As Black History Month is celebrated this February, the NCAA proudly acknowledges the significant contributions of Black student-athletes and administrators across its three divisions.
From record-breaking participation numbers to increased representation in leadership roles and enhanced graduation rates, below are some highlights from the 2023-24 academic year data that showcase these advancements.
1. Record-high participation
In 2023-24, the number of Black student-athletes across all divisions reached an all-time high of 86,451, representing 16% of all NCAA student-athletes. This marks a 3.4% increase from the previous year and 19% growth over the past decade.
Check out the divisional breakdowns below:
- Division I:39,752 Black student-athletes (20% of all Division I participants), representing an 8% increase over the past 10 years.
- Division II:26,111 Black student-athletes (19% of Division II participants), representing a 28% increase over the past 10 years.
- Division III:20,588 Black student-athletes (10% of Division III participants), representing a 33% increase over the past 10 years.
2. Leading sports for Black student-athletes
Several sports continue to see strong Black representation, particularly those listed below:
- Men's basketball:44% of participants are Black, with a total of 8,393 student-athletes.
- Football:40% of participants are Black, totaling 32,184 student-athletes — the highest number across all sports. This represents a 26% increase.
- Women's basketball:28% of participants are Black — the highest percentage of any women's sport — with 4,682 student-athletes.
- Indoor and outdoor track and field:Approximately 20% of participants in both men's and women's events are Black. It is the top sport by number for Black women, at over 6,000.
3. Sports on the rise
Other sports have seen major percentage increases in Black representation, especially those noted below.(Note: This list includes only sports with at least 100 Black student-athletes.)
- Men's volleyball:Up 126% the past 10 years, from 117 in 2013-14 to 264 in 2023-24.
- Men's lacrosse:Up nearly 80% the past 10 years, to 636 in 2023-24 from 354 in 2013-14.
- Men's soccer, wrestling and baseball:All three sports are up around 45% the past 10 years, with 2,320 in men's soccer, 702 in men's wrestling and 1,765 in baseball in 2023-24.
- Women's gymnastics:Up 41% the past 10 years to 137 in 2023-24.
- Women's lacrosse:Up 38% the past 10 years to 397 in 2023-24.
- Women's volleyball:Up 37% the past 10 years to 2,101 in 2023-24.
4. Growth in leadership
Representation among Black athletic administrators and coaches has also reached new heights:
Athletics directors
- In 2023-24, there were 144 Black athletics directors. Though the number accounts for only 13% of all NCAA athletics directors, it is a 38% increase over the last decade.
- Notably, Division III has seen a 100% increase in Black athletics directors over the same period.
- Additionally, there were 66 Black athletics directors in Division I. This number accounts for 19% of all Division I athletics directors — the highest percentage of any division — and represents a 35% increase over the past 10 years.
Head coaches
- The number of Black head coaches has grown by 31% in the past decade, with 2,186 serving across all divisions in 2023-24.
- Division III saw the largest percentage increase at 48% since 2013-14, while Division II increased by 33% in that time period.
- Division I led all divisions with 1,003 Black head coaches in 2023-24, accounting for 15% of all DI head coaches.
Assistant coaches
- Black assistant coaches totaled 8,480 in 2023-24, an increase of 36% over the past decade.
- Division III has experienced the most percentage growth, with a 54% increase since 2013-14.
- Division I led all divisions with 4,487 Black assistant coaches in 2023-24, a 30% increase over the past 10 years. The number represents 23% of all assistant coaches in Division I.
5. Graduation Success Rates
Black student-athletes continue to excel academically, with graduation rates rising significantly:
- Since 2002, graduation rates for Black student-athletes inDivision I increased from 56% to 82%. In the Football Bowl Subdivision, graduation rates for Black student-athletes jumped from 54% to 82% during the same period, while rates soared from 46% to 84% for Black student-athletes in men's basketball.
- In Division II over the past 18 years, Academic Success Rates for Black men's student-athletes improved from 42% to 52%, while Black women's rates rose from 61% to 72%.
