As reported by the NCAA yesterday:

QuoteIn men's and women's soccer games where video review is used, coaches could be allowed to make two video challenges per game for the 2026-27 academic year. [...]

Under the video review challenge proposal, each coach can make a maximum of two challenges at any point in a game.

In the first 80 minutes of a game, officials would initiate video review only for clock issues and to see whether the ball crossed the goal line. In the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime, officials would be able to initiate video review on all allowable plays.

However, officials would not initiate video review in the last 10 minutes of regulation or overtime if a team still has challenges remaining.

The rationale for the recommendation is to help the officials get the call right while maintaining the pace and flow of the game.

Other recommended changes:

• The time goalkeepers must release the ball after gaining possession could increase to eight seconds next season. Officials would make an accompanying visual signal for the final five seconds of the count. If the goalkeeper doesn't release the ball within eight seconds, the opposing team would be awarded a corner kick. This change would align the NCAA with international rules.
  
  Currently, goalkeepers have six seconds to release the ball after gaining possession, and if the ball isn't released, the opposing team receives an indirect free kick.
  
• Teams would be allowed to make substitutions any time the clock is stopped in Divisions II and III men's competition and all three women's divisions.
• If a player competes in a match that the player should have sat out due to a previous ejection or disqualification, the penalty for illegal participation would be changed to two games each for the illegal participant and the head coach. The team using the ineligible participant would have to forfeit the game, and the score would be recorded 3-0.
• For violent behavior red card ejections, the NCAA secretary-rules editor and a designated committee, rather than the referee on the field during the game, would determine acts of Violent Behavior II.
• Teams could have four 15-by-15-foot commercial logos on the field (two on each half) on the field of play outside the penalty areas if they do not obscure required markings.
• In games where video review is used, a video match official could assist the referee. The official either could be at the game site or at a centralized location.
• All yellow cards given to the coaching staff would be charged to the head coach for accumulation purposes.
• For all three women's divisions and Division II and III men's regular-season games, a running clock would occur in the last 15 minutes if there is a five-goal margin. The clock would return to standard rules if the margin drops below five goals.
• If a player from each team is treated by medical personnel after a penalty kick is awarded, both players could remain in the game.
• Each red card ejection will carry its own penalty with no additional games missed for successive red cards.
• Devices for collecting data could be worn on the wrist or arm if properly padded and covered.
• If a game is delayed by weather, there would be a maximum three-hour wait from the scheduled start time until the all-clear is given to begin warmups. If a game has started, there would be a three-hour window from the point of the first interruption to the all-clear to resume play. Conferences would have oversight to extend these windows.

Quite a few legislative proposals for the upcoming 2026 convention:

• No. 1-1 RECRUITING -- UNOFFICIAL VISIT -- MEALS FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES AND THEIR GUESTS
  Intent: Amend the current legislation to allow institutions to provide meals in an on-campus dining facility for a prospective student-athlete and those individuals accompanying the prospective student-athlete.
  Source: College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin and Little East Conference.
  
  Bylaws: Amend 13, as follows:
  13.7.2.1.1 Meals. An institution may provide a prospective student-athlete and the individuals accompanying the prospective student-athlete with a meal in the institution's on-campus dining facility during an unofficial visit. An institution may provide a meal in an off-campus dining facility when all on-campus dining facilities are closed, provided the institution can certify that it is the institution's normal policy to provide such a meal under similar circumstances to all prospective students (including nonathletes) visiting the campus.
  
  
• No. 1-2 RECRUITING - CONTACTS AND EVALUATIONS - FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTATHLETES - REQUIRE USE OF THE NCAA TRANSFER PORTAL
  Intent: To (1) replace the current "permission to contact" legislation related to NCAA four-year college transfer student-athletes with a "notification of transfer" model; (2) specify that an institution must place a studentathlete's written request for transfer into the NCAA Transfer Portal within seven-consecutive calendar days; (3) specify that a student-athlete must successfully complete an educational module before they are entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal; and (4) maintain the existing processes for the Division III self-release, for student-athletes interested in transferring to another Division III institution.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Interpretations and Legislation Committee)
  
  
• No. 1-3 ELIGIBILITY -- CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING A SEASON OF ELIGIBILITY -- MINIMUM AMOUNT OF PARTICIPATION -- ONLY COMPETITION TRIGGERING USE OF A SEASON
  Intent: To specify that a student-athlete would be charged with a season of eligibility if the student-athlete competes at any point during the traditional season.
  Source: Atlantic East Conference, Empire 8 and Little East Conference.
  
  
• No. 1-4 AWARDS, BENEFITS AND EXPENSES FOR ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES -- TYPES OF AWARDS, AWARDING AGENCIES, MAXIMUM VALUE AND NUMBERS OF AWARDS -- REMOVE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNTS AND REFERENCES TO AWARD VALUES
  Intent: To remove the exact dollar amounts and references to the value of awards from the awards legislation.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Interpretations and Legislation Committee)
  Rationale: Current legislation limits awards to a specific dollar amount and restricts the manner these awards may be purchased. The specific dollar amounts have not been adjusted in nearly 15 years and have not been regularly monitored. Due to the rising costs, it is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase the same or similar types of awards from year to year. Removing the exact dollar amounts would eliminate the need to monitor and modify award limitations moving forward. This awards legislation remains permissive legislation; thus, it is left to the institution and/or conference policies to determine the amount which can be spent on awards to student-athletes and provides flexibility in spending on awards.
  
  
• No. 1-5 AWARDS, BENEFITS AND EXPENSES FOR ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES -- PERMIT ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSES FOR ONE ALL-STAR CONTEST OR OTHER POST-ELIGIBILITY EVENT
  
  Intent: To permit institutions to provide actual and necessary expenses for student-athletes to participate in one collegiate all-star contest or similar post-eligibility competitive event.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Interpretations and Legislation Committee)
  
  
• No. 1-6 AWARDS, BENEFITS AND EXPENSES FOR ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES -- TEAM ENTERTAINMENT -- PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TICKETS
  Intent: To clarify that institutions may provide reasonable entertainment during the playing season; further that reasonable entertainment could include providing professional sports tickets.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Interpretations and Legislation Committee)
  Rationale: While current legislation permits an institution to provide reasonable entertainment to student-athletes in conjunction with practice or competition, there is a specific prohibition against providing professional sports tickets as such entertainment, unless it is in conjunction with an away from home contest. Regulating certain types of entertainment expenses is overly burdensome and institutions should have discretion to determine when to provide entertainment expenses to student-athletes during the team's declared playing season. This proposal would provide flexibility for entertainment while also maintaining the prohibition of providing cash for such entertainment.
  
  
• No. 1-7 AWARDS, BENEFITS AND EXPENSES FOR ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES -- EXPENSES PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTION FOR PRACTICE -- ELIMINATE DISTANCE AND LOCATION RESTRICTIONS
  
  Intent: To permit institutions to provide expenses for practice sessions at any location, provided the student-athlete is eligible and no class is missed.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Interpretations and Legislation Committee)
  Rationale: Currently, an institution may pay for expenses for a practice trip anywhere within the state or if outside the state then no more than 100 miles. This has vastly different applications depending on the state and where within the state, a Division III institution is located. Removing the location and mileage restrictions will acknowledge these differences and permit institutions to provide practice expenses absent an arbitrary limitation. Further, the condition that class time may not be missed for practice activities maintains the philosophical tenet of Division III athletics existing as part of the academic experience.
  
  
• No. 1-8 PLAYING SEASONS -- ADD A MANDATORY WINTER BREAK
  Intent: To establish a seven-consecutive-calendar-day-period between December 15th and December 28th, in which student-athletes may not participate in any athletically related activities.
  Source: Collegiate Conference of the South and Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
  
  
• No. 1-9 CHAMPIONSHIPS -- ESTABLISH A DIVISION III WOMEN'S WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
  Intent: To establish a Division III women's wrestling championship starting in 2027-28 academic year and a Division III Women's Wrestling Committee as specified.
  Source: American Rivers Conference, College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin and Middle Atlantic Conferences.
  
  
• No. 1-10 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP -- ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING
  Intent: In women's acrobatics and tumbling, to establish a National Collegiate Championship and to establish a women's acrobatics and tumbling committee.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Committee on Women's Athletics).
  
  
• No. 1-11 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP -- STUNT
  Intent: In women's stunt, to establish a National Collegiate Championship and to establish a women's stunt committee.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Committee on Women's Athletics).
  
  
• No. 1-12 DIVISION MEMBERSHIP, PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS -- EMERGING SPORTS FOR WOMEN -- WOMEN'S FLAG FOOTBALL
  Intent: To add women's flag football as an emerging sport for women and establish legislation related to playing and practice seasons and membership.
  Source: NCAA Division III Management Council (Committee on Women's Athletics).
  
  
• No. 1-13 CHAMPIONSHIPS -- AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION -- REQUIRED PARTICIPATION BY CONFERENCE CORE MEMBERS.
  Intent: To require an institution that is a core member of a conference to participate in the conference's automatic qualification (AQ) process for the sport(s) in which the institution sponsors. Failure to participate in the conference's defined AQ process (including declining participation in the conference's postseason tournament) in a particular sport will render that institution ineligible for NCAA championship selection (i.e. at-large selection).
  Source: Landmark Conference, North Coast Athletic Conference and Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf.
  
  
• No. 1-14 CHAMPIONSHIPS -- AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION -- MULTIPLE AUTOMATIC QUALIFIER MODEL
  Intent: To develop a formula to provide multiple automatic qualifiers to multisport conferences that have 12 or more core members that sponsor a sport. Specifically: (1) Once a conference reaches 12 or more core members sponsoring a sport, the conference will immediately receive a second automatic qualifier in that sport; (2) If a conference falls below 12 core members sponsoring a sport, the conference will immediately lose their secondautomatic qualifier in the sport; and (3) The method by which the conference determines its conference representatives is the responsibility of the conference and shall be declared and outlined at the time of the automatic-qualifier declaration.
  Source: Presidents' Athletic Conference and United East Conference.
  
  
• No. 1-15 CHAMPIONSHIPS -- AMEND IN-REGION COMPETITION REQUIREMENT
  Intent: To reduce the required minimum percentage of in-region competition for championships eligibility from 70% to 50% for all sports except golf, which would stay at 25%, and tennis, which would maintain its 50% requirement; Further, to expand the official break exception to apply to any official institutional break and allow institutions hosting contests during another institution's break to also exempt the out-of-region contest even if that hosting institution is not in an institutional vacation period.
  Source: Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference; Collegiate Conference of the South; and Southern Athletic Association
  
  
• No. 1-16 CHAMPIONSHIPS -- AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION -- WAITING PERIOD -- MULTISPORT CONFERENCE --ADJUST FROM TWO YEARS TO ONE
  Intent: To reduce the wait time for a multisport conference to receive an automatic qualification from two years to one year.
  Source: Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference, Conference of New England and Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.
  
  
  

An increasing number of schools and conferences are adding this sport, both as club > varsity and as varsity.  The NFL is one of the big proponents and sponsors of this initiative, in D3 and elsewhere.  The Atlantic East conference late last month announced it would be a varsity sport this spring with games kicking off this weekend.  Participating schools are Centenary (NJ), Gwynedd-Mercy, Immaculata, Marymount (NJ), Marywood, and Neumann.  Eastern, Holy Family, Penn State-Schuykill, and Chesnut Hill will participate as affiliates.

According to a recent CBS News article, the NFL's sponsorship (through its NFL FLAG program) has resulted in the organization of over 1,800 leagues across the nation with nearly 700,000 players.  With the low costs associated with sponsoring the sport, you can expect an increasing number of schools and conferences to add this program to enhance recruiting and also improve Title IX compliance, and the NCAA (assuming it continues to exist) to add WFF as a championship sport.

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/2/21/media-center-division-iii-announces-livestreaming-partnership-for-winter-spring-championships.aspx

QuoteEvery game from the Division III Men's and Women's Basketball Championships (through the sectionals) and the Division III Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Championships will be livestreamed on ncaa.com. For the spring season, the baseball, softball, men's volleyball and men's and women's lacrosse championships will be livestreamed on ncaa.com. Every Division III game will be available at https://www.ncaa.com/champs-pass and by using the NCAA Championships Pass app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Android TV devices.

The only NCAA championship games not available on Hudl are the men's and women's basketball semis and championships, which will be on ESPN+. 

Thanks to a tweet today from Frank Rossi, we now know that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education plans to revoke Keystone's accrediation effective the end of this year.  The college will have a chance to appeal, but looking at the laundry list of findings, overturning the decision doesn't seem all that likely.  You can see the whole history of this process at the link above, but the findings include:

QuoteThe institution failed to

• (1) provide evidence that demonstrates compliance with Commission standards for accreditation (Standard II, Ethics and Integrity; Standard VI, Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement; and Standard VII, Governance, Leadership, and Administration), policies and procedures, and applicable federal regulatory requirements;
• (2) demonstrate the capacity to make required improvements; and
• (3) demonstrate that it can sustain itself in the short or long term (Accreditation Actions Policy and Procedures).

The institution failed to provide evidence of compliance with

• (1) all applicable government laws and regulations (Standard II);
• (2) documented financial resources, funding base, and plans for financial development adequate to support its educational purposes and programs and to ensure financial stability (Standard VI);
• (3) a record of responsible fiscal management, including preparing a multi-year budget (Standard VI);
• (4) program responsibilities under existing federal title IV and other state laws and regulations, including any audits of financial aid programs as required by federal and state regulations (Standard II and Standard VI);
• (5) a governing body that serves the public interest, ensures that the institution clearly states and fulfills its mission and goals, has fiduciary responsibility for the institution, and is ultimately accountable for the academic quality, integrity, planning, and fiscal well-being of the institution (Standard VII); and
• (6) a governing body that plays a basic policy-making role in financial affairs to ensure integrity and strong financial management, including but not limited to timely review of audited financial statements and other documents related to the fiscal viability of the institution (Standard VII).

According to this article, the school plans to file its appeal by next Tuesday (December 3rd).  The article further states

QuoteCollege officials said Keystone will stay accredited and remain open until the appeal process is completed, with officials planning for the spring semester. They added the commission has indicated the preliminary timeframe for an appeal hearing is March of next year.

That said, it also states

QuoteDuring the appeal, the college can't enroll or recruit new students, [must] maintain a clear and accurate statement about its accreditation phase and status on its website, have an approved teach out plan with agreements and remain in operation.

Being unable to recruit or enroll new students for several months at this critical time certainly will not help Keystone's prospects. 

For those who haven't followed this saga, Keystone has been in danger of losing accreditation for some time, have been very tight-lipped about their plans to address the situation, and earlier this year announced a "merger" with something called WIER, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Washington Institute for Education and Research, but have released virtually no details of how the merged entity would operate or be funded.

Per https://www.sportico.com/leagues/college-sports/2024/opendorse-layoffs-nil-tech-industry-1234816704/

QuoteOpendorse, the athlete NIL technology platform, issued a round of layoffs this week, four months after the Nebraska-based company made a significant change to its executive structure.

The company cut roughly 15 positions (23%), according to sources familiar with the situation, bringing its current workforce to around 50 staffers. That's about half of what Opendorse employed a few years ago, when it staffed up following the NCAA's adoption of name, image and likeness.

So enjoy this year's Opendorse Bowl Series, because it may not be back if they had to cut a quarter of their staff.

Those who have been around a while know that the boards that soccer fans enjoy here are actually provided by the D3sports.com team, which focuses on other sports (primarily American football, basketball, and baseball in more or less that order).  There used to be a separate team that handled the soccer side of things (and there was a supporting d3soccer.com standalone site) but the volunteers who ran it were eventually exhausted by the effort and all that's left (other than SC's new D3Soccer.Fans site) are the men's and women's soccer boards here.

If you've used this site enough you know there are times it is cranky, slow, or unresponsive.  The D3sports.com team announced in their football podcast today that the boards will be moved to a new site later this week, so even though this isn't really something they support (other than allowing the boards to continue), we should all benefit after the transition.   The time hasn't been announced, but when I hear I'll update this thread.   

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/4/18/media-center-diii-management-council-supports-expanding-football-team-sport-brackets.aspx

The D3 Management Council this week recommended expansion of all playoff fields to support a 1:6 access ratio, meaning that if the President's Council approves (which they almost always do), 2024 will see 40 teams selected.  There will be a single at-large pool; no more "Pool B" (which almost never had enough qualifying football teams to get a bid)/"Pool C".

They also recommended replacing the current Pool C selection criteria with the "NCAA Power Index", aka Pairwise, for all sports starting in the 2024-25 school year.

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/4/18/media-center-diii-management-council-supports-expanding-football-team-sport-brackets.aspx

QuoteThe Division III Management Council took action this week to support expanding the football championship bracket from 32 to 40 teams and to change the championship access ratio for all team sports to 1:6.

In addition to the bracket expansion in football, there will also be a single at-large pool for bids, combining the previously used Pools B and C.

Additionally, the council approved the use of the NCAA Power Index for selection of at-large berths to team sports championships. The changes will go into effect starting with 2024 fall championships.

If adopted by the President's Council (which nearly always approves Management Council rcommndations), playoff bracket sizes will change as follows:

Football: 32 --> 40
Baseball:  60 --> 64
Men's ice hockey:  12 --> 14
Women's ice hockey:  11 --> 12
Field hockey: 26 --> 28
Men's lacrosse:  38 --> 40
Women's lacrosse:  46 --> 47
Softball: 62 --> 64
Men's volleyball: 16 --> 19

Probably a decent new thread given the state of d3soccer.com

Week 1:  Jordan Bossman, Junior, MF/F, Anderson

Bossman became the first player in Anderson history to record hat tricks in back-to-back games.  Bossman only played for 25:40 against UC Clermont, but scored three goals in Anderson's 4-1 win. He then posted another hat trick in Anderson's 5-3 victory against Concordia Chicago.  Anderson went 2-0 in the Raven/Quaker Classic, winning its first title since 2018, and Bossman was selected as the Raven/Quaker Classic Offensive MVP.  He finished with six goals in two matches.

Incoming Trinity(TX) first year Malea Cesar, 19, is a member of the Philippines team that qualified for its first-ever FIFA WWC, to be held this month in Australia/New Zealand. 

Any others? 

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2022/3/4/media-center-appeals-process-proposed-for-football-players-called-for-targeting-in-second-half.aspx

All rule proposals must be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss football rules recommendations April 20. If approved, these changes would take effect in the 2022 season.

• In games that have instant replay, when a targeting foul occurs in the second half, the carryover penalty (of sitting out the first half of that player's next game) will be eligible for further appeal.
• To address teams that are awarded an injury timeout through deceptive actions, the committee proposed a reporting and investigation process.
• Allow blocking below the waist only by linemen and stationary backs inside the tackle box. Outside the tackle box on scrimmage plays, blocking below the waist would be prohibited.
• If a ball carrier simulates a feet-first slide, officials would declare the runner down at that spot.
• An adjustment to the uniform policy: the sock/leg covering would have to cover the entire area from the shoe to the bottom of the pants.
• Defensive holding would remain a 10-yard penalty but would always carry an automatic first down.

And the first domino has fallen ... Lycoming and Wilkes are moving to the Landmark, which is starting up football as a conference sport in Fall 2023 and will qualify for a new Pool A bid. 

https://www.landmarkconference.org/general/2021-22/releases/14102022-landmark-expansion

There are 9 proposals to be considered by the D3 membership at this week's NCAA convention (source):

Playing and practice seasons in football - addresses concerns regarding head impact exposure by reducing contact overall in the preseason and traditional season while increasing opportunities to teach appropriate blocking and tackling techniques during the spring

International student-athlete amateurism certification - requires the NCAA Eligibility Center to certify the amateurism of all international student-athletes enrolling on or after Aug. 1, 2023.

Expanded ability to practice without using a season of competition - allow student-athletes to participate in a full season of practice without using a season of competition if the athlete does not compete in any games.

Permit the Division III Presidents Council to sponsor and adopt emergency legislation under defined circumstances.

Establish equestrian as an emerging sport for women.

Reduce the minimum number of multisport conference members required for automatic qualification for Division III championships from seven to six.

Reduce the minimum number of member schools required to form a single-sport conference from seven to six.

Eliminate the option for a student-athlete to sign a waiver declining the sickle cell solubility test.

Permit Division III member schools with Division I sports to apply all Division I legislation, including Bylaw 15 (financial aid), to the Division I sports. In 2020, NCAA legislation was updated permitting Division III schools sponsoring Division I sports to apply all Division I rules to those programs except for principles of financial aid.

Some really bad ideas here IMO.  Reducing AQ conferences from 7 to 6 schools has the potential to increase the number of auto bids, making Pool C's even harder to come by.  Allowing SAs to practice for a year without losing eligibility if they don't play will basically enable the practice of red-shirting in D3 again.  And it would be nice to know what the "defined circumstances" are for "emergency legislation" by the President's Council - likely a COVID-related measure but still.   

I found the actual proposals from the NCAA at this site but it's too much legalese for me to dive into this morning. 

New year, new thread, starting with a big one from the ASC:

Hardin-Simmons Coach Marcus Wood (387-44-32 in 22 seasons with 20 ASC championships) steps down for position at D2 Dallas Baptist University.

They're members of the AMCC in other sports (except NEAC for lacrosse) but say they are seeking other affiliations for football and women's ice hockey.  All new sports will begin next year at off-campus facilities; a fundraiser is underway for a new T&F/football facility.  The new head coach of the football program will be announced next Tuesday.

With enrollment that has declined over the years to "Approx 800 students" and a tiny endowment ($7m according to this link; not in NACUBO reports) this is likely an attempt to shore up those numbers. 

https://hilberthawks.com/news/2021/11/4/general-hilbert-to-add-three-athletic-programs.aspx

Pushes the 3-point line to 22 feet, 1¾ inches from the current 20 feet, 9 inches.   D3 teams made 5.7 of 19.3 from beyond the shorter arc - 29.5% - in the season past.   More at  https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/international-3-point-line-distance-approved-women-s-basketball

https://www.bjubruins.com/news/2020/6/23/general-NCAA-Approves-Provisional-Status-to-BJU.aspx

Will be the first Division III school in South Carolina if they complete the provisional process, will be seeking a conference afilliation.  ~2400 undergraduates.

M/W basketball, golf, soccer, T&F, XC
M baseball
W volleyball

Pine Manor College, a D3 independent, becomes the first school in the division to fall as a result of COVID (and longstanding other) issues.  The school was down to about 300 students prior to this announcement.

http://www.pmc.edu/pine-manor-college-and-boston-college-announce-institutional-agreement
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/13/metro/boston-college-will-take-over-pine-manor/

https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-presidents-set-revised-financial-distribution-support-college-athletes

QuoteDivision III will receive 3.18% of actual revenues, currently projected to be $10.7 million for the division, which is a $22 million decrease from last year. These amounts will be used to fund national programs.

Get ready for smaller tournaments, longer bus rides, stays at camping grounds, or all of the above.