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Composition and sport sponsorship of the NCAA membership

 NCAA Membership Breakdown: Sept. 2018

  Division I Division II Division III Total
  I-FBS I-FCS I Total      
Active 129 125 97 351 308 443 1,102
Candidacy/Provisional         4 4 8
Reclassifying             7
Exploratory           4 4
Voting Conference 11 11 10 32 24 44 100
Affiliated             40
Nonvoting Conference   2 17 19   23 42
MEMBERSHIP TOTAL             1,302

*Savannah State is counted in both active and provisional but is not counted twice in the membership total.

Click here for information on Multidivision and Reclassifying institutions.

Women’s participation in championship sports - Sept. 2015
Division I Division II Division III Overall
Teams Athletes Teams Athletes Teams Athletes Teams Athletes
3,541 81,752 2,639 49,408 4,156 78,312 10,336 209,472
Men’s participation in championship sports - Sept. 2015
Division I Division II Division III Overall
Teams Athletes Teams Athletes Teams Athletes Teams Athletes
2,934 94,200 2,276 69,370 3,780 109,491 8,990 273,061
Total participation in championship sports - Sept. 2015
Division I Division II Division III Overall
Teams Athletes Teams Athletes Teams Athletes Teams Athletes
6,475 175,952 4,915 118,778 7,936 187,803 19,326 482,533

Definitions

Active member
An active member is a four-year college or university or a two-year upper-level collegiate institution accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency and duly elected to active membership under the provisions of the Association bylaws. Active members have the right to compete in NCAA championships, to vote on legislation and other issues before the Association, and to enjoy other privileges of membership designated in the constitution and bylaws of the Association.

Provisional member
A provisional member is a four-year college or university or a two-year upper-level collegiate institution accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency and that has applied for active membership in the Association. Provisional membership is a prerequisite for active membership in the Association. The institution shall be elected to provisional membership under the bylaws of the Association. Provisional members shall receive all publications and mailings received by active members in addition to other privileges designated in the constitution and bylaws of the Association.

Candidacy member
Once an institution is accepted to begin the Division II membership process, it enters a candidacy period for a minimum of two years. At the completion of the two-year period, the institution receives a determination of its readiness to become a provisional member.

Exploratory member
An institution seeking Division III membership must first complete one year as an exploratory member.

Member conference
A member conference is a group of colleges and/or universities that conducts competition among its members and determines a conference champion in one or more sports (in which the NCAA conducts championships or for which it is responsible for providing playing rules for intercollegiate competition), duly elected to conference membership under the provisions of the bylaws of the Association. A member conference is entitled to all of the privileges of active members except the right to compete in NCAA championships. Only those conferences that meet specific criteria as competitive and legislative bodies and minimum standards related to size and division status are permitted to vote on legislation or other issues before the Association.

Affiliated member
An affiliated member is a nonprofit coaches or sports association whose function and purpose are directly related to one or more sports in which the NCAA conducts championships or an emerging sport for women, or an association that consists of college/university administrators and has a direct connection to either the NCAA or its member institutions.

NCAA Sport Sponsorship: Sept. 2018

Notes:

  • These totals include sport sponsorship data provided by active and provisional members.
  • Starred and italicized items are emerging sports.
  Men's Women's Mixed
  DI DII DIII Total DI DII DIII Total DI DII DIII Total
Baseball 297 267 390 954                
Basketball 351 313 425 1,089 349 314 441 1,104        
Beach Volleyball         59 13 3 75        
Bowling 0 1 2 3 34 33 16 83        
Cross Country 316 276 408 1,000 348 302 427 1,077        
*Equestrian         19 5 15 39 1   10 11
Fencing 20 2 12 34 25 3 15 43 1     1
Field Hockey         77 36 166 279        
Football 254 170 249 673                
(DI-FBS) 129     129                
(DI-FBC) 125     125                
Golf 299 227 307 833 267 199 234 700     4 4
Gymnastics 15   1 16 61 6 15 82        
Ice Hockey 60 7 83 150 35 5 66 106        
Lacrosse 73 73 244 390 116 114 292 522        
Rifle         7     7 18 2 3 23
Rowing 29 2 25 56 88 16 44 148        
*Rugby 1 1 1 3 7 6 5 18        
Skiing 11 6 15 32 12 7 15 34     1 1
Soccer 205 216 418 839 333 268 440 1,041        
Softball         295 292 415 1,002        
Swimming & Diving 131 75 239 445 194 105 266 565        
Tennis 251 167 331 749 312 224 370 906        
Track & Field, Indoor 269 174 293 736 332 198 299 829        
Track & Field, Outdoor 289 222 324 835 339 255 334 928     3 3
*Triathlon     1 1 4 6 8 18        
Volleyball 22 24 104 150 334 302 436 1,072        
Water Polo 25 8 16 49 33 12 19 64        
Wrestling 75 63 108 246                

* Emerging Sport for Women

 

The NCAA Membership