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🗞 In Today’s Playbook. Tufts Tops Fall Learfield Directors Cup Standings. Stagg Bowl Preview. DIII Hockey Programs Move to Accept Former CHL Players. Augsburg Runner With Olympic Dreams Barred by NCAA. First Smile of 2026.

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After winning DIII national championships in men’s soccer and field hockey, Tufts sits atop the fall Learfield Cup standings. The Jumbos registered 485 points with top-10 finishes in women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s cross country as well.

Johns Hopkins is the lone other DIII program to amass more than 400 points (454.5) with top-10 performances in cross country, field hockey, football, and women’s soccer and volleyball.

Rounding out the top five are Washington U. (358.5), Williams (343.5) and Trinity TX (334).

Top Schools by Conference

AMCC (PSU Behrend 50), A-R-C (Wartburg 186), ASC (Hardin-Simmons 100), AEC (Marymount 50), CCIW (North Central 117.5), CCS (La Grange 50), CC (Johns Hopkins 454.5), C2C (Christopher Newport 272), CNE (Endicott 103), CUNYAC (John Jay 50), E8 (Geneseo 192), GNAC (four tied 25), HCAC (Hanover 75), LAND (Scranton 100), LL (Vassar 117.5), LEC (UMass Boston 50), MAC (Messiah 169), MASCAC (Bridgewater State 75), MIAA (Calvin 240), MIAC (St. Olaf 241), MWC (Lake Forest 75), NACC (Edgewood 75), NCAC (John Carroll 172.5), NESCAC (Tufts 485), NEWMAC (MIT 272), NJAC (Rowan 203.5), NAC (three with 25), NWC (Puget Sound 50), OAC (Otterbein 82), ODAC (Washington and Lee 228), PAC (Grove City 100), SAA (Trinity 334), SCIAC (Pomona-Pitzer 205), SKY (St. Joseph’s LI 50), SLIAC (three with 25), SUNYAC (Cortland 171.5), UAA (WashU 358.5), UMAC (UW-Superior 50), UEC (PSU Harrisburg 89), USA South (Pfeiffer 32), WIAC (La Crosse 278.5) | Complete List

North Central (Ill.) looks to cement its legacy as a dynasty, while Wisconsin-River Falls looks to make history of its own as the Cardinals and the Falcons meet for the DIII football championship on Sunday night.

The 52nd edition of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl takes place in Canton, Ohio, with North Central (14-0) looking for a second straight title and third in four seasons. River Falls (13-1) looks to bring the trophy back to the Badger State for the first time in program history and the first time since 2014 when Whitewater won the championship.

You can watch the game on ESPN with kickoff slated for 8 p.m.

Game Notes. North Central | UW-River Falls

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“In what will be a landmark shift across collegiate hockey, NCAA Division III programs will be announcing they will begin welcoming former Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players to their rosters starting with the 2026–27 season. The move represents a significant evolution in Division III hockey and expands academic and athletic opportunities for elite junior players seeking a college pathway.”

» Ice Awareness. “For decades, NCAA policy effectively barred players with CHL experience — including those from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) — from NCAA competition, classifying CHL participation as professional involvement. That barrier began to shift in October 2024, however, these rulings did not extend to Division III programs under existing NCAA legislation, leaving DIII schools formally excluded from the change.”

» State of Play. Last week, a coalition of Division III athletic directors and hockey coaches — representing conferences including the NESCAC, SUNYAC, MIAC, WIAC, and UCHC — began discussing a coordinated decision to allow former CHL players to compete at the Division III level beginning in the fall of 2026. Under the new approach, participating institutions may roster former CHL players who meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements and who did not sign professional contracts, aligning closely with the Division I eligibility framework. While not yet codified as a national NCAA rule, the decision reflects an institution-driven consensus across several conferences.”

» Why it Matters. “While the NCAA has not yet formally amended Division III eligibility legislation to mirror Division I, the 2026–27 season may serve as a proving ground for broader reform. Division III leaders hope their proactive approach will influence future NCAA governance discussions.”

» What They’re Saying. “This isn’t about chasing Division I talent,” said a Division III athletic director. “It’s about inclusion and opportunity. If a player’s goal is education and continued competition, their junior background should not automatically disqualify them.”

“An Augsburg University cross-country star and aspiring Olympic marathon runner says he’s been banned from competing for accepting community donations to pay for tuition.

Mohammed Bati, a senior nursing major at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, says the NCAA has informed him that he will be ineligible to compete in the indoor and outdoor competitions in the coming season for accepting around $6,000 in community donations.”

» Driving The News. “In a post on the fitness app Strava, Bati said the NCAA told him that the donations, which would be used to help cover tuition, violated its rules. The NCAA prohibits athletic scholarships at the D3 level, instead providing merit-based financial aid through grants and academic scholarships.”

» Of Note. “Bati told the publication that he works at an assisted living facility five days a week and runs twice a day on top of his classes. Instead of sleeping, Bati said he takes naps. It’s a sacrifice that he believes is required to reach his goal of becoming an Olympic marathon runner.”

» Quotable. “It feels sad that instead of seeing support as community love, it’s seen as something wrong. I didn’t get paid. I didn’t get something crazy,” Bati wrote. “Just help to stay in school. And because of that, I’m not allowed to run. That part is not easy to accept. I worked hard. I love running. I wanted to run this season with my teammates, make memories in my last year.”

» Lacrosse (W). “ As the finishing touches are added to the $30 million Judson Stadium construction project, RIT officially announced the state-of-the-art facility will be the site of the 2026 NCAA Division II and III Women's Lacrosse Semifinals and National Championship games this coming Memorial Day weekend.”

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