Penn State participates as a member institution of the Big Ten Conference at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level for most sports. Penn State is one of only 15 universities in the nation that plays Division I FBS football and Division I men's ice hockey. Two sports participate in different conferences because they are not sponsored by the Big Ten: men's volleyball in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) and women's ice hockey in College Hockey America (CHA). The fencing teams operate as independents.