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.
Full independents
Division II was created in 1973, at a time when the NCAA included dozens of independent members, plus members of conferences who played as independents in one or more sports. The trend toward consolidating the NCAA membership into conferences began in the late 1970s, and within a decade the number of independent programs declined dramatically. The lists below include only the small number of programs still functioning on an independent basis in recent years.
^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]
^Salem left the Independent ranks after the 2012–13 school year; before re-joining in the 2016–17 school year.
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.
^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]
^Although Northeastern State will be playing a full MIAA schedule in 2024, all games played against Northeastern State will be counted as non-conference, and Northeastern State will not be included in MIAA football standings.[3]
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.
^ abcdefThe 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.
