Doing The Conference Shuffle

Membership changes for next year and beyond

JULY 1, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH
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TOP STORY
1. Conference Changes for 2025-26

A new year begins for NCAA Division III as the calendar flips from June to July, signaling for many the start of FY26.

It also means that the shuffling of conference members over the past two years becomes a reality beginning today.

This special edition of the D3Playbook takes a look at the changes for this year and a glance into additional changes coming in 2026-27.

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CONFERENCES
2. Full-Time Changes

Additions

Departures

  • American Southwest Conference (ASC): LeTourneau

  • North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC): Hiram

  • Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC): John Carroll

  • Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC): Ferrum

  • Southern Athletic Association (SAA): Hendrix

  • United East Conference (UEC): Saint Elizabeth

CONFERENCES
3. Single-Sport Additions

  • Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC): Elmira and John Carroll as women’s wrestling members

  • Centennial Conference (CC): Carnegie Mellon as football member

  • City of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC): New Jersey City as men’s volleyball member

  • Colonial Women’s Golf Conference (CWGC): Babson, Carlow, Christopher Newport, Kean, Penn State Altoona, Salisbury and Stockton form

  • Southern Athletic Association (SAA): Southwestern and Trinity (Texas) as football members. Maryville as football and women’s golf members

  • State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC): SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi as cross country members. Penn State Altoona, Penn State Behrend, Pitt-Bradford, and SUNY Delhi as swimming members. Elmira as men’s wrestling member. Salisbury as field hockey member

A LOOK AHEAD
4. Future Changes

Additions (2026-27)

  • American Southwest Conference (ASC): McMurry and Schreiner as full members

  • City of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC): New Jersey City as full member

  • Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC): Marywood and Neumann from Atlantic East as full members

  • Midwest Conference (MWC): Luther as full member

  • New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC): New Paltz as a full member

  • Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC): St. Francis (Pa.) as full member

  • Southern Athletic Association (SAA): Maryville

  • Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC): Will integrate Azusa Pacific into conference scheduling in 2026-27. Expected to become full-fledged member in 2028-29

  • State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC): Alfred State, SUNY Cobleskill, and SUNY Delhi as full members 

  • United East Conference (UEC): Rosemont athletics will transition to club status after 2025-26

Departures (2026-27)

  • Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC): Alfred State

  • American Rivers Conference (A-R-C): Luther

  • Atlantic East Conference (AEC): Marywood, Neumann

  • Collegiate Conference of the South. (CCS): Maryville

  • New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC): New Jersey City

  • North Atlantic Conference (NAC): SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Delhi

  • Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC): McMurry, Schreiner

  • State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC): New Paltz

NEWS YOU CAN USE
5. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» New Day. “The revenue-sharing era in college sports officially begins Tuesday, when Division I athletic departments can directly pay student-athletes.”

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings 

ALBION - Noah Tylutki named assistant sports information director
ALVERNIA - Clay Allen named head tennis coach
BETHANY - Brian Sansom will depart as VP for enrollment and athletics
BRIDGEWATER - Nick Schlickenrieder named head golf coach
CENTRAL - Jaime Miranda named head women’s wrestling coach
CONCORDIA-CHICAGO - Kolin Conner resigned as head baseball coach
CURRY - Cassandra Nelson named head women’s lacrosse coach
GENEVA - Geno DeMarco announced his retirement as head football coach after the 2025 season
GORDON - Matt Antonelli named head baseball coach
JOHN JAY - Austin Voges named head women’s volleyball coach
KING’S - Cheryl Ish will step down as associate vice president/athletic director and transition to a faculty role
LYON - Michael Peckham named head women’s basketball coach
MACALESTER - AD Donovan named head women’s basketball coach
THIEL - Jessi Jaurez named director of cross country/track and field
WESTMINSTER (Mo.) - Jessica Brown named director of athletics

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