Divisional Differences and the History of Multidivision Classification (2024)

Divisional Differences and the History of Multidivision Classification

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, Division I schools must play 100 percent of the minimum number of contests against Division I opponents -- anything over the minimum number of games has to be 50 percent Division I. Men's and women's basketball teams have to play all but two games against Division I teams; for men, they must play one-third of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified as Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Football Bowl Subdivision schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Football Bowl Subdivision teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (average 15,000 people in actual or paid attendance per home game), which must be met once in a rolling two-year period. NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements. Division I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed.

Division II

Division II institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, (or four for men and six 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 percent of their games against Division II or Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division 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 Division 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.

Historical Outline of Multidivision Classification

1973

Reorganization of the NCAA was approved at the Association's first Special Convention.
The membership was divided into three divisions for competition and legislative purposes.
An institution in Division II or III may elect to participate in Division I in one sport, other than football or basketball and must abide by the Division I bylaws governing the sport, even though their membership rests in another division.
Institutions, which elect Division III, could award any number of grants-in-aid, but athletics ability could not be taken into consideration.

1981

Adoptedby all divisions to permit a member of Division II or III to petition to be classified in Division I in any one men's sport, other than football or basketball, and in any one women's sport.

1983

Adoptedby Divisions I and III to require a Division III member institution that has a sport classified in Division I to apply the rules of both divisions to the sport, or the more stringent rule if both divisions have a rule concerning the same topic. The Division III Steering Committee may approve exceptions to the application of the Division III regulations to a sport at an institution that was a member of Division III and had the sport classified in Division I during the 1982-83 academic year.

1985

Defeated(approved by Divisions I and II, defeated by Division III; approval by all divisions necessary) to permit a Division II member to petition to be classified in Division III in a sport if there is a Division III championship in that sport, but no Division II championship.
Adoptedby all divisions to eliminate the opportunities for a Division I member to have a women's sport classified in Division II or III and a Division II member to have a women's sport classified in Division III. Effective September 1, 1986
Adoptedby all divisions to provide the Division III Steering Committee with the authority to approve exceptions to the Division III financial aid regulations for a sport classified in Division I for one sex at a Division III institution that already has obtained an exception for a sport classified in Division I for the opposite sex.

1987

Defeatedby all divisions to eliminate multidivision classification of sports for all Division III members and to prohibit Division I and Division II institutions from being classified in football or other sports in Division III.
Defeated(defeated by Divisions I and II; no vote declared in Division III, but approval of all divisions necessary) to prohibit Division I and Division II institutions from being classified in football and other sports in Division III.

1991

Adoptedby all three divisions to prohibit institutions from classifying its women's athletics program in a division other than the institution's membership division and to permit institutions currently using this opportunity to continue to do so, subject to Council review every three years.
Adoptedby all three divisions to prohibit a Division II or III member institution from classifying its women's basketball program in Division I.
Defeated(defeated by Division II; approved by Divisions I and III, but approval of all divisions necessary) to prohibit a Division II or III member institution from being classified in Division I in one sport for men and/or one sport for women, and to permit the Division I Steering Committee and applicable Division I member institutions to approve exceptions to this requirement.
Adoptedby all three divisions to permit a member institution to petition to be classified in a division other than its membership division in a sport in which the only NCAA Championships opportunity is a National Collegiate Championship for which all divisions are eligible.
Adoptedby all three divisions to prohibit a member of Division I from being classified in Division II or III in football and to prohibit a member of Division II from being classified in Division III in football. Effective September 1, 1993.

1994

Adoptedby Divisions I and III to permit a member institution that has a sport classified in Division I to apply the rules of both divisions, or the more stringent rule if both divisions have a rule concerning the same issue except that in either instance, the institution may apply the Division I playing and practice season regulations of Bylaw 17 in the Division I.
Staff Interpretation.A Division III institution that conducts a sport classified in Division I and meets the criteria for a waiver per NCAA Bylaw 20.6.1.2.1 (waivers), may not provide athletically related financial aid to a student-athlete in that sport if the student-athlete participated in another sport at that institution during the same academic year.

FAQs

Divisional Differences and the History of Multidivision Classification? ›

Essentially, all of the differences between D1, D2, and D3 are in terms of intensity and competitiveness. D1 is the most competitive and intense, while D3 is the least. D1 athletes' college experience will be defined by their athletics.

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What does D1 D2 D3 mean in high school sports? ›

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What does D1 mean in high school? ›

The Difference Between D1, D2, and D2 Schools

D1 consists of the largest schools that also have big budgets to support their athletic programs. It is considered to be the most competitive division with the best athletes and teams. There is a separation within Division 1 as well.

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What's the difference between Division 1 2 and 3 high schools? ›

There are an average of 18 sports at Division I schools and 15 at Division II schools. Division III offers no athletic scholarships, tends to have the lowest level of competition, but the highest number of participants across all divisions. Division III schools offer an average of 18 sports per school.

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When did FBS and FCS split? ›

This split happened in 1978, when Division I-A and Division I-AA were created. In 2006, those subdivisions were renamed. The higher level, Division I-A, became the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the lower level, Division I-AA, became the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

How do you tell if a school is D1 or D2? ›

D2 schools differ from D1 schools in that they are usually slightly smaller universities. Compared to D1 and D3, D2 has the fewest number of schools with only about 300 colleges. Their programs still cover a variety of sports, however, and D2 schools compete against regional rivals instead of national competitors.

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What is the difference between D1 and D3 sports? ›

The Biggest Difference Between D1 and D3 Athletics

You might be aware that D1 schools can offer athletic scholarships. And D3 schools can only offer financial assistance and merit aid. That's the biggest difference in terms of technicalities, but I would argue it's not that big of a factor at all.

What does D1 mean in high school sports? ›

What does D1 mean? D1 stands for Division 1. It is the toughest division to get into and compete in. If you are on the roster of a Division 1 team, you are a Division 1 athlete. It's considered the most challenging division because you spend most of your time training at the gym or practicing.

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What does D1 ranking mean? ›

NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally.

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How high does your GPA have to be to go D1? ›

To study and compete at a Division I school, you must earn 16 NCAA-approved core-course credits, earn a minimum 2.3 core-course GPA and submit your final transcript with proof of graduation to the Eligibility Center. NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

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Why don t d3 schools offer athletic scholarships? ›

Division III programs do not offer athletic scholarships because they emphasize a well-rounded, balanced college experience as opposed to one heavily focused on athletics.

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Can d3 schools give full ride scholarships? ›

NCAA divisions

Just 85 full ride scholarships are available to NCAA D1 universities annually. Fewer still are on offer to D2 colleges. Division 3 includes 432 schools, but these institutions do not offer college athletic scholarships.

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Can Division 3 schools give scholarships? ›

While Division III doesn't specifically dole out athletic scholarships, they absolutely can help student-athletes pay for their college costs — if not all — through merit-based scholarships and grants.

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Why is FBS better than FCS? ›

FBS schools are typically much larger than FCS schools, both in terms of student population and their athletics budget. Because of this, FBS schools are able to offer additional scholarships and provide better facilities for their program. They also tend to have more experienced coaches and more competitive schedules.

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Why did Division 1 football split? ›

The subdivision split traces its roots to 1978, when Division 1 football was split into two subdivisions, 1-A and 1-AA. The main driver of this split was that the smaller D1 schools couldn't keep up with the largely developed football programs of the largest D1 schools.

What FBS teams never played FCS? ›

USC football is soon to be the only FBS program in the country to never play an FCS team. UCLA had already scheduled an FCS game for the future, and Notre Dame has now done it for 2023.

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What is a D3 athlete in high school? ›

D3, in general, provides a student-athlete with a “normal” college experience while allowing them to still compete in athletics. It's also common for non-athletes to make their college decision based on a school's sports program.

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Is D2 or D3 better sports? ›

Division III: A well-rounded college experience

If you want to focus on academics as much as your sport, a D3 program is your best bet. This doesn't mean you don't train or practice. But it's less demanding and intense than it would be at a D1 or D2 school. Academics are just as important as athletics in a D3 school.

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What does D1 and D2 mean in sports? ›

D1: The best athletes and teams with the most pro players come from this division. D2: A step below D1, but still have some really good athletes and a handful of teams that can compete with low level D1's.

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What does D1 D2 D3 d4 mean in sports? ›

D1 is the highest division and has teams from large public universities. D2 has many solid schools with smaller budgets, but they are not as big as some of the other conferences. D3 is made up of private universities with fairly low budgets- usually around $25 million or less per school.

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