NCAA Division 2 Football Teams: Great Athletics with a More Balanced Schedule

D2 is an interesting division, as you’ll find much of the athletic talent seen at the D1 level with a little more balance between athletics, academics and a social life. While D2 football players still must commit a significant amount of time and energy to their team, they will get more time back in their schedule than at a D1 football college.

What is Division 2 in football?

Division 2 football is an intermediate-level football division governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). While the overall athletic competitiveness is slightly less than that of NCAA Division 1 football, Division 2 football players are still formidable athletes! Division 2 football teams also have different parameters around the number and type of scholarships they can offer compared to the well-funded Division 1 level and the Division 3 level, which does not offer athletic scholarships.

Can Division 2 schools give full athletic scholarships?

D2 schools can give full athletic scholarships. However, unlike at the D1-FBS level, full-ride athletic scholarships are not guaranteed. Instead, coaches can divide up their scholarship money among athletes however they choose, awarding the most money to athletes in unique positions or athletes they believe can make the most impact on the success of the team. 

How many Division 2 football teams are there?

There are 162 Division 2 football programs and 17 conferences, which include the CIAA, G-MAC, GAC, GLIAC, GLVC, GNAC, Gulf South, Independent, LSC, MEC, MIAA, NE-10, NSIC, PSAC, RMAC, SAC and SIAC conferences. 

D2 football rankings 

Student-athletes researching prospective schools will undoubtably want to start by checking out the institution’s athletic programs. Although, this doesn’t mean that other aspects of the institution aren’t equally as important when it comes to finding the right college fit. NCSA’s Power Rankings provide student-athletes with a more complete picture of what each school offers. NCSA ranks schools based on location, cost, size, academics and more to determine the top D2 football schools. 

To see how the NCAA ranks these programs, visit the NCAA website. We’ve compiled the full list of NCAA Division 2 football schools. Search for Division 2 college by state, conference and more below.