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, Div. I schools must play 100% of the minimum number
of contests against Div. I opponents -- anything over the
minimum number of games has to be 50% Div. I. Men's and women's
basketball teams have to play all but two games against Div.
I teams, for men, they must play 1/3 of all their contests
in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified
as Div. I-A or I-AA. I-A football schools are usually fairly
elaborate programs. Div. I-A teams have to meet minimum attendance
requirements (17,000 people in attendance per home game, OR
20,000 average of all football games in the last four years
or, 30,000 permanent seats in their stadium and average 17,000
per home game or 20,000 average of all football games in the
last four years OR, be in a member conference in which at
least six conference members sponsor football or more than
half of football schools meet attendance criterion. Div. I-AA
teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements.
Div. I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for
their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid
awards for each sport that a Div. I school cannot exceed.
Division II
Division II institutions have to sponsor at least four sports
for men and four 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% of their games against
Div. II or I-A or 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 Div. 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.
