👋 Welcome to the Division III April newsletter! 🚨 As a reminder: Register for the Division III webin

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DIII Newsletter

Smart Brevity® count: 3.5 mins...974 words

👋 Welcome to the Division III April newsletter!

🚨 As a reminder:

  • Register for the Division III webinar, set for 1:30 p.m. Eastern time April 7, for more information regarding the NCAA ID Number and Transfer Portal processes.

Now onto the newsletter.

🚨 This Month’s Musts

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🚨 Division III Week Is April 6-12

Division III Week is an opportunity to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on campuses and the surrounding community.

Get involved: 

  • Join us at 3 p.m. Eastern time Monday, April 6, for a joint social media blast, where we ask all members to post a celebratory Division III Week message, using the hashtags #D3Week and #WhyD3.

  • Every Division III member is encouraged to conduct an outreach activity in academic accomplishment, athletic experience or leadership/community service/campus involvement.  

👉 Check out the communications kit for ideas and resources.

📋 2026 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar

Registration is officially open for the 2026 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. You can register here.

Division III attendees may attend the 2026 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar, to be held May 13-15 in Atlanta, by either:  

  • Registering and attending in-person. 

  • Registering and viewing the livestream of the Division III sessions. 

2026 Required Schools

🏀 Sports Sponsorship Data Collection Now Open 

The 2026-27 sports sponsorship data collection process will open April 1. Completed sports sponsorship data is due by June 30.

Why it matters: Contest and participation data is used to ensure Division III minimum requirements are met. All schools have an obligation to submit accurate data to assist in upholding the integrity of the NCAA.

👉 Contact Sadie Martinez with any questions.

📰 Member Manual

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📈 Division III Analysis and Working Group

What: This analysis aims to ensure Division III continues to operate efficiently and effectively to meet the evolving needs of student-athletes and member schools/conferences.

Who: The working group, with assistance from Deloitte consultants, will gather research and data, engage the membership and governance structure, and develop policy or legislative recommendations as appropriate.

Next steps: The working group will meet in Indianapolis on April 19-20 for an in-person meeting.

👉 View the working group’s charge developed by the Presidents Council Futures Subcommittee and endorsed by the full Presidents Council.

✏️ Rule of the Month — Offers & Inducements

Institutional staff members and any representative of athletics interests may not be involved in making arrangements for or giving any benefits to a prospective student-athlete or their relatives or friends unless it is expressly permitted by Division III rules.

Why this matters: Doing so would be considered an impermissible offer and inducement per Bylaw 13.2.1.

If it is demonstrated that the same benefit is available to the institution's prospective students or their relatives/friends, it would be permissible to provide that benefit to a PSA.

🎓 NCAA Graduation Data Collection Now Open!

  • Due to construction in Compliance Assistant 2.0, please enter data in the Academic Portal.

  • Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions can be found in the Portal. Contact Sadie Martinez with any questions.

🏈 Coach-to-Player Helmet Communication

  • The use of the Coach-to-Player Helmet Communication technology will be permitted in Division III football for the 2026 season.

  • Check out the memo and Q&A that was recently sent out here.

🧬 Sport Science Spotlight

SSI Spotlight

New Tool ➡️ Performance Technologies Recommendations

  • Why it matters: The recommendations are designed to assist member schools in developing policies and procedures for the responsible use of performance technologies, ensuring the consideration of student-athlete health, safety and performance in related decisions.

➡️ Additional education, resources and messaging will be added to the Performance Technologies page.

💙 Building Belonging

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🫂 Community and Belonging Social Media Campaign — April 15 and 16

  • What: This two-day campaign strives to connect student-athletes in the intercollegiate athletics community to showcase their voices on belonging, connection and community.

  • Why this matters: The campaign celebrates the authentic voices and experiences of student-athletes and the impact they have on campus and beyond.

  • Help spread the word about the campaign and be sure to share within your athletics departments.

Get Involved

🎉 Common Ground Recap

  • What: The NCAA office of inclusion hosted Common Ground from March 3-5 at the national office, welcoming nearly 70 participants from 15 schools across all three NCAA divisions.

  • DIII participants: Anderson (Indiana), Bridgewater State, Hamline, Randolph and Southern Virginia.

  • Impact: Read about the impact of Common Ground from Hamline student-athlete Cate Zack and other student-athletes in this story.

🤍 Special Olympics

  • Help us celebrate the 15th anniversary of the partnership between Division III and Special Olympics on Tuesday, April 7, during Division III Week.

📲 Share Your Stories

  • Division III is looking to feature membership stories on social media and through ncaa.com. To share stories for consideration, please email Bryn Mangold.

⏰ Know Before You Go

Division III Sign

💻 Webinars will be from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Eastern time on the following dates and topics:

  • April 7 — NCAA ID Number and the Transfer Portal.

  • April 8 — Compliance: Spring Cleaning: Playing & Practice Seasons.

➡️ All past webinar PowerPoints are on the Division III webinar webpage.

📆 Key Dates — April through June

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Thanks for reading!

This update is a tool to enhance communication between the NCAA national office and the Division III membership.

  • We encourage athletics directors to share this communication with their athletics department members.

Please email DIIIGovernance@ncaa.org to include an item or share comments.
This email was sent to members of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, Management Council, National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, directors of athletics, athletics direct reports, faculty athletics representatives, senior woman administrators, sports information directors, directors of compliance, commissioners and assistant/associate commissioners based on contact information in the NCAA directory. This email was sent by: NCAA
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