For the 2021-22 season, Division III realigned basketball into 10 regions. Region 8 is primarily teams from the former Central Region. To find other Central Region teams such as those from the MWC and the WIAC, look at Region 9.
| School | Location | Conference | Enrollment |
| Anderson | Anderson, IN | HCAC | 1430 |
| Augustana | Rock Island, IL | CCIW | 2626 |
| Aurora | Aurora, IL | NACC | 3461 |
| Benedictine | Lisle, IL | NACC | 2465 |
| Blackburn | Carlinville, IL | SLIAC | 522 |
| Bluffton | Bluffton, OH | HCAC | 605 |
| Carroll | Waukesha, WI | CCIW | 2493 |
| Carthage | Kenosha, WI | CCIW | 2374 |
| Chicago | Chicago, IL | UAA | 5554 |
| Concordia (Wis.) | Mequon, WI | NACC | 2521 |
| Concordia-Chicago | River Forest, IL | NACC | 1025 |
| Defiance | Defiance, OH | HCAC | 732 |
| Dominican | River Forest, IL | NACC | 1380 |
| Earlham | Richmond, IN | HCAC | 1139 |
| Edgewood | Madison, WI | NACC | 1533 |
| Elmhurst | Elmhurst, IL | CCIW | 2748 |
| Eureka | Eureka, IL | SLIAC | 713 |
| Fontbonne | St. Louis, MO | SLIAC | 1528 |
| Franklin | Franklin, IN | HCAC | 952 |
| Greenville | Greenville, IL | SLIAC | 1392 |
| Hanover | Hanover, IN | HCAC | 1004 |
| Illinois Tech | Chicago, IL | NACC | 2789 |
| Illinois Wesleyan | Bloomington, IL | CCIW | 1640 |
| Lakeland | Sheboygan, WI | NACC | 1082 |
| Manchester | North Manchester, IN | HCAC | 1228 |
| Maranatha Baptist | Watertown, WI | IND | 689 |
| Marian | Fond du Lac, WI | NACC | 1404 |
| Millikin | Decatur, IL | CCIW | 2118 |
| Mount St. Joseph | Cincinnati, OH | HCAC | 1318 |
| MSOE | Milwaukee, WI | NACC | 2193 |
| MUW | Columbus, MS | IND | 2594 |
| North Central (Ill.) | Naperville, IL | CCIW | 2625 |
| North Park | Chicago, IL | CCIW | 1814 |
| Principia | Elsah, IL | SLIAC | 545 |
| Rockford | Rockford, IL | NACC | 836 |
| Rose-Hulman | Terre Haute, IN | HCAC | 2093 |
| Spalding | Louisville, KY | SLIAC | 985 |
| St. Norbert | De Pere, WI | NACC | 2019 |
| Transylvania | Lexington, KY | HCAC | 1059 |
| Washington U. | St. Louis, MO | UAA | 6003 |
| Webster | St. Louis, MO | SLIAC | 2531 |
| Westminster (Mo.) | Fulton, MO | SLIAC | 936 |
| Wheaton (Ill.) | Wheaton, IL | CCIW | 2282 |
| Wisconsin Lutheran | Milwaukee, WI | NACC | 917 |