The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is divides college athletic programs into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III. Division II colleges are considered an intermediate level division because the sports programs are not as competitive as those in Division I and they offer athletic scholarship programs, unlike the schools in Division III. Georgia is home to 14 of the 302 Division II colleges and universities.
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Private Institutions)
Forty-eight percent of Division II schools are private institutions. All three of Georgia’s Division II private colleges belong to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Clark Atlanta University offers varsity teams in baseball, basketball, football, track and field, cross country, softball, tennis and volleyball. Also located in Atlanta, the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers have varsity programs in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis and track and field. The Paine College Lions, based out of Augusta, offer programs in golf, baseball, softball and volleyball, and coeducational programs in basketball, track and field and cross country.
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Public Institutions)
According to the NCAA, 52 percent of Division II schools are small public universities. Two of Georgia’s public universities belong to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Fort Valley State University is located in Fort Valley and has 11 sports teams. The Fort Valley Wildcats have athletic programs in basketball, cross country, tennis, track and field, football, softball and volleyball. Based out of Albany, Albany State University is home to 11 athletic programs. The Albany State Rams have programs in baseball, football, volleyball, softball, tennis and men’s and women’s programs in basketball, cross country and track and field.
Gulf South Conference
Two Georgia universities compete in the Gulf South Conference’s East Division: The University of West Georgia Wolves and Valdosta State University Blazers. Located in Carrollton, the University of West Georgia offers programs in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball and tennis. Valdosta State University is located in Valdosta, and has men’s programs in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf and tennis, and women’s programs in basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
Peach Belt Conference
Out of the 13 institutions that hold memberships in the Peach Belt Conference, seven colleges and universities are located in Georgia. North Georgia College & State University is located in Dahlonega and sports programs include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and tennis. Augusta State University is based in Augusta and offers programs in volleyball, cross country, basketball, softball, baseball, tennis and golf. Located in Morrow and serving the Atlanta area, Clayton State University’s sports programs include basketball, cross country, golf, track and field, soccer, and tennis. Columbus State University is located in Columbus and has programs in baseball, basketball, cross country, track and field, golf, tennis, soccer, softball, rifle, dance and cheerleading. Georgia College is located in Milledgeville and offers athletic programs in basketball, fast-pitch softball, tennis, cross country, soccer, baseball and golf. Located in Savannah, Armstrong Atlantic State University has 11 sports teams: soccer, volleyball, cross country, baseball, softball and men’s and women’s basketball, golf and tennis. Located in Americas, Georgia Southwestern State University offers athletic programs in basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and tennis.
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Writer Bio
Andrea Askins began her writing career in 2003. She has written for country music entertainment website CountryHound, "Kentucky Families Today" and several campus newspapers. Askins received the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Award in 2008. She received a Bachelor of Arts in news/editorial journalism from Western Kentucky University.