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The DIII Analysis Working Group met on October 6 and reviewed the age-based eligibility case study and prioritized its group options.

» Age-Based Eligibility Proposal. The working group discussed the merits of the age-based eligibility proposal and whether this group should provide a position to the Management and Presidents Councils. The working group agreed that the time is not ripe to provide a position as issues continue to be raised regarding the proposal. The working group wants to allow time for evaluation of these issues before taking a position.

» Prioritized Working Group Options. A comprehensive review of traditional and nontraditional segments was identified as the group’s highest priority item. The feedback from a membership survey distributed in late April 2026 indicated that most institutions are using the maximum days and competitions but budgets, staffing. and facilities are not keeping pace, which is creating financial tensions.

» Economic Tension Financial Peer Benchmarking. The working group reviewed the plug and play cost model, athletics return on investment, and impact analysis. It recognized value in developing an NCAA platform that provides financial benchmarking data to support institutional decisions (e.g., staffing, addition of teams, etc.) that have revenue impacts.

» Moving Forward. The working group agreed that the development of options to mitigate identified tensions and case studies necessitates the working group to continue its work past the 2027 NCAA Convention and through June 2027.

The October monthly Division III webinar spent time discussing the noncontroversial legislation on the table at the 2027 NCAA Convention.

This recording tells you what’s in the “blue pages” and what you need to know about the 16 pieces of NC legislation | Slides

“A cross country schedule is a collection of choices.

Coaches weigh competition, courses, travel, and timing.

Established invitationals, like the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in NCAA Division I, the Lewis Crossover in NCAA Division II, or the Connecticut College Invitational in NCAA Division III, take some of the guesswork out of the equation. Coaches have a good idea of how strong the field will be, how the course will challenge their athletes, and what the weekend will provide.

But how does an invitational become a destination?”

» Driving the News. Distance isn’t measured in meters or miles, but years and generations. The Connecticut College Invitational began in 1985 as a small meet on the school’s campus course. Then in 2003, Ned Bishop moved it to its current location at Harkness Memorial State Park about six miles from campus. Bishop, now in his 42nd year at Connecticut College, knew the meet needed a change in scenery to become what he envisioned all those years ago.”

» Coming Together. “Assembling a strong field took time. Bishop leaned on relationships he had built over the years, sometimes with coaches he already knew through USTFCCCA and NCAA committees, and other times with coaches he only knew in passing. The NCAA’s shift to an at-large model for qualifying to the NCAA Championships and its current 10-region system gave interregional matchups greater importance. Bishop began reaching beyond the Northeast, inviting teams that could not only contend in their regions but eventually for national titles later that season.”

» Why It Matters. “The 2026 edition on Saturday, October 17, will feature 23 combined nationally ranked teams as of the most recent National Coaches’ Polls and four women who could contend for the national title in November: reigning NCAA champion Audrey Maclean of Middlebury, Jules Bleskoski of RPI, Haley Schoenegge of Vassar, and Kate Tuttle of Williams.”

» Quotable. “When we host any event, we want to put forth the very best product, so the athletes and coaches have a fantastic experience that they want to duplicate,” Bishop said. “When I make my schedule, I’m thinking about good experiences we had where we’ve been. One is the competition. Is it good? Another is the facility for the track or course. Is it good? Does the host school provide all the amenities that make it a successful experience? All of that goes into play.”

“October has been an excellent month on the philanthropic front for three private liberal arts colleges, each of which has received the largest donation in their respective histories. The three institutions are Albion College in Albion, Michigan; Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana; and Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina.”

» State of Play. Franklin received a $15 million donation to construct the Charles B. Staff Center for classrooms, offices, collaboration spaces and conference rooms for the School of Business and the pre-law studies program at Franklin, both of which are named after Mr. Staff. Albion College received a $10 million commitment from alumnus Joe Serra and his wife Julie. The donation, all of which is unrestricted, set the record as Albion’s largest gift ever. Warren Wilson College revealed on October 12 that it had received an $11 million gift from anonymous donors. The record donation will be used to fund the college’s “Advancing Science in Action for the Common Good," enabling it to renovate and re-equip its science facilities, add scientific instrumentation and digital learning spaces, and establish an endowed fund for equipment.

» Lacrosse (W). “The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) has announced the recipients of the 2026 Barb Jordan Outstanding Assistant Coach Award, recognizing exceptional assistant coaches across all three NCAA divisions, including Clara Bissell of Wesleyan University.

» Video Gaming. “Amid rising costs of NIL payments, the future of the EA Sports College Football is “in jeopardy,” according to a report from Insider Gaming’s Mike Straw. The game released its third installment this year after making its highly anticipated return.”

» PCSA. “The president of the NCAA is urging Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act for the sake of timely student-athlete graduation rates. Charlie Baker, NCAA’s president, in a new letter to lawmakers Thursday argued “the court-imposed unlimited transfer policy is leading to worse academic outcomes for student-athletes who transfer multiple times.”

“The first sunscreens using bemotrizinol — sometimes called BEMT — are hitting store shelves after the FDA approved them in June.

Bemotrizinol has long been the go-to sunscreen option in Europe and elsewhere.

Dermatologists say it offers broad protection but without the downsides of other sunscreens, including white streaking.

BEMT has decades of safety data behind it, including studies showing that it has minimal absorption into the skin.”

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