SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

We cover DIII lacrosse like no other publication. #d3lax #whyD3

🥍 G’day Lax Fans. And goodbye to September

🗞️ In Today’s Edition. The Moment to Save College Sports Is Here. The Quiet Magic of Division III Sports. MIT, Williams Top US News DIII College Rankings. How Tori Perez Created a Name and a Home at Oglethorpe. Fall Ball Schedules

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TOP STORY

1. Opinion | The Moment to Save College Sports Is Here. Congress Must Act Now

“With college football and fall sports back, I am reminded of what a special time of the year it is for student-athletes who have sacrificed so much for this moment, and classmates, alumni and fans who passionately cheer them on. Stadiums spread across every community in the nation are filled with excitement, providing hope for students and creating an economic boom for large and small college towns. Sadly, behind the scenes, the system is broken with these programs facing a historic financial strain that has led to cutting women’s and Olympic sports just for athletics departments to stay in business ... but this is just the beginning of a downward spiral that will lead to the destruction of college sports.

As Congress returns from August recess, it has a historic opportunity to end this strain and put the system back together. Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives is fast-tracking a very narrow bill, via the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act. The SCORE Act is a good starting point for some of the key elements of the discussion, and it is encouraging that this issue is finally gaining traction in Washington. However, as the the legislation is currently drafted, it does not achieve President Trump’s clearly-stated objectives of saving women’s sports, protecting Olympic sports, and looking out for the interests of smaller schools.”

» Notable. “We have said it before and we will say it again: we need a new governing body to accomplish this goal. It cannot be the NCAA, which, for years fought tooth and nail against any rule that would benefit student-athletes and protect the most vulnerable schools and sports.”

» Reality Check. “An antitrust exemption is necessary to allow fair rules to be made and enforced, and to stop the disruptive onslaught of litigation. But providing an antitrust exemption is a HUGE legal concession that vests a tremendous amount of power and should not be given without the utmost thought, care and intentionality. We cannot trust the NCAA with this level of power.” (USA Today)

2. Opinion | The Quiet Magic of Division III Sports

“When most people think of college sports, they likely imagine national broadcasts, athletic scholarships and athletes whose lives revolve around their sport. But in Minnesota, thousands of student-athletes are part of a different model — one that is less about fame and more about formation. Division III athletics shows us, every day, that sports can be about something deeper.

Division III is not about headlines or full-ride scholarships. It is about passion, purpose and pride. It is about students who balance practices and travel with full academic loads, who serve in their communities and lead peer organizations, and still show up ready to compete.”

» Between The Lines. “The examples are endless: a soccer captain who tutors elementary students in reading. A cross-country runner who leads campus sustainability projects. A basketball player who excels in undergraduate research and plans to pursue medicine. These are not unusual — they are everyday reminders of the remarkable balance Division III student-athletes achieve.”

» Why It Matters. “It’s the spirit: generations of Johnnies and Bennies, families and friends gathered together, united not by celebrity or spectacle but by pride in their community and joy in cheering on student-athletes who are as committed in the classroom and community as they are on the field. These events remind us that competition can build connection, and that athletics, at its best, creates not just competitors but citizens.”

» The Big Picture. “Because in the end, Division III athletics is about more than games. It is about shaping lives of purpose, building communities of character and reminding us all of the joy found in striving together.” (Minnesota Star-Tribune)

3. MIT, Williams Top US News DIII College Rankings

“The annual U.S. News Best Colleges rankings were released today, with top-ranked schools staying mostly steady from last edition as the methodology was largely unchanged.

The vast majority of schools U.S. News surveyed continued to report data: 79% of the more than 1,700 ranked institutions returned their statistical information in the spring and summer of 2025, compared to about 78.1% last year. This includes 99 of the top 100 ranked National Universities and 97 of the top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges.”

» Yes, But. We know in the grand scheme of things that these rankings are meaningless … unless your institution is highly ranked … or among your peer group of institutions.

» Top DIII National Universities (among top 50). 2-MIT, 6-Chicago, T7-Johns Hopkins, 11-Caltech, T20-Carnegie Mellon, T20-Washington U., 24-Emory, 32-NYU, 36-Tufts, T46-Rochester | Complete List

» Top DIII National Liberal Arts Colleges (among top 25). 1-Williams, 2-Amherst, 4-Swarthmore, T5-Bowdoin, T7-Claremont McKenna, T7-Pomona, T7-Wellesley, T10-Carleton, T10-Harvey Mudd, T13-Grinnell, T13-Hamilton, T13-Middlebury, T13-Smith, T13-Vassar, T13-Wesleyan (Conn.), 21-Washington and Lee, T24-Bates, T24-Colby, T24-Haverford | Complete List

» Other Top Ranked DIII Schools. TCNJ (Regional University North); Berry (Regional University South); John Carroll (Regional University Midwest); U. of Dallas (Regional University West); Coast Guard (Regional College North); Wesleyan, Ga. (Regional College South); Ohio Northern (Regional College Midwest); Texas Lutheran (Regional College West).

» The Bottom Line. Find the institution that best suits you.

4. How Tori Perez Created a Name and a Home at Oglethorpe

“Oglethorpe lacrosse goalie Tori Perez has been a first in her family.

First to earn a bachelor's degree. First to compete in collegiate athletics. First to play for a national team, representing her Colombian heritage.

For a long time, her motivation stemmed from making her parents proud. In college, she discovered something else.”

» Field Awareness. “Perez has run toward every door lacrosse has put in her path, throwing it open and charging through. The biology major and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president takes no experience for granted.”

» Why It Matters. “The diversity on Oglethorpe's lacrosse team also appealed to Perez. For the first time in her career, she had the opportunity to play with Hispanic and Black players. "It made me realize how big lacrosse has gotten as far as racial and ethnic backgrounds go," she said. "On the team, we created a closer, tight-knit family, so it was nice to be able to lean on other people and rely on them to understand how I feel as a woman of racial or ethnic background."

» The Bottom Line. “She said playing Division III lacrosse made her feel more confident in her successes. "There's so much great talent in DIII as far as women's lacrosse goes. The fact that I was being seen out of all of these people … it made me feel like, 'OK, this is who I am. People know my name now.'" (NCAA)

5. Fall Ball Scrimmage Schedule

“This resource below catalogs the men’s events. Note that not all are open to the public, and times can fluctuate greatly given the informal and unofficial nature of fallball. Please confirm directly with an institution before attending any event. This only includes intercollegiate events and not alumni events. It is also an ever-changing list and will be updated as more events are finalized and some change.”

• Sept. 28 (W): American at Catholic

• Oct. 4: St. Anselm’s at Western New England

• Oct. 4: Eastern, Howard CC at McDaniel

• Oct. 11: Colorado College at Denver

• Oct. 12: Harford CC, Ursinus, Wilmington at Stevenson

• Oct. 16: Ohio Wesleyan at Ohio State

• Oct. 18: Canisius, Detroit Mercy, John Carroll at Western Reserve Academy

• Oct. 18: Baldwin Wallace, Trine at Wooster

• Oct. 18: Arcadia, DeSales, Franklin & Marshall, Washington College, Widener, Drew, Alvernia, Kean and Oberlin at WSFS Bank Sportsplex (Chester PA)

• Oct. 18: Hood vs. Mary Washington

• Oct. 18: Goucher, Howard CC and Notre Dame (Md.)

• Oct. 19: Lynchburg. Queens at Wingate

• Oct. 24: Bridgewater vs. Southern Virginia

• Oct. 25: Rivier, UMass-Boston at Roger Williams

• Oct. 25: Salisbury, Washington and Lee at VMI

• Oct. 25: Kean at Haverford

• Oct. 29: Mount St. Mary’s, Rutgers at Gettysburg

Want your scrimmage listed here? Email us at [email protected]

6. Comings and Goings 

• ALFRED - Erin Schurr named interim head women’s lacrosse coach

• BRANDEIS - Annie Campbell named head women’s lacrosse coach

• DEAN - Kaitlyn Daly named head women’s lacrosse coach

• IMMACULATA - Kent Snoddy named head men’s lacrosse coach

• MARIETTA - Nathan Grover named head men’s lacrosse coach

• MISERICORDIA - Nicole Hinkle resigned as head women’s lacrosse coach

• POTSDAM - Drew Gardner named assistant men’s lacrosse coach

• URSINUS - Corey Shaffer will step down as head men’s lacrosse coach after fall ball

Want your transaction listed here? Email us at [email protected]

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