Middlebury had announced last year plans to close its Monterey Institute campus to cut costs, but it appears they may have a buyer

Middlebury in Talks to Sell Monterey Campus to Soka University

QuoteThe Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey says it has entered exclusive negotiations with Soka University of America for the potential sale of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey campus.

In a message sent out by Middlebury, school leaders said both institutions' boards of trustees have authorized moving forward with the deal and will now begin a period to finalize details.

If completed, Soka University would take ownership of the Monterey campus and begin administering select programs under the name Monterey Institute of International Studies at Soka University of America.

***

The announcement follows Middlebury's decision last year to end residential graduate programs at the Monterey campus because of financial challenges and declining enrollment.

 

Cross-posting from the 2026 Schedules Thread

Lewis & Clark

L&C is traveling to Southern California and playing CMS and Azusa Pacific on 9/6-9/7.  With CMS coming off a 4-10-6 record last season, I'm sure they won't mind if it turns out to be an easy win as they try to build confidence.  For Lewis & Clark, they are probably hoping that Azusa Pacific will be going through some transition between D2 and D3 and the loss of many key players will make the game more competitive.

Pacific University

Pacific is only playing two non-conference games - both against NAIA opponents (Bushnell and Evergreen State).  Last season, they played three, including two DIII opponents.  This is the kind of schedule that really hurts NWC under the NPI formula.  For teams that don't have the money or interest in traveling every season, they basically don't have any countable non-conference games unless schools travel to them.

Lewis & Clark

L&C is traveling to Southern California and playing CMS and Azusa Pacific on 9/6-9/7.  With CMS coming off a 4-10-6 record last season, I'm sure they won't mind if it turns out to be an easy win as they try to build confidence.  For Lewis & Clark, they are probably hoping that Azusa Pacific will be going through some transition between D2 and D3 and the loss of many key players will make the game more competitive.

Pacific University

Pacific is only playing two non-conference games - both against NAIA opponents (Bushnell and Evergreen State).  Last season, they played three, including two DIII opponents.  This is the kind of schedule that really hurts NWC under the NPI formula.  For teams that don't have the money or interest in traveling every season, they basically don't have any countable non-conference games unless schools travel to them.

Ohio Wesleyan

After finishing 7-5-6 last season, where they started winless in their first four games in the first non-Jay Martin season, I'm sure OWU would like to get off to a better start in 2026.  Not sure this schedule does them any favors, though.  Instead of playing @Hope, @Calvin, Otterbein, and Carnegie Mellon, they play @Case Western, Bethany, @Otterbein, @Ohio Northern.  Bethany is probably the only one of those four they can feel comfortable about.  They also drop Berea and add Adrian and Penn State Behrend.

Elizabethtown

After going 3-11-4 last season, E-Town is going to hope the team is better because the schedule hasn't changed much.  They do get F&M and Messiah at home and they trade out Ithaca for Marywood, but otherwise it's pretty similar.  They may, however, be better, or at least more experienced.  They do lose their top two point getters, but they accounted for 3 and 2 goals, respectively, as well as their starting GK,  but they had a lot of freshman and sophomores starting last season, so they will be at least more experienced.

Brandeis

First UAA schedule to drop.  Brandeis is likely looking for big things after a 10-4-5 finish and a second round NCAA tournament exit on an OT loss to eventual champion Tufts.  They'll have to replace their top three point getters and starting GK, but they have a lot of depth returning.  They add Hobart, Skidmore, and Massachusetts Maritime Academy and drop John Carroll, Bridgewater State, and Anna Maria.  Big changes are hosting Babson, Wesleyan and playing @Wheaton (MA), as well as ending UAA play hosting Chicago and NYU rather than playing them on the road.

This still has to get approved by the DI Cabinet in June, but if it has gotten this far, it may really happen.  Not sure it affects DIII soccer much, but it certainly will make the differences between the two systems evn more stark.  The change of the DI transfer window from 45 days with two windows to one 15 day window in the Spring might have more of an effect.  A DIII player trying to transfer to DI probably won't risk waiting until late Spring, while a DIII team looking for DI transfers still hanging around on the portal may not have any spots left in late spring to accommodate them.

DI Men's Soccer Oversight Committee Adopts 2-semester Playing Season for DI Men's Soccer

QuoteThe Division I Men's Soccer Oversight Committee adopted legislation changing the sport's playing and practice season to two semesters, effective Aug. 1, 2027. 

The committee's action is subject to review by the Division I Cabinet during its June 23-24 meeting.   

Under the legislation, the Division I men's soccer championship segment is redistributed across two semesters, maintaining the current maximum contest limit of 25. Division I men's soccer teams could play a maximum of 18 contests during the fall segment, starting in late August and going until the Saturday before Thanksgiving. 

The spring segment would begin in mid-February, with teams playing a maximum of 10 contests before the Division I Men's Soccer Championship. 

The Division I Men's Soccer Championship will be moved to the spring, and the specific dates for the postseason will be determined later.

This playing season model was introduced in January by the Men's Soccer Oversight Committee through the new Division I governance structure. 

Rationale for the recommendation focuses on benefits for student-athletes. These include: 

    A more balanced academic and athletic experience by reducing time demands in any single term.
    A decompressed playing season with potentially fewer midweek games, resulting in less missed class time and promoting stronger academic performance and degree completion.
    More predictable weekly schedules across fall and spring.
    Opportunity for enhanced recovery time between matches, which could support injury prevention and return-to-play protocols.
    Stronger integration into campus life and deeper engagement with teammates and coaches.

Currently, the NCAA Division I men's soccer season is played in a 10- to 13-week fall window, with the Men's College Cup taking place in December.

Notification-of-transfer window

The Men's Soccer Oversight Committee also adopted an adjustment to the Division I men's soccer notification-of-transfer process. Starting with the 2027-28 academic year, Division I men's soccer would have one 15-consecutive-day window in the spring, which would open the day after the Division I Men's Soccer Championship.

Currently, the Division I men's soccer transfer window is 45 days, split into two windows.

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on May 13, 2026, 12:17:55 PMDon't know many teams who punt consistently at least I have not seen that recently. Even mediocre teams try to play out of the back. For my son's time, he maybe, maybe punted 20 times his entire time and he could punt 3/4 of the field.

That's true in club soccer, but there are plenty of DIII college teams whose coaches still insist that they punt long all the time.  It's a strategy heavily employed by some of the bunker teams that rack up lots of ties.

Quote from: ziggy on May 13, 2026, 10:59:46 AM

Quote from: scottiedoug on May 12, 2026, 05:40:19 PMWell so much for resisting.  Here is Maryville's posting about this error.

https://mcscots.com/news/2026/5/12/general-saa-announces-exclusive-media-rights-partnership-with-flosports.aspx

It was a poorly-kept secret that the SAA would go this direction, however attached to what I had heard was that Trinity would be an opt-out, as they were when the SCAC deal was announced prior to their departure. Perhaps the silence out of San Antonio speaks for itself, but the announcements out there don't indicate any schools will operate outside this agreement.

QuoteThrough this agreement, FloSports will serve as the global home for live and on-demand SAA competitions across its member institutions.

QuoteThe SAA's core membership includes Berry College, Centre College, Maryville College, Millsaps College, Oglethorpe University, Rhodes College, The University of the South (Sewanee), Southwestern University, and Trinity University.

Listing Trinity as a core member of the conference is factually correct regardless of whether or not they are part of this deal and it wouldn't be a surprise for those putting together this "exciting" announcement to not watn to mention that a school has opted out. Will be interesting to see if Trinity addresses this directly soon.

Not only are both Trinity and Southwestern silent (each of which opted out of the SCAC FloSports deal), but so is Oglethorpe as far as I can tell.

That's a long way from Rowan's murderers' row of 2024 (F&M, Hopkins, Cortland, Mary Washington, Christopher Newport, Messiah), but the game at Dickinson could be interesting.

The 8 second rule (with 5 second visual countdown) for goalkeepers before they must release the ball aligns the NCAA with the IFAB rule to avoid time wasting.  In DIII soccer, it also could affect teams that play very defensively and punt long on every occasion.  In these instances, the delay isn't been about time-wasting, per se, but about moving everyone farther away from the goal and getting in a defensive shape to keep the ball up high.  Coaches will need to get kids moving faster to make that work under the new rule.  I expect opposing coaches will also hassle goalkeepers more before the punt in an attempt to prevent them from getting it off quickly.  Referees have the power to stop or pause the clock when that happens, but as with any new rule, there will be a period of adjustment.  The move up and punt long strategy could go from a conservative to a risky approach if corners start being awarded or if rushing it leads to shanked punts or defenders caught out of position.

Another interesting note is that if the NCAA is adopting this rule to align its rules with the international game, the new rule FIFA is adopting for the World Cup this summer - a 5 second rule for goal kicks and throw-ins - may be coming next.  Not only is that more logistically difficult in DIII soccer where ball boys/girls aren't always present or fast and goalkeepers/players legitimately often have to walk gingerly on tracks surrounding fields to retrieve balls for restarts, but it could really affect strategy.  The offensive strategy for long-throws of running over your best thrower who can get the ball in the box even if they are on the other side of the field may exceed the 5 second rule and result in a turnover.  For goal kicks, the 5 second rule may be difficult for possession-oriented teams because delays in the goal kick are often the result of waiting for a runner to get open for the pass.  Teams will have to adapt with passes inside the box to a field player who initiates the restart, which invites pressure earlier.

Augsburg

Augsburg follows up it's historic NCAA tourney run with an ambitious non-conference schedule.  Instead of opening against St. Norbert, Linfield, Northwestern-St. Paul, and @ Luther, it plays  @Loras, @Wartburg, v. Luther, and @ Edgewood. With it's top 4 offensive point leaders all graduated, it will be interesting where it gets its scoring in 2026.

Merchant Marine

USMMA had a strong season last year, tying Christopher Newport in Newport News 1-1 and finishing 12-4-3.  The new addition to the schedule this season is a home game against Middlebury.  The Merchant Marines played a similar match at home against Conn College last season and lost 2-0 in a tight game that was tied 0-0 at half and was 1-0 on a PK until the 80th minute.

Some MIAA schedules

Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo seems to be making a habit of taking one long non-conference road trip a season.  Last season, they went down to Texas to play Trinity and Southwestern.  This year, they travel to Eastern PA to play Swarthmore and Rutgers-Newark.  Then they have a nice stretch of home games against solid opponents, including games against Chicago, Oberlin, North Park, North Central, and Loras, before finishing non-conference play with a visit to Ohio to play Baldwin Wallace and Ohio Northern.  For a team that finished 4-9-4 last season, they are notably short on easier opponents.  The opener against Benedictine would fall into that category, but even a team like Oberlin has its moments, including beating Kenyon and Capital last season.

Calvin

Calvin's schedule is a notable contrast to Kalamazoo's.  Last season, it played teams like MSOE, Ohio Wesleyan, St. Norbert's, Gustavus Adolphus, and Lake Forest in non-conference play and this year all those opponents are gone and they play teams like Aurora, Geneva, Lawrence Tech, Aquinas, and Cornerstone.  That doesn't mean they aren't challenging themselves, though.  They also play DePauw, North Central, and Wheaton, as well as a spicy rematch of their first round NCAA tournament match last season against Grove City on Sept. 4th.

I honestly did not predict that this would convert to a chess thread when I posted about Kenyon's issues

Having said that, at least Webster still has its national championship speech and debate team to fall back on now that chess has been cut

https://news.webster.edu/2026/forensic-debate-team-wins-national-title.php

QuoteThe Webster University Forensic and Debate Team returned from the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament and Convention as national champions. The team continued their multi-year winning streak at the March 18-22 national tournament, earning several individual and team awards including two All American awards and a 10th place team finish.

In all, Webster won 27 awards, including the National Championship in Oral History. This is the team's 34th national championship since it was founded in 1993. Additionally, Madi Teska and Maral Mahdinia were named All Americans, the 10th and 11th Webster students to earn that honor. Among her other awards, Teska also placed third in After Dinner Speaking. Mahdinia also won several awards including a top-five finish in Discussion. Rachel Hopper was Webster's other top-10 finisher, taking sixth place in Discussion.

Year-end (bad) financial news for some DIII schools

Muhlenberg's $10 million budget deficit could lead to layoffs, Muhlenberg's AAUP says

QuoteThe American Association of University Professors (AAUP) said Muhlenberg's $10 million budget deficit means people will lose their jobs as the college looks for ways to reduce costs.

Kenyon College Gets Downgraded

QuoteMany private, nonprofit colleges in Ohio are struggling with enrollment declines, unmanageable debt, and rising expenses. The latest sign of trouble is at Kenyon College, where Moody's Investors Service has changed the college's credit outlook from "stable" to negative.

Kenyon is one of Ohio's best-known liberal-arts colleges, but its fall 2025 enrollment was 9 percent lower than the previous year, according to the news release from Moody's, and it has also increased its tuition-discount rate. As a result, Kenyon is expecting to draw up to $30 million from reserves to fill its operating budget through fiscal year 2028, the ratings agency said. On the plus side, the college has more than $700 million in cash and investments and its campus is in good shape, according to Moody's analysis.

Kenyon was downgraded from Positive to Stable in January 2024, so this continues the downward cycle

Linfield University Considers Controversial Program Cuts to Close Budget Deficit

QuoteThis month alone, proposals to slim down and streamline degree programs within the school's College of Arts and Sciences have been met with a vote of no confidence in Linfield's top finance leader and threats from students to withdraw from the university entirely.

By its most recent reported numbers, Linfield has more than 1,600 undergraduate students, spread across three major units: the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing and School of Business.

Linfield's administrators say the cuts are necessary to address a multi-year structural deficit of nearly $5 million. The shortfall is largely caused by headwinds facing many higher education institutions: declining enrollment and increasing operational costs.

Quote from: Hopkins92 on May 07, 2026, 01:37:12 PMWhat's funny is that every time I open this thread, I'm hoping for an update on this guy.

What a curious path. I guess his wife was able to find gainful employment in the Tampa region.

Maybe Eckerd College in nearby St. Pete will drop down from DII to DIII and hire Singleton.  I've always thought it's size and academics, if not its location, fit better in DIII than DII.

Lakeland

The one game that really sticks out on this schedule is 10/5 at University of Wisconsin (Madison) (D1).  I get that DI schools like to schedule a D3 game to give the starters some stats and the bench players some playing time, but they choose Lakeland for the honor?  A team that lost to Edgewood and Aurora 7-0 and St. Norbert 5-0 last season?   In fairness, at least UW-Madison spreads around the wealth.  Last season, it played Carroll, beating them 3-0.