Athletics at the NCAA Division III level have long been associated with statements such as the ‘true student-athlete model’ or the ‘purest collegiate athletic experience.’ What’s more, the NCAA allows much leeway in the way of communications, contact timing and other areas of recruiting athletes. It’s common knowledge the ‘Big Brothers’ (aka Division I and Division II athletics programs) can offer scholarship monies based solely on athletic ability while Division III programs are relegated to the same grants and scholarship monies available to all prospective students.
So, how do NCAA Division III schools fill the rosters of all the athletic teams? A school may decide on an individual recruiting method but is apparent many follow two distinct formulas, each yielding levels of success for different reasons.
The World of the Unknown
Division III teams regularly featured as ‘top tier’ performers in their respective sports rely on paying close attention to those athletes ‘flying under the radar’ of Division II (even Division I) athletic recruiters. The continued growth of social media channels has meant it has become easier for the ‘Big Brothers’ to gobble up viable athletic talent which 20 years ago would not have been possible. Despite this, coaches at the Division III level are still benefiting from finding the ‘under-recruited’ or ‘left out’ athlete. The amount of scholarship monies from the higher levels of the NCAA and the NAIA is not infinite. Factor in the GPA and ACT scores not meeting current guidelines, and the pool of quality athletes for Division III sees another increase.
Spreading the word is not just a term used in religion. Successful Division III recruiters are adept at introducing themselves (through a summer camp worked on a Division I campus, e.g.) and making student-athletes aware of alternatives should they be shut out from the ‘money’ game. Later contact which speaks of the benefits a Division III school may offer its student-athletes over a Division II or NAIA program offering token athletic stipends covering the cost of items such as books and lab fees, or meal tickets – particularly when the athlete could fare better with an award due to academics – and all of a sudden the athlete’s eyes open up in the direction of the Division III institution.
For the Love of the Game
Another approach many Division III programs will take is to contact those high school performers who may not possess the best stats or athletic tools, but are high achievers in the area of academics. There are many athletes who love their sport so much they want to continue to be a part of it at the next level. In some instances, these student-athletes cannot crack the starting lineup due to the size of the high school. Had they attended a smaller school, these athletes may have been starters.
There is a reason Division III colleges keep, or even start, football programs. A study conducted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney a few years ago found for every male student attending a college to play football resulted in to other males enrolling into the school. Between 2005 and 2014, there were 53 new collegiate football programs started (many at the Division III level). The increase in student enrollment can also be associated with other athletic programs, as the clamor to realize the ‘full college experience’ is popular among incoming students.
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