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Finding Your Place: NCAA Division III
Overview
Many student-athletes and their parents make the mistake of ignoring D3 institutions, limiting their search to D1 and some D2 schools. For many, however, particularly those that are good students and/or have the financial resources, D3 makes a lot of sense. What kind of player is best suited to play D3? Generally, a good D3 player is one who may be known locally rather than regionally or nationally, possibly good enough to earn a partial scholarship from a D2 school, and generally makes the decision to attend a D3 school for reasons other than basketball.
Generally speaking, NCAA D3 institutions:
· Are private and/or religious based
· Emphasize academics and “pay to play” athletes
· Have enrollments under 4,000 students
· Provide for a greater sense of community/belonging
· Offer fewer graduate programs
· Have higher graduation rates for athletes than NCAA D1 or D2
· Require athletes to meet the same academic eligibility requirements as non-athletes
Generally speaking, NCAA D3 basketball programs:
· Have small recruiting budgets
· Have less experienced assistant coaches
· Recruit almost entirely locally or in-state
· Play in smaller gyms, before smaller crowds
· Are not as competitive as NCAA D1 or D2 programs
· Attract a more well-rounded student-athlete
· Have less rules governing recruiting
· Do not offer athletic scholarships
College Characteristics
Institutions belonging to the NCAA D3 do so for a number of reasons. Generally, size, location and a long tradition and established conference rivalries are the most influential. The majority of D3 schools are located in the Northeast and are private rather than public institutions. Among the three levels of NCAA classification, D3 is the most numerous, with over 325 institutions having D3 status. Generally speaking, academics take on a greater importance for the student attending D3 institutions.
While D3 schools are smaller than D2 institutions, they are significantly larger than the average NAIA school. Average enrollment is about 3,800 students. Schools with as little 1,000 students are less common and schools with enrollments greater than 15,000 are rare. For example, New York University (NYU), the largest D3 institution, has nearly 50,000 students. D3 schools tend to have lower teacher-to-pupil ratios and give greater individual attention to their students.
Nearly 75% of D3 institutions are private or religious based and some are very distinguished. Since most are private institutions, tuition plus room and board is high, averaging in excess of $30,000 annually and considerably more expensive than most D1 or D2 schools. (D3 state institutions are considerably less expensive.) Thus, a good number of students attending D3 schools come from a higher socio-economic background. However, it would be a mistake to imply that all D3 colleges cater to a more wealthy student. Many D3 schools are quite diverse. Nevertheless, you often hear reference to D3 schools as the “pay-to-play” institutions.
D3 schools are generally large enough to offer a good number undergraduate degrees; most having a liberal arts focus. Graduate programs are not as numerous as those offered at D1 or D2 schools though some of the larger and more noteworthy D3 schools offer very comprehensive curriculums and specialized fields. The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, for example, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and its Computer Systems Management Program was ranked first in the nation by the Association of Information Technology Professionals. The University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins are noted for their specialties in economics and medicine respectively.
Recruiting/Scholarships
D3 institutions differ from D1, D2, and NAIA schools in two huge ways. First, and most importantly, they offer no athletic scholarships. All D3 aid is based on merit and need. An excellent student coming from a poor family is a good candidate to receive financial aid. In any event, many D3 players can qualify for some amount of aid and seldom pay the "sticker" price for the school.
Secondly, while most student-athletes need only meet the minimum eligibility (admissions) requirement to attend D1or D2 schools, D3 institutions tend to be stricter and do not distinguish between athletes and non-athletes during the admissions process. In other words, if you don’t meet a particular school’s test scores and/or GPA requirements, you don’t get in.
Recruiting at the D3 level is not as intense as it is at the NCAA D2 and D1 levels. Most D3 coaches recruit locally or within state because of limited recruiting budgets. Thus, out-of-state athletes often are evaluated via videotape. It is very common to find D3 team rosters filled entirely with in-state students. While D3 schools do not attract many blue chip athletes, the more successful programs are first rate, and frequently recruit against D2 and sometimes D1 institutions. For example, Washington University in St. Louis, one of the most prominent basketball powerhouses in D3, is able to attract a fair number of D1 prospects. If playing time is important to you as a freshman and sophomore, D3 schools offer greater opportunity than what is normally the case at D2 and D1.
D3 schools are forbidden to offer athletic scholarships, hence, coaches must generally sell the school first; highlighting the educational benefits and the total college experience his or her institution has to offer. Unfortunately for D3 schools, D3 coaches may not know what they have to work with until late spring. Typically, top prospects wait out their options, hoping for a possible athletic scholarship from a higher-level program before deciding to go D3.
Because the academic factor looms large at D3 schools, coaches are further prevented from interfering or having any influence on an applicant’s admission or financial aid package. Thus, even if the coach has a tentative commitment from a prospective recruit, he/she is unable to make it easier to secure that athlete’s admission.
Rules
Primarily because they offer no scholarships, D3 coaches are much less restricted than their D1 and D2 counterparts. (Some conferences or individual schools may impose some recruiting restrictions and some coaches do follow D1 or D2 rules anyway.) D3 coaches are not constrained by contact and evaluation periods and there is no limits regarding phone contact. D3 athletes need not register with the Eligibility Clearinghouse if they intend on attending a D3 school and there is no Letter of Intent. Student-athletes must conform to the institution’s admissions policy and test scores that is required of all students.
In summary:
A recruit may receive printed materials, letter, or faxes at any time.
A college coach can call a recruit as often as they like, whenever they like.
A recruit or parent, high school or AAU coach can call a college coach at any time.
A coach can contact a recruit or parent after one's junior year.*
A recruit can make as many unofficial visits as they like.
A recruit can make official visits starting their senior year; one per institution.
D3 athletes need not register with the Eligibility Clearinghouse if they intend on attending a D3 school and there is no Letter of Intent.
There are no limitations on the number of times a coach can evaluate a recruit.
*The term "contact" generally refers to speaking to a player or parent (face-to-face), for example, during a home visit.
Coaching Background
Resumes of head coaches at the D3 level can vary tremendously and money is not what draws coaches to the D3 ranks. Oftentimes it is the purity of the game, small-school environment, or different responsibilities that attract coaches to D3. Unlike NCAA D1 or D2 head coaches who are paid to coach full-time, some head coaches at the D3 level may be part-time though the more successful programs have a full time head coach. On average, head coaches earn very little, perhaps $20-$30k per year. It is common for D3 coaches to teach or have other responsibilities (e.g., athletic director, coaching another sport, sports information director, etc.) Unlike their D1 and D2 counterparts, D3 head coaches spend considerable time doing their own recruiting.
D3 coaches have varied backgrounds. Compared to D1 and some D2 coaches, certainly more D3 head coaches were former high school or college standouts with little basketball experience at the collegiate level. But this is changing. Many D3 coaches are now coming in with prior collegiate coaching experience. The better the program the better the background of the coach. Bob Gaillard coached at the University of San Francisco (D1) and turned the program into a national contender and then came over to Lewis and Clark College where he proceeded to do the same thing.
Coaching differences at the D3 level are more apparent at the assistant level. While the more successful programs employ a full time or part time assistant, it is estimated that perhaps just half of D3 institutions have an assistant. Those institutions that are fortunate enough to hire an assistant coach generally do so on a part-time basis. Assistant pay is low which suggests those assisting do it because they love the game and wish to garner some experience that will promote their own career paths. But even the assistant coaching ranks are getting better - at least for the premier programs. Baldwin-Wallace recently reported that over half of those applying for an assistant position had college coaching experience and the person they eventually selected had seven years of college assistant experience.
While most D1 or D2 assistant coaches are specialists and can provide an athlete better skill (position) instruction, athletes attending D3 institutions may not receive individual instruction due to the lack of experience in the assistant coaching ranks. Among the more successful D3 programs, however, adequate staffing and experience may be available but it is generally not as good as one would find at the D1 or D2 level.
Schedule/Practices/Games
Despite D3 institutions being noted for their academic prowess, the more successful D3 basketball programs are highly competitive and there are many schools that can compete with D2, NAIA, or lower tier D1 programs. Like all NCAA programs, practice cannot start until October 15. However, unlike D1 and D2 programs that can begin supervised conditioning at the start of the school year, D3 programs must wait until October 15.
Practice time is limited to 20 hours per week during the season. Depending on the program, the amount of practice time expected from D3 athletes is probably less than D2 or D1 athletes -- but still demanding. Practices are typically 5-6 days a week, 2-3 hours a day. Many programs require strength and conditioning and possibly study hall. As D3 programs place a greater emphasis on academics, it is not uncommon for coaches to schedule practices around their players’ class schedules or to have players arriving late or leaving early for academic reasons. This could be a real plus for the serious student-athlete.
D3 schools can schedule 25 contests. By comparison, D1, D2 and NAIA schools can schedule 28, 27, and 32 games respectively. D3 programs develop strong rivalries within their own conference/region. More often than not, league opponents are located within relative short distances, reducing the number of overnight stays on most away games. This too can be a huge advantage to the serious student-athlete. Like their D1 and D2 counterparts, pre-season tournaments may take them out-of-state but even then, D3 schools typically do far less traveling in the pre-season than D1 or D2. Finally, unlike higher-level NCAA schools, many D3 schools schedule games to permit women and men’s teams to play back-to-back. Post-season play consists of a National Tournament for both men and women at each division with a total of 64 teams.
Conclusion
As D3 institutions cannot offer athletic scholarships, they stand apart from D1, D2, and NAIA programs that can. For the majority of programs, the level of play and caliber of player probably most closely resembles the NAIA level. Among the more successful D3 programs, the level of competition can mirror that of many D2 or lower-tier D1 programs. Generally speaking, D3 programs offer greater opportunity for players to come in right away and get quality minutes.
Generally, a good D3 player is one who may be known locally rather than regionally or nationally, possibly good enough to earn a partial scholarship from a D2 school, and generally makes the decision to attend a D3 school for reasons other than basketball. Typically, the D3 student is one who loves the sport but who may not have the speed or agility of scholarship-type athletes.
Very often, those choosing to attend D3 institutions place as much emphasis, if not more, on the academic offerings of the college or university. As a result, many coaches promote what the school can offer after basketball.
Contributors to the above article include:
Shanan Rosenberg, Men’s Basketball Coach, Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
Lisa Liberty Becker, author, Net Prospect: “The Courting Process of Women’s College Basketball Recruiting”, Wish Publishing, 2002
Bob Gaillard, Men’s Basketball Coach, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Cheri Harrer, Women’s Basketball Coach, Baldwin-Wallace, Berea, OH
FYPDIVIII.doc (12/06)
Overview
Many student-athletes and their parents make the mistake of ignoring D3 institutions, limiting their search to D1 and some D2 schools. For many, however, particularly those that are good students and/or have the financial resources, D3 makes a lot of sense. What kind of player is best suited to play D3? Generally, a good D3 player is one who may be known locally rather than regionally or nationally, possibly good enough to earn a partial scholarship from a D2 school, and generally makes the decision to attend a D3 school for reasons other than basketball.
Generally speaking, NCAA D3 institutions:
· Are private and/or religious based
· Emphasize academics and “pay to play” athletes
· Have enrollments under 4,000 students
· Provide for a greater sense of community/belonging
· Offer fewer graduate programs
· Have higher graduation rates for athletes than NCAA D1 or D2
· Require athletes to meet the same academic eligibility requirements as non-athletes
Generally speaking, NCAA D3 basketball programs:
· Have small recruiting budgets
· Have less experienced assistant coaches
· Recruit almost entirely locally or in-state
· Play in smaller gyms, before smaller crowds
· Are not as competitive as NCAA D1 or D2 programs
· Attract a more well-rounded student-athlete
· Have less rules governing recruiting
· Do not offer athletic scholarships
College Characteristics
Institutions belonging to the NCAA D3 do so for a number of reasons. Generally, size, location and a long tradition and established conference rivalries are the most influential. The majority of D3 schools are located in the Northeast and are private rather than public institutions. Among the three levels of NCAA classification, D3 is the most numerous, with over 325 institutions having D3 status. Generally speaking, academics take on a greater importance for the student attending D3 institutions.
While D3 schools are smaller than D2 institutions, they are significantly larger than the average NAIA school. Average enrollment is about 3,800 students. Schools with as little 1,000 students are less common and schools with enrollments greater than 15,000 are rare. For example, New York University (NYU), the largest D3 institution, has nearly 50,000 students. D3 schools tend to have lower teacher-to-pupil ratios and give greater individual attention to their students.
Nearly 75% of D3 institutions are private or religious based and some are very distinguished. Since most are private institutions, tuition plus room and board is high, averaging in excess of $30,000 annually and considerably more expensive than most D1 or D2 schools. (D3 state institutions are considerably less expensive.) Thus, a good number of students attending D3 schools come from a higher socio-economic background. However, it would be a mistake to imply that all D3 colleges cater to a more wealthy student. Many D3 schools are quite diverse. Nevertheless, you often hear reference to D3 schools as the “pay-to-play” institutions.
D3 schools are generally large enough to offer a good number undergraduate degrees; most having a liberal arts focus. Graduate programs are not as numerous as those offered at D1 or D2 schools though some of the larger and more noteworthy D3 schools offer very comprehensive curriculums and specialized fields. The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, for example, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and its Computer Systems Management Program was ranked first in the nation by the Association of Information Technology Professionals. The University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins are noted for their specialties in economics and medicine respectively.
Recruiting/Scholarships
D3 institutions differ from D1, D2, and NAIA schools in two huge ways. First, and most importantly, they offer no athletic scholarships. All D3 aid is based on merit and need. An excellent student coming from a poor family is a good candidate to receive financial aid. In any event, many D3 players can qualify for some amount of aid and seldom pay the "sticker" price for the school.
Secondly, while most student-athletes need only meet the minimum eligibility (admissions) requirement to attend D1or D2 schools, D3 institutions tend to be stricter and do not distinguish between athletes and non-athletes during the admissions process. In other words, if you don’t meet a particular school’s test scores and/or GPA requirements, you don’t get in.
Recruiting at the D3 level is not as intense as it is at the NCAA D2 and D1 levels. Most D3 coaches recruit locally or within state because of limited recruiting budgets. Thus, out-of-state athletes often are evaluated via videotape. It is very common to find D3 team rosters filled entirely with in-state students. While D3 schools do not attract many blue chip athletes, the more successful programs are first rate, and frequently recruit against D2 and sometimes D1 institutions. For example, Washington University in St. Louis, one of the most prominent basketball powerhouses in D3, is able to attract a fair number of D1 prospects. If playing time is important to you as a freshman and sophomore, D3 schools offer greater opportunity than what is normally the case at D2 and D1.
D3 schools are forbidden to offer athletic scholarships, hence, coaches must generally sell the school first; highlighting the educational benefits and the total college experience his or her institution has to offer. Unfortunately for D3 schools, D3 coaches may not know what they have to work with until late spring. Typically, top prospects wait out their options, hoping for a possible athletic scholarship from a higher-level program before deciding to go D3.
Because the academic factor looms large at D3 schools, coaches are further prevented from interfering or having any influence on an applicant’s admission or financial aid package. Thus, even if the coach has a tentative commitment from a prospective recruit, he/she is unable to make it easier to secure that athlete’s admission.
Rules
Primarily because they offer no scholarships, D3 coaches are much less restricted than their D1 and D2 counterparts. (Some conferences or individual schools may impose some recruiting restrictions and some coaches do follow D1 or D2 rules anyway.) D3 coaches are not constrained by contact and evaluation periods and there is no limits regarding phone contact. D3 athletes need not register with the Eligibility Clearinghouse if they intend on attending a D3 school and there is no Letter of Intent. Student-athletes must conform to the institution’s admissions policy and test scores that is required of all students.
In summary:
A recruit may receive printed materials, letter, or faxes at any time.
A college coach can call a recruit as often as they like, whenever they like.
A recruit or parent, high school or AAU coach can call a college coach at any time.
A coach can contact a recruit or parent after one's junior year.*
A recruit can make as many unofficial visits as they like.
A recruit can make official visits starting their senior year; one per institution.
D3 athletes need not register with the Eligibility Clearinghouse if they intend on attending a D3 school and there is no Letter of Intent.
There are no limitations on the number of times a coach can evaluate a recruit.
*The term "contact" generally refers to speaking to a player or parent (face-to-face), for example, during a home visit.
Coaching Background
Resumes of head coaches at the D3 level can vary tremendously and money is not what draws coaches to the D3 ranks. Oftentimes it is the purity of the game, small-school environment, or different responsibilities that attract coaches to D3. Unlike NCAA D1 or D2 head coaches who are paid to coach full-time, some head coaches at the D3 level may be part-time though the more successful programs have a full time head coach. On average, head coaches earn very little, perhaps $20-$30k per year. It is common for D3 coaches to teach or have other responsibilities (e.g., athletic director, coaching another sport, sports information director, etc.) Unlike their D1 and D2 counterparts, D3 head coaches spend considerable time doing their own recruiting.
D3 coaches have varied backgrounds. Compared to D1 and some D2 coaches, certainly more D3 head coaches were former high school or college standouts with little basketball experience at the collegiate level. But this is changing. Many D3 coaches are now coming in with prior collegiate coaching experience. The better the program the better the background of the coach. Bob Gaillard coached at the University of San Francisco (D1) and turned the program into a national contender and then came over to Lewis and Clark College where he proceeded to do the same thing.
Coaching differences at the D3 level are more apparent at the assistant level. While the more successful programs employ a full time or part time assistant, it is estimated that perhaps just half of D3 institutions have an assistant. Those institutions that are fortunate enough to hire an assistant coach generally do so on a part-time basis. Assistant pay is low which suggests those assisting do it because they love the game and wish to garner some experience that will promote their own career paths. But even the assistant coaching ranks are getting better - at least for the premier programs. Baldwin-Wallace recently reported that over half of those applying for an assistant position had college coaching experience and the person they eventually selected had seven years of college assistant experience.
While most D1 or D2 assistant coaches are specialists and can provide an athlete better skill (position) instruction, athletes attending D3 institutions may not receive individual instruction due to the lack of experience in the assistant coaching ranks. Among the more successful D3 programs, however, adequate staffing and experience may be available but it is generally not as good as one would find at the D1 or D2 level.
Schedule/Practices/Games
Despite D3 institutions being noted for their academic prowess, the more successful D3 basketball programs are highly competitive and there are many schools that can compete with D2, NAIA, or lower tier D1 programs. Like all NCAA programs, practice cannot start until October 15. However, unlike D1 and D2 programs that can begin supervised conditioning at the start of the school year, D3 programs must wait until October 15.
Practice time is limited to 20 hours per week during the season. Depending on the program, the amount of practice time expected from D3 athletes is probably less than D2 or D1 athletes -- but still demanding. Practices are typically 5-6 days a week, 2-3 hours a day. Many programs require strength and conditioning and possibly study hall. As D3 programs place a greater emphasis on academics, it is not uncommon for coaches to schedule practices around their players’ class schedules or to have players arriving late or leaving early for academic reasons. This could be a real plus for the serious student-athlete.
D3 schools can schedule 25 contests. By comparison, D1, D2 and NAIA schools can schedule 28, 27, and 32 games respectively. D3 programs develop strong rivalries within their own conference/region. More often than not, league opponents are located within relative short distances, reducing the number of overnight stays on most away games. This too can be a huge advantage to the serious student-athlete. Like their D1 and D2 counterparts, pre-season tournaments may take them out-of-state but even then, D3 schools typically do far less traveling in the pre-season than D1 or D2. Finally, unlike higher-level NCAA schools, many D3 schools schedule games to permit women and men’s teams to play back-to-back. Post-season play consists of a National Tournament for both men and women at each division with a total of 64 teams.
Conclusion
As D3 institutions cannot offer athletic scholarships, they stand apart from D1, D2, and NAIA programs that can. For the majority of programs, the level of play and caliber of player probably most closely resembles the NAIA level. Among the more successful D3 programs, the level of competition can mirror that of many D2 or lower-tier D1 programs. Generally speaking, D3 programs offer greater opportunity for players to come in right away and get quality minutes.
Generally, a good D3 player is one who may be known locally rather than regionally or nationally, possibly good enough to earn a partial scholarship from a D2 school, and generally makes the decision to attend a D3 school for reasons other than basketball. Typically, the D3 student is one who loves the sport but who may not have the speed or agility of scholarship-type athletes.
Very often, those choosing to attend D3 institutions place as much emphasis, if not more, on the academic offerings of the college or university. As a result, many coaches promote what the school can offer after basketball.
Contributors to the above article include:
Shanan Rosenberg, Men’s Basketball Coach, Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
Lisa Liberty Becker, author, Net Prospect: “The Courting Process of Women’s College Basketball Recruiting”, Wish Publishing, 2002
Bob Gaillard, Men’s Basketball Coach, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Cheri Harrer, Women’s Basketball Coach, Baldwin-Wallace, Berea, OH
FYPDIVIII.doc (12/06)
