Future of Division III

[Kuiper]

Northland College in Ashland, WI is in trouble and needs $12 million by 4/3 to avoid closure: https://www.northland.edu/fund-a-new-northland/

It's got to be a really hard sell with donors to tell them they need $12 million in three weeks to stay alive for next year and transition to a new model, but the only thing they can tell you about that model is "The process involves close collaboration with the Northland community to explore various options, which may include refining the college's focus."  In other words, they haven't figured out yet what they are going to do after blowing through your $12 million.

[Ron Boerger]

Exactly.  "Hurry up and give us $12 million so we can figure out how much more we'll need to continue more than one more year and you can bet it will be more" is hardly a winning strategy. 

[Captain_Joe08]

I basically think Finlandia was the canary in the coal mine for Northland. Hard to get recruits up there and being the easternmost team in the UMAC lead to some really long drives (they are about an hour from UW-Superior on US 2). Really unfortunate though for them. Ashland is a really nice place, have been up there a handful of times.

They really do have a nice soccer/football stadium facility. Do recall the high school in Ashland uses it a few times to play home games (recently against rival Hurley).

[Kuiper]

Regent has been accepted by the NCAA for an exploratory year in D3 in 2024-2025.

https://regentroyals.com/news/2024/3/11/general-regent-university-accepted-into-ncaa-exploratory-year.aspx

With all the bad news about D3 colleges closing or in financial trouble, it's nice to hear at least a little bit of good news, especially from a region of the country that is growing population-wise and where every additional D3 school is meaningful for conferences and creating schedules.

[jknezek]

It's nice to see another school but Regeant is in Virginia. I wouldn't say there is a shortage of D3 schools in Virginia by any measure. There's got to be almost 20 of them.

[Kuiper]

It's nice to see another school but Regeant is in Virginia. I wouldn't say there is a shortage of D3 schools in Virginia by any measure. There's got to be almost 20 of them.

I was thinking of the Southeastern Quadrant of the country generally.  D3 is so heavily concentrated in the Northeastern Quadrant.  Plus, Regent is in the far southeastern part of VA near the North Carolina border. While Virginia Beach has a couple of close-by D3 schools, there aren't as many in NC in the eastern portion of the state and only Bob Jones in South Carolina. The only way that you are going to get non-NCAA schools to move to D3 is if there are a critical mass of schools in driving distance.  This just further enhances the creep of D3 schools southward.

[Ron Boerger]

They'll need a conference invite (CNU is the required sponsor for exploratory).  Remember Bob Jones went down this path but had to abandon it when they couldn't get into a conference.  Their remoteness may have been an issue.

[jknezek]

They'll need a conference invite (CNU is the required sponsor for exploratory).  Remember Bob Jones went down this path but had to abandon it when they couldn't get into a conference.  Their remoteness may have been an issue.

This is really the problem. The ODAC doesn't seem interested in splitting in half, though some sports are so over-stuffed you'd think it would be on the table. The USASAC might be interested to some degree. The split with the CCS makes it geographically more palatable than it would have been when those were combined.

[TheProvider]

They'll need a conference invite (CNU is the required sponsor for exploratory).  Remember Bob Jones went down this path but had to abandon it when they couldn't get into a conference.  Their remoteness may have been an issue.

This is really the problem. The ODAC doesn't seem interested in splitting in half, though some sports are so over-stuffed you'd think it would be on the table. The USASAC might be interested to some degree. The split with the CCS makes it geographically more palatable than it would have been when those were combined.

I think you'll see Regent end up in the CoastToCoast.

[Kuiper]

They'll need a conference invite (CNU is the required sponsor for exploratory).  Remember Bob Jones went down this path but had to abandon it when they couldn't get into a conference.  Their remoteness may have been an issue.

This is really the problem. The ODAC doesn't seem interested in splitting in half, though some sports are so over-stuffed you'd think it would be on the table. The USASAC might be interested to some degree. The split with the CCS makes it geographically more palatable than it would have been when those were combined.

I think you'll see Regent end up in the CoastToCoast.

C2C does have Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, and Warren Wilson in the general vicinity already, but that kind of doesn't matter in that conference since they have no conference games and only a conference tournament.  Still, if Christopher Newport is serving as Regent's sponsor, it stands to reason they would welcome them in its conference.
 

[jknezek]

They'll need a conference invite (CNU is the required sponsor for exploratory).  Remember Bob Jones went down this path but had to abandon it when they couldn't get into a conference.  Their remoteness may have been an issue.

This is really the problem. The ODAC doesn't seem interested in splitting in half, though some sports are so over-stuffed you'd think it would be on the table. The USASAC might be interested to some degree. The split with the CCS makes it geographically more palatable than it would have been when those were combined.

I think you'll see Regent end up in the CoastToCoast.

I think we have to admit that the C2C is not a conference. It's a waystation and a last resort. I'm pretty sure everyone there wants out as soon as they can find anything else. If that is their best idea, it's a bad one.

[Ron Boerger]

Other schools approved to dip their toes in last week:

Exploratory:  Mayville State (ND) [currently NAIA], Johnson & Wales University (Charlotte NC) [USCAA]
Year 1 Provisional D3 membership:  PSU-Brandywine [USCAA]

[scottiedoug]

There are other Southern deserts for DIII in the area currently Collegiate Conference of the South territory, where there are quite a few D2 and NAIA programs. Whatever MUW becomes, it is sort of near Mississippi and Alabama DIII programs. CCS is pretty small and does not do football.

[BUBeaverFan]

https://www.findlayblufftonfuture.com/  Bluffton University NCAA DIII (HCAC)and The University of Findlay NCAA DII (GMAC) have entered into a merger agreement that hopes to maintain current sports affiliation after the merger is complete. Merger FAQ states a name change for Bluffton could happen in the future.

[Kuiper]

https://www.findlayblufftonfuture.com/  Bluffton University NCAA DIII (HCAC)and The University of Findlay NCAA DII (GMAC) have entered into a merger agreement that hopes to maintain current sports affiliation after the merger is complete. Merger FAQ states a name change for Bluffton could happen in the future.

According to the FAQ below, Findlay and Bluffton would retain their separate athletic departments/teams, with Findlay remaining in DII and Bluffton remaining DIII.  Does that mean a player could move between the two teams in their sport after the season without formally transferring schools?  I can't think of a single institution with teams in different NCAA divisions, although I have seen it when the schools merge and one of the schools is a branch campus with separate admissions.  It doesn't sound like that is what is happening here though

https://www.findlayblufftonfuture.com/faq/

"Athletics
How will a merger affect student-athletes?

Until legal approval is granted, student-athletes will continue to compete in their current athletic program as NCAA Division II University of Findlay Oilers and NCAA Division III Bluffton University Beavers. The intention, pending NCAA approval, is that the athletics programs at each institution will continue to operate under two divisions with University of Findlay competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and Bluffton University competing in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. This is a model that other schools who have merged are following successfully."