10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Rule out Division II Athletics

When it comes to playing a sport in college, a lot of student-athletes focus on Division I schools and put DII and DIII schools on the back burner.  If you really want to play Division I and think you belong there, that’s fine.  However, Division I isn’t for everybody.  Here are ten reasons why you should consider playing at the DII level provided by the NCAA:

·        Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletics programs.

·        Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student‐athletes.

·        Many Division II coaches perform other jobs or functions at their institutions, including teaching.

·        Many Division II student‐athletes pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings.

·        Division II athletics programs are fully integrated into the institution’s operations and budgets, like other academic departments on campus.

·        The Division II membership is focused on an “academics first” philosophy, and the division’s commitment to academic excellence supports the primary mission for NCAA schools: We are preparing student‐athletes to go pro in something other than sports.

·        Division II student‐athletes consistently graduate at a higher rate than the overall student body at Division II schools. This past year, Division II student‐athletes on average graduated at a six percent higher rate than the total student population at Division II schools.

·        Division II has a diverse membership, with two active member institutions in Alaska and four in Hawaii. Additionally, it is the only division that has member institutions in Puerto Rico and the only division that has expanded its membership to include an international member institution.

·        A regionalization philosophy is used to select teams for Division II national championships brackets from four, six or eight geographic regions of the country. This emphasis on being the best team in your geographic area helps schools prioritize scheduling of regional opponents, limit missed class time and manage travel expenses.

·        Division II athletics events are affordable, fans are in close proximity to the action and the environment is “fan friendly.”