Who and how many schools will drop out of D-1 due to NCAA transformation committee?

[shizzle787]

In the next week or two the NCAA transformation committee will come out with a rough draft of requirements a schools must meet to stay in Division 1.
Though I believe the vast majority of schools will abide by the new regulations (Big Sky I see you), there will be schools that decide Division 2 or (more than likely) Division 3 is a better idea.

I believe the transformation committee will have a grace period, but the hammer will come down. It is important to note that schools will be opting in or opting out. Nobody is forcing any school out of Division 1.

How many schools will drop down?

Who will they be?

Here are some of my guesses:
NJIT (to D-3)
Portland State (to D-2)
Longwood (to D-3)
Presbyterian (to D-3)
Wright State (to D-2)
Rider (to D-3)
Chicago State (to D-3)
Fairleigh Dickinson (to D-3)
St. Francis (Brooklyn) (to D-3)
SIU-Edwardsville (to D-2)
Omaha (to D-2)

 

[ScottVib]

I've thought that they'd end up announcing a "Premier" division or something above the current Division 1. Then no one is opting out of being a Division 1 institution. They'd then look to make the rules of membership in the "Premier" division based on fully funding a certain number of sports (full cost of attendance, etc) and I wouldn't be shocked if they mandated football (or a number of scholarships that can only reasonably be satisfied by fully funding football). This becomes the path to a pseudo-separation of the top tier.

 

[shizzle787]

I've thought that they'd end up announcing a "Premier" division or something above the current Division 1. Then no one is opting out of being a Division 1 institution. They'd then look to make the rules of membership in the "Premier" division based on fully funding a certain number of sports (full cost of attendance, etc) and I wouldn't be shocked if they mandated football (or a number of scholarships that can only reasonably be satisfied by fully funding football). This becomes the path to a pseudo-separation of the top tier.

I can't see this happening. The Big East makes good money. Their basketball/Olympic sports contract is on par with that of the basketball/Olympic sports portion of the conference contracts for P5 leagues. Also, March Madness would never be the same without the Big East, A-10, WCC, MVC, Ivy, etc. They are not going to kill the golden goose.

 

[Kolumbo]

They were discussing University of Hartford's decision to move to DIII on WTIC this morning. I see they are going to the Commonwealth Coast Conference which made me curious. Trinity, Wesleyan and Connecticut College are in the N.E. Small College Athletic Conference. I don't know the DIII landscape but the CCC, sheesh.

Athletics Transition

www.hartford.edu

 

[ScottVib]

I can't see this happening. The Big East makes good money. Their basketball/Olympic sports contract is on par with that of the basketball/Olympic sports portion of the conference contracts for P5 leagues. Also, March Madness would never be the same without the Big East, A-10, WCC, MVC, Ivy, etc. They are not going to kill the golden goose.

I’d agree if it were the NCAAs forcing this change. This change is being driven by the P5 football schools.

March Madness is the NCAAs cash cow. It’s the non-P5 Conference cash cow. For the P5 conferences and particularly for the Big Ten and SEC, it’s just a big tournament. Their cash cow is football and their media deals related to that. Carving out their own division is just the NCAA holding onto whatever piece they can to stave off a complete break.

 

[businesslawyer]

They were discussing University of Hartford's decision to move to DIII on WTIC this morning. I see they are going to the Commonwealth Coast Conference which made me curious. Trinity, Wesleyan and Connecticut College are in the N.E. Small College Athletic Conference. I don't know the DIII landscape but the CCC, sheesh.

Athletics Transition

www.hartford.edu

There is no way that NESCAC is allowing U Ha in. It is not an academic fit.

 

[UC1995]

NESCAC plays by its own rules and is only too happy to keep it in the family and keep everyone out. My son was recruited this year by all of them for football, but the idea of only playing each other and having no chance for playoffs was what made him commit elsewhere. Can't deny getting a degree there is like a golden ticket after graduation. There are some great young coaches at those schools right now (especially at Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, and Williams).

They are dropping roster spots over the next two years making it harder to recruit for depth. Most colleges at D3 can't do that. Also, no public schools will drop down to D3.

 

[freescooter]

NESCAC are great academic institutions and they provide great access. During the pandemic for instance, Colby leaned on its alumni base to provide jobs to all its graduates who wanted them. Now it isn’t a huge ask, since probably 50% of the 500 person class go on to grad/law/medical/other post grad work and others got jobs on their own, but still it is the kind of thing NESCAC schools can and will do. And they “band together”. In areas where there aren’t lots of individual school alums, there is a NESCAC alumni group that holds events.
They also have a very nice athletic program overall. Hockey, basketball, track and field, cross country, crew all compete very well at a national level. Football sort of follows the Ivy League in that they don’t play post season. They play 9 games, recently up from 8 among themselves. I’ve watched a few games over the years and they are solid.

 

[Bobol]

Year after year the NESCAC boasts the strongest group of D3 rowing schools In the nation.