Future of Division III

[AndrewB]

What's the acceptance rate for each one of these schools in the Top-20?  Take the University of Chicago for instance.  They have a 4-5% acceptance rate.  Washington University might be 12%.  There's no way to load up on enough players to over run the system.   If the player is that good and that smart, they would be going to Stanford, Duke or an Ivy League. 
Would it take much for UMHB to do this, of course not.  They have the best facilities in D3 and alumni that loves football.  But they really wouldn't have to spend much since they were one of the best teams before NIL.

[MCScots2013]

I think NIL for D3 is better suited for programs in either metro areas (like a Chicago, NYC, Boston, DC, etc.) or in an area that is fairly populated without a major college program nearby. Maryville has Knoxville 15 minutes up the road and UT right across the river.  Folks would probably see an MC NIL as a waste of time since the UT collective is obviously a bigger shop.  Chicago is a large enough population center it really doesn't matter what D1 program is near.  Plenty of money to go around.

I was looking into some collectives and found UT's, but also--and more interestingly--found Tennessee Tech's (FCS) collective.  It was announced in Feb. 2025 and since has a different website domain.  Fairly straightforward "clubs" and "memberships"  might be something a little easier for D3's to duplicate rather than UT's Volunteer Club where you can buy autographs and the like. TTU Wings Up Collective

[rmc1982]

Didnt know where to post this so I did it here so as to address "the elephant in the room". Whats the liklihood of and the degree to which the NCAA is going to allow NIL for D3 sports?? I know its being discussed at a number of D3 schools, and whats there to stop the schools with huge endowments from basically turning D3 into a full scholarship entity for the kids some schools really want. For example- whats to stop high power and big endowment schools from luring some D1 and D2 talent thats maybe not getting playing time at a D1 or D2 to come play D3 football and ruin the integrity of D3 by PAYING THEM? The whole thing just seems unfair and gives advantage to schools with bigger endowments or alumni with deep pockets. Sooner or later the NCAA is going to have to face this head on or this is going to turn into a bidding war!


"We're completely surrounded-Excellent!...Now we can attack in any direction!'....Chesty Puller, USMC

There are NIL deals in D3 already. The playing field in D3 has always been... tilted? depending on a school's desire to succeed at sports and monetary strength. Just look at the Learfield Cup standings. Other than Wisconsin-LaCrosse, you have mostly elite private schools with huge endowments dominating the top 20 rankings.

Maybe not the big 3 sports, but most D3 sports are dominated by those types of schools. If they choose to find a way to put NIL to work, they will simply continue to dominate, though they may make a bigger dent in football. Or maybe it will be the large state schools, with tons of alums, who can even the field? I don't know. But you can't pretend that D3 is flat playing field now. It's not, and never has been. The only real rule is "no scholarships."

Ok Jknezek- Youre a W&L guy and an ODAC guy. Take W&L for example- Largest endowment in the ODAC( and one of the largest IN THE COUNTRY) at Give or take a little over $2 BILLION vs RMC's $222.5 Million. Just the INTEREST on that $2Bil is (at 5%) a little over $11 Million. Thats enough to get a few "ringers" as long as they can cut it academically. We at RMC can't compete with that unless we have alums to "pony up" the $$$. Now in the other side of the coin we have Roanoke, a new football program in the ODAC and climbing fast- they may not have a huge endowment but they've got Va Tech a few miles up the road and Brian Stinespring as their coach( a VT guy) It is EASY for him to pick off some D1 kids who aren't playing At VT and put them in a Roanoke uniform and you've got an instant contender. Can't blame them for that but thats how it seems to be working- But give Roanoke an influx of NIL $$ and you have an even bigger issue compared to everyone else.Same with us at RMC- everybody is racing toward the MONEY MONEY MONEY at breakneck speed with no end or constraints in sight and its a race to the floor! I'm not inferring W&L is doing this now but THEY COULD if they wanted. It creates an unfair advantage.Now I'm not stupid enough to say that it isnt happening now- with some constraint it absolutely IS but take away all the "rules" and its gonna be a race to the cellar for D3 Sports. We've always had a core group of basketball alumni at RMC( and most of them are SAE brothers of mine-thats how i know) that have not controlled but have an awful lot of interest and influence in our Men's Basketball program- that's how we always seem to have great coaches and a Top 10 Mens basketball program every year. Success breeds success....but add in NIL $$$ and it quickly will spin out of control without constraints-THATS MY POINT! Where does it stop? Unless the NCAA intervenes at some point its only going to get worse. For now, however, it looks like its going to be "we have to do it because everyone else is". Look at who we compete against for players now- CNU( State school with lots of alumni) Mary Washington- the same, and all of the other ODAC Schools. To compete we're going to have to do SOMETHING in order to stay competitive- which for now will mean NIL in some form!

[jknezek]

W&L could. But why? You have to have the alumni support to do it. In other words, it has to matter to the alumni and they have to fund it, or want it funded. As near as I can tell, W&L's alumni, except for some of the ones that actually played, just don't care. Go to a game and you see player parents and other student athletes mostly. Every time I go to a game here in the deep south for soccer or women's lax or anything like that, I'm about the only non-parent/non-recent player W&L alum at the game. We used to get some alums for Sewanee football games, but that rivalry went away. I suspect this is more the norm in D3 than anything else.

What is in it for the school? Prestige? I guess to some degree. Better campus experience? Most D3 sports are sparsely attended now, whether the team is great or not, especially outside of football and basketball.

But do I think some schools are going to find ways to make it happen? Yes, especially schools who are deeply tied to their athletics. But schools already emphasize sports different ways. From the NESCAC "tips" to facilities spending to coaching. How many D3 schools still share men's/women's soccer coaches? It's embarrassing it happens at all. How many share assistants? How many have no paid assistants? RMC lists 7 football coaches, W&L only has 5. So who is putting in more resources? Should the ODAC or D3 set a limit? That's really my point.

Nothing is even in D3. You just can't offer scholarships. NIL will be no different. If you want to compete at the highest levels of D3, you have to put in the resources already.

Take a look at this analysis of D3 men's and women's lacrosse:

https://d3lacrosse.net/p/does-spending-equate-to-npi-success

"Overall program expenses (includes operating, coach salaries, etc.) for the 2025 women's top 20 NPI teams was $240,483 in 2023 while the overall D3 women's average was observed at $137,809, more than $100,000 less than the current Top 20.

The difference in overall program expenses between the 2025 men's top 20 NPI teams and the average D3 program was remarkable. The mean overall program expense for D3 men's teams in 2023 was observed at $189,891. The 2025 men's top 20 NPI teams, however, averaged $386,208 in 2023, more than double the overall D3 men's average."

Basically in D3, if you want to be good you have to spend money already. NIL isn't going to change that, it just might up the money some.

Money has talked in D3 for decades. It will continue to talk going forward.

[rmc1982]

One thing I can say at RMC is that sports, at all levels,are an important part of the experience, from the intermurals to the varsity experiences! We regularly have big crowds at ALL of our Football, Men's Basketball , and baseball games for men and our women's softball and basketball programs, as well as lax, field hockey, men's and women's soccer games, just to name a few are attended not only by parents and other athletes but also students, alumni, and residents of the immediate COTU( "Center of the Universe" local Ashland and greater Richmond community)as well! I live almost 2 hours away in Hampton Roads and regularly travel with other alumni, my wife, and friends to football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball games not only to spectate but to take my 95 year old 2nd cousin ( former RMC Football and baseball star- Class of 1958- he served a few years in the Navy before attending RmC) to games with me and my wife! It's always a big fun party for us!! I get to see old friends and frat bros and love the Ashland area! It must be different at RMC but to that end it's well supported- we just  don't have the financial power schools like W&L do! I'm 66 and an avid member of the Yellow Jacket Club but don't live in the immediate area but I would be on campus a lot more if I was local. I just hate to see money - even though it's always been there in more subtle forms- taking over sports and ruining the spirit of D3 sports in a more major up front way. I wish the NCAA  could find a way to regulate it a bit more to make it more fair for everyone! One thing we've been able to do at Randolph- Macon College and I know this is true at many other institutions- we have always found a way to BALANCE excellent athletic programs while not sacrificing academic EXCELLENCE!! We pride ourselves in graduating our kids and turning out ladies and gentlemen prepared for the REAL WORLD academically and ready to contribute to society as a whole as well rounded ladies and gentlemen!! GO JACKETS!!🐝🐝🐝🐝

[Kuiper]

Without commenting on the pros and cons of NIL in DIII as a policy matter, I can say as a legal matter students in DIII have a right to NIL.  The same legal rulings that opened the door for NIL at DI, which allow student-athletes to earn money for their NIL the same as non-student athletes, apply equally for DII and DIII.  The House Settlement was specific to DI, but DIII schools already can and do have NIL collectives (discussing Centre and Marietta in an article interviewing Maryville's AD).  D3s can't offer athletic scholarships under NCAA rules (which itself could be subject to legal challenge), but they can characterize the money as for advertising etc.

In reality, however, it's still pretty rare and most DIII NIL is either branding/advertising by an individual student-athlete or an open endorse model, which is basically an NIL marketplace platform.  Since someone upthread mentioned Randolph Macon, though, they do have something called the Center of the Universe (COTU) that is just for Randolph-Macon Men's Basketball players.  This article describes it.

[IC798891]

People. For the millionth time...

Endowments are not petty cash drawers.

University foundation CEO's estimate on average more than 90% (and likely more than 95%) of endowment funds are restricted for a specific purpose.

The FY19 CASE Voluntary Support of Education found that 95 percent of new gifts to endowments at colleges and universities were restricted for specific purposes.

These numbers will vary from institution to institution, but it's not just a giant checkbook.

Add in the 4-5% yearly cap most schools have on withdrawals, and higher-priority institutional needs that are going to take a lot of those non-earmarked funds (If you think donors are writing checks to cover deferred maintenance on parking lots and buildings, I've got a bridge to sell you.) and you are not going to have many colleges saying "Yeah, let's spend $50,000 on a QB1"

[MCScots2013]

The caliber of player most D3 programs attract would probably take better facilities over some spending cash. 50k for QB1 is probably steep for D3. Beer and Taco Bell money would get some decent arms on campus!

Most assistant coaches would LOVE $50k...

[rmc1982]

Without commenting on the pros and cons of NIL in DIII as a policy matter, I can say as a legal matter students in DIII have a right to NIL.  The same legal rulings that opened the door for NIL at DI, which allow student-athletes to earn money for their NIL the same as non-student athletes, apply equally for DII and DIII.  The House Settlement was specific to DI, but DIII schools already can and do have NIL collectives (discussing Centre and Marietta in an article interviewing Maryville's AD).  D3s can't offer athletic scholarships under NCAA rules (which itself could be subject to legal challenge), but they can characterize the money as for advertising etc.

In reality, however, it's still pretty rare and most DIII NIL is either branding/advertising by an individual student-athlete or an open endorse model, which is basically an NIL marketplace platform.  Since someone upthread mentioned Randolph Macon, though, they do have something called the Center of the Universe (COTU) that is just for Randolph-Macon Men's Basketball players.  This article describes it.

Yes I got the invite on this- actually its why I started this thread- but it also made me wonder as an alum who contributes to both the Mens basketball program, the Football program,and other sports(YJ Club allows you to direct where your $$ goes)whether the next email I get is going to come from the Football program or another sport?This is exactly my point-whether or not it is LEGAL isn't the question-if its legal in D1 or D2 it has to be legal in D3 technically. I actually like the concept Buzz has brought forward-to help Seniors who have proven themselves already within the program but it really doesent address the problem of "pay for play" which most certainly will creep in at some point-IE- to induce kids to ENTER the program. It really proves a point that this entire NIL deal has NOT and WILL NOT be good for college athletics! The transfer portal has been an even worse problem because a lot of college coaches are abandoning traditional recruiting techniques and just getting new kids through the portal. Why would a coach take a chance on a kid coming straight out of high school when he can pick up a kid who's already been through a year or so and showed what he can do? For a coach its a better idea BUT it hurts guys like Josh Merkel who develops his kids more slowly and prides himself on developing a "family" type concept where building relationships over years predicates continuity within his program. Thats why Buzz's idea may work for us but it remains to be seen. I'm sure he( Coach Merkel) doesent like the concept but realized that at some point it was going to happen anyways so get ahead of the game with their own concept of it. I guess I'm just not liking how this is evolving but there's really nothing to do but watch how it all plays out.

[MCScots2013]

Kuiper: funny timing.  Right before you posted that link, I found out Maryville is exploring NIL and what would make sense for us.

RMC1982: The COTU NIL is a very cool idea for 2 reasons.  First, it rewards retention and graduation.  Secondly, NIL compensation can affect financial aid, Pell Grants, etc., right?  Assuming the COTU NIL for Macon MBB seniors occurs after the senior year financial aid is finalize is savvy.  Doesn't mess with the FA package and could be good amount to help new graduates start off on the right foot (as opposed to being completely broke).

[scottiedoug]

This is all very interesting. Meanwhile, at many D3 schools, faculty get paid so little that it is a wonder there are any. This is not a race to the bottom but it is a slope in that direction.

[Ron Boerger]

Valley Forge (PA) is in danger of losing accreditation.  Unfortunately the story is behind a paywall:  https://www.inquirer.com/education/university-valley-forge-accreditation-threat-20260724.html

[Ron Boerger]

Pacific and Willamette are merging, but the two schools will maintain separate identities and athletic programs - think the CMS model.  https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/14/pacific-willamette-universities-merger-plan-becomes-official/

Willamette has suffered from unstable enrollment for more than a decade and has reported operating deficits since 2016. Pacific's reported finances are balanced, but the school recently underwent a restructuring effort to streamline the university. More than 100 positions were either eliminated or changed, according to the school newspaper, the Pacific Index. A Pacific spokesperson said the school laid off a total of 10 people in the restructure, or less than 1% of the university's workforce.

But Willamette and Pacific's leaders say their choice to couple up has little to do with these economic pressures. Instead, they say this move will help future-proof a single university.

"So many universities in Oregon have been retrenching, cutting programs and support for students," said Willamette University President Steve Thorsett in a statement. "We felt that this is a moment not for retreat, but for innovation and leadership."

[...]The new, unified university is likely to become the state's largest private institution, serving an estimated 6,000 students. George Fox University is currently the largest private college in Oregon, with more than 4,300 students.

[DagarmanSpartan]

When Case and Western Reserve merged in 1967, they continued to field separate football and other athletic teams until 1970.

[Kuiper]

Valley Forge (PA) is in danger of losing accreditation.  Unfortunately the story is behind a paywall:  https://www.inquirer.com/education/university-valley-forge-accreditation-threat-20260724.html

Here is Valley Forge's official show cause notice, which is what prompted the university's recent action to notify students

June 25, 2026
To acknowledge receipt of the self-study report. To note the on-site evaluation visit by Commission representatives to the main campus at 1401 Charlestown Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460 on March 22-25, 2026. To require the institution to show cause, by September 1, 2026, to demonstrate why its accreditation should not be withdrawn because of insufficient evidence that the institution is in compliance with Standard VI (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement) and Standard VII (Governance, Leadership, and Administration). To note that the institution remains accredited while on show cause. To note further that federal regulations limit the period during which an institution may be in non-compliance, which started on June 25, 2026. To require a show cause report, due September 1, 2026, documenting evidence that the institution has achieved and can sustain ongoing compliance with Commission standards for accreditation, requirements of affiliation, policies and procedures, and applicable federal requirements. The show cause report must include evidence of (1) documented financial resources, funding base, and plans for financial development to support its educational purposes and programs and to ensure financial stability (Standard VI); (2) a record of responsible fiscal management, including multi-year, long-range financial models that include realistic enrollment projections and the assumptions on which they are based (Standard VI); (3) completed audited financial statements for fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025; (4) follow up on any cited concerns and corrective measures taken to address material findings cited in the audits or accompanying management letters (Standard VI); (5) compliance with 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 and updated financial information relating to the institution's Heightened Cash Monitoring (HCM1) status (Standard VI); 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) (Fourteenth Edition and Evidence Expectations by Standards Guidelines). To direct the institution to immediately notify the University of Valley Forge community of the status of the institution, including all governing board members, students, faculty, staff, and others with significant roles (Standard II and Public Disclosures Policy and Procedures). To direct an on-site show cause visit following submission of the report. The purpose of the on-site show cause visit is to verify the information provided in the show cause report and the institution's ongoing and sustainable compliance with Commission standards for accreditation, requirements of affiliation, policies and procedures, and applicable federal regulatory requirements. To require that the institution complete and submit for approval, by September 1, 2026, a comprehensive, implementable teach-out plan and signed teach-out agreements with appropriate teach-out partner institutions (Teach-Out Plans and Agreements Policy and Procedures). In accordance with Commission policy and federal regulations, the teach-out plan must provide for the equitable treatment of students to complete their education or transfer to another institution, if the Commission were to withdraw accreditation. To note the Commission may reject the teach-out and require resubmission if all of the required information is not provided. To direct a prompt Commission liaison guidance visit to discuss Commission expectations. To note that the institution will be invited to present before the Commission when it meets to consider its show cause report. To remind the institution of its obligation to provide to the Commission timely and accurate financial audits. To remind the institution of its obligation to make freely available to the Commission accurate, fair, and complete information on all aspects of the institution and its operations, including making institutional representatives and additional information available to the Commission representatives when requested (Standard VII and Accreditation Review Cycle and Monitoring Policy and Procedures and Follow-Up Reports and Visits Procedures). The date of the next evaluation will be determined upon reaffirmation of accreditation.