Conference changes

[Great Day to be a Royal]

PS Brandywine is playing in the UEC conference tournament. They are in the semis, but aren't even listed in the standings page. If they win the conference tournament, does the losing finalist get the AQ?

Yes.  Both teams on the other side are definitely rooting for them!

Can you explain this please!

[KnightSlappy]

Being an NCAA Provisional team, they are not yet eligible for the NCAA Tournament. In these situations, most leagues award the AQ to the tournament runner-up if they win. So a team might enter a final vs. Brandywine knowing they've won the AQ already.

If I recall, this happened in the SCAC when St. Thomas TX was a provisional.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

It also happened in D1 back in 2023 when Merrimack won the NEC but was in their final provisional year so Fairleigh Dickinson got the bid. FDU then became the 2nd 16 seed to beat a 1 seed. I have blocked all memories of that game.

[Ralph Turner]

It also happened in D1 back in 2023 when Merrimack won the NEC but was in their final provisional year so Fairleigh Dickinson got the bid. FDU then became the 2nd 16 seed to beat a 1 seed. I have blocked all memories of that game.

Effective counseling is available to treat PTSD. If you are former service member, then you might check at your local VA Hospital.

[gordonmann]

Pratt will move from the Atlantic East to the CUNYAC in 2027-28

https://cunyathletics.com/news/2026/2/25/general-pratt-to-join-new-and-expanded-division-iii-conference-in-2027.aspx

The AEC is in trouble, unless they can add someone. Neumann and Marywood are joining the MAC, and now Pratt is leaving, too. That leaves just five members.

[ziggy]

That CUNYAC release announcing the Pratt move sure started off with a banger:

Pratt Institute will become the first institution outside the current eight members of the CUNY Athletic Conference to help establish a newly expanded NCAA Division III conference set to begin competition in the 2027–28 academic year. This conference, which is currently in the naming, branding, and incorporation stages, focuses on institutions near New York City. Additional expansion is expected.

[KnightSlappy]

Pratt will move from the Atlantic East to the CUNYAC in 2027-28

https://cunyathletics.com/news/2026/2/25/general-pratt-to-join-new-and-expanded-division-iii-conference-in-2027.aspx

The AEC is in trouble, unless they can add someone. Neumann and Marywood are joining the MAC, and now Pratt is leaving, too. That leaves just five members.

I wonder if they'll go hunting some current UEC members?

[Patrick Coleman]

That CUNYAC release announcing the Pratt move sure started off with a banger:

Pratt Institute will become the first institution outside the current eight members of the CUNY Athletic Conference to help establish a newly expanded NCAA Division III conference set to begin competition in the 2027–28 academic year. This conference, which is currently in the naming, branding, and incorporation stages, focuses on institutions near New York City. Additional expansion is expected.

It's not super different than how it was termed in April 2025 when they announced the same thing with New Jersey City.

https://d3sports.com/notables/2025/04/njcu-heading-to-new-york-city

[Inkblot]

The Membership Committee report is out. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d2/memb/Feb2026D3Memb_Report.pdf

Azusa Pacific and St. Francis (PA) have been approved for provisional membership.

Maine–Augusta has been approved for an exploratory year. Again no mention of Fort Kent.

[Inkblot]

Provisional Pipeline for 2025-26 (now confirmed)
Full Membership: Hartford, Lyon
3rd year provisional members: none
2nd year provisional members: Carlow, Penn State-Brandywine
1st year provisional members: Regent, Johnson and Wales (NC)

Provisional Pipeline for 2026-27
1st year provisional members: Azusa Pacific (reclassification from D2), St. Francis (PA) (reclassification from D1)
Exploratory year: Maine-Augusta

*Games against Year 3 provisional members count the same as games against full-members for NPI and tournament selection purposes (possibly changing to include provisionals that conform to all D3 bylaws but may be earlier in the pipeline)

Conference Changes Starting in 2025-2026
Anna Maria leaves GNAC for the MASCAC
Bryn Athyn (UEC) drops athletics
Ferrum leaves the ODAC for D2
Fontbonne (SLIAC) closes
Hendrix leaves the SAA for the SCAC
Hiram leaves the NCAC for the PAC
John Carroll leaves the OAC for the NCAC
Johnson & Wales (NC) joins the C2C
Johnson & Wales (RI) leaves the GNAC for the CNE
Keystone (UEC) is doing the limbo, but allowed to play
LeTourneau leaves the ASC for the SCAC
Northland closes
Regent joins the C2C
Southwestern leaves the SCAC for the SAA
St. Elizabeth leaves the UEC for the AEC
Trinity (Texas) leaves the SCAC for the SAA
Expecting 43 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 21 Pool C bids

Conference Changes Starting in 2026-2027
Alfred State leaves the AMCC for the SUNYAC
Alverno (Women only) leaves the NACC for the C2C
Asuza Pacific joins the SCIAC (full D3 member 2028-29 academic year)
Luther leaves the ARC for the MWC
Maryville leaves the CCS for the SAA
Marywood leaves the AEC for the MAC Freedom
McMurry leaves the SCAC for the ASC
Neumann leaves the AEC for the MAC Commonwealth
New Jersey City leaves the NJAC for the CUNYAC merges into Kean (no NJCU NCAA D3 athletics)
Rosemont (UEC) ceases athletics (merging into Villanova)
St. Francis (PA) joins the PAC (full D3 member 2028-29 academic year)
Schreiner leaves the SCAC for the ASC
SUNY Cobleskill leaves the NAC for the SUNYAC
SUNY Delhi leaves the NAC for the SUNYAC
SUNY New Paltz leaves the SUNYAC for the NJAC
Wesleyan (Ga.) (Women only) leaves the D3 for NAIA

Conference Changes Starting in 2027-2028
Concordia (WI) leaves the NACC for the CCIW
Pratt leaves the AEC for the CUNYAC

[Great Day to be a Royal]

Being an NCAA Provisional team, they are not yet eligible for the NCAA Tournament. In these situations, most leagues award the AQ to the tournament runner-up if they win. So a team might enter a final vs. Brandywine knowing they've won the AQ already.

If I recall, this happened in the SCAC when St. Thomas TX was a provisional.

Yes, I recall those. I did not ask this properly. Why would a conference want a provisional team participating in post-season play?  Or is it a case of they have to?  Or is it in conference bylaws, and changes from conf to conf?

[Patrick Coleman]

Every conference has the ability to do whatever they please with their postseason tournament, yes.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Being an NCAA Provisional team, they are not yet eligible for the NCAA Tournament. In these situations, most leagues award the AQ to the tournament runner-up if they win. So a team might enter a final vs. Brandywine knowing they've won the AQ already.

If I recall, this happened in the SCAC when St. Thomas TX was a provisional.

Yes, I recall those. I did not ask this properly. Why would a conference want a provisional team participating in post-season play?  Or is it a case of they have to?  Or is it in conference bylaws, and changes from conf to conf?

If they're a full conference member, paying full conference dues, they probably have a right to participate.  With the new regulations requiring conference sponsorship for new D3 members, I think they're forced to a more concrete relationship than existed in the past.  Previously you could say, "yes, we'll let you in once you're eligible."  Now, the NCAA requires some greater guarantee.

[Patrick Coleman]

Being an NCAA Provisional team, they are not yet eligible for the NCAA Tournament. In these situations, most leagues award the AQ to the tournament runner-up if they win. So a team might enter a final vs. Brandywine knowing they've won the AQ already.

If I recall, this happened in the SCAC when St. Thomas TX was a provisional.

Yes, I recall those. I did not ask this properly. Why would a conference want a provisional team participating in post-season play?  Or is it a case of they have to?  Or is it in conference bylaws, and changes from conf to conf?

If they're a full conference member, paying full conference dues, they probably have a right to participate.  With the new regulations requiring conference sponsorship for new D3 members, I think they're forced to a more concrete relationship than existed in the past.  Previously you could say, "yes, we'll let you in once you're eligible."  Now, the NCAA requires some greater guarantee.

I think that's a guess and not real. Carlow, for example, was not eligible for the AMCC tournament last year.  It is up to every conference to determine how they want to do it, and if a conference decides that it's beneficial to have its transitional/provisional D-III members participate, it can do so. Or it can choose not to. Those who do might well see it as an incentive for those schools to join in the first place, if they are hard up for members, or if there's a school they really want to join.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Being an NCAA Provisional team, they are not yet eligible for the NCAA Tournament. In these situations, most leagues award the AQ to the tournament runner-up if they win. So a team might enter a final vs. Brandywine knowing they've won the AQ already.

If I recall, this happened in the SCAC when St. Thomas TX was a provisional.

Yes, I recall those. I did not ask this properly. Why would a conference want a provisional team participating in post-season play?  Or is it a case of they have to?  Or is it in conference bylaws, and changes from conf to conf?

If they're a full conference member, paying full conference dues, they probably have a right to participate.  With the new regulations requiring conference sponsorship for new D3 members, I think they're forced to a more concrete relationship than existed in the past. Previously you could say, "yes, we'll let you in once you're eligible."  Now, the NCAA requires some greater guarantee.

I think that's a guess and not real. Carlow, for example, was not eligible for the AMCC tournament last year.  It is up to every conference to determine how they want to do it, and if a conference decides that it's beneficial to have its transitional/provisional D-III members participate, it can do so. Or it can choose not to. Those who do might well see it as an incentive for those schools to join in the first place, if they are hard up for members, or if there's a school they really want to join.

Carlow's also not eligible this year (right?  their WBB team finished 6th but isn't in the conference tournament).  Presumably that was the deal they worked out when they joined.  I'm just saying, the NCAA does require a conference sponsorship now, which some schools may parlay into full participation sooner than they might have been able to do previously.

It likely just comes down to which party has more leverage in the negotiation for membership.