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.

Map of full NCAA Division II Independent schools

Full independents

Current members
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Future
conference
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón[lower-alpha 1] Bayamón, Puerto Rico 1971 Public 5,014 Cowboys  ?      
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez[lower-alpha 1] Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 1911 Public 12,079 Bulldogs  ?    
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras[lower-alpha 1] San Juan, Puerto Rico 1903 Public 15,186 Gallitos &
Jerezanas		  ?    
Salem University[lower-alpha 2] Salem, West Virginia 1888 Private
(For-profit)		 835 Tigers 2010;
2016[lower-alpha 3]		    
Notes
  1. Full member of the Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico.
  2. For the 2023-24 athletic season, 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]
  3. Salem left the Independent ranks after the 2012–13 school year; before re-joining back in the 2016–17 school year.

Former members
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Colors Current
conference
Bluefield State University[lower-alpha 1] 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)
Notes
  1. Formerly known as Bluefield State College until 2023.

Men's sponsored sports by school

Departing members in pink.

School Baseball Basketball Cross
country		 Soccer Tennis Track
& field
outdoor		 Volleyball Wrestling Total
IND
sports
UPR Bayamón Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
UPR Mayagüez Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
UPR Río Piedras Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
Salem Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6

Women's sponsored sports by school

Departing members in pink.

School Basketball Cross
country		 Soccer Softball Tennis Track
& field
outdoor		 Volleyball Total
IND
sports
UPR Bayamón Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
UPR Mayagüez Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
UPR Río Piedras Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
Salem Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7

Other sponsored sports by school
School Men Women
Swimming
& diving		 Water
polo ‡		 Swimming
& diving		 Water
polo ‡
Salem CC WWPA CC 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 member
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. Post will join the Northeast-10 Conference as an affiliate for football and Lincoln will join the Great Lakes Valley Conference, both effective for the 2024 season.

Current members
Institution Location Nickname Primary
conference
Lincoln University[lower-alpha 1] Jefferson City, Missouri Blue Tigers MIAA
Post University Waterbury, Connecticut Eagles CACC
  1. Although Lincoln will be playing nearly a full MIAA schedule in 2023, all games played against Lincoln will be counted as non-conference, and Lincoln will not be included in MIAA football standings.[2]

Future member
Institution Location Nickname Primary
conference
Shorter University Rome, Georgia Hawks Carolinas (2024)

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 Green tickY
Bluefield State University Bluefield, West Virginia Big Blue CIAA Green tickY
Edward Waters University Jacksonville, Florida Lady Tigers SIAC Green tickY
Shaw University Raleigh, North Carolina Bears CIAA Green tickY Green tickY

Lacrosse independents
See also: List of NCAA Division II lacrosse 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		 (M) (W)
Dominican University of California San Rafael, California Penguins PacWest Green tickY Green tickY
Virginia State University Ettrick, Virginia Trojans CIAA Green tickY Green tickY

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
American International College Springfield, Massachusetts Yellow Jackets Northeast-10
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 Green tickY
Daemen University Amherst, New York Wildcats ECC Green tickY
Thomas Jefferson University
(Jefferson)		 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rams CACC Green tickY
Post University Waterbury, Connecticut Eagles CACC Green tickY
Roberts Wesleyan University Chili, New York Redhawks ECC Green tickY
St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, New York Spartans ECC Green tickY

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
Mercyhurst University Erie, Pennsylvania Lakers PSAC

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 Green tickY Green tickY

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 Green tickY
Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, Colorado ThunderWolves RMAC Green tickY
Johnson C. Smith University Charlotte, North Carolina Golden Bulls CIAA Green tickY
Shaw University Raleigh, North Carolina Bears CIAA Green tickY
Virginia State University Petersburg, Virginia Trojans CIAA Green tickY

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
Women's wrestling
California State University, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Golden Eagles CCAA Beach volleyball
Carson–Newman University Jefferson City, Tennessee Eagles SAC Beach volleyball
Catawba College Salisbury, North Carolina Catawba Indians SAC 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
Eckerd College St. Petersburg, Florida Tritons SSC Beach volleyball
Erskine College Due West, South Carolina Flying Fleet Carolinas Beach volleyball
Emmanuel College Franklin Springs, Georgia Lions Carolinas Women's wrestling[lower-alpha 1]
Emory and Henry College Emory, Virginia Wasps SAC Women's wrestling[lower-alpha 1]
Florida Southern College Lakeland, Florida Moccasins SSC Beach volleyball
King University Bristol, Tennessee Tornado Carolinas Women's wrestling[lower-alpha 1]
Limestone University Gaffney, South Carolina Saints SAC Men's volleyball
Women's wrestling[lower-alpha 1]
Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, Tennessee Railsplitters SAC Beach volleyball
Men's volleyball
Women's wrestling[lower-alpha 1]
Maryville University Town and Country, Missouri Saints GLVC Men's volleyball
Missouri University of Science and Technology
(Missouri S&T)		 Rolla, Missouri Miners GLVC Men's volleyball
University of Mount Olive Mount Olive Trojans Carolinas Women's wrestling[lower-alpha 1]
Oklahoma Christian University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Eagles & Lady Eagles LSC Women's bowling
Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, Florida Sailfish SSC Beach volleyball
Saint Leo University St. Leo, Florida Lions SSC Beach volleyball
Spring Hill College Mobile, Alabama Badgers SIAC Beach volleyball
University of Tampa Tampa, Florida Spartans SSC Beach volleyball
Texas A&M University–Kingsville Kingsville, Texas Javelinas LSC Beach volleyball
Tusculum University Tusculum, Tennessee Pioneers SAC Men's volleyball
Wayne State College Wayne, Nebraska Wildcats NSIC Beach volleyball
  1. The South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas, conferences that have had an established partnership in several sports under the branding of South Atlantic Conference Carolinas, have announced that they will establish a joint women's wrestling league in the 2023–24 school year.

See also

References
  1. "MEC Announces 2023-24 Non-Conference Scheduling Agreement with Salem". mountaineast.org. 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  2. "2023 MIAA Football Update" (Press release). Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. February 2, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
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