What's the difference
between Divisions I, II and III?
Division I
Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for
men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team
sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each
gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport,
as well as scheduling criteria. For sports other than football and
basketball, Div. I schools must play 100% of the minimum number of
contests against Div. I opponents -- anything over the minimum number of
games has to be 50% Div. I. Men's and women's basketball teams have to
play all but two games against Div. I teams, for men, they must play 1/3
of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are
classified as Div. I-A or I-AA. I-A football schools are usually fairly
elaborate programs. Div. I-A teams have to meet minimum attendance
requirements (17,000 people in attendance per home game, OR 20,000 average
of all football games in the last four years or, 30,000 permanent seats in
their stadium and average 17,000 per home game or 20,000 average of all
football games in the last four years OR, be in a member conference in
which at least six conference members sponsor football or more than half
of football schools meet attendance criterion. Div. I-AA teams do not need
to meet minimum attendance requirements. Div. I schools must meet minimum
financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum
financial aid awards for each sport that a Div. I school cannot exceed.
Division II
Division II institutions have to sponsor at least four sports for men and
four for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing
season represented by each gender. There are contest and participant
minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria -- football and
men's and women's basketball teams must play at least 50% of their games
against Div. II or I-A or I-AA opponents. For sports other than football
and basketball there are no scheduling requirements. There are not
attendance requirements for football, or arena game requirements for
basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a
Div. II school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number
of local or in-state student-athletes. Many Division II student-athletes
pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student
loans and employment earnings. Division II athletics programs are financed
in the institution's budget like other academic departments on campus.
Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of
many Division II athletics programs.
Division III
Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and
five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing
season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and
participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics features
student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic
ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other
department in the university. Division III athletics departments place
special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather
than on the spectators. The student-athlete's experience is of paramount
concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the
number and variety of athletics opportunities available to students,
placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.
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