Division III

Division III athletic departments place special importance on the impact of sports on the participants rather than the spectators. Your experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletic opportunities made available to you, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.

Institutions in Division III, as in other divisions, must participate in a minimum of sports. Division III schools are required to sponsor five sports for men and five for women, with minimum contest and participant levels for each sport. Additionally, every school must offer two team sports per gender, with both genders represented in each playing season.

Funding and financial aid functions differently in Division III than other division models. Each sport features student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability, and every athletic department is staffed and funded like any other department in that institution.