AUGUST 20, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3
Send tips to [email protected] and/or via DM

🏐  Fall Sports Are Back. Enjoy our free coverage through August 29.

🗞️ In Today’s Edition. Changes Coming to Men’s Volleyball. Battle of the Bands. Juniata Favored Again in Women’s Volleyball. Mascot’s Summer Vodka and Water Secret.

📆 What’s Happening Today. The Executive Committees of the DIII Commissioners Association and NADIIIAA meet in Indianapolis.

😃 Find Us on Facebook. Join our D3 community

🙏 Support D3Playbook

TOP STORY
1. Changes Coming to DIII Men’s Volleyball Conferences

Tuesday was a newsworthy day in DIII men’s volleyball as three conferences announced they will sponsor the sport as an automatic qualifying sport.

The Empire 8 said it will sponsor men’s volleyball starting with the 2026-27 season with Elmira, Hartwick, Houghton, Nazareth, SUNY Poly, Sage and St. John Fisher as members. And eighth member is slated to join the group in 2027-28.

The NEWMAC will also add men’s volleyball to its roster of championship sports in 2026-27 with core members Emerson, MIT, Springfield and Wheaton being joined by associates NYU, New Paltz and Vassar from the United Volleyball Conference (UVC).

The Conference of New England (CNE) will make men’s volleyball a championship sport effective with the 2026-27 campaign. The CNE will absorb the remaining members of the New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC), which includes Curry, Endicott and Nichols, while Wentworth will also transition its program to the CNE. Three programs - Bard, VTSU Johnson and SUNY Potsdam will join as associate members. The NEVC will cease operations following the 2025-26 academic year.

The UVC, which will retain founding member Hobart, will fold into the NEWMAC.

» Announcements | Empire 8 | NEWMAC | CNE | NEVC | UVC

A MESSAGE FROM 1440 MEDIA

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!

FIGHT SONGS
2. Battle of the Bands

It’s the bi-annual D3Playbook “Best Fight Song” competition. Two-time defending champion Adrian looks to “three-peat” but 31 other fight songs look to knock the Bulldogs from their throne.

» How to Vote. Click on each school’s link to listen to the song. Then go to the D3Playbook twitter site and cast your vote for the winning song in each matchup. We’ll start today with the left side and conclude round one with the right side of the bracket on Thursday. The Sweet 16 is scheduled for Friday and Monday, with the Elite 8 set for next Tuesday. The semifinals will be held on August 27 with the championship matchup set for August 28.

VOLLEYBALL
3. Three-Time Champs Favored Once Again

Three-time defending national champion Juniata received 79 of a possible 86 first-place votes to easily top the 2025 AVCA Division III women’s volleyball preseason poll. Wisconsin-Whitewater came in second, while Hope, Johns Hopkins and Emory rounded out the top five.

» Top 25. 1-Juniata, 2-UW-Whitewater, 3-Hope, 4-Johns Hopkins, 5-Emory, 6-UW-Oshkosh, 7-La Verne, 8-MIT, 9-Washington and Lee, 10-Trinity (Texas), 11-Washington U., 12-Millikin, 13-UW-Platteville, 14-East Texas Baptist, 15-Claremont-M-S, 16-Marietta, 17-Colby, 18-Ithaca, 19-Illinois Wesleyan, 20-Chicago, 21-Christopher Newport, 22-UW-Eau Claire, 23-New York U., 24-Middlebury, 25-Case Western Reserve.

» Conference Call. UAA (5), WIAC (4), CCIW (2), NESCAC (2), SCIAC (2), ASC (1),
C2C (1), Centennial (1), Landmark (1), Liberty (1), Michigan (1), NEWMAC (1), OAC (1), ODAC (1), SAA (1)

» Complete Preseason Poll

NEWS YOU CAN USE
4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» Tennis. Johns Hopkins sophomore Sahana Madala and Case Western Reserve sophomore Rohit Jain were named DIII representatives to the 2025-26 ITA Student-Athlete Council.

» Conferences. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has voted to permanently align its eligibility and playing and practice season policies with the NCAA’s standards in those areas. The conference will also pilot a one-year trial to utilize a pay-per-view model for playoff contests in the sports of volleyball, soccer, basketball, hockey, baseball, and softball during the 2025-26 season. Individual playoff contests will be available to stream for $10 each, or $25 for a sport-specific playoff pass.

TRANSACTIONS
5. Comings and Goings 

• ANNA MARIA - Brian Claypool named head softball coach

• ARCADIA - Will Pilat named head men’s lacrosse coach

• AUGSBURG - Walker Gotzinger named interim head strength and conditioning coach

• BROCKPORT - Heidi Macpherson announced her retirement as president at the end of the academic year

• CENTRE - T.Y. Fisher named head athletic trainer

• MSOE - Bill Massoels named athletic director for external operations. Hannah Trees named athletic director for internal operations

• ST. MARY’S (Md.) - Jessica Lanham stepped down as head field hockey coach.

• TUFTS - Meredith Mesaris named head women’s basketball coach

• WESLEYAN - Matt Reynolds named head baseball coach

• YESHIVA - Chad Austein named head golf coach

• YORK (N.Y.) - Alex Dankwa named head cross country/track and field coach

1 THING
6. Mascot’s Summer Secret - Vodka & Water

by Dan Gelston, Associated Press

“The Phillie Phanatic has a boozy little secret for surviving the dog days of summer.

Vodka and water. Neat. Hold the lemon.

Not for hydration. Most mascots these days order off the happy hour menu when they really want to feel fresh and clean on the inside.”

📬 Thanks for starting your Wednesday with us.
Please invite your colleagues to sign up for D3Playbook

Copyright © 2025, D3Playbook.com All rights reserved