The phrase “Life in the Balance” shows up frequently in Division II materials. It’s not just a mantra, but a way of life for Division II members who believe that a balanced approach is the best for the student-athlete college experience.

The motto emerged in the mid-2000s when the division – as a way to encourage membership growth – sought to better define itself among the menu of intercollegiate options for prospective student-athletes, as well as for current student-athletes and the thousands of administrators, coaches and staff at DII schools.

In 2006, Division II adopted a “strategic-positioning platform” after surveying stakeholders to determine the division’s unique qualities and characteristics. Institutional and conference administrators, student-athletes, and a sample of the general public recognized as college sports fans all were asked to respond to the question: “What makes Division II unique?”

Six key attributes emerged from that analysis and now define the unique nature of Division II: Learning, Service, Passion, Sportsmanship, Resourcefulness and Balance. And because of its six-sided shape, the hexagon was adopted to graphically represent the collection of attributes.

“Life in the Balance” defines the philosophical foundation that represents the Division II story. It captures multiple facets of the Division II student-athlete experience: comprehensive learning and academic development, high-level athletics competition, and community engagement.

Division II’s current strategic plan outlines the key initiatives to help sustain the platform as a critical element to its long-term success. A set of action goals tracks Division II performance in five areas: Academic and Life Skills, Athletics Operations and Compliance, Game Day and Conference and National Championships, Membership and Positioning Initiatives, and Diversity and Inclusion.

Just as the platform development process in 2005-06 was driven by quantitative research, the ability of an institution to achieve these action goals is guided by standards of performance and metrics. The strategic plan provides Division II institutions with the tools to measure their progress in achieving budget and planning initiatives.

Membership census results from 2013 and 2018 showed continued support for “Life in the Balance” as the right philosophy for intercollegiate athletics at the Division II level.