NCAA Finances of Intercollegiate Athletics | Division I and Division II – published November 2021

The finances of Intercollegiate sports programs at American universities. 

 

 

The NCAA data come from the years 2011 to 2020 and published November 2021.

 

The data is provided annually by all active and provisional NCAA Division and Division II member schools via the NCAA Membership Financial Reporting System. Half of all active and provisional NCAA Division III schools are included in financial reporting. 

 

The data share below is for NCAA Division I and Division II only.

 

In 2014, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors passed a new model giving the 5 major conferences authority to create some of their own legislation and voting rights for athletes.

 

 

The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC have the autonomy to make decisions in some health and wellness/safety areas. When that group of schools adopts legislation in health and wellness/safety areas that meet certain requirements, such as requiring a unified standard of care for Division I student-athletes or significantly impacting a core value of the NCAA, the Council will review the legislation and decide whether the board needs to act on behalf of the remaining NCAA Division I conferences.

 

 

America East Conference FCS

American Athletic Conference FBS

ASUN Conference FCS

Atlantic 10 Conference FCS

Big East Conference (Non-Football)

Big Sky Conference FCS

Big South Conference FCS

Big West Conference FCS

Colonial Athletic Association FCS

Conference USA FBS

Horizon League FCS

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference FCS

Mid-American Conference FBS

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference FCS

Missouri Valley Conference FCS

Mountain West Conference FBS

Northeast Conference FCS 

Ohio Valley Conference FCS 

Patriot League FCS

Southern Conference FCS

Southland Conference FCS

Southwestern Athletic Conference FCS

Sun Belt Conference FBS

The Ivy League FCS

The Summit League FCS

West Coast Conference FBS

Western Athletic Conference FCS

 

 

Collectively, there are more than 350 Division I schools that field more than 6,000 athletics teams and provide opportunities for more than 170,000 student-athletes to compete in NCAA sports each year.

 

Division I schools provide unmatched academic and athletic opportunities and support. This support includes full scholarships, cost-of-attendance stipends, degree completion programs and academic revenue distribution from the NCAA for schools that meet certain criteria.

Division I is unique in that it’s subdivided based on football sponsorship. Schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision can compete in bowl games. This includes the College Football Playoff, which is managed by the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame outside the NCAA governance structure. Those that participate in the NCAA-run football championship belong to the Football Championship Subdivision. A third Division I group does not sponsor football at all. The subdivisions apply only to football; all other sports are considered simply Division I and compete in NCAA-run championships.

 

Among the three NCAA divisions, Division I schools generally have the biggest student bodies, manage the largest athletics budgets and offer the highest number of athletics scholarships.

 

Enrollments at Division II schools range from more than 25,000 to less than 2,500, though about 87 percent of the division’s member schools have fewer than 8,000 students. Division II provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletics competition and a focus on service to the community. 

 

The Division III experience offers participation in a competitive athletics environment that pushes college athletes to excel on the field and build upon their potential by tackling new challenges across campus.

 

Among the most distinguishing features in Division II is its athletics scholarship model, which awards partial scholarships that students combine with academic or need-based grants to construct their financial aid package. Division II believes it is important to acknowledge and financially reward students’ athletics abilities. This partial scholarship model keeps athletics budgets more closely proportioned with the total institutional budget.

 

Division III is home to more than 440 institutions and 195,000 student-athletes — the most in any division — who can earn the opportunity to compete in 28 national championships. The Division III philosophy ensures athletics are an integral part of a well-rounded college experience. The athletic experience allows student-athletes to focus on their academic programs and the ultimate goal of earning a degree. The four-year journey is designed to complement time spent in the classroom and pursuing other activities — some related to coursework, others extracurricular. While Division III doesn’t permit athletics scholarships, roughly 80% of Division III student-athletes receive some form of academic grants or need-based scholarships.

 

Established in 1973, Division III provides an equitable and inclusive environment for student-athletes to take responsibility for their own paths, follow their passions and discover their potential through a comprehensive educational experience.