Division III is the largest division in NCAA college athletics with over 450 member institutions. Division III athletes make up 40% of all NCAA student athletes. Although there are some public colleges and universities, the majority (80%) are private institutions. Division III colleges and universities are typically on the smaller side when it comes to student population - with an average student population of 2750 undergraduate students. There are a total of 29 NCAA division III conferences spread throughout the country - from midwest to northeast to the west coast. Within those conferences there are 240 NCAA division III football programs.
Some facts about division III football: Division III schools do not offer any athletic scholarships. Players can receive financial aid from the academic institutions, but can not receive any athletic aid. Recruiting at the division III level requires much more back and forth between the admissions office and the football coaches. If a coach wants a player, they must contact the admission office and provide them with a player's transcript. If the admission team approves - then the coaches can offer them admission. That is a huge fact that separates division III from other divisions: coaches are offering guaranteed admission to the college or university rather than a athletic scholarship. Division III schools are still able to attract top talent because of the free admission into a top university.
The division III football championship generally operates the same as the other divisions. There is a bracket style tournament where 32 teams compete for the national championship. Automatic bids go to the 28 conference champions (NESCAC chooses to not participate), and four non conference winning teams are selected by the committee. There are no first round byes.
Division III offers the unique opportunity for athletes to compete at a high level while still maintaining balance between their studies and athletics. Division III puts less burden on the athletes when it comes to travel, offseason work, and commitment. However, division III still requires a lot of time, attention, and dedication. Student athletes attend schools at the division III level because of their “excellent academic programs, creating a primary focus on learning and achievement of their degree” (NCAA).
Conference Highlights
NESCAC:
The New England Small College Athletic Conference, also known as the NESCAC, is a division III conference located in the northeast United States. The NESCAC is a unique conference in all of college sports due to its institutions elite academic pedigree and highly selective nature. Due to restrictive academics, players are expected to have at least a 3.5 gpa throughout their high school career and be at the top of their class. The NESCAC is composed mostly of small, liberal arts colleges with most schools being somewhere around or below 2000 undergraduate students. The NESCAC is also unique in the sets of rules it has for its football schools. Schools are not allowed to compete in the division III championship tournament. Schools are also not allowed to hold ssummer practices during the offseason. NESCAC schools are also not allowed to compete against schools outside of the NESCAC, rather they play a full round robin conference schedule of 9 games. The NESCAC prides itself on the balanced lifestyle it provides its players along with maintaining some of the most competitive football environments in division III. Here is a list of NESCAC football schools:
Amherst College (#2 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Bates College (#24 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Bowdoin College (#9 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Colby College (#25 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Hamilton College (#16 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Middlebury College (#11 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Tufts University (#40 in National Universities)
Trinity College (#39 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Wesleyan University (#11 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Williams College (#1 in National Liberal Arts Colleges)
Ranking via US News Report
Liberty League:
The Liberty League is a NCAA division III conference located in New York. The Liberty League is known for high academic institutions with elite academic pedigree and highly selective nature. Due to restrictive academics, players are expected to have a high gpa throughout their high school career and be at the top of their class. The Liberty League is composed mostly of small, liberal arts colleges with most schools being somewhere around or below 2000 undergraduate students. Unlike the NESCAC the Liberty League is allowed to hold spring practices, compete outside of conference, and compete in the NCAA division III championship. The Liberty League can not hand out athletic scholarships. The Liberty League prides itself on the balanced lifestyle it provides its players along with maintaining some of the most competitive football environments in division III. Here is a list of Liberty League football schools:
Hobart College (70th Ranked Liberal Arts School)
Ithaca College (16th Best Value School)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (60th in National Universities)
University of Rochester (47th in National Universities)
St. Lawrence University (59th Liberal Arts School)
Union College (45th Liberal Arts School)
Buffalo State (44th Best Public School)
Ranking via US News Report