Emporia State University Athletics

Emporia State competes in NCAA Division II, which offers athletic scholarships but with smaller budgets and more regional focus than the top-tier Division I programs. The Hornets field 13 varsity sports with 456 total athletes, meaning about 20% of the student body participates in varsity athletics. The school distributes over $2.2 million in athletic scholarships across all sports. Emporia State plays in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association alongside regional rivals like Washburn University and Pittsburg State. The Hornets have built solid programs across multiple sports, particularly in track and field where the school has produced several conference champions. With nearly one in five students competing at the varsity level, athletics play a significant role in campus culture despite the modest enrollment of 2,328 students.