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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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).

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!

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.

The No. 1 USA Softball WNT — with an entire roster of current NCAA athletes — will compete in the Japan All-Star Series this weekend.

Collegiate gymnastics won’t start, ahem, meet-ing until January, but NCAAers also competing at the sport’s elite level are gearing up for a big year as the clock ticks closer to next summer’s Paris Olympics.

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.