Division II has created another resource to help current institutions strengthen their standing in the Division II family and to attract non-members to join.

Called “Benefits of NCAA Division II Membership Classification,” the 13-page document highlights attributes, programs, research and initiatives that position Division II uniquely within the NCAA’s three divisions.

The white paper summarizes the division’s strategic efforts since a landmark Chancellors and Presidents Summit in 2005 that led to the attribute-based strategic-positioning platform. From that time forward, presidents sought to identify Division II as a membership destination rather than simply as the “middle child” between Divisions I and III.

The document emphasizes the value of Division II, including a “sustainable financial approach for athletics that benefits both the institutions that sponsor Division II sports and the individuals who participate in them.”

Among the components are:

• Data-driven analyses that demonstrate the real cost difference of classifying in Divisions I and II, including a simulation model of how the partial-scholarship model in Division II is an asset to the institution’s overall enrollment.
• The philosophy behind “I Chose Division II,” including the balanced experience student-athletes receive at Division II schools and the high number of championships opportunities afforded to them (Division II in fact has the highest access ratios of any division).
• Revenue-distribution opportunities, including the division’s unique enhancement and conference grant allocations.
• Exposure opportunities, including national television coverage for regular-season and championship events.
• The unique National Championships Festivals, during which champions are crowned in multiple sports at a single site. Division II is the only division that takes this approach.
• An analysis of the inclusive and transparent Division II governance structure.
• Benefits of the division’s community-engagement and game-environment initiatives, as well as the division’s outreach efforts that include the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• The division’s emphasis on professional development, with programs that focus particularly on inclusion and gender equity.
• A summary of the many programs that benefit student-athlete well-being, such as degree-completion awards, postgraduate scholarships, and participation in the SAAC structure and the regional leadership academies.

Division II Vice President Mike Racy praised presidential leadership in Division II for building momentum with its identity campaign and for helping current members take advantage of resources to validate that they belong in Division II.

“Division II chancellors and presidents have worked diligently for the last five years to build an effective platform that says, ‘This is who we are and this is why we are comfortable in our skin,’ ” Racy said. “The document we’ve provided not only summarizes that effort but should also be a compelling resource for non-members studying the benefits of pursuing Division II membership.”