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	JoinedTemplate:Efn	Colors	Future conference
Template:SortTemplate:Efn	Bayamón, Puerto Rico	1971	PublicTemplate:Efn	2,967	Cowboys	?	Template:Color box Template:Color box Template:Color box
Template:SortTemplate:Efn	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico	1911	PublicTemplate:Efn	10,716	Bulldogs	?	Template:Color box Template:Color box
Template:SortTemplate:Efn	San Juan, Puerto Rico	1903	PublicTemplate:Efn	11,493	Gallitos & Jerezanas	?	Template:Color box Template:Color box
Template:Sort	Raleigh, North Carolina	1867	Episcopal	960	Falcons	2025Template:Efn	Template:Color box Template:Color box
Salem UniversityTemplate:Efn	Salem, West Virginia	1888	Private (For-profit)	894	Tigers	2010; 2016Template:Efn	Template:Color box Template:Color box

Notes

Former members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	JoinedTemplate:Efn	LeftTemplate:Efn	Colors	Current conference
Bluefield State UniversityTemplate:Efn	Bluefield, West Virginia	1895	Public Template:Small	1,246	Big Blue	2013	2023	Template:Color box Template:Color box	Central (CIAA)
Template:Sort	Denver, Colorado	1864	Nonsectarian	14,130	Pioneers	1990	1998	Template:College color boxes	SummitTemplate:Efn Template:Small
Emory & Henry UniversityTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn	Emory, Virginia	1836	Private	1,250	Wasps	2021	2022	Template:Color box Template:Color box	South Atlantic (SAC)
Oakland City University	Oakland City, Indiana	1885	Private	2,350	Mighty Oaks	2006	2020	Template:Color box Template:Color box Template:Color box	River States (RSC)Template:Efn
Template:Sort	Green Bay, Wisconsin	1965	Public	11,188	Phoenix	1973	1981	Template:College color boxes	HorizonTemplate:Efn
Template:Sort	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	1956	Public	22,481	Panthers	1964; 1987	1973; 1990	Template:College color boxes	HorizonTemplate:Efn
Wright State University	Fairborn, OhioTemplate:Efn	1964	Public	17,074	Raiders	1970	1987	Template:College color boxes	HorizonTemplate:Efn
Youngstown State University	Youngstown, Ohio	1908	Public	15,058	Penguins	1960	1981	Template:College color boxes	HorizonTemplate:Efn

Notes

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
Template:LeftUPR Bayamón		Template:Y	Template:Y		Template:Y	Template:Y			Template:Y		5
Template:LeftUPR Mayagüez		Template:Y	Template:Y			Template:Y		Template:Y	Template:Y		5
Template:LeftUPR Río Piedras		Template:Y	Template:Y			Template:Y		Template:Y	Template:Y		5
Template:LeftSaint Augustine's		Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y			Template:Y	Template:Y			5
Template:LeftSalem	Template:Y	Template:Y			Template:Y	Template: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
Template:LeftUPR Bayamón	Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y		Template:Y			Template:Y	5
Template:LeftUPR Mayagüez	Template:Y	Template:Y			Template:Y		Template:Y	Template:Y	5
Template:LeftUPR Río Piedras	Template:Y	Template:Y			Template:Y		Template:Y	Template:Y	5
Template:LeftSaint Augustine's	Template:Y	Template:Y		Template:Y		Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y	6
Template:LeftSalem	Template:Y		Template:Y	Template:Y	Template:Y			PBC	5

Other sponsored sports by school

School		Men			Women
		Swimming & diving	Water polo ‡		Swimming & diving	Water polo ‡
Template:LeftSalem		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.

Current members

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference
Northeastern State University<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>	Tahlequah, Oklahoma	RiverHawks	MIAA

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		Template:Y
Bluefield State University	Bluefield, West Virginia	Big Blue	CIAA		Template:Y
Edward Waters University	Jacksonville, Florida	Lady Tigers	SIAC		Template:Y
Template:Sort	Jamestown, North Dakota	Jimmies	NSIC	Template:Y
Shaw University	Raleigh, North Carolina	Bears	CIAA	Template:Y	Template:Y
Virginia State University	Ettrick, Virginia	Trojans	CIAA	Template:Y	Template: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
Felician University	Rutherford, New Jersey	Golden Falcons	CACC
Grand Valley State University	Allendale, Michigan	Lakers	GLIAC
Simon Fraser University	Burnaby, British Columbia	Red Leafs	GNAC

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		Template:Y
Daemen University	Amherst, New York	Wildcats	ECC	Template:Y
Post University	Waterbury, Connecticut	Eagles	CACC		Template:Y
Roberts Wesleyan University	Chili, New York	Redhawks	ECC	Template:Y
Template:Sort	Sparkill, New York	Spartans	ECC	Template: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
Template:Sort	Charleston, West Virginia	Golden Eagles	MEC
Franklin Pierce University	Rindge, New Hampshire	Ravens	Northeast-10
Template:Sort (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	Template:Y	Template: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	Template:Y
Colorado Mesa University	Grand Junction, Colorado	Mavericks	RMAC	Template:Y	Template:Y
Colorado State University Pueblo	Pueblo, Colorado	ThunderWolves	RMAC		Template:Y
Johnson C. Smith University	Charlotte, North Carolina	Golden Bulls	CIAA	Template:Y
Shaw University	Raleigh, North Carolina	Bears	CIAA	Template:Y
Virginia State University	Petersburg, Virginia	Trojans	CIAA	Template:Y

Sports not sponsored by D-II

Institution	Location	Nickname	Primary conference	Sport
Bluefield State University	Bluefield, West Virginia	Big Blue	CIAA	Template:Sortname
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	Template:Sortname
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	Template:Sortname
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)