The National Collegiate Athletic Association on Friday reported that the number of Native American student-athletes in college sports has increased nearly 21% over the past decade.
The association said there were 2,281 Native American student-athletes across all three NCAA divisions in 2025-26. That growth exceeded the overall student-athlete growth rate of 15% during the same period, according to the NCAA.
| Division | Student-athletes |
|---|---|
| Division II | 885 |
| Division III | 744 |
| Division I | 652 |
| Total | 2,281 |
The NCAA released the figures as it marked National Native American Heritage Month. The association said it was honoring the ancestry, diverse cultures and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It said it recognizes their impact on college athletics.
Division II had the most Native American student-athletes in 2025-26, with 885, the NCAA said. Division III had 744. Division I had 652.
Football was the men’s sport with the most Native American student-athletes in 2025-26, with 409, according to the NCAA. Baseball followed with 175. Outdoor track and field had 153, and indoor track and field had 151.
Softball was the top sport among Native American women, with 176 student-athletes, the association said. Basketball followed with 102. Outdoor track and field had 99, and indoor track and field had 88.
The NCAA also listed the sports with the highest percentage of Native American student-athletes. Wrestling remained the men’s sport with the highest percentage, at 0.75%. Lacrosse followed at 0.56%, golf at 0.55% and football at 0.49%.
Ice hockey was the women’s sport with the highest percentage of Native American student-athletes in 2025-26, at 0.94%, the NCAA said. Softball followed at 0.80%. Wrestling and basketball were each at 0.63%.
The association said “Native American” refers to student-athletes reported in NCAA demographics and research data by each NCAA school as American Indian/Alaska Native. The NCAA did not give yearly totals for the rest of the decade, or say how many schools reported Native American student-athletes.
The NCAA said the 2,281 total for 2025-26 followed a nearly 21% increase over the past decade. It said that increase exceeded the 15% growth rate for student-athletes overall. The association presented the count during National Native American Heritage Month.
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