Future of Division III

[MCScots2013]

How about prior 2 years' average NPI above a certain level gets an AQ?  If a smaller conference has good teams then they benefit, if they fall off then they don't get a bid.

Or, pool (with a little "p") smaller conferences in a particular region together and highest NPI between the teams gets the AQ. Looking at you, ASC and SCAC...

Fair point about limiting number of conference members. Remember the USA South a few years back that had schools split off to form the CCS. There was an ungodly number of USAC teams before the split.

[y_jack_lok]

Are you sure about that?  I see your point, but tons of schools are adding graduate courses.  Schools that were strictly undergraduate 20 years ago when I was in high school and looking around, now shock me when I see how many graduate programs they have. I'm sure there are a lot of online classes, but graduate nonetheless.

I live in Virginia, so here are some examples in the region: Roanoke, Shenandoah, Averett (seemingly online), Bridgewater, E&H, Guilford, Methodist (now has a medical school), Greensboro, Lynchburg, Piedmont, Pfeiffer--given a few more minutes I can find more.

Let's take Guilford as an example, first.  The Guilford MBA is a 12-month program, tuition is $19,800.  When prompted to go to the "Financial Aid" page, it has an overview of the unsubsidized federal loans--no mention of scholarships. Another avenue for funding is tuition reimbursement as a benefit from employers.  Schools are getting wise to that and adding these programs.  Can't say I fault them, especially if you have the same faculty and you know beforehand the money is coming in.

Here's probably a better example: Roanoke, which has two MBA options. 4+1, and online 2-year self-paced.  Not  a terrible idea.

I'm not saying it's a good idea for every small colleges to rush to do this, but faced with the numbers issues they have to do something.

RMC started a Physicians Assistant grad program in 2023. https://www.rmc.edu/academics/physician-assistant-studies/#About-RMC-PA

[Ron Boerger]

How about prior 2 years' average NPI above a certain level gets an AQ?  If a smaller conference has good teams then they benefit, if they fall off then they don't get a bid.

Or, pool (with a little "p") smaller conferences in a particular region together and highest NPI between the teams gets the AQ. Looking at you, ASC and SCAC...

Fair point about limiting number of conference members. Remember the USA South a few years back that had schools split off to form the CCS. There was an ungodly number of USAC teams before the split.

The SCAC has ten full members even after the loss of McMurry and Schreiner.  The only sport where they are a "small" conference is football.

[DagarmanSpartan]

Yeah.

University of St. Thomas here in Houston made the D3 Elite Eight in men's basketball out of the SCAC.

[Ralph Turner]

How about prior 2 years' average NPI above a certain level gets an AQ?  If a smaller conference has good teams then they benefit, if they fall off then they don't get a bid.

Or, pool (with a little "p") smaller conferences in a particular region together and highest NPI between the teams gets the AQ. Looking at you, ASC and SCAC...

Fair point about limiting number of conference members. Remember the USA South a few years back that had schools split off to form the CCS. There was an ungodly number of USAC teams before the split.

...and CCS, which lost a founding member this year... 

[MCScots2013]

The CCS was a weird experiment, and if I'm being honest, something I never thought highly of since I'm a football alum.  We were established in the conference (for a long time) and felt like some schools were run off after the USAC grew too big too fast. The conference was the island for misfit toys and everyone got an invite.

The ASC/SCAC comment was directly pointed to football and the highly prized AQ.