Championships
- Fall Championships Festival: The division will host the 2026 Division II National Championships Festival from Dec. 1-5 in Kansas City, Missouri, crowning six team and two individual national champions in men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball. This will be the division’s 15th and final National Championships Festival.
- NCAA Power Index Implementation: 2026-27 will mark the first year that team sports will use NPI for increased transparency and efficiency in the rankings and selections process.
- Triennial Budget: The Division II Championships Committee submits final recommendations for the 2027-30 triennial budget process this September, with expected implementation of approved initiatives starting with the 2027-28 academic year.
- Bracketing Principles: The Championships Committee will continue reviewing bracketing principles to enhance the student-athlete experience at the championships. Once concepts are further developed, the membership will have the opportunity to provide feedback before implementation.
- Host Sites Bid Process: The 2028-31 bid process will launch in fall 2026, and selected host sites will be announced in 2027.
- Potential New Championships: The membership will vote in January at the 2027 NCAA Convention on adding women’s flag football as a National Collegiate Championship. Additionally, members will vote at the Convention on adding men’s volleyball as the 27th Division II championship.
SAAC Priorities
The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will focus on providing education to Division II student-athletes on legislation, including the new age-based eligibility model, to explain how legislation is developed and stress the importance of their voice in the legislative process.
SAAC will also prioritize an internal goal aimed at strengthening the committee. This goal includes improving the new member orientation process for incoming committee members, supporting growth within the committee by tapping into national SAAC alumni for best practices and further strengthening the committee’s mentor/mentee relationships.
Division II Age-Based Eligibility
The Division II Executive Board adopted emergency legislation to implement an age-based eligibility model in Division II effective with the 2026-27 academic year. Educating the membership and implementing the age-based model will be the focus in 2026-27.
Legislative Initiatives
Make It Yours Brand
Division II developed new “Make It Yours” media assets to support three targeted marketing campaigns focused on the division’s core values, community engagement efforts, and key differentiators for prospective student-athletes. Launching this fall, these assets will be distributed to members for use in campus- and conference-level communications to enhance understanding and promotion of the Division II experience.
NCAA.org Updates and Launch
The ncaa.org website relaunched in July with an enhanced design and organization to better serve the NCAA membership. The redesigned platform provides a cleaner, more user-friendly experience and improves access to essential information, resources and governance materials. The governance structure will continue to monitor the website’s usability and functionality to ensure it effectively supports the needs of the Division II membership.
Mental Health First Aid Training
To help support student-athlete mental health, Division II is funding Mental Health First Aid training for each active and eligible Division II school through a partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Schools may receive one fully funded training during the program, from September 2026 through August 2029.
The interactive, evidence-based training teaches individuals how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges. These trainings will focus on providing the skills student-athletes need to navigate these challenges, building mental health literacy, supporting the long-term mental wellness of teams and reducing the stigma around mental health issues.
October Meeting on Higher Education Trends
The Division II Executive Board and Division III Presidents Council are hosting a meeting in October of Division II and III presidents and chancellors to identify, discuss and evaluate trends in higher education that may impact existing and potential new Division II and III members. The meeting is intended to produce a prioritized list of trends in higher education most likely to impact schools in general and athletics specifically. The Division II Executive Board and the Division III Presidents Council will review the outcomes from the joint October meeting and determine potential opportunities and challenges, focusing particularly on their effect on athletics and whether athletics may play a role in mitigating any negative impact.
GOALS Survey Review
The 2024-25 Growth, Opportunities, Aspirations and Learning of Students in College Study provides data on the experiences and well-being of current student-athletes. Division II committees will continue to review the survey results to determine whether policy or legislative changes are needed and whether to allocate resources to enhance the student-athlete experience. Among the topics that will be reviewed in the nationally representative survey are time commitments, on-campus support, recruiting and finances.