Go WEST young man (and NORTH)

[Kuiper]

SCIAC/Region X/Claremont Schools

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Other than the 2022 season when the last five games of the season were cancelled because of a hazing incident, 2025 had to be the worst CMS season in a long time.  After a 16-4-3 season in 2024, they went 4-10-6 in 2025.  It was their first losing season since 2017 and only the second team in history they've finished as low as 8th in the SCIAC.  When you drill down, though, they weren't that bad as a team.  Nine of their ten losses were by one goal (the 10th was by two in a late season non-conference game against an NAIA team where they played down a man for the last 30 minutes due to a red card and conceded goals in the 85th and 90th minutes) and all but one regular starter returns.  Many of their starters were freshman and sophomores too.  Nevertheless, their non-conference schedule in 2026 is not an easy one.  They play UC Santa Cruz away, North Park and Wheaton away at Wheaton, and host NCAA finalist Trinity (TX).  The only gimme non-conference game before SCIAC play starts is home to Lewis & Clark and there's an odd sort of pressure when you're playing a team that has not won in 67 games.  Plus, they open the SCIAC with Whittier and my sense is they will be strong this year.  They've been recruiting heavily and their contingent of Swedes continues to grow.

Pomona-Pitzer

Unlike CMS, Pomona-Pitzer had one of their best years in recent history, finishing 10-5-3 and 3rd in the SCIAC. It's not often they beat CMS, Oxy, and tie Redlands in the same season. They lose a bunch of seniors who kind of represented their "golden generation" (especially SCIAC defensive player of the year Nic Ulrich), but they have a lot of talent returning.  The 2026 schedule is pretty challenging though.  They host Linfield and Willamette, which likely will be manageable games, but the road trip to Ohio for games against Kenyon and Denison is a killer.  Plus, they play Redlands twice.

[Kuiper]

More SCIAC/Region X

Chapman

Chapman takes a trip up the coast to play Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound in Tacoma on opening weekend.  Surprised they don't play at least a couple of NAIA teams to round out the non-conference schedule like last season.  Gets CMS and Oxy only one time and at home this year.

Cal Lutheran

Cal Lu follows up a SCIAC-worst 2-11-5 record (1-6-5 in conference) with the most diverse schedule in the conference.  They somehow managed to schedule 5 straight non-conference home games to open the season, all against D3 opponents (very rare in the SCIAC), and all 5 are from different conferences and different parts of the country.  Russell Sage (Empire 8), Gordon College (CNE), Linfield (NWC), Colorado College (SCAC), and Emory (UAA).

Whittier

Whittier was in first place in the SCIAC for a large part of the season last year, but went winless in their last four games and fell completely out of the conference playoffs.  This year, they start with a rare non-conference game against Redlands, and then they have a similarly diverse all home, all D3 non-conference schedule, hosting UC Santa Cruz, Willamette (on the return game from their trip up north last season), Russell Sage, and Elmhurst.

[Kuiper]

Sad news at UC Santa Cruz from the Men's Soccer team. 

On their Instagram, they posted the following:

Recently we lost a great Slug and an alum of the Men's soccer program, Jared Urson Wheeler '08. Jared's legacy at UCSC includes the record for most shutouts recorded in a single season. In 2006 he posted 17 shutouts. He also was a significant contributor on the 2004 National Championship runner up team.

On August 22nd the Wheeler family will be hosting a celebration of life on campus on the Lower East Field. Donations in support of his family may be given via the posted Venmo or go fund me using the attached QR Code/Link below.

Our thoughts are with the Wheeler and Men's Soccer families through this difficult time.

According to this story, he appeared to have drowned while on vacation in North Carolina.

[Kuiper]

Cross-posted from the National Perspective thread

Big transfer news.

According to Emory Men's Soccer's Instagram, MF Ewen Robertson is transferring from Colorado College to Emory for Fall 2026

As a freshman at Colorado College, Robertson started 17 of 18 games and scored 14 goals with 2 assists.  He was named 2nd team All Region X, SCAC Newcomer of the Year, and 1st Team All SCAC.

This reminds me of GK Jasper Broad's transfer from CC to Pomona-Pitzer after his sophomore year after being named 1st Team All SCAC.  Both seem to be about something other than playing time or fit.

Colorado College isn't for everyone - more travel than any other school in D3, block scheduling with one class at a time for 8 blocks over the year that each last about a month, high altitude - but I have no idea if that is what spurred the transfer.  Emory is also obviously a big academic and soccer attraction on its own.

Either way, this is a big loss for Colorado College and gain for Emory in the increasingly common D3 to D3 transfer in the era of the portal.  For Colorado College, in particular, it will be difficult to find someone to replace that much production right out of the gate, although Robertson slowed down later in the season as teams keyed on him and a decent amount of his goals were scored in bunches against weaker SCAC teams.

[Gray Fox]

A large list of D3 to D3 transfers listed on one of the basketball boards.

[Kuiper]

NWC schedules

Pacific Lutheran

Pacific Lutheran is trying to rebound from a disappointing season, at least by their standards, where they fniished 13-4-3, but failed to qualify for the tournament after losing to Whitman at home in the last regular season game.  The season got off to a bad start when the team lost its first three non-conference games, only beating UC Santa Cruz.  In 2026, PLU returns most of its key contributors and has an ambitious non-conference schedule again, hosting Chapman and Lake Forest and then traveling to Illinois to take on North Park and Wheaton (Ill), who they lost to at home in 2025 2-1.

Whitman

Whitman follows up its NWC championship season and NCAA tournament appearance with a cross-country trip to Virginia to take on Marymount and Mary Washington.  Then they host UC Santa Cruz and Mary Hardin-Baylor.  None of those are easy games, especially with Whitman losing first team All Region X forward Lucas McAllister and defender Adrian Valencia, but if Whitman and Pacific Lutheran can win all of those non-conference games, it could boost their NPI points enough to give the NWC two possible slots in the tournament.

[Kuiper]

Some ASC Schedules

Mary Hardin-Baylor

Third year in a row that UMHB takes a big airplane trip to get some more non-conference games.  In 2025 they went to Colorado Springs to play Colorado College and Whitman and in 2024 they went to Northfield, MN to play St. Olaf and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.  This year, they travel to Spokane, WA to play Whitman and Whitworth.  Combined with games against Concordia (TX), Trinity (TX) and Texas Lutheran, that's a pretty strong non-conference schedule.  With McMurry and Schreiner moving from the SCAC to the ASC, they'll need it because the conference strength of schedule will be taking a hit.

Hardin-Simmons

H-S had a bad season last year until surprising UMHB in the ASC tournament and qualifying for the NCAA tournament.  This season, they drop Christopher Newport and Centenary and add Lyon and University of Dallas.

[Kuiper]

Big news out of the SCAC.  They effectively traded Southwestern and Trinity for Millsaps.  I assume this was mostly about getting back Millsaps football team so they can still satisfy the AQ minimum after losing schools to the ASC.

Millsaps College Set to Return to the SCAC in 2027-2028

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) announced today that Millsaps College will return to the conference beginning with the 2027-28 academic year after the SCAC Presidents Council approved the college's formal application for membership.

When Millsaps returns in 2027, the Jackson, Mississippi-based institution will rejoin the conference it first called home in 1989 after competing as an NCAA Division III independent since 1973. At the time, the league was known as the College Athletic Conference, and the Majors became one of its longest-tenured members before departing with six fellow institutions in 2012.

"Joining the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference is a natural fit for Millsaps and an important step in advancing our institutional priorities," said Millsaps College President Frank Neville. "This transition reflects our commitment to providing an exceptional student-athlete experience while supporting the goals of our strategic vision. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to building an even stronger tradition of competitive excellence in Millsaps athletics."

Millsaps currently has 19 varsity programs and approximately 385 student-athletes. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, flag football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

[Ron Boerger]

They already secured the football AQ with the subterfuge of Gallaudet joining for the season-ending football tournament (only).  It will be interesting to see if that continues once Millsaps rejoins.

[Kuiper]

They already secured the football AQ with the subterfuge of Gallaudet joining for the season-ending football tournament (only).  It will be interesting to see if that continues once Millsaps rejoins.

I forgot about that.  It's got to be one of the things - along with the C2C that another poster mentioned in the Future of DIII on the main board - that has spurred the DIII Working Group to investigate conference alignments and NCAA tournament eligibility.

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity

After a home opener against Texas Lutheran, the defending national runner-up Tigers take to the air for a very rare non-conference set of tilts at CMS.  They come back to face La Verne, take a three-hour (if lucky) drive to UMHB, and then return home for the rest of their non-conference schedule against Hardin-Simmons, UC-Santa Cruz, and Concordia.  SAA play opens October 8th at Southwestern.  The only other change is a trip to new SAA member Maryville later that month.  Millsaps makes its final visit to San Antonio the last weekend of the regular season.

[Kuiper]

Trinity

After a home opener against Texas Lutheran, the defending national runner-up Tigers take to the air for a very rare non-conference set of tilts at CMS.  They come back to face La Verne, take a three-hour (if lucky) drive to UMHB, and then return home for the rest of their non-conference schedule against Hardin-Simmons, UC-Santa Cruz, and Concordia.  SAA play opens October 8th at Southwestern.  The only other change is a trip to new SAA member Maryville later that month.  Millsaps makes its final visit to San Antonio the last weekend of the regular season.

Trinity has a pretty tough set of games to open the season.  Texas Lutheran will be eager to avenge their loss to Trinity in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season where they played Trinity tougher than some of Trinity's more highly-ranked opponents in the NCAA tournament.  TLU also played a lot of freshman in that game who are likely to take another jump with a spring season and summer to develop.  They only lose three starters and none of their top scorers. 

CMS and Oxy in Claremont, CA is also tricky.  CMS had a bad season last year, but they were young and they recruit well.  Oxy was like TLU in terms of youth and only loses four senior contributors, only one of whom started regularly.  Their defense was mostly freshman last season and they are all back. Plus, the CMS field is a wild card.  I think it can be one of the worst in the SCIAC and less conducive to Trinity's passing game, although it should be less battered in the early season.  They have plans to build all new soccer fields as part of the new CMC Sports Bowl, Phase 1 of which is supposed to come online this fall, but the soccer fields are in Phase 2. 

La Verne at home should be easier to handle, but they aren't pushovers anymore and they will be a senior-heavy team this season (although the departure of their GK is a big loss).  And even if that is an easy game, finishing non-conference play with @Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, UC Santa Cruz, and Concordia (TX) won't allow them much rest.  It's basically the two best teams in the ASC and teams that usually contend for the top four spots in the C2C and the SCAC.

[Ron Boerger]

More SAA -> SCAC chaos:  Southwestern announced it too will return to the SCAC in 2027.  Where that leaves Trinity and the SAA, with the great separation between it and the remaining schools in the east, is yet to be seen.  And there are rumblings that at least two other SAA schools are looking for a new conference partner which, absent drastic action from the so-far silent SAA front office would leave the conference with four members.

[Kuiper]

More SAA -> SCAC chaos:  Southwestern announced it too will return to the SCAC in 2027.  Where that leaves Trinity and the SAA, with the great separation between it and the remaining schools in the east, is yet to be seen.  And there are rumblings that at least two other SAA schools are looking for a new conference partner which, absent drastic action from the so-far silent SAA front office would leave the conference with four members.

I guess the travel was too much for Southwestern, but it's hard to see Trinity staying without a travel partner.  That would be difficult for the other SAA schools as well as Trinity

https://scacsports.com/news/2026-2027/scac_adds_southwestern

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Presidents Council has unanimously approved the return of Southwestern University as a full member of the conference, with the institution set to begin competition during the 2027-28 academic year. Complete Release

The announcement marks a homecoming for Southwestern, which was among the conference's longstanding members before departing in 2025. Its return reunites the institution with longtime conference rivals while reinforcing the SCAC's commitment to regional competition, academic excellence, and an exceptional NCAA Division III student-athlete experience.

"Southwestern University is thrilled to return to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, where our history and values are deeply rooted," said Southwestern University President Laura Trombley. "As intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve, so does Southwestern. Through continued investments in the student-athlete experience, returning to the SCAC reflects who we are today and where we're headed. The conference's commitment to academic excellence, competitive success, and the holistic student-athlete experience makes it an ideal home for our students. We look forward to renewing longtime rivalries, building new relationships, and contributing to the continued strength of this outstanding conference."

Southwestern currently sponsors 20 varsity sports, 18 of which align with the SCAC's sponsorship portfolio. The institution has just over 500 student-athletes competing in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field and volleyball. The school also sponsors men's and women's lacrosse.

[Kuiper]

Interesting interview by D3Sports.com's Patrick Coleman with SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry.

What stuck out to me was Hanberry's statement that Southwestern only approached the SCAC about returning when Millsaps announced it was leaving the SAA for the SCAC.  Not sure why that would be the case, but it suggests the SAA may not be endearing itself to everyone or that Southwestern wanted to get ahead of things once it saw which way the winds were blowing.