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AAPI Awareness Month

Media Center Susanna Weir

AAPI student-athletes make presence felt

Numbers have shown strong uptick in recent years in NCAA sports

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and the NCAA is celebrating the achievements and contributions of AAPI student-athletes across all sports and divisions. In recent years, the AAPI student-athlete population — 13,255 in 2022-23 — has witnessed consistent growth. This includes a 5% increase from the 2021-22 to 2022-23 academic years and a 53% increase from 2012-13 to 2022-23. 

Below is a snapshot of some figures from NCAA research's demographics dashboard and sports sponsorship and participation rates dashboard that show the type of growth that has occurred for AAPI student-athletes.

Sports witnessing the largest growth in AAPI student-athletes

Several men's and women's sports have witnessed significant AAPI student-athlete population growth in recent years. 

In terms of the largest increases in total AAPI student-athletes in men's sports, football added the most over the past 10 academic years at 318, followed by indoor track and field (305). On the women's side, golf was the top sport, adding 280 AAPI student-athletes over the past decade, followed by indoor track and field (218) and women's swimming and diving (194). 

The top three sports in terms of percentage increase of AAPI student-athletes are as follows over the past one, five and 10 years for men's and women's sports:

One-year span for men's sports: 

  1. Indoor track and field (21%).
  2. Baseball (19%).
  3. Outdoor track and field (14%). 

One-year span for women's sports:

  1. Rugby (34%)
  2. Beach volleyball (27%). 
  3. Gymnastics (13%). 

Five-year span for men's sports:

  1. Indoor track and field (70%).
  2. Baseball (55%).
  3. Outdoor track and field (55%).

Five-year span for women's sports:

  1. Bowling (100%).
  2. Gymnastics (69%).
  3. Ice hockey (56%). 

10-year span for men's sports:

  1. Wrestling (109%)
  2. Volleyball (101%).
  3. Indoor track and field (85%).

10-year span for women's sports:

  1. Beach volleyball (245%).
  2. Bowling (175%).
  3. Gymnastics (116%). 

Sports with the largest number of AAPI student-athletes

In 2022-23, the five men's sports with the largest number of AAPI student-athletes were:

  1. Football (1,243).
  2. Outdoor track and field (737).
  3. Indoor track and field (666).
  4. Soccer (640).
  5. Baseball (615). 

The five women's sports with the largest number of AAPI student-athletes in 2022-23 were: 

  1. Soccer (657).
  2. Swimming and diving (636). 
  3. Outdoor track and field (629). 
  4. Tennis (613) 
  5. Indoor track and field (581). 

Sports leading the way in AAPI student-athlete population percentage 

In 2022-23, AAPI student-athletes made up 28% of the total NCAA women's fencing population and 23% of the total men's fencing population, which were the highest percentages across all sports. 

Women's golf was the next highest, with AAPI student-athletes representing 10% of the population. Gymnastics (8%), tennis (7%) and rugby (7%) rounded out the top 5 highest AAPI student-athlete percentages on women's teams. 

On the men's side, AAPI student-athletes made up just under 10% of all gymnastics student-athletes, followed by 8% in tennis, 6% in swimming and diving, 5% in volleyball and 5% in rifle. 

Representation by division 

Each division has experienced an increase in AAPI student-athlete representation over the past decade. In 2022-23, AAPI student-athletes made up 3.04% of those competing in Division III.  That figure was 2.5% in Division I and 1.75% in Division II. 

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