NCAA Division III independents are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA’s Division III level, but do so independently of an established athletic conference. These same institutions often compete as members of an intercollegiate athletic conference in some sports. The reason for independent status varies among institutions, but it is frequently because the primary athletic conference to which the institution belongs does not sponsor a particular sport. Independent programs for Division III:
NCAA Division III independents are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA’s Division III level, but do so independently of an established athletic conference. These same institutions often compete as members of an intercollegiate athletic conference in some sports. The reason for independent status varies among institutions, but it is frequently because the primary athletic conference to which the institution belongs does not sponsor a particular sport. Independent programs for Division III:
Contents |
Football independents (as of March 2012) [edit]
| Institution | Team | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macalester College | Scots | Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1874 | Private | 2,005 | MIAC |
| Wesley College | Wolverines | Dover, Delaware | 1873 | Private | 2,320 | CAC |
Basketball independents (as of July 2013) [edit]
| Institution | Team | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Football | Future Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Cruz | Banana Slugs | Santa Cruz, California | 1965 | Public | 15,825 | No | |
| Finlandia University | Lions | Hancock, Michigan | 1896 | Private | 500 | No | GSAC1 |
| University of Maine at Presque Isle† | Owls | Presque Isle, Maine | 1903 | Public | 1,600 | No | GSAC1 |
| Mount Mary College^ | Blue Angels | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1913 | Private | 1,929 | No | |
| Nebraska Wesleyan University† | Prairie Wolves | Lincoln, Nebraska | 1887 | Private | 2,100 | Yes | |
| College of New Rochelle^ | Blue Angels | New Rochelle, New York | 1904 | Private | 6,800 | No | |
| Rust College | Bearcats | Holly Springs, Mississippi | 1866 | Private | 1,200 | No | |
| St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn Campus | Bears | Brooklyn, New York | 1918 | Private | 1,261 | No |
^ - Women's college
† - Schools holds dual membership with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
1 - Finlandia and Maine–Presque Isle (UMPI) are both co-educational colleges, but they will only be competing in the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) for women's sports, while the men's sports will still be competing as Independents, starting effectively in the 2013-14 season.
