Future of Division III

[IC798891]

You're also going to need buy in from faculty to recruit, especially to less in-demand majors - something a lot of faculty have been very reluctant to do.  If you're an English professor, you might have to build a class just like the basketball coach does to ensure your department continues to exist.  That's a big change, too.

I went to ENC largely because the head of the history department called me weekly until I deposited.  He talked up the other students coming in and the accomplishments of alums.  Now that I know what athletic recruitment is like, it was basically the same thing.  He built a super strong program at a non-elite school and was way ahead of the curve.  That's going to have to become more of a norm at a lot of places.

You can't just leave it up to enrollment and marketing.

I wish I could like this post more than once.

Faculty need to be omnipresent at events for prospective and admitted students.

And they need to get into the viral game, too. A student tags you on social that they got into your chemistry department and it's their dream school? The department chair needs to get a message to that student — through a comment through the department channel if need be — of "We're just as excited as you are, and can't wait to see you in the fall!"

[Kuiper]

This is an interesting twist on the Future of DIII posts - a merger situation involving a DII and a DIII where the combination fields teams in the same sports at both levels in some cases


Montclair State going DII, while staying DIII

I haven't seen this kind of merger before, but the changing landscape demands new ideas.  Bloomfield College, a historically black college in NJ, merged into Montclair State over the summer, while retaining a separate identity as Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.  From an athletics perspective, the problem is Bloomfield has DII sports and Montclair State has DIII.  Plus, they have a lot of duplicate teams.  So, they are now doing both in a few sports and closing others and increasing club sports under a unified athletics and recreation program.

Montclair State University is pursuing a bold new vision for collegiate athletics designed to strengthen its commitment to student-athlete wellbeing and expand opportunities for participation while responding to emerging trends and opportunities.

    This includes the incorporation of Bloomfield College of Montclair State University as part of a unified athletics and recreation program. Preserving the athletic traditions of New Jersey's only four-year Predominantly Black Institution was a priority in the design process.

    The newly merged Athletic and Recreation Department will aim to foster a campuswide healthy lifestyle by providing comprehensive tools, programs, and activities throughout the year, ensuring all students have opportunities to engage and thrive.

    Montclair will sponsor 21 intercollegiate athletics programs at the NCAA Division II and Division III level and increase recreational and club sports opportunities, offering what the University sees as a national model of a dynamic response to the changing landscape of college athletics. Subject to NCAA approval, the new approach will become effective for the fall 2025 semester.

   

Four Bloomfield programs – men's and women's basketball, men's soccer and softball – will continue to compete at the NCAA Division II level, with Bloomfield maintaining affiliate membership in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

    The remaining Bloomfield sports, baseball and women's volleyball, will transition to club status to ensure more access to all students to participate in the sports at a competitive level.

    "Preserving Bloomfield College's athletics program solidifies our commitment to honoring its rich history and unique identity," says Montclair Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life Dawn Meza Soufleris. "We are dedicated to upholding the mission of Bloomfield College and ensuring that students continue to have access to transformative opportunities both on and off the field.

    Expanding Access to Athletics Opportunities

    The new model will also significantly expand opportunities for all students to participate in club sports and recreation programs to help foster a collaborative, student-centered athletic environment and cross-campus participation.

    In addition to the new club programs, the University will also seek to develop additional club and recreational programs based on student need and demand.

    Bloomfield's successful ESports program will also remain a cornerstone of the Bloomfield experience, and Montclair will make additional investments into the program for future expansion to respond to growing student demand.

    Student-athletes in all discontinued programs will have an opportunity to try out for existing NCAA teams or to participate in expanded club sports. The University will also review their individual situations to ensure they receive all financial aid for which they qualify.

[Kuiper]

Looming Declines in High-School Grads will Mark Inflect Point for Higher Ed

WICHE projects that the number of high-school graduates will peak at 3.8-3.9 million next year and then decline steadily to about 3.4 million in 2041 — a 13-percent drop. That projected decrease is primarily driven by declining birth rates, which have lessened almost every year between 2008 and 2023. Also, the percentage of students graduating from high school has plateaued in recent years, the report says, "suggesting that substantial improvement may not be likely in coming years."

    Among regions, only the South will see a net increase in high-school graduates (3 percent) between 2023 and 2041, according to the projections. The Northeast (-17 percent), Midwest (-16 percent), and West (-20 percent) will see declines. A total of 38 states will see a decline in high-school graduates. And five states with large populations — California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania — will account for three-quarters of the total projected decline nationally. During that time, a handful of states will see significant increases, including Tennessee (15 percent), South Carolina (14 percent), and Florida (12 percent).

It's not ideal that two of the states with the largest number of D3 schools (New York and Pennsylvania) are projected to have some of the largest drops in high school graduates and that two of the states with the largest projected increase have zero D3 schools (Florida and South Carolina), and 1 has only a handful of D3 schools (Tennessee)

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Guilford working on accreditation issues around finances:

https://www.guilford.edu/news/2024/12/sacscoc-action-involving-guilford-college

[Kuiper]

This is a blog post that takes all the schools with failing scores on the 2024 Forbes Financial Health grades for colleges and organizes them by region. 

The Mid-Atlantic (led by Pennsylvania and New York) had the most schools on the list, and the Great Lakes Region (led by Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois) was second.  Not surprisingly, many of the schools are D3

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

64 of them are D3 schools.  We could create a bracket!

[WashJeff68]

Scary that the PAC has four schools on this list - Hiram, Thiel, Chatham, and Waynesburg. Not long ago I took a deep dive into Form 990's for PAC schools, and based on that I am very surprised Bethany College is not on this list.

[Ron Boerger]

Surprised that Texas Lutheran, with a much better looking balance sheet and net asset situation, is on the list (thankful it's the only Texas D3 on it).  I'd love to dig into why, but not motivated enough to pay for Forbes to look into it further.

Not surprised that the other TX school is St. Edward's of Austin, a D2 that has been struggling for years and cut back programs a few years back. 

[Kuiper]

Surprised that Texas Lutheran, with a much better looking balance sheet and net asset situation, is on the list (thankful it's the only Texas D3 on it).  I'd love to dig into why, but not motivated enough to pay for Forbes to look into it further.

Not surprised that the other TX school is St. Edward's of Austin, a D2 that has been struggling for years and cut back programs a few years back. 

My guess is TLU falls short on a couple of the factors listed in the Methodology section that are less commonly known.  Among SCAC schools, I was kind of surprised to learn that the University of the Ozarks is listed as one of the 14 institutions where tuition accounts for less than 5% of revenues.

Tuition As A Percentage of Core Revenues (15%): Diversified revenue streams make any organization more financially secure, and colleges are no different. Schools that get the lion's share of their revenue from tuition are more vulnerable to enrollment declines and price competition. Tuition accounts for less than 5% of revenues at 14 colleges, including Yale, Pomona, Caltech, Hillsdale College and College of the Ozarks.

I guess I should have realized that they are a beneficiary of Walton family money (of Walmart fame).

[Ralph Turner]

Clarification of the quote.

College of the Ozarks is in Missouri.
Univ of the Ozarks is in Clarksville AR.

[AAFES]

Scary that the PAC has four schools on this list - Hiram, Thiel, Chatham, and Waynesburg. Not long ago I took a deep dive into Form 990's for PAC schools, and based on that I am very surprised Bethany College is not on this list.

So am I.  Bethany Class of 61.

[Kuiper]

Clarification of the quote.

College of the Ozarks is in Missouri.
Univ of the Ozarks is in Clarksville AR.

Thanks!  That makes a lot more sense.  The latter is the school in the SCAC

Having said that, University of the Ozarks did receive an "A" rating in the 2023 Forbes financial grades and has received gifts from the Walton family

[Gray Fox]

I am surprised how many old schools are on the list.
Many, I think, don't offer sports.

[smedindy]

Sonoma State, D2 in California,  gutted several academic programs and dropped athletics, period, starting next Academic year.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sonoma-state-budget-cuts-layoffs-20049685.php

Enrollment had plummeted and they have had major leadership issues.

Some athletes will need a home for sure.

[Ron Boerger]

In unexpected good news, despite the FAFSA cluster****, college enrollment was actually up 4.5 percent in Fall 2024, as the incoming freshman class increased 5.5%.  Earlier reports of a decrease in enrollment resulted from an error in the data collection process.

The news isn't all good as the growth "is driven by older first-year students, as 18-year-olds are still below their 2019 numbers".  Still, even that is encouraging given the hue and cry that a college education is no longer seen as valuable as it once was.  While this may be a one-year thing, it could give some schools some badly needed breathing room.