NCAA Division II independent schools

Map of full 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]	Colors	Future conference
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón [b]	Bayamón, Puerto Rico	1971	Public [c]	2,967	Cowboys	?
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez [b]	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico	1911	Public [c]	10,716	Bulldogs	?
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras [b]	San Juan, Puerto Rico	1903	Public [c]	11,493	Gallitos & Jerezanas	?
Saint Augustine's University	Raleigh, North Carolina	1867	Episcopal	960	Falcons	2025 [d]
Salem University [e]	Salem, West Virginia	1888	Private (For-profit)	894	Tigers	2010; 2016 [f]

Notes

1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
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).
3. Part of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) System.
4. Saint Augustine's CIAA membership was suspended for the 2024–25 school year before being terminated beginning with the 2025–26 school year.
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.

Former members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined [a]	Left [b]	Colors	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]
University of Wisconsin–Green Bay	Green Bay, Wisconsin	1965	Public	11,188	Phoenix	1973	1981		Horizon [g]
Youngstown State University	Youngstown, Ohio	1908	Public	15,058	Penguins	1960	1981		Horizon [g]

Notes

1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
2. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
3. Formerly known as Bluefield State College until 2023.
4. Formerly an NCAA Division III school.
5. Formerly known as Emory & Henry College until 2024.
6. Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
7. Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.

Men's sponsored sports by school

Departing members in pink.

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross country	Golf	Soccer	Tennis	Track & field indoor	Track & field outdoor	Volleyball	Wrestling	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
Saint Augustine's		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 indoor	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
Saint Augustine's	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y	Y	6
Salem	Y		Y	Y	Y			PBC	5

Other sponsored sports by school

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

• ^‡ — D-I sport

Baseball independents

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

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

Football independents

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.

Current members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference
Northeastern State University [2]	Tahlequah, Oklahoma	RiverHawks	MIAA

Soccer independents

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

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
University of Jamestown	Jamestown, North Dakota	Jimmies	NSIC	Y
Shaw University	Raleigh, North Carolina	Bears	CIAA	Y	Y
Virginia State University	Ettrick, Virginia	Trojans	CIAA	Y	Y

Wrestling independents

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

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference
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
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

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
McKendree University	Lebanon, Illinois	Bearcats	GLVC	Beach 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
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

See also

• NCAA Division I independent schools
• NCAA Division III independent schools
• NAIA independent schools
• NCAA independent schools (lacrosse)

References

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.