January 8, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

Welcome to D3 Lacrosse, devoted to NCAA Division III men’s and women’s lacrosse

🥍 Welcome to D3Lacrosse. From the team that brings you D3Playbook every weekday comes a new email newsletter devoted to the creator’s game - at the non-scholarship DIII level.

📹️ The Big Picture. We will deliver all the day’s news, scores, features and much more in an easy-to-read email newsletter format on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The month of January will be available for free, while a nominal subscription fee will be assessed in February for the remainder of the 2025 season.

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Headlines
1. Roster Changes Could Put Squeeze on HS Recruits
2. Montclair State Cuts Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse
3. Future NCAA Championship Sites
4. Returning All-Americans (W)

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1. Proposed NCAA roster changes could put squeeze play on high school recruits

by John Sacco, Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter

“High school junior student-athletes are wondering how a pending antitrust settlement that would eliminate thousands of Division I athletic roster spots by the start of the 2025-2026 will impact their recruitments and, ultimately, where they’ll end up in college.

The roster reductions, which have begun to cause established or recruited athletes to lose scholarship offers, have speculation running rampant that the settlement would trigger a “trickle-down” effect on NCAA Division II and III schools in the near and future term.

The roster limitations legislation has not reached the final stage, in preparation for implementing changes mandated by the $2.8 billion U.S. House-NCAA settlement.”

» Why It Matters. “I believe we’re starting to see individuals who have been impacted by this already in the transfer portal,” said Dr. Karen Hjerpe, athletic director at PennWest California. “Division II and III students-athletes could be looking for a place to call home.”

» Field Awareness. “Marco Faieta is a dual-sport junior at Canon-McMillan High School. He is a standout lacrosse player and an all-conference football player in the WPIAL’s Class 6A. While he leans toward lacrosse, he’s good enough in to play either sport collegiately. “I wonder about being in high school and a 23-year-old athlete somewhere is deciding or having one (roster spot) made for him and it is making it tougher for the younger athlete. The process means a lot. Right now, I don’t know where I’ll fit.”

» What They’re Saying. “Right now, it seems there could be less roster spots available in Division I,” said Scott McGuinness, Washington & Jefferson College’s athletic director. “College athletics are experiencing significant changes; however, Division III is the NCAA’s largest division with 430 members and we know this model works well. Those who don’t follow Division III closely may be surprised at how talented you have to be to compete at this level. So, there are no guarantees for how this future plays out.”

» Read More

2. Montclair State Cuts Lacrosse

by Tina Kelley, NJ.com

“In what school officials called a “difficult decision,” Montclair State University is overhauling its athletic program, dropping its NCAA Division III men’s and women’s lacrosse teams and turning the programs into club sports.

As part of a unified athletics and recreation program for the merged schools, Montclair State is starting an NCAA Division III women’s flag football program to create more access to sports for more students, school officials said. Flag football is one of the fastest growing in college athletics.

The changes will take effect in the fall, pending NCAA approval.”

» Field Awareness. “The new configuration of teams has been unpopular among the school’s lacrosse players and alumni, who launched a petition to ask the school to reinstate the program. “After years of dedication and hard work, our teams were abruptly downgraded to club status without warning,” the petition organizers wrote, noting that the change affects 70 students. “Lacrosse isn’t just a sport for us — it’s a way of life.”

» Yes, But. “Montclair State receives the lowest per-student state aid of any of New Jersey’s public colleges and universities, and “that requires making difficult decisions that we recognize will not please everyone,” school officials said.”

» Continue Reading

3. Future Championship Sites

“The NCAA chose over 240 host sites for preliminary and final rounds of predetermined championships across Divisions I, II and III, primarily for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. This cycle marked a shift from a four-year to a two-year site selection process.

The NCAA received more than 1,200 bids from member schools, conferences, cities and sports commissions across 47 states and Washington, D.C., all competing to host predetermined rounds for 87 of the NCAA’s 90 championships. The respective NCAA sports committees selected the sites, with final approval from the divisional competition oversight and championships committees.”

» Highlights (M). “The Divisions I, II and III Men’s Lacrosse Championships will take place in Philadelphia for the ninth time in 2027 at Lincoln Financial Field, while returning to Foxborough, Massachusetts, in 2028 for the seventh time at Gillette Stadium.”

» Highlights (W). The 2027 Division II and III finals will be held in Tampa, Fla., while the 2028 DIII championship is set for Rochester, N.Y.

» See More Championship Dates/Sites

4. Returning All-Americans (W)

While some coaches were sad at the end of the 2024 season knowing that a number of All-Americans were concluding their collegiate careers, others were ecstatic in the fact that others would be returning for 2025.

Here is a list of first-team All-America selections from the IWLCA and USA Lacrosse and their status for 2025, as indicated by website rosters or social media.

* consensus IWLCA, USA Lacrosse 1st team All-America | # 1st team IWLCA All-America

5. Lists: Winningest DIII Teams

6. News You Can Use

In the DII space, Columbia (S.C.) College has announced it plans to add men’s and women’s lacrosse teams with competition set to begin in February 2026. Tom Kinney, assistant coach at William Peace, was named head men’s coach. Mallory Bahr, who launched the DIII program at Spalding and has spent the last two years as head coach at Lake Erie, was named head women’s coach.

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