Participation in college athletics has risen nearly 21% in the past decade
As we honor the ancestry, diverse cultures and contributions of the American Indian and Alaska Native communities during National Native American Heritage Month, the NCAA proudly recognizes their impact on college athletics.
The number of Native American student-athletes participating in college sports has increased nearly 21% over the past decade. In 2025-26, there were a total of 2,281 Native American student-athletes across all three NCAA divisions, exceeding the overall student-athlete growth rate of 15% during the same time period.
Among the three divisions, Division II had the most Native American student-athletes in 2025-26, with 885.
- Division III: 744.
- Division I: 652.
Football (409) was the men’s sport with the most Native American student-athletes last year, followed by:
- Baseball: 175.
- Outdoor track and field: 153.
- Indoor track and field: 151.
Softball (176) was the top sport among Native American women, followed by:
- Basketball: 102.
- Outdoor track and field: 99.
- Indoor track and field: 88.
Wrestling remained the men’s sport with the highest percentage of Native American student-athletes at 0.75%, followed by:
- Lacrosse: 0.56%.
- Golf: 0.55%.
- Football: 0.49%.
The women’s sport with the highest percentage of Native American student-athletes in 2025-26 was ice hockey at 0.94%, followed by:
- Softball: 0.80%.
- Wrestling: 0.63%.
- Basketball: 0.63%.
Data note: “Native American” refers to student-athletes reported in NCAA demographics and research data by each NCAA school as American Indian/Alaska Native.
