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Four-year institutions From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NCAA Division II independent schools are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, but do not belong to an established college athletic conference for a particular sport. These schools may however still compete as members of an athletic conference in other sports. A school may also be fully independent, and not belong to any athletic conference for any sport at all. The reason for independent status varies among institutions, but it is frequently because the school's primary athletic conference does not sponsor a particular sport.
Division II was created in 1973, at a time when the NCAA included dozens of independent members, plus members of conferences who played as independents in one or more sports. The trend toward consolidating the NCAA membership into conferences began in the late 1970s, and within a decade the number of independent programs declined dramatically. The lists below include only the small number of programs still functioning on an independent basis in recent years.
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Colors | Future conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón[lower-alpha 1] | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | 1971 | Public[lower-alpha 2] | 3,022 | Cowboys | ? | ||
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez[lower-alpha 1] | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 1911 | Public[lower-alpha 2] | 12,126 | Bulldogs | ? | ||
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras[lower-alpha 1] | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1903 | Public[lower-alpha 2] | 13,226 | Gallitos & Jerezanas |
? | ||
Salem University | Salem, West Virginia | 1888 | Private (For-profit) |
991 | Tigers | 2010; 2016[lower-alpha 3] |
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Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Colors | Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bluefield State University[lower-alpha 1] | Bluefield, West Virginia | 1895 | Public (HBCU) |
1,246 | Big Blue | 2013 | 2023 | Central (CIAA) | |
Emory & Henry College[lower-alpha 2] | Emory, Virginia | 1836 | Private | 1,250 | Wasps | 2021 | 2022 | South Atlantic (SAC) | |
Oakland City University | Oakland City, Indiana | 1885 | Private | 2,350 | Mighty Oaks | 2006 | 2020 | River States (RSC)[lower-alpha 3] |
Departing members in pink.
School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross country |
Soccer | Tennis | Track & field outdoor |
Volleyball | Wrestling | Total IND sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UPR Bayamón | ![]() |
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5 | |||
UPR Mayagüez | ![]() |
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6 | ||
UPR Río Piedras | ![]() |
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5 | |||
Salem | ![]() |
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5 |
Departing members in pink.
School | Basketball | Cross country |
Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & field outdoor |
Volleyball | Total IND sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UPR Bayamón | ![]() |
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5 | ||
UPR Mayagüez | ![]() |
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5 | ||
UPR Río Piedras | ![]() |
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5 | ||
Salem | ![]() |
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5 |
Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport (Salem), since they have been listed before.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|
Bluefield State University | Bluefield, West Virginia | Big Blue | CIAA |
Virginia State University | Ettrick, Virginia | Trojans | CIAA |
Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport, since they have been listed before. Shorter will move its football program to its full-time home of Conference Carolinas once that league begins sponsoring football in 2025.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|
Northeastern State University[1] | Tahlequah, Oklahoma | RiverHawks | MIAA |
Shorter University | Rome, Georgia | Hawks | Carolinas |
Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport (UPR Bayamón and Salem men's soccer and UPR Bayamón, UPR Río Piedras and Salem women's soccer), since they have been listed before.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
(M) | (W) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allen University | Columbia, South Carolina | Yellow Jackets | SIAC | ![]() | |
Bluefield State University | Bluefield, West Virginia | Big Blue | CIAA | ![]() | |
Edward Waters University | Jacksonville, Florida | Lady Tigers | SIAC | ![]() | |
Shaw University | Raleigh, North Carolina | Bears | CIAA | ![]() |
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Virginia State University | Ettrick, Virginia | Trojans | CIAA | ![]() |
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Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport, since they have been listed before.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
(M) | (W) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dominican University of California | San Rafael, California | Penguins | PacWest | ![]() | |
Virginia State University | Ettrick, Virginia | Trojans | CIAA | ![]() |
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Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport (Salem and UPR Mayagüez), since they have been listed before.
Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport, since they have been listed before.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
(M) | (W) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bluefield State University | Bluefield, West Virginia | Big Blue | CIAA | ![]() | |
Daemen University | Amherst, New York | Wildcats | ECC | ![]() |
|
Thomas Jefferson University (Jefferson) |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Rams | CACC | ![]() | |
Post University | Waterbury, Connecticut | Eagles | CACC | ![]() | |
Roberts Wesleyan University | Chili, New York | Redhawks | ECC | ![]() |
|
St. Thomas Aquinas College | Sparkill, New York | Spartans | ECC | ![]() |
Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport, since they have been listed before.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|
Assumption University | Worcester, Massachusetts | Greyhounds | Northeast-10 |
University of Charleston | Charleston, West Virginia | Golden Eagles | MEC |
Franklin Pierce University | Rindge, New Hampshire | Ravens | Northeast-10 |
Thomas Jefferson University (Jefferson) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Rams | CACC |
Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport, since they have been listed before.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
(M) | (W) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roberts Wesleyan University | North Chili, New York | Redhawks | ECC | ![]() |
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Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport (all of them in men's & women's tennis), since they have been listed before.
Institution | Location | Nickname | Primary conference |
(M) | (W) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bluefield State University | Bluefield, West Virginia | Big Blue | CIAA | ![]() |
|
Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo, Colorado | ThunderWolves | RMAC | ![]() | |
Johnson C. Smith University | Charlotte, North Carolina | Golden Bulls | CIAA | ![]() |
|
Shaw University | Raleigh, North Carolina | Bears | CIAA | ![]() |
|
Virginia State University | Petersburg, Virginia | Trojans | CIAA | ![]() |
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