D2.ticker

So far this year, DII institutions have announced the addition of more than 30 sports to their portfolio, according to Baldwin Wallace (DIII) Dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences Steve Dittmore. D2.ticker surveyed athletic directors across the country about their thoughts on sport sponsorship and the health of their respective institutions. From the responses, the majority of respondents (63%) are considering adding sports.

Of the programs announced this year, Golf and Volleyball (both Men's and Beach) are the most common. Our respondents expressed a significant interest in Women's Flag Football, as it continues to grow in popularity leading up to its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Women's Lacrosse, Cross Country/Track and Field, STUNT and Women's Wrestling were also popular responses for DII leaders.

Geographically, there were specific sport recommendations from 21 states. You can find the full interactive map of sport recommendations here. Specific to Women's Flag Football, here is the map of responses, with the darker green indicating more recommendations.

On the other hand, few institutions (11% of respondents) are considering eliminating sports. Among those considering it, the sports most frequently mentioned were Tennis and Cross Country/Track and Field, with one response mentioning "Everything is on the table."

As for the institutional health of DII schools surveyed, 9.2% of respondents believe their institution is at risk of closure, with all of those respondents working at private institutions. Similarly, 12% of respondents are considering changing affiliations or divisions. Check out the map below for a look at where those institutions are located across the country.

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