions within the NCAA, and each division has different rules and regulations regarding eligibility, recruiting, and scholarships.

Division I is the highest level of competition in college athletics. Division I schools are typically large universities with highly competitive athletic programs. Division II schools are usually smaller institutions that compete at a less intense level than Division I schools. Lastly, Division III schools do not offer any athletic scholarships, and they compete at an even lower level than Division II schools.

There are many reasons why a student-athlete might choose to compete at a Division III school. For one, they may be more interested in academics than athletics. Additionally, they may not be talented enough to compete at a higher level or they may not have the financial resources to attend a Division I or II school. No matter the reason, Division III schools provide an excellent opportunity for students to pursue their academic and athletic goals.

NAIA

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), founded in 1937, is an athletic association that organizes competitions for small colleges and universities. The NAIA is one of three college sports organizations in the United States, along with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

There are approximately 300 member schools in the NAIA, which are divided into 23 conferences. Conference affiliations are based on geographic regions. The conferences are as follows:

-American Midwest Conference
-Appalachian Athletic Conference
-California Pacific Conference
-Frontier Conference
-Golden State Athletic Conference
-Heart of America Athletic Conference
-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
-Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference
-Missouri Valley College Conference
-North Star Athletic Association
-Red River Athletic Conference
-Southern States Athletic Conference
-Sunshine State Conference
-The Crosstown Classic Champions of Character Series

  The NAIA sponsors 12 national championships in a variety of sports. These championships are held in different locations across the country and attract athletes from NAIA member schools.

NJCAA

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is a national organization that governs junior college sports in the United States. The NJCAA is made up of three divisions: Division I, Division II, and Division III. Each division has different eligibility requirements and offers different levels of competition.

Division I

Division I schools are typically the largest and most competitive schools in the NJCAA. To be eligible to compete in Division I, athletes must have completed one year of high school and must meet the NJCAA’s academic standards. Division I schools offer full athletic scholarships to their athletes.

Division II

Division II schools are smaller than Division I schools and typically have fewer resources. To be eligible to compete in Division II, athletes must have sophomore status and must meet the NJCAA’s academic standards. Division II schools may offer partial athletic scholarships to their athletes.

Division III

Division III schools are typically the smallest and least competitive schools in the NJCAA. There are no academic or athletic eligibility requirements to compete in Division III. Because there are no eligibility requirements, Division III schools do not offer any athletic scholarships to their athletes.