Ncaa Division Ii Independent Schools
NCAA Division II independent schools are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA Division II level, but do not belong to an established 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 | Colors | Future conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | 1971 | Public | 3,022 | Cowboys | ? | ||
| University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 1911 | Public | 12,126 | Bulldogs | ? | ||
| University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1903 | Public | 13,226 | Gallitos & Jerezanas | ? | ||
| Salem University | Salem, West Virginia | 1888 | Private (For-profit) | 991 | Tigers | 2010; 2016 |
- Notes
Former members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Colors | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield State University | Bluefield, West Virginia | 1895 | Public (HBCU) | 1,246 | Big Blue | 2013 | 2023 | Central (CIAA) | |
| Emory & Henry College | 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) |
- Notes
