Division II and III Schools Opting In: The Quiet Power Play in College Sports
In the fast-changing world of college sports where headlines are dominated by billion-dollar settlements, Power Four media deals, and the arms race for revenue sharing, nine schools from outside Division I quietly made a fascinating decision. While it may not be breaking news today, their choice to opt in to the House v. NCAA settlement for their few Division I-level sports might end up reshaping the landscape in subtle but powerful ways.
The Opt-In Opportunity for D-II and D-III
While the House settlement was structured with Division I in mind, several Division II and III schools field Division I programs in specific sports, often due to historical precedent or because those sports don’t exist at their primary divisional level. These schools were given the option to join the revenue-sharing model for those teams. Nine chose to take that leap:
Minnesota State, Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech (Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey)
Colorado College (Men’s Ice Hockey, Women’s Soccer)
Dallas Baptist (Baseball)
Johns Hopkins (Men’s & Women’s Lacrosse, Fencing)
Augusta University (Men’s & Women’s Golf)
While these programs may not garner national headlines like SEC football or Big Ten basketball, they carry outsized significance not just in competition, but in culture, community, and opportunity.
Why This Matters More Than It Might Seem
Most media attention has focused on how Power Four programs will navigate the House settlement’s $20.5 million annual revenue-sharing cap. But these D-II and D-III opt-in schools are working with a completely different value proposition.
These programs aren’t leaning on million-dollar TV deals. They aren’t trying to fill 90,000-seat stadiums. Instead, they’re making strategic moves to invest in what matters most to them: sports that fit their institutional identity, connect with their communities, and open new doors for student-athletes.
Take Augusta University, for example. It doesn’t play in the SEC or attract ESPN’s College GameDay. But when you hear “Augusta,” golf comes to mind. And as Augusta AD Ryan Erlacher put it: “There’s something remarkable about playing golf in Augusta, and we certainly have Augusta National and the Masters to thank for that.”
Augusta’s men’s and women’s golf programs are legitimate national contenders, with a rich history of All-Americans and championship appearances. Opting into the House settlement gives Augusta the flexibility to expand scholarships, deepen its recruiting pool, and keep pace with Power Five programs on its own terms.
Cornering Niche Markets
In sports like golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, fencing, and baseball, there isn’t the same gravitational pull toward traditional media dollars as there is in football or basketball. That creates an opportunity for schools that are agile, specialized, and deeply invested in a specific niche.
Consider:
Johns Hopkins is synonymous with excellence in lacrosse and continues to be a national brand in that space.
Dallas Baptist has become a perennial postseason force in college baseball.
The Minnesota and Michigan-based hockey schools are nationally respected, postseason-tested, and carry serious community support in regions where hockey is king.
By opting in, these schools now have access to the same broad framework - and potentially the same revenue-sharing pot - as Alabama football or Kansas basketball. While they won’t spend $20 million on a single sport, the flexibility to enhance scholarships, support NIL, and retain talent makes them more competitive than ever before.
What This Means for the Future of College Sports
There’s an emerging dual model in college athletics: one that supports the professionalized Power Four, and one that provides sustainable pathways for all other institutions. These opt-in D-II and D-III schools are trailblazers in the second model.
They prove that NIL and revenue sharing don’t have to revolve solely around football and basketball. With smart investment, clear identity, and community support, smaller schools can own their lanes in Olympic and non-revenue sports and even become national powers.
Importantly, they also demonstrate that opting in doesn’t have to mean blowing up tradition. For many of these schools, opting in is less about NIL headlines and more about securing long-term stability and growth for programs that matter deeply to their campuses and fans.
Final Thought: Flexibility Is Power
The story here isn’t about dollars. It’s about direction.
By choosing to participate in this new era of college sports, these nine institutions are planting a flag: one that says you don’t have to be a blue blood to compete at the highest level, you just have to know who you are and invest wisely.
In a time when too many schools are looking to cut sports to fit into the new model, these programs chose to lean in.
If the future of college athletics is going to be sustainable across divisions, across geographies, and across sports, it will need more leaders like them.
