NCAA Division 3 Football Teams: High Academics, Great Athletics

NCAA Division 3 colleges are known for their smaller, more intimate campuses, strong emphasis on academics and ability to provide student-athletes with a very well-rounded college experience. NCAA Division 3 football teams are still very competitive, but athletes have the ability to create a more traditional college experience for themselves.

What is Division 3 football?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association governs the athletic programs of the colleges and universities classified as Division 3 institutions. Division 3 schools are typically smaller colleges, with the median enrollment rate at about 2,750, but they can range from 418 to more than 38,000 students. Division 3 is the largest of the NCAA division levels, with 450 member institutions. The level of competition for NCAA Division 3 football teams is generally lower than Division 1, Division 2 and NAIA schools, but that will vary from school to school. However, Division 3 football is still highly competitive, and athletes can expect to play at a level much higher than in high school.

Do Division 3 schools offer football scholarships?

While NCAA Division 3 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 3 schools benefit from some form of financial aid. From academic scholarships, to need-based and merit scholarships, there are plenty of ways to help pay for your education if you have the grades and the resume to back it up.

How many Division 3 football teams are there?

There are 250 NCAA Division 3 football teams in the United States. The D3 football conferences are as follows: ASC, CCC Football, CCIW, Centennial, ECFC, Empire 8, HCAC, IIAC, Independent, Liberty, MAC, MASCAC, MIAA, MIAC, MWC, NACC, NCAC, NESCAC, NEWMAC, NJAC, NWC, OAC, ODAC, PAC, SAA, SCIAC, UAA, UMAC, USA South, and WIAC.

Division 3 football rankings

The NCAA creates its rankings each year based on votes cast by D3 coaches. The votes are translated into points, and the more points a team has, the higher up on the rankings they are. Currently, the top 10 teams in the Division 3 football rankings are:

1. Mount Union
2. Mary Hardin-Baylor
3. Wisconsin-Oshkosh
4. St. Thomas
5. Brockport
6. Delaware Valley
7. Linfield
8. Wartburg
9. Frostburg State
10. North Central

Other websites will also create their own Division 3 football rankings, but the top schools typically align from list to list. To start exploring the wealth of NCAA Division 3 football schools across the country, use the following list of Division 3 football teams. Search by state, conference or school name.