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NCAA Division II independent schools

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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.

Map of full NCAA Division II Independent schools

Full independents

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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

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Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Future
conference
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón[a] Bayamón, Puerto Rico 1971 Public[b] 3,022 Cowboys ?      
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez[a] Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 1911 Public[b] 12,126 Bulldogs ?    
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras[a] San Juan, Puerto Rico 1903 Public[b] 13,226 Gallitos &
Jerezanas 		?    
Salem University[c] Salem, West Virginia 1888 Private
(For-profit) 		991 Tigers 2010;
2016[d] 		   
Notes
  1. ^ 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).
  2. ^ a b c Part of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) System.
  3. ^ For the 2024-25 athletic season, 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]
  4. ^ Salem left the Independent ranks after the 2012–13 school year; before re-joining in the 2016–17 school year.

Former members

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Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Colors Current
conference
Bluefield State University[a] Bluefield, West Virginia 1895 Public
(HBCU) 		1,246 Big Blue 2013 2023     Central (CIAA)
Emory & Henry College[b] 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)[c]
Notes
  1. ^ Formerly known as Bluefield State College until 2023.
  2. ^ Formerly an NCAA Division III school.
  3. ^ Currently an NAIA athletic conference.

Men's sponsored sports by school

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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

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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

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School Men Women
Swimming
& diving 		Water
polo ‡ 		Swimming
& diving 		Water
polo ‡
Salem MEC WWPA MEC WWPA
  • ‡ — D-I sport

Baseball independents

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See also: List of NCAA Division II baseball programs

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

Current members

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

Football independents

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See also: List of NCAA Division II football programs

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

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

Soccer independents

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See also: List of NCAA Division II men's soccer programs and List of NCAA Division II women's soccer programs

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

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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

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See also: List of NCAA Division II lacrosse programs

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

Current members

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

Wrestling independents

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See also: List of NCAA Division II wrestling programs

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

Current members

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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

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Golf

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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)
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

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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
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

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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)
Roberts Wesleyan University North Chili, New York Redhawks ECC  Y  Y

Tennis

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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  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

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See also: List of NCAA Division II institutions with sports not in 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
  1. ^ a b c The Great Lakes Valley Conference adds men's volleyball in the 2025–26 school year.
  2. ^ 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.

See also

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References

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