JUNE 18, 2026
composed by STEVE ULRICH
No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3
🏖 Hello, Summer. We’re in our summer publishing schedule of twice a week - Mondays and Thursdays.
🗞 What You Need to Know. ‘The Last Train Leaving The Station.’ VWU’s Adams Headlines Softball Academic All-America Team. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Heads List of Best DIII Facilities.
📆 What’s Happening Today. The DIII Convention Subcommittee meets virtually.
🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Sixty Minute Man. The Dominoes
Top Story
1. ‘The Last Train Leaving The Station’
“On page 25 of the revised 47-page Protect College Sports Act — the newest college sports legislation — one can find an interesting section.
In all caps and bolded, Section 114's title reads as follows:
PROHIBITED COMPENSATION AND AGREEMENTS.
Over the next 39 lines, language details an overshadowed portion of the legislation that, if adopted as written, stands to dramatically reshape the college athletics compensation market.”
» Why It Matters. “Ahead of one of the most anticipated congressional events in college sports history on Thursday — a committee amendment session and vote to potentially send the bill to the Senate floor — many within the industry believe Section 114 of the Protect College Sports Act may limit the amount of money that athletes are currently receiving, potentially by hundreds of millions of dollars.”
» Driving The News. “Though interpretations differ over the ambiguous nature of the language, the bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) appears to close a lucrative loophole that schools are using to pay their athletes beyond the revenue-share cap allotted to them. The bill's text prevents athlete NIL deals struck with "associated entities" from resulting in "compensation in an amount that would circumvent or result in the institution exceeding the revenue-share cap.””
» Worth Noting. “Cantwell and Cruz spoke virtually to the entire group of the 32 Division I commissioners. During the call, Cruz offered to them a message that he's delivered to many others over the last few weeks: This legislation has the best chance to become law of any previously introduced — and there won't be another anytime soon. Said Cruz: "This is the last train leaving the station."
» What They’re Saying. “We must do all we can to safeguard the opportunities of this uniquely American system for the next generation of student-athletes,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker. “Every sports league needs rules, and there are certain challenges to NCAA rules that only Congress can address. The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act’s sections bolstering eligibility, transfer and agent policies are needed now to deliver on that obligation.”
2. VWU’s Adams Headlines Softball Academic All-America Team
Virginia Wesleyan’s Emma Adams was named the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year award winner as College Sports Communicators announced their 2026 Division III team.
The senior was named first-team All-America after compiling a 23-1 record in the circle with a 0.63 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 13.71. A sports and recreation management major with a 3.94 GPA, Adams earned first-team All-ODAC and first-team All-Region honors and helped lead the Marlins to the DIII championship finals.
Five of the 33 members of the Academic All-America® Division III softball teams claim a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate courses. The 11 members of the first team have an average GPA of 3.91, with the entire Division III team retaining a collective average GPA of 3.85.
First Team
C-Ashlyn Aven, Linfield, 3.70, Sr., Exercise Science & Secondary Physical Education
DP-Lauryn Horita, Tufts, 3.92, Sr., Biology
IF-Laci Campbell, Virginia Wesleyan, 3.75, Sr., Sociology & Criminal Justice
IF-Megan Heidelbauer, Simpson, 3.93, Sr., Environmental Science
IF-Makayla Menchue, East Texas Baptist, 3.96, Jr., Kinesiology
IF-Karen Potts, Case Western Reserve, 3.97, Jr., Psychology
OF-Emma Lee, Trine, 4.00, Sr., Elementary Education & Special Education
OF-Meara Sain, Linfield, 4.00, Jr., Exercise Science
OF-Ashlyn Steen, Simpson,, 3.97, Sr., Political Science
P-Emma Adams, Virginia Wesleyan, 3.94, Sr., Sports & Recreation Management
P-Avery Holland, East Texas Baptist, 3.87, Jr., Speech Language Pathology
3. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Heads List of Best DIII Facilities
“Think Division 3 Athletics means cramped gyms, small stands, and outdated weight rooms?
Think again.
D3Direct reposted its 2025 ranking of the Top 25 D3 Athletic Facilities in the country.
From cutting-edge training centers to venues that could host pro events - many of these D3 setups will make your local D1 college sports program jealous.
The full Top 25 ranking of D3 Schools is live, let’s see where yours stacks up.”
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. CMS' D3 athletes train & compete in top-tier facilities like the 144,000 sq. ft. Roberts Pavilion and the NCAA-hosted Biszantz Family Tennis Center. The shared CMS system combines resources from three colleges, giving its D3 student-athletes access to a wider range of fields, courts, and wellness spaces than most small liberal arts schools. CMS facilities stand out nationally, not just amongst D3’s. Plus, CMS is building the Roberts Campus Sports Bowl. In Phase One alone this will add brand new facilities for Track & field, lacrosse/football field, and a golf practice facility…as well as support facilities with locker rooms, meeting spaces, and sports medicine services
Middlebury. Middlebury College’s athletic facilities include the 110,000 sq. ft. Virtue Field House with an indoor track, turf field, and LEED Gold design, plus an Olympic-sized natatorium. Student-athletes can also train and compete at the Middlebury Snow Bowl and Rikert Nordic Center, making it one of the few D3 colleges with on-campus ski areas.
Colby. Colby massively upgraded their facilities in the form of the 350,000-square-foot, $200-million Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center.
Mary Hardin-Baylor. UMHB’s sports facilities include the Mayborn Campus Center, a comprehensive 122,000-sq.ft. building with a 2,500-seat arena, indoor track, natatorium, and training/facility labs. But their crown jewel is Crusader Stadium, one of the best D3 Football stadiums in the country.
Bowdoin. Bowdoin College does have a new D3 athletics building like the other members of the Top 5, however it makes it in on the strength its all-around merits. From softball, to skiing, to hockey, all of their D3 facilities hold their own. Even more impressive when you consider that it has under 2000 students. Bowdoin also has ski facilities nearby at the Pineland Nordic Skiing Center, a two-tiered stands setup for its basketball and volleyball gym, plus nearby golf facilities for its men’s and women’s golf teams at Brunswick Golf Club.
» Rest of the Top 10. T6-East Texas Baptist and Roanoke; T8-Hope, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Calvin.
4. Lightning Round ⚡
» Tennis. The ITA named Claremont-M-S senior Advik Mareedu and Babson senior Matia Cristiani as its Division III National Players of the Year.
5. Comings and Goings
ALMA - Announced head cross country/track and field coach Matt Chovanec stepped down
AUGUSTANA - Announced resignation of Jennifer Jacobs as head volleyball coach
BREVARD - Named Scott Tucker director of women’s lacrosse
CATHOLIC - Named Keaton Burke head swimming and diving coach
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT - Named Jarren Dyson head men’s basketball coach
ELMIRA - Selected John Dolan as president
FITCHBURG STATE - Named Thomas Moorshead head men’s lacrosse coach
GENESEO - Announced head women’s soccer coach Nate Wiley stepped down to become assistant director of athletics
GETTYSBURG - Removed interim tag from head baseball coach Jeremy Hefele
HILBERT - Named John Noel head football coach
IMMACULATA - Named Mary Kirchner head men’s volleyball coach
JOHN CARROLL - Named Jason Tarnow head men’s lacrosse coach
KNOX - Named Dale Compton head cross country and distance coach
MANCHESTER - Announced addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport in 2027-28
MARIETTA - Named Tyler Sullivan head baseball coach
METHODIST - Selected Suzanne Blum Malley as president
MILLSAPS - Named Chuck Brown head tennis coach
NICHOLS - Named Chris Nordenson head tennis coach
NORTH CENTRAL (Ill.) - Promoted Joey Leto to head tennis coach
PENN STATE BERKS - Removed interim tag from head baseball coach Michael ‘Boomer’ Barry
REDLANDS - Announced addition of men’s volleyball as a varsity sport in 2027-28
REGIS - Promoted Ron LeClair to associate director of athletics for operations
SAINT BENEDICT - Named Sarah Oprondek head track and field coach
SAINT JOSEPH’S (Maine) - Announced addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport in 2027-28
UNION - Announced resignation of head cross country/track and field coach Chris Collier
WILKES - Selected James Cousins as president
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