NCAA Division II independent schools

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.

Full independents

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.

Current members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined^[a]
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón^[b]	Bayamón, Puerto Rico	1971	Public^[c]	3,022	Cowboys	?
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez^[b]	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico	1911	Public^[c]	12,126	Bulldogs	?
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras^[b]	San Juan, Puerto Rico	1903	Public^[c]	13,226	Jerezanas	?
Salem University^[d]	Salem, West Virginia	1888	Private (For-profit)	991	Tigers	2010; 2016^[e]

Notes

^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ ^a ^b ^c Also competing as a full member of the Inter-university Athletic League of Puerto Rico (a.k.a. Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico or LAI).
^ ^a ^b ^c Part of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) System.
^ For the 2023–24 and the 2024–25 school years, Salem entered into a non-conference scheduling agreement with the Mountain East Conference for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, and women’s volleyball.^[1]
^ Salem left the Independent ranks after the 2012–13 school year; before re-joining in the 2016–17 school year.

Former members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined^[a]	Left^[b]	Current conference
Bluefield State University^[c]	Bluefield, West Virginia	1895	Public (HBCU)	1,246	Big Blue	2013	2023	Central (CIAA)
Emory & Henry University^[d]^[e]	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)^[f]

Notes

^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
^ Formerly known as Bluefield State College until 2023.
^ Formerly an NCAA Division III school.
^ Formerly known as Emory & Henry College until 2024.
^ Currently an NAIA athletic conference.

Men's sponsored sports by school

Departing members in pink.

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross country	Soccer	Tennis	Track & field outdoor	Volleyball	Wrestling	Total IND sports
UPR Bayamón		Y	Y	Y	Y		Y		5
UPR Mayagüez		Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	6
UPR Río Piedras		Y	Y		Y	Y	Y		5
Salem	Y	Y		Y	Y			MEC	5

Women's sponsored sports by school

Departing members in pink.

School	Basketball	Cross country	Soccer	Softball	Tennis	Track & field outdoor	Volleyball	Total IND sports
UPR Bayamón	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	5
UPR Mayagüez	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y	5
UPR Río Piedras	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	5
Salem	Y		Y	Y	Y		Y	5

Other sponsored sports by school

School		Men			Women
School		Swimming & diving	Water polo ^‡		Swimming & diving	Water polo ^‡
Salem		MEC	WWPA		MEC	WWPA

^‡ — D-I sport

Baseball independents

Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport (Salem), since they have been listed before.

Current members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference
Bluefield State University	Bluefield, West Virginia	Big Blue	CIAA
Virginia State University	Ettrick, Virginia	Trojans	CIAA

Football independents

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.

Current members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference
Northeastern State University^[2]	Tahlequah, Oklahoma	RiverHawks	MIAA
Shorter University	Rome, Georgia	Hawks	Carolinas

Soccer independents

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.

Current members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference	(M)	(W)
Allen University	Columbia, South Carolina	Yellow Jackets	SIAC		Y
Bluefield State University	Bluefield, West Virginia	Big Blue	CIAA		Y
Edward Waters University	Jacksonville, Florida	Lady Tigers	SIAC		Y
Shaw University	Raleigh, North Carolina	Bears	CIAA	Y	Y
Virginia State University	Ettrick, Virginia	Trojans	CIAA	Y	Y

Lacrosse independents

Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport, since they have been listed before.

Current members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference	(M)	(W)
Virginia State University	Ettrick, Virginia	Trojans	CIAA	Y	Y

Wrestling independents

Does not include all-sports independent teams that sponsor the sport (UPR Mayagüez), since they have been listed before.

Current members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference
American International College	Springfield, Massachusetts	Yellow Jackets	Northeast-10
Felician University	Rutherford, New Jersey	Golden Falcons	CACC
Grand Valley State University	Allendale, Michigan	Lakers	GLIAC

Other sports

Golf

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		Y
Daemen University	Amherst, New York	Wildcats	ECC	Y
Thomas Jefferson University (Jefferson)	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Rams	CACC		Y
Post University	Waterbury, Connecticut	Eagles	CACC		Y
Roberts Wesleyan University	Chili, New York	Redhawks	ECC	Y
St. Thomas Aquinas College	Sparkill, New York	Spartans	ECC	Y

Rowing

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

Swimming & diving

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	Y	Y

Tennis

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	Y
Colorado State University Pueblo	Pueblo, Colorado	ThunderWolves	RMAC		Y
Johnson C. Smith University	Charlotte, North Carolina	Golden Bulls	CIAA	Y
Shaw University	Raleigh, North Carolina	Bears	CIAA	Y
Virginia State University	Petersburg, Virginia	Trojans	CIAA	Y

Sports not sponsored by D-II

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference	Sport
Bluefield State University	Bluefield, West Virginia	Big Blue	CIAA	Acrobatics & tumbling
California State University, Los Angeles	Los Angeles, California	Golden Eagles	CCAA	Beach volleyball
Chaminade University of Honolulu	Honolulu, Hawaii	Silverswords	PacWest	Beach volleyball
Coker University	Hartsville, South Carolina	Cobras	SAC	Men's volleyball
Colorado Mesa University	Grand Junction, Colorado	Mavericks	RMAC	Beach volleyball
Concordia University–Irvine	Irvine, California	Eagles	PacWest	Beach volleyball
Hawaii Pacific University	Honolulu, Hawaii	Sharks	PacWest	Beach volleyball
Lincoln Memorial University	Harrogate, Tennessee	Railsplitters	SAC	Men's volleyball
Maryville University	Town and Country, Missouri	Saints	GLVC^[a]	Men's volleyball
McKendree University	Lebanon, Illinois	Bearcats	GLVC	Beach volleyball
Missouri University of Science and Technology	Rolla, Missouri	Miners	GLVC^[a]	Men's volleyball
Rockhurst University	Kansas City, Missouri	Hawks	GLVC^[a]	Men's volleyball
Roosevelt University	Chicago, Illinois	Lakers	GLIAC^[b]	Men's volleyball
Southwest Baptist University	Bolivar, Missouri	Bearcats	GLVC	Beach volleyball
Spring Hill College	Mobile, Alabama	Badgers	SIAC	Beach volleyball
Texas A&M University–Kingsville	Kingsville, Texas	Javelinas	LSC	Beach volleyball
Thomas More University	Crestview Hills, Kentucky	Saints	G-MAC^[b]	Men's volleyball
Tusculum University	Tusculum, Tennessee	Pioneers	SAC	Men's volleyball
Vanguard University	Costa Mesa, California	Lions	PacWest	Beach volleyball
Wayne State College	Wayne, Nebraska	Wildcats	NSIC	Beach volleyball

^ ^a ^b ^c The Great Lakes Valley Conference adds men's volleyball in the 2025–26 school year.
^ ^a ^b Roosevelt and Thomas More will become affiliates of the Great Lakes Valley Conference for that conference's first men's volleyball season in the 2025–26 school year.

References

^ "MEC Adds Salem as Associate Member in Wrestling, Swimming". Mountain East Conference. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^ "MIAA makes changes to Football lineup" (Press release). Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.

[1] Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

[LAI-2] Also competing as a full member of the Inter-university Athletic League of Puerto Rico (a.k.a. Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico or LAI).

[UPR-3] Part of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) System.

[5] For the 2023–24 and the 2024–25 school years, Salem entered into a non-conference scheduling agreement with the Mountain East Conference for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, and women’s volleyball.^[1]

[6] Salem left the Independent ranks after the 2012–13 school year; before re-joining in the 2016–17 school year.

[7] Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

[8] Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.

[9] Formerly known as Bluefield State College until 2023.

[10] Formerly an NCAA Division III school.

[11] Formerly known as Emory & Henry College until 2024.

[NAIA-12] Currently an NAIA athletic conference.

[GLVC-14] The Great Lakes Valley Conference adds men's volleyball in the 2025–26 school year.

[GLVCMVBaff-15] Roosevelt and Thomas More will become affiliates of the Great Lakes Valley Conference for that conference's first men's volleyball season in the 2025–26 school year.

[4] "MEC Adds Salem as Associate Member in Wrestling, Swimming". Mountain East Conference. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.

[13] "MIAA makes changes to Football lineup" (Press release). Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.

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v t e NCAA Division II Independents
All-sports	UPR Bayamón Cowboys UPR Mayagüez Bulldogs UPR Río Piedras Gallitos & Jerezanas Tigers
Football	Northeastern State Post
Lacrosse	Wheeling Women — Wheeling
Soccer	Women — Bluefield State Shaw
Tennis	Bluefield State Johnson C. Smith Shaw Virginia State
Wrestling	American International Ashland Findlay Lake Erie Shorter Tiffin

v t e NCAA Division II football conferences
Super Region 1	Great Midwest Athletic Conference Mountain East Conference Northeast-10 Conference Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Super Region 2	Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference Carolinas (starting in 2025) Gulf South Conference South Atlantic Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Super Region 3	Great American Conference Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Super Region 4	Lone Star Conference Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Division II	Independents
NCAA	Conferences Institutions Bowl Games )

Full independents

Current members

Former members

Men's sponsored sports by school

Women's sponsored sports by school

Other sponsored sports by school

Baseball independents

Current members

Football independents

Current members

Soccer independents

Current members

Lacrosse independents

Current members

Wrestling independents

Current members

Other sports

Golf

Rowing

Swimming & diving

Tennis

Sports not sponsored by D-II

See also

References