Exploring the Landscape of NCAA Division III Football Teams

NCAA Division III football offers a unique collegiate athletic experience, prioritizing academics and a well-rounded college life for its student-athletes. This article delves into the world of Division III football, exploring its defining characteristics, the institutions that participate, and the opportunities it presents.

What Defines Division III Football?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs the athletic programs of colleges and universities, classifying them into different divisions. Division III stands out for its emphasis on the overall educational experience, where athletics are integrated as a part of a student's college life, rather than being the primary focus.

Characteristics of Division III Institutions

NCAA Division III colleges are known for their smaller, more intimate campuses, fostering a close-knit community. These institutions place a strong emphasis on academics, ensuring that student-athletes excel both on and off the field. The ability to provide student-athletes with a very well-rounded college experience is a hallmark of Division III schools. The median enrollment rate at these colleges is about 2,750, but they can range from 418 to more than 38,000 students.

Division III: The Largest NCAA Division

Division III is the largest of the NCAA division levels, boasting 450 member institutions. This widespread presence offers student-athletes a diverse range of options when choosing a college that aligns with their academic and athletic aspirations.

Competition and Scholarships

The level of competition for NCAA Division III football teams is generally lower than Division 1, Division 2 and NAIA schools, but that will vary from school to school. While NCAA Division III football teams don’t offer athletic scholarships, they have plenty of other scholarship opportunities students can take advantage of. In fact, most student-athletes at Division III schools benefit from some form of financial aid.

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NCAA Division III Football Teams Across the United States

There are 243 NCAA Division 3 football teams in the United States. Student-athletes can research all 240+ four-year schools with D3 college football programs. To start exploring the wealth of NCAA Division III football schools across the country, consider the following list of Division 3 football teams:

• Adrian, Michigan (Private, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
• Albion, Michigan (Private, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
• Alfred, New York (Public, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference)
• Alfred, New York (Private, Empire 8 Athletic Conference)
• Allegheny, Meadville, Pennsylvania (Private, Presidents' Athletic Conference)
• Alma, Michigan (Private, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
• Alvernia, Reading, Pennsylvania (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Amherst, Massachusetts (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• Anderson, Indiana (Private, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Anna Maria, Paxton, Massachusetts (Private, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference)
• Augsburg, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Augustana, Rock Island, Illinois (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• Aurora, Illinois (Private, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
• Austin, Sherman, Texas (Private, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Averett, Danville, Virginia (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Baldwin Wallace, Berea, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Bates, Lewiston, Maine (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• Belhaven, Jackson, Mississippi (Private, Collegiate Conference of the South)
• Beloit, Wisconsin (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Benedictine, Lisle, Illinois (Private, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
• Berry, Mount Berry, Georgia (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Bethany, West Virginia (Private, Presidents' Athletic Conference)
• Bethel, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Bluffton, Ohio (Private, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Bowdoin, Brunswick, Maine (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• Brevard, North Carolina (Private, South Atlantic Conference)
• Bridgewater, Virginia (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Bridgewater State, Bridgewater, Massachusetts (Public, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Buena Vista, Storm Lake, Iowa (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• Buffalo State, Buffalo, New York (Public, Liberty League)
• Cal Lutheran, Thousand Oaks, California (Private, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Calvin, Grand Rapids, Michigan (Private, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
• Capital, Columbus, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Carleton, Northfield, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Private, University Athletic Association)
• Carroll, Waukesha, Wisconsin (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• Carthage, Kenosha, Wisconsin (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio (Private, Presidents' Athletic Conference)
• Catholic University, Washington, District Of Columbia (Private, Landmark Conference)
• Centenary, Shreveport, Louisiana (Private, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Central, Pella, Iowa (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• Centre, Danville, Kentucky (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Chapman, Orange, California (Private, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Christopher Newport, Newport News, Virginia (Public, Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference)
• Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Claremont, California (Private, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Coe, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• Colby, Waterville, Maine (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio (Private, North Coast Athletic Conference)
• Concordia-Moorhead, Moorhead, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Concordia-Chicago, River Forest, Illinois (Private, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
• Concordia-Wisconsin, Mequon, Wisconsin (Private, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
• Cornell, Mount Vernon, Iowa (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Crown, Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota (Private, Upper Midwest Athletic Conference)
• Curry, Milton, Massachusetts (Private, Commonwealth Coast Conference)
• Dean, Franklin, Massachusetts (Private, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference)
• Delaware Valley, Doylestown, Pennsylvania (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Denison, Granville, Ohio (Private, North Coast Athletic Conference)
• DePauw, Greencastle, Indiana (Private, North Coast Athletic Conference)
• Dickinson, Carlisle, Pennsylvania (Private, Centennial Conference)
• East Texas Baptist, Marshall, Texas (Private, American Southwest Conference)
• Eastern, Saint Davids, Pennsylvania (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Elmhurst, Illinois (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• Endicott, Beverly, Massachusetts (Private, Commonwealth Coast Conference)
• Eureka, Illinois (Private, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham, Madison, New Jersey (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Ferrum, Virginia (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Fitchburg State, Fitchburg, Massachusetts (Public, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Framingham State, Framingham, Massachusetts (Public, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Franklin & Marshall, Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Private, Centennial Conference)
• Franklin, Indiana (Private, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Gallaudet, Washington, District Of Columbia (Private, United East Conference)
• Geneva, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania (Private, Presidents' Athletic Conference)
• George Fox, Newberg, Oregon (Private, Northwest Conference)
• Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Private, Centennial Conference)
• Greensboro, North Carolina (Private, USA South Athletic Conference)
• Greenville, Illinois (Private, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Grinnell, Iowa (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Grove City, Pennsylvania (Private, Presidents' Athletic Conference)
• Guilford, Greensboro, North Carolina (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Gustavus Adolphus, Saint Peter, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Hamilton, Clinton, New York (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• Hamline, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Hampden-Sydney, Virginia (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Hanover, Indiana (Private, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Hardin-Simmons, Abilene, Texas (Private, American Southwest Conference)
• Hartwick, Oneonta, New York (Private, Empire 8 Athletic Conference)
• Heidelberg, Tiffin, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Hendrix, Conway, Arkansas (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Hilbert, Hamburg, New York (Private, Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference)
• Hiram, Ohio (Private, North Coast Athletic Conference)
• Hobart, Geneva, New York (Private, Liberty League)
• Hope, Holland, Michigan (Private, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
• Howard Payne, Brownwood, Texas (Private, American Southwest Conference)
• Huntingdon, Montgomery, Alabama (Private, Collegiate Conference of the South)
• Husson, Bangor, Maine (Private, North Atlantic Conference)
• Illinois College, Jacksonville, Illinois (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Illinois Wesleyan, Bloomington, Illinois (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• Ithaca, New York (Private, Liberty League)
• John Carroll, University Heights, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland (Private, Centennial Conference)
• Juniata, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania (Private, Landmark Conference)
• Kalamazoo, Michigan (Private, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
• Kean, Union, New Jersey (Public, New Jersey Athletic Conference)
• Kenyon, Gambier, Ohio (Private, North Coast Athletic Conference)
• Keystone, La Plume, Pennsylvania (Private, Colonial States Athletic Conference)
• King's, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Knox, Galesburg, Illinois (Private, Midwest Conference)
• LaGrange, Georgia (Private, Collegiate Conference of the South)
• Lake Forest, Illinois (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Lakeland, Plymouth, Wisconsin (Private, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
• Lawrence, Appleton, Wisconsin (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Lebanon Valley, Annville, Pennsylvania (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Lewis & Clark, Portland, Oregon (Private, Northwest Conference)
• Linfield, Mcminnville, Oregon (Private, Northwest Conference)
• Loras, Dubuque, Iowa (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• Luther, Decorah, Iowa (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• Lycoming, Williamsport, Pennsylvania (Private, Landmark Conference)
• Lyon, Batesville, Arkansas (Private, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Macalester, Saint Paul, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Manchester, North Manchester, Indiana (Private, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Marietta, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Martin Luther, New Ulm, Minnesota (Private, Upper Midwest Athletic Conference)
• Maryville, Tennessee (Private, Collegiate Conference of the South)
• MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Private, New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference)
• Massachusetts Maritime, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts (Public, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• McDaniel, Westminster, Maryland (Private, Centennial Conference)
• McMurry, Abilene, Texas (Private, American Southwest Conference)
• Meredith, Fayetteville, North Carolina (Private, USA South Athletic Conference)
• Middlebury, Vermont (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• Millikin, Decatur, Illinois (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• Millsaps, Jackson, Mississippi (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Misericordia, Dallas, Pennsylvania (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Monmouth, Illinois (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Montclair State, Montclair, New Jersey (Public, New Jersey Athletic Conference)
• Moravian, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Private, Landmark Conference)
• Mount St. Joseph, Cincinnati, Ohio (Private, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Muhlenberg, Allentown, Pennsylvania (Private, Centennial Conference)
• Muskingum, New Concord, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Nebraska Wesleyan, Lincoln, Nebraska (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire (Private, Great Northeast Athletic Conference)
• Nichols, Dudley, Massachusetts (Private, Commonwealth Coast Conference)
• North Carolina Wesleyan, Rocky Mount, North Carolina (Private, USA South Athletic Conference)
• North Central, Naperville, Illinois (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• North Park, Chicago, Illinois (Private, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)
• Norwich, Northfield, Vermont (Private, Great Northeast Athletic Conference)
• Oberlin, Ohio (Private, North Coast Athletic Conference)
• Ohio Northern, Ada, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Ohio Wesleyan, Delaware, Ohio (Private, North Coast Athletic Conference)
• Otterbein, Westerville, Ohio (Private, Ohio Athletic Conference)
• Pacific Lutheran, Tacoma, Washington (Private, Northwest Conference)
• Pacific, Forest Grove, Oregon (Private, Northwest Conference)
• Plymouth State, Plymouth, New Hampshire (Public, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Pomona-Pitzer, Claremont, California (Private, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Randolph-Macon, Ashland, Virginia (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York (Private, Liberty League)
• Rhodes, Memphis, Tennessee (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Ripon, Wisconsin (Private, Midwest Conference)
• Roanoke, Salem, Virginia (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Rockford, Illinois (Private, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
• Rose-Hulman, Terre Haute, Indiana (Private, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• Rowan, Glassboro, New Jersey (Public, New Jersey Athletic Conference)
• Saint John's, Collegeville, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Saint Vincent, Latrobe, Pennsylvania (Private, Presidents' Athletic Conference)
• Salisbury, Maryland (Public, Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference)
• Salve Regina, Newport, Rhode Island (Private, New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference)
• Sewanee, Tennessee (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Shenandoah, Winchester, Virginia (Private, Old Dominion Athletic Conference)
• Simpson, Indianola, Iowa (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• Southern Virginia, Buena Vista, Virginia (Private, USA South Athletic Conference)
• Southwestern, Georgetown, Texas (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Springfield, Massachusetts (Private, New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference)
• St. John Fisher, Rochester, New York (Private, Empire 8 Athletic Conference)
• St. Lawrence, Canton, New York (Private, Liberty League)
• St. Norbert, De Pere, Wisconsin (Private, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)
• St. Olaf, Northfield, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Stevenson, Maryland (Private, Middle Atlantic Conferences)
• Sul Ross State, Alpine, Texas (Public, Lone Star Conference)
• SUNY Brockport, Brockport, New York (Public, Empire 8 Athletic Conference)
• SUNY Cortland, Cortland, New York (Public, State University of New York Athletic Conference)
• SUNY Maritime, Throggs Neck, New York (Public, Eastern College Athletic Conference)
• SUNY Morrisville, Morrisville, New York (Public, Empire 8 Athletic Conference)
• Susquehanna, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania (Private, Landmark Conference)
• Texas Lutheran, Seguin, Texas (Private, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference)
• The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey (Public, New Jersey Athletic Conference)
• The University of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota (Private, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• Thiel, Greenville, Pennsylvania (Private, Presidents' Athletic Conference)
• Trine, Angola, Indiana (Private, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
• Trinity, Hartford, Connecticut (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• Trinity, San Antonio, Texas (Private, Southern Athletic Association)
• Tufts, Medford, Massachusetts (Private, New England Small College Athletic Conference)
• Union, Schenectady, New York (Private, Liberty League)
• United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut (Public, New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference)
• United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York (Public, New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference)
• University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Private, Midwest Conference)
• University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa (Private, American Rivers Conference)
• University of La Verne, La Verne, California (Private, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, Texas (Private, American Southwest Conference)
• University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Massachusetts (Public, Little East Conference)
• University of Minnesota Morris, Morris, Minnesota (Public, Upper Midwest Athletic Conference)

Ranking and Resources

NCSA’s Power Rankings rank the top D3 schools offering college football. To rank these institutions, factors that have the most weight in the student-athlete’s college selection progress are analyzed. These factors include size, location, academics, cost and more. The NCAA also ranks these programs by their athletic performance.

Recent and Future Developments

The landscape of NCAA Division III football is constantly evolving. Several institutions are either adding or reviving their football programs, demonstrating the continued interest in this level of competition.

• Azusa Pacific University: Announced the return of its football program.
• Saint Francis University: Announced move to NCAA Division III Athletics.
• Schreiner University: Excitement is building.
• Whittier College: Revived Football for 2026, Backed By Alumni Fundraising.

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tags: #NCAA #Division #III #football #teams

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