The difference between NCAA Divisions I, II and III classifications?

DIVISION I

Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. For sports other than football and basketball, Division I schools must play 100 percent of the minimum number of contests against Division I opponents -- anything over the minimum number of games has to be 50 percent Division I. Men's and women's basketball teams have to play all but two games against Division I teams; for men, they must play one-third of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified as Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Division I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed.

DIVISION II

Division II institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, (or four for men and six for women), with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria -- football and men's and women's basketball teams must play at least 50 percent of their games against Division II or Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) opponents. For sports other than football and basketball there are no scheduling requirements. There are not attendance requirements for football, or arena game requirements for basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division II school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student-athletes. 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 financed in the institution's budget like other academic departments on campus. Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletics programs.

DIVISION III

Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics features student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete's experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.

There are literally hundreds of finer distinctions between I, II and III which really aren't important. If you want to learn the finer points of the many distinctions between D-I, II and III, look at the NCAA website (NCAA.org) for an explanation.

Another way of looking at it very simply is this:

1. Division I: In basketball, all schools (with the exception of a few Patriot League schools and the entire Ivy League) offer athletic scholarships. These cannot be "split" between players. A scholarship covers the cost of room and board and tuition. In men's basketball, a school may offer 13 scholarships in any given year; in women's basketball, they may utilize 15 such scholarships.

2. Division II: In basketball, all schools offer athletic scholarships. These may be "partial" or "split" between members of a team, and there is no requirement that they cover all of a student's room, board and tuition. In men's and women's basketball, 10 athletic scholarships may be offered and utilized in any given year. Not all schools have the full allotment of 10 scholarships.

3. Division III: As noted above, there are no athletic scholarships or "grants-in-aid". Students may receive financial aid, but such aid cannot be based on a student's athletic ability or achievements.

Many people are confused about these distinctions, believing that Division I is the only way to go for sports, and that's just not so.  A student should attend a college or university where he or she can receive the best education, where there is a fit, and where he or she would be happy even if they weren't playing basketball. People are often also confused about the academics, and believe that only large D-I schools have the "best" academic programs, and that's also just not the case. Many of the finest academic institutions and major research universities in the country are found competing at the Division III level (e.g., University of Chicago, Brandeis, etc). And there are many fine D-II universities and colleges as well. In fact, most of the Cal State University system (with the exception of Fullerton, Long Beach, Northridge, Cal Poly and San Diego, all in Southern California) competes at the NCAA D-II and III levels.

The total number of schools in each division, according to the NCAA website, depends on what sport you're asking about (because some schools compete at the D-I level in sports such as men's and women's basketball, and at the D-II or III (or even NAIA level) in sports such as track, volleyball, field hockey, etc.). Also, many D-I schools simply do not offer every sport possible, and those that do offer more sports, often compete at a different level because of the composition of their local or regional opponents.

Here are the numbers:

Men's Basketball--
Division I 326
Division II 293
Division III 403
Total Men's Basketball 1022

Women's Basketball--
Division I 325
Division II 294
Division III 431
Total Women's Basketball 1050

Utah Schools --

Division I

BYU
Southern Utah
Utah
Utah State
Utah Valley State
Weber State

Division II

Dixie State

Westminster isn't an NCAA school it is a member of the NAIA.