Athletics is often referred to as the “front porch” to a college or university, since the institution’s athletics programs and events often are what the surrounding community interacts with most.

That philosophy is a hallmark of Division II, especially since many Division II schools are located in smaller, tightly knit communities in rural and urban areas. Division II athletics programs actively engage with their communities, which not only helps drive attendance at athletics contests but also fosters relationships between student-athletes and community members and develops more of a shared civic experience.

For Division II, community engagement is much more than just community service. That sense of engagement is achieved when the athletics program truly interacts with both its campus and regional communities. Division II student-athletes regularly say they get as much or more out of this engagement as those with whom they engage. It truly is a win-win effort.

The Division II membership has successfully integrated community-engagement initiatives into game days, championships events and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meetings.

Community engagement is so important that the division established an annual Award of Excellence given to the Division II program that best exhibits the community engagement philosophy.

Tips for successful community engagement:

• Decide as an institution or conference the characteristics and attributes you want to be known for locally and regionally. In short, develop a community engagement “brand” you’d like to present. 
• Community engagement is much more than just setting up a few clinics and visiting a few classrooms. Community engagement means establishing a welcoming presence in the community – a give-and-take approach in which your athletics events serve as the attraction but the events surrounding them provide the message.
• Interact with community leaders to learn how they could benefit from engaging with your student-athletes. In turn, collaborate with your SAAC to determine what they would most appreciate.
• Need ideas? Work within your conference – ask your DII neighbors what works. Community engagement is not a competitive endeavor – people are willing to share ideas!
• And don’t forget game days! You already offer quality athletics events, but what characteristics and attributes beyond great competition do you want your fans to take away every time they attend one of your events? Winning them over will bring them back!