Future of Division III

[Ron Boerger]

If there's no difference between your undergrad and grad programs, you're not doing it right.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

If there's no difference between your undergrad and grad programs, you're not doing it right.

I think he meant the feeling isn't different.  I said I wanted to reserve college sports for college students and he said "grad school is college."  Again, my response was that this wasn't my experience, but I'll willing to hold it is or could be the experience of some folks.  I wonder if it won't be the experience of a lot more if schools start catering to a five year window instead of four.

[Kuiper]

Opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed,  written by the president of Misericordia, opposing the proposed five-year eligibility rule in D3: https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2026/10/26/division-iii-should-reject-5-year-eligibility-opinion

The irony of this coming from Misericordia's President is that they have announced a plan to start a Law School on the old Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus.  It's pretty common now for law schools to offer 1 year, non-JD earning, part-time degrees and one group that enrolls (in addition to HR professionals and others who need to know some law in their regular jobs) are athletes looking for a 1 year grad program to enroll in while they are pursuing a grad transfer year on a D1 sports team.  I suspect he will change his tune if their law school gets off the ground and they are desperate for students.

[IC798891]

If there's no difference between your undergrad and grad programs, you're not doing it right.

I think he meant the feeling isn't different.  I said I wanted to reserve college sports for college students and he said "grad school is college."  Again, my response was that this wasn't my experience, but I'll willing to hold it is or could be the experience of some folks.  I wonder if it won't be the experience of a lot more if schools start catering to a five year window instead of four.

I'm guessing it's somewhat different if you go to grad school immediately after undergrad, kind of as an extension of that first degree, or if you go back after a year or more off and get something less directly related to the undergrad degree. I have a nephew getting his master's as part of his athletic training degree, and from what I have learned from talking with him about it, it's not some massively different experience.

[MCScots2013]

I'm right there with you, but the last thing we need as a society is a massive influx of 23-year-old MBAs trying to enter the workforce.

Here's another angle and really might be a non-issue, but aren't academic scholarships granted by the semester and renewable for 8 terms?  Could that cause problems to have a 9th (fall sports) or 10th (spring sports) scholarship semester?  Could a baseball player with an undergraduate degree skip the fall semester and re-enroll in January?

[y_jack_lok]

As far as D3 schools go, if there is a five year eligibility window for athletes in the future, I wonder if this will supercharge Masters in five programs?  There's already a small push to concentrate bachelors degrees and get people out in three years to make it more affordable for students.

See bolded text above. I know nothing about trends in higher education and whether or not it's possible to do this in all disciplines. I have a neighbor whose daughter (not an athelete) is a freshman in college who chose the school she is attending because she can get a masters in accounting in five years. Perhaps this is already an emerging trend and a D3 five year eligibility rule will accelerate it, as you suggest.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I'm right there with you, but the last thing we need as a society is a massive influx of 23-year-old MBAs trying to enter the workforce.

Here's another angle and really might be a non-issue, but aren't academic scholarships granted by the semester and renewable for 8 terms?  Could that cause problems to have a 9th (fall sports) or 10th (spring sports) scholarship semester?  Could a baseball player with an undergraduate degree skip the fall semester and re-enroll in January?

I mean, that's already allowed.  If he'd only played three seasons, he could enroll in January, just take spring classes and play on the team.  That's why D3 has a four season limit, not just the 10 semester limit.