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🗞 What You Need to Know. Southwestern to the SCAC. Adams, Addison Headline Academic All-America Teams. CNU Sailing Reinstated.

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“The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Presidents Council has unanimously approved the return of Southwestern University as a full member of the conference, with the institution set to begin competition during the 2027-28 academic year.

The announcement marks a homecoming for Southwestern, which was among the conference's longstanding members before departing in 2025. Its return reunites the institution with longtime conference rivals while reinforcing the SCAC's commitment to regional competition, academic excellence, and an exceptional NCAA Division III student-athlete experience.”

» What They’re Saying. "Southwestern University is thrilled to return to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, where our history and values are deeply rooted,” said Southwestern University President Laura Trombley. “As intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve, so does Southwestern. Through continued investments in the student-athlete experience, returning to the SCAC reflects who we are today and where we're headed."

» Background. “Southwestern first joined the conference in 1994 and competed as a member until 2025, capturing 31 conference championships.”

» Why It Matters. "With the additions of Southwestern and Millsaps College in 2027, the SCAC will once again feature 12 core member institutions, restoring the conference to one of its largest memberships in history. The league will rank among the largest in NCAA Division III and stand as the largest conference in the Southern region.”

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“Middlebury’s Caroline Adams headlines a group of outstanding DIII student-athletes named to the 2025-26 Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large teams as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC).

The senior from Norwich, Vt., helped the Panthers’ lacrosse team to four NCAA championships during her career. Adams was named the IWLCA Player of the Year, as well as earning NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player and first-team All-America recognition. She compiled a 3.96 GPA as a double major in neuroscience and Spanish.

The Division III Academic All-America® at-large teams honored 46 student-athletes with seven members of the first team holding perfect 4.00 GPAs either as an undergraduate or a graduate student. A total of 13 of the 46 members have 4.00 GPAs. The 16-member first team has a 3.93 GPA, while the entire 46-person unit has a 3.90 GPA.

First Team
Caroline Adams, Middlebury (lacrosse); Hannah Biccard, Tufts (field hockey); Megan Chang, Johns Hopkins (field hockey); Josephine Chang, Johns Hopkins (fencing); Carys Code, Emory (golf); Nicola Donlan, Tufts (lacrosse); Emily Gastreau, Illinois Wesleyan (golf); Jenna Halpin, Johns Hopkins (field hockey); Caroline Hughlett, Christopher Newport (field hockey); Zimo Li, Emory (golf); Maddie McDonald, Roanoke (lacrosse); Caroline Messer, Middlebury (lacrosse); Jess Palmer-Sammons, Macalester (water polo); Carter Sichol, Carleton (golf); Nora Stepan, Augsburg (ice hockey); Lauren Sullivan, Stevens (lacrosse)

“Augustana water polo standout Mark Addison was named the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division III as the 2025-26 Academic All-America® men’s at-large teams were selected by College Sports Communicators.

A first-team All-America selection, he led the Vikings to a third-place finish at the USA Water Polo DIII National Championship, finishing the season with 52 goals in 17 games. Addison sported a 3.99 GPA as a triple major in accounting, business analytics and business intelligence.

Eight honorees on the Academic All-America® Division III at-large teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 15-man first team has an average GPA of 3.96, with the entire 45-man team combining for a 3.87 GPA.

First Team
Mark Addison, Augustana (water polo); Juney Bai, Illinois Wesleyan (golf); Alex Byrne, Bowdoin (lacrosse); Eric Chen, Haverford (fencing); Peyton Cramer, Springfield (gymnastics); Kahlil Fontana, Hobart (ice hockey); Josh Harkless, RIT (wrestling); Joe Holenstein, RIT (lacrosse); Jon Howe, Saint John’s (ice hockey); David Koffler, Skidmore (lacrosse); Conor Lally, Hobart (ice hockey); Jonathan McEwen, Washington and Lee (golf); Will Miller, Wesleyan (lacrosse); Jeff Mueller, York, Pa. (lacrosse); Nicholas Unkovsky, Middlebury (skiing).

“Christopher Newport University has agreed to reinstate its varsity co-ed sailing team less than three months after announcing its discontinuation.

The move, which appears to mark the first known reinstatement of a university’s co-ed varsity sports program, follows a class-action threat by three female sailors, who argued the program’s elimination would further exacerbate the university’s alleged noncompliance with federal gender-equity law.”

» Driving The News. “Under a settlement agreement signed July 6, Christopher Newport agreed to hiring a full-time interim head coach and assistant and maintain the program through at least August 2030. It also committed to applying $150,000 of funds that had been raised for the program to the team’s operating expenses over the coming years.”

» Worth Noting. “The university had cited financial challenges when it announced in March it would discontinue the half-century-old program. The elimination followed an earlier decision to end female sailors’ participation in women’s-only regattas.”

» Quotable. “These young athletes stood up for their civil rights and won not just for themselves, but for all female student athletes at CNU,” co-counsel Linda Correia, who represented the athletes alongside Arthur Bryant, said in a statement.

» Lacrosse (W). “California Lutheran University has agreed to reinstate its women’s lacrosse team, have an independent Title IX expert conduct a gender equity review, and ensure its varsity intercollegiate athletic program is complying with Title IX.”

» Accreditation. The University of Valley Forge has been required by its Middle States evaluators to show cause, by September 1, 2026, to demonstrate why its accreditation should not be withdrawn because of insufficient evidence that the institution is in compliance with Standard VI (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement) and Standard VII (Governance, Leadership, and Administration). Elsewhere, Hilbert College was placed on probation and Albright, Centenary (N.J.), Chatham, Moravian, Mount Saint Mary, and Notre Dame (Md.) were given warnings.

» More Warnings. The Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges took a number of actions regarding the accreditation status of candidate and member institutions, including issuing warnings to Marymount and Pfeiffer.

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