Future of Division III

[WUPHF]

No schools are moving to Division IV. Sharpie.

[Patrick Coleman]

Agreed -- there is no funding available for a Division IV, frankly. There isn't enough for Division III.

[Kuiper]

No schools are moving to Division IV. Sharpie.

The NCAA won't create Division IV most likely, but schools could cut NCAA sports and play club only like Bryn Athyn did last year.

[AndrewB]

No schools are moving to Division IV. Sharpie.

Their won't be a D4 because why would you allow the NCAA make rules but not fund the sports. 
Juco leagues exist
NAIA exist
What's to say a newer non-NCAA entity doesn't appear.
What does the NCAA fund?  Only the post-season?  If a teams not making the playoffs, funding doesn't make a difference. 

[jmcozenlaw]

I've always known there were a lot of D3 schools in the Northeast, but the number in some states is eye-popping.  I thought growing up in Virginia we had a lot (20), but NY and PA both have 60 and MA has 39. That's 37% of all D3 schools.

Those 3 states have more schools than the following 12 states, combined: VA, WV, KY, OH, IN, MI, IL, MO, MD, IA, WI, and MN (150 total).

The comment about being in the 3rd inning and going into extras hits a little different after looking at the numbers...


EDIT to add context to D2:  NY, PA and MA have 37 total schools.  22 of those are in PA alone.
302 D2 schools and the Southeast has over a third of those at 123 (if your definition of Southeast mirrors the SEC plus VA and NC...)

The D2 schools in PA (most in the PSAC) bought some time with playing a shell game of sorts over the past 12-24 months, but for a handful of them, the grim reaper is also approaching their doorsteps. I have a lot of friends who coach football and men's basketball in the PSAC and to a person, they are starting to get a little worried. I thought the closings of the private schools, along with their tuition and fee advantage would help them, and it has on the fringes, but the cliff of college aged students now and looking out into the near, mid and far term, might doom as many as half of them. Scary times indeed!

I posted something similar to this a while back, but there are some strong rumors coming out of the PSAC (PA DII Conference) that most of the schools (vs. the conference as a whole at this point) are looking at what St. Anselm's just did (and it's sounding like Bentley and SNHU to follow) of dropping down from DII to DIII.

Having been to many PSAC games and seen all of each school's facilities, I've always looked at the PSAC as DII's WIAC (or DIII's WIAC as DII's PSAC). If the Penn State system continues to whittle down satellite campuses, with the plan of growing 7-8 of them into larger campuses and offering a full compliment of athletics (i.e. football and wrestling as two examples), THIS would be more in line with the WIAC. 

This has been addressed here before, but would it be possible for the PSAC to have discussions with whomever would make the call, to pick up the conference as a whole and plug it into DIII? I am hearing that the majority of the PA "state schools" would like to look into dropping down a level and the non-state schools such as Gannon, Seton Hill, Pitt-Johnstown and Shepherd (not even in PA), looking to make a Mercyhurst type of move or find another DII conference.

The wheels on the conference roulette bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the..........

[Ralph Turner]

I will appreciate other comments, but the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Austin College, Howard Payne, H-SU, McMurry and Sul Ross State moved into the ASC to join Mississippi College, coming down from D2, Univ of Dallas and UT-Dallas, who had been bought in as well.
I believe the Northwest Conference came en bloc as well.

[WUPHF]

Roanoke is adding flag football.

Not all that big of a story in August 2026, but I did see that they will be starting their fifth season of varsity cycling, which appears to be varsity mountain biking and road racing.

I love it.

https://roanokemaroons.com/news/2026/8/18/roanoke-athletics-announces-addition-of-womens-flag-football.aspx

[MCScots2013]

In cycling news today, NAIA's Milligan University in upper East TN had a tragic vehicle crash today with 2 sophomores passing as a result. Last I heard was 2 others treated and released and 4 more in ICU. Keep all involved in your prayers.

[y_jack_lok]

In cycling news today, NAIA's Milligan University in upper East TN had a tragic vehicle crash today with 2 sophomores passing as a result. Last I heard was 2 others treated and released and 4 more in ICU. Keep all involved in your prayers.

Sorry to hear that. And people think football is dangerous.

[Kuiper]

Manchester leaving D3 for NAIA as of Fall 2027

https://www.crossroadsleague.com/general/2026-27/releases/20260827odmtxb?_bhlid=604d2d82567612d784e6a4e2ef69731d94c4970c

 The Crossroads League Council of Presidents is pleased to announce that Manchester University has accepted an invitation to join the Crossroads League, pending acceptance into the NAIA, with membership beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year.

Located in North Manchester, Indiana, Manchester University will become the 11th member of the Crossroads League and the first institution added to the league since Mount Vernon Nazarene University joined in 2010.

The addition of Manchester strengthens the Crossroads League's presence in Indiana, while welcoming an institution that shares the CL's commitment to faith, academic excellence, character and a transformational student-athlete experience.

[WUPHF]

Manchester leaving D3 for NAIA as of Fall 2027

They reduce travel and have more regional rivalries in the new league, but otherwise, I do not understand.

In terms of mission, Manchester aligns well with everyone in the Heartland other than Rose-Hulman.

Defiance left the HCAC to move to the NAIA, but hard to imagine they were an inspiration.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Defiance's enrollment had fallen about 1/3 the previous decade to a little over 500 making them the smallest school when they left and they were in the corner of the conference footprint. Wasn't shocked that they left. The Spartans though are a surprise.

Manchester has lost about 20% from their undergrads to under 1300 now. Grad students have remained around the 300 mark. They'll go from being middle of the HCAC to third smallest in the Crossroads. Travel will be a bit better for them but their current average was only 180 miles and 3 hours. That will probably be their longest trip in the new conference.

The HCAC immediately replaced Defiance with Berea. I wonder if there's another school waiting in the wings to replace Manchester. Most sports are still fine numbers-wise but football will be perilous at 6 while swimming/diving drops to just 4.