The cost of moving from Division II to Division I could approach $12 million under a proposal that threatens to reshape the future of conference realignment, particularly for FCS conferences that could lose members to FBS.
The NCAA Division I Membership Committee recommended Oct. 15 that the Division I Board of Directors introduce legislation increasing the reclassification application fee to six times the estimated annual average value of revenue distributions and championship benefits available to Division I members. The current formula uses that annual value without the multiplier.
The NCAA’s 2025 application required schools moving from Division II to Division I to pay $1.96 million. Applying the proposed multiplier would increase that amount to $11.76 million, a $9.8 million increase. The actual fee would be calculated annually and could differ each year. The recommendation has not been adopted. The committee proposed an effective date of Jan. 20, 2027, for institutions applying to begin reclassification during the 2027-28 academic year or later.
The committee concluded that the existing fee undervalues Division I membership. It argues the increase would protect current members from reduced revenue distributions, address potential pressure on championship access and demonstrate that incoming institutions have the financial resources to support Division I athletics. The timing adds another obstacle for schools considering the move.
The NCAA imposed a moratorium on most new applications from Division II and III institutions in August 2025. That moratorium is scheduled to expire in February 2027, weeks after the proposed fee increase would take effect if adopted. Schools with qualifying written conference correspondence before Aug. 5, 2025, are exempt from the moratorium. Consequently, institutions waiting for the application process to reopen could face a financial commitment substantially greater than the one required before the moratorium.
The NCAA’s 2025 Division II financial report found that the median athletics department sponsoring football spent approximately $9.2 million during the 2023-24 fiscal year. The proposed $11.76 million application fee would exceed that entire annual expenditure by more than $2.5 million. That payment would come before the additional investments necessary to compete in Division I, including increased scholarships, staffing, travel and other operating expenses. Prospective members must have an invitation from an active Division I multisport conference before beginning reclassification.
Those financial requirements could create problems beyond the universities considering a move. Another round of conference realignment is already taking shape after James Madison announced it will leave the Sun Belt for the American Conference by July 1, 2028. As Cory Hogue Sports examined earlier this month, JMU’s departure could initiate a series of moves extending from FBS into Division II. The Sun Belt could remain at 13 members or pursue another institution, potentially from Conference USA. If CUSA loses a member and seeks a replacement, it could turn toward established FCS programs.
