Athlete recruitment to a highly selective college in NCAA Division 3 is a much simpler and more relaxed process compared to athlete recruitment to a highly selective college in Division 1. There are fewer NCAA rules on when contact can be made or when discussions about athlete recruitment can begin.

While the process is easier, athlete recruitment in Division 3 does not help the high school athlete leapfrog the admissions process, though it does afford the athlete a strong advantage in admissions.

Watch out for When is the right time to approach the NCAA Coach?

Athlete recruitment process at highly selective colleges in Division 3

Colleges in NCAA Division 3, including the 30 highly selective colleges set their own rules for admitting athletes as recruits. Athlete recruitment to a Division 3 highly selective college takes place in tandem with the normal admissions process through Early Decision, Early Action or Regular Decision.

Just as in athlete recruitment to a highly selective college in Division 1, it is the admissions office that makes the decision whether or not to admit a high school athlete. The coach cannot and does not make the admissions decision. The coach can only support the application.

In Division 3 athlete recruitment, the high school athlete’s application for admission will typically be strongly supported by a letter from the NCAA coach to the admissions office that the athlete is a highly recommended athlete for the coach’s NCAA or varsity team. This strong letter of support will greatly advantage the high school athlete’s application for admission compared to applicants who are not candidates for a sports team.

At the highly selective Division 3 colleges, the athlete applicant must generally meet the academic requirements of the college being applied to.

Typically, before the NCAA coach issues the letter of support, the high school athlete would have had to submit their transcripts and test scores for an academic read to make sure that the athlete meets the academic bar for admission.

Colleges in NCAA Division 3 do not issue National Letters of Intent (NLI) to their athlete recruits. Division 3 colleges will instead issue an informal celebratory signing form to athlete recruits after the athlete has been accepted for admission by the admissions office.

Athlete Recruitment Opportunities in Division 3

It is important to remember that colleges in NCAA Division 3 allocate fewer resources to equipment and training, and they do not offer athletic scholarships at all. Financial aid on a needs basis is available to all admitted students including athlete recruits at the highly selective Division 3 colleges. The amount of aid available depends on the financial resources allocated by that college to financial aid.

Highly selective colleges in Division 3 want their students to have a more immersive college experience rather than one focused on sports. As a result, athlete recruitment is generally a more subdued exercise at the highly selective colleges in Division 3 compared to athlete recruitment at the Division 1 colleges.

For high school athletes with stellar academic performance but whose athletic performance would not make the cut with an elite Division 1 sports team, athlete recruitment to a highly selective Division 3 college is an option depending on the sport they play. A more popular sport played by many colleges generally offers more pathways than a niche sport played only be a few colleges.

The number of athlete recruits on a Division 3 NCAA sports team is smaller than for a comparable team in Division 1. For some sports, athlete recruits form a minority on the team, with ‘walk on” athletes making up the majority at the Division 3 colleges. In some cases, the NCAA coach does not actively recruit athletes but will give consideration to those athletes who approach with interest to join the team.

For high school athletes aspiring to attend a highly selective college in Division 3, it is very important to keep in mind that some of these colleges are passive recruiters with very few admission spots allocated to recruited athletes on their NCAA sports teams. They consider these sports teams recreational in nature despite it being an NCAA sport.

There are academically and athletically top performing high school athletes who prefer to attend a highly selective college in NCAA Division 3 rather than a college in Division 1. For these athletes, it is important to approach the NCAA coach at that Division 3 college early to understand if there is room for the athlete to be recruited. If the chances are not high, then the athlete can consider undertaking a second activity in junior year or earlier if possible, that would reinforce their application for admission to that college.

Athlete Recruitment Timeline in Division 3

Except for a restriction on when off-campus contact can take place and when an official visit paid by the college can take place, there are no restrictions on when a high school athlete and NCAA coach can initiate discussions on athlete recruitment to a Division 3 college, including the 29 highly selective ones.

The slide below provides you with the timeline for Division 3 athlete recruitment