NCAA Division II

NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment offered in Division III. Before 1973, the NCAA's smaller schools were grouped together in the College Division. In 1973, the College Division split in two when the NCAA began using numeric designations for its competitions. The College Division members who wanted to offer athletic scholarships or compete against those who did became Division II, while those who chose not to offer athletic scholarships became Division III. Nationally, ESPN2 and ESPN+ televises the championship game in football, CBS and Paramount+ televises the men's basketball championship, and ESPN+ televises both the women's basketball and women's volleyball championships. The official slogan of NCAA Division II, implemented in 2015, is "Make It Yours." The NCAA argues that Division II offers a "balanced" approach to student athletics, providing a high level of competition with regional championships that require less travel and cost and more access to championships than the other divisions. For athletes, Division II mandates a mandatory day off from athletic activities per week; this requirement was eliminated from Division I in 2018.