The race to court top prospects is more cutthroat than a Taylor Swift Ticketmaster queue, and a program’s very future can hinge on its incoming freshman class.

There are 438 DIII schools nationwide, and although it’s rare for DIII athletes to go pro, it’s certainly not unheard of, with recent grads doing so from fútbol to football.

About 14K athletes compete at the NCAA’s 313 DII schools, with top stars making the big leagues (particularly the NBA and NFL) — though that’s becoming rarer: With the transfer portal, it’s easier than ever for DII’s best to jump to a DI school.

Group of Five, mid-majors…whatever you call them, these smaller DI schools are rapidly catching up to their Power Five (er, Four?) competitors.

Cross country (aka XC) is the name of the autumnal racing game. There are a whopping 1062 women’s and 992 men’s programs across Divisions I (DI), II, and III, making it one of the NCAA’s most popular sports. All that collegiate competition is fertile ground for breeding future pros, from Olympians to marathoners.

No hibernation here — when fall gives way to winter, racers simply head indoors. The indoor track & field (T&F) season, featuring 875 women’s and 778 men’s programs, runs from just after winter break through mid-March.

The outdoor T&F season and its 965 women’s and 875 men’s teams hit starting blocks mere days after indoor’s national champs hoist their hardware, and its late-May finish line means it’s one of the last ’ships to close out the NCAA season.

Stock up on some Harvey Bars because Team USA’s gals — including current and former NCAA athletes — will take the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup field for the first time in five years (thanks, COVID-19) tomorrow. Batter up!

In general, the most elite competition and the deepest pockets can be found at DI schools, scaling down through DII and DIII. But the biggest difference lies in the DII and DIII divide: Unlike in DI and DII, DIII athletes aren’t eligible for athletic scholarships. That means they’re playing purely out of love of the game (and possibly NIL money, of course).

Just as our Friday newsletter hit your inbox, the college sports landscape as we know it unraveled: A conference realignment bomb exploded, and we’re here to parse through the pieces with you. There are still a ton of questions to be addressed and a near-guarantee of more bombshell headlines, so buckle up — who knows where the Power Five will be by the time you finish scrolling!

About 3,500 (!!!) women across 83 Division I, II, and III gymnastics programs will compete this winter for both individual glory and the single cross-division team natty.

Gymnastics is one of the few college sports where the gals are granted more of the spotlight — and that may be due to the achingly few NCAA men’s teams: There are just 15 NCAA men’s gymnastics teams (12 DI and three DIII) in existence today.