1. Who are you, and why did you start this site?
2. Isn't Division III just glorified high school football?
3. How come my team isn't ranked higher in your poll?
4. Is there a site like this for... ? (pick your sport)
5. How is this site funded?
6. What's with the popup ads? Can I block them?
7. What's with your east coast bias? Why don't the west coast teams get any coverage?
8. Why are you biased against my school?
9. Can you change our enrollment to (your figure here)?
10. Where can I find recruiting info?
11. What Division III players have been drafted by the NFL?
12. How do news releases get selected and posted?
13. Is redshirting legal in Division III?
14. How many Division III players are in the NFL?
15. Are any Division III alumni playing Arena Football?
16. Which schools have added Division III football?
17. Do Division III schools offer athletic scholarships?
18. How is the Play of the Week chosen?

Answers

Who are you, and why did you start this site?

I've been following Division III football since the early '90s, ever since the likes of Duquesne, Iona and Georgetown played D-III. I'm a 1994 graduate of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and was the SID at Catholic and at Gallaudet in the '90s before becoming Operations Chief at Baseball Weekly and working on the sports desk at USA Today. I'm the executive editor of the D3sports.com network and also do day-to-day news operations on D3hoops.com. The other schools I applied to besides Catholic? All D-IIIs: St. John's, Macalester and Oberlin. I started this site and took over D3hoops.com because I was disappointed as a student and later as an SID at the lack of national coverage of these worthy student-athletes.

Dec 4, 2002 by Pat Coleman

Isn't Division III just glorified high school football?

You can think that if you like, but you'd be wrong. If you've ever suited up for a game or been through a two-a-day you'd know differently. Heck, even standing on the sidelines should give you an idea.

But don't take our word for it. Here's one parent's take:

"I have to admit that before my son started playing at Wabash, I thought D-III football was just trumped-up high school football. I didn't know anyone that had played it and never saw a game. That impression lasted until he was rung onto the team and I got a look at the size of some of his teammates."

Nov. 12, 2010 by Pat Coleman

How come my team isn't ranked higher in your poll?

There are 25 voters on each panel -- four from each of the NCAA's six regions with myself as the 25th voter. The voters are coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members. We do not reveal individual voters' names because we do not want them subject to lobbying and backlash from coaches and fans of teams. This is something we have experienced in voting for other polls.

We send our voters an exhaustive amount of info each week for them to consider, including the schedule and results for each team that gets votes or that could merit votes, the record of each opponent, the combined record of opponents a team has beaten and the location of the game.

Oct 22, 2003 by Pat Coleman

Is there a site like this for... ? (pick your sport)

We also run D3hoops.com, D3baseball.com and D3sports.com. There are other sites that cover Division III sports and some general small college sites for other sports, but nothing in this style and with this detail. We'd run other sites, but then we would get no sleep whatsoever.

Updated April 16, 2020 by Pat Coleman

How is this site funded?

We are funded primarily through ad banner sales and used to derive a great deal of income through pop-up ads. Unfortunately, advertisements are necessary to fund this site and keep it operating. If you block ads on our site, we don't get paid, but we still have to pay for the server space and traffic.

People who are regular users of the site and fans of what we do support us using Patreon. Please check out the possibilities at patreon.com/d3sports. If you would like to support us, but not on a monthly basis, please visit d3sports.com/help for options.

In the past we have gotten donations from grateful users of the site and for a period of about 18 months that was what kept us from going under. We are thankful for your support, although we are not actively soliciting user donations. Occasionally schools donate as well, finding that keeping this site running is more valuable to them than subscribing to print magazines and newsletters. We certainly give more bang for the buck. If you'd like to buy advertising space, please send us an e-mail at info@d3sports.com.

Sept. 16, 2023 by Pat Coleman

What's with the popup ads? Can I block them?

D3sports.com no longer use popup ads. If you see popup ads, you may have been infected with spyware.

A word or two about blocking ads, though: ad blockers take the money out of our pockets.

Unfortunately, you see, we don't get paid if someone blocks ads. But of course, we still get charged for the bandwidth to send the pages to you. (Though some would like to believe so, this isn't akin to listening to public radio for free. It's as if someone were willing to pay the public radio station for you to listen, yet you lied to the person and told them you weren't a listener.)

With the immense amount of bandwidth this site serves per month we have to pay thousands of dollars a year simply to have the site online, let alone cover the games. Then there are broadcast rights fees for the NCAA, travel to postseason games, the list goes on. All we ask is that users view a couple ads per page.

Technology's progression continues to find ways to defeat ad blockers. Since it costs us money when you hit the page, and we do not ask you for any money in return, all we ask is for you to allow us to make money when ads are shown.

Feb 11, 2003 at 12:00 AM

What's with your east coast bias? Why don't the west coast teams get any coverage?

Only 6.3% of the football-playing schools in Division III are in the Mountain or Pacific Time Zone. We believe we do give them more than 6.3% of our coverage. However, schools can improve their own coverage by posting news releases directly on our site.

April 17, 2012 at 12:00 AM

Why are you biased against my school?

We're not biased against your school. Odds are you're so biased for your school (as you should be!) that it clouds your judgment when you read legitimate analysis from unbiased people. Occasionally fans of certain schools give us reason to dislike that school's fans, but we don't maintain a dislike for any Division III program. Besides, if we were to list the number of D-III programs we were allegedly biased for and against, you'd find many of the same names on each list. It's a matter of perspective. You may be so far to one direction that we, standing in the middle, look to you like we're on the opposite side. 

Aug 19, 2003 at 12:00 AM

Can you change our enrollment to (your figure here)?

We get our enrollment figures from the U.S. Department of Education, and the figure represents full-time undergraduate students. We've done this for consistency's sake, since some schools post full-time numbers, some all undergraduates, and nearly all round the number up. When your school files its annual report with the U.S. government, we'll update using those numbers.

Aug 24, 2003 at 12:00 AM

Where can I find recruiting info?

Division III recruiting info is a mixed bag. There's no national signing day, no letter of intent and nothing binding a kid to actually attend the school, or even to play football when they're there. You don't truly know what recruits you have until they show up in August for training camp. That, in combination with the fact that many key D-III players are not on the radar of the people who rank college prospects, is why there isn't any national recruiting news at this level.

March 21, 2004 by Pat Coleman

What Division III players have been drafted by the NFL?

The following is a list of all Division III players drafted into the NFL since 1990. This is not an all-time list:

This is not the entire list of Division III players drafted, just dating to 1990. Pete Metzelaars (75th overall in 1982 by the Seahawks out of Wabash) is one of the prominent earlier Division III draftees.

April 30, 2021 by Pat Coleman

How do news releases get selected and posted?

All Division III football schools have a username and password given to the Sports Information office. They may use this to post news releases (and scores and game stories) directly on our site.

Aug. 31, 2004 by Pat Coleman

Is redshirting legal in Division III?

You are not permitted to redshirt in Division III. Redshirting is the practice of having a player attend and participate in practices but not play in any games, preserving a year of eligibility. Medical redshirting (also known as a medical hardship season) is still permitted at the Division III level. The general guideline is that you must have played one-third of the scheduled games or fewer in order to be eligible. If you suffer a season-ending injury in that time-frame and can document it, your conference (or athletic director, if an independent) can file paperwork with the NCAA on your behalf to restore a season of eligibility. So-called "routine" redshirting is still permitted at other levels and those redshirts are recognized by Division III in general, although some conferences may not recognize them. (You will want to confirm with your school's compliance officer if you are transferring in.) That is, if you redshirted outside of Division III and then transferred to a D-III school, you would not be forced to give up that year of eligibility. (To redshirt in this manner you may not appear in any games whatsoever.) And of course, anyone who had a routine redshirt year at a Division III school before Aug. 1, 2004, has that redshirt grandfathered in.

April 9, 2005 by Pat Coleman

How many Division III players are in the NFL?

This is a difficult question because it requires one to define what you mean by "in the NFL."

Entering the 2021 season, here were the D-III NFL players:

Active roster
Buffalo Bills -- Jake Kumerow, WR, UW-Whitewater
Carolina Panthers -- Dan Arnold, WR, UW-Platteville
Carolina Panthers -- Brandon Zylstra, WR, Concordia-Moorhead
Denver Broncos -- Quinn Meinerz, OL, UW-Whitewater
Jacksonville Jaguars -- Ben Bartch, OL, St. John's
Las Vegas Raiders -- Derek Carrier, TE, Beloit
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Ali Marpet, G, Hobart

Reserve/injured/PUP
Atlanta Falcons -- Matt Gono, T, Wesley
Las Vegas Raiders -- Nicholas Morrow, LB, Greenville

Practice squad
Tennessee Titans -- Mason Kinsey, WR, Berry

Michael Joseph (CB, Dubuque) was in training camp with the Bears in the 2021 season but did not make the team. Stephen Hauschka (K, Middlebury) retired in 2020 after 13 seasons in the NFL. 

Mount Union wide receiver Pierre Garcon played his last snaps in the league in 2018 for the San Francisco 49ers and retired with 628 career catches in 11 seasons. UMHB linebacker Jerrell Freeman, the 2007 D3football.com Defensive Player of the Year, retired following the 2017 season. 

Cecil Shorts retired after knee surgery. He started 2016 with the Buccaneers before being injured. Jason Trusnik finished his 10-year career last year with a stint with the New Orleans Saints. Jordan Gay (K/P, Centre) spent three years with the Bills.

Among previous players: Fred Jackson spent 2015 with the Seahawks, his final season, after nine seasons with the Bills. London Fletcher retired after 2013, his 17th season in the league. Matt Turk (P, UW-Whitewater) reached the end of his long NFL career. Jerheme Urban (WR, Trinity, Texas) was not picked up for the 2012 season after nine seasons in the league and went on to coach at his alma mater. Byron Westbrook (CB/ST, Salisbury) was not picked up for the 2012 season. Nate Jackson was in the Browns camp in 2009 after several years with the Denver Broncos and was cut. 

Sept. 20, 2021 by Pat Coleman

Are any Division III alumni playing Arena Football?

Yes. We haven't updated the list in a few years because of the number of arena leagues, but they definitely play in indoor football and in the CFL.

June 10, 2012 by Pat Coleman

Which schools have added Division III football?

Here's a list of those who are "new" to Division III football, starting a couple of years before D3football.com opened:
1997 - Greensboro
1998 - Mary Hardin-Baylor
1999 - Mount Ida (since closed)
2000 - Averett, East Texas Baptist, Louisiana College (since joined NAIA), Rockford, Shenandoah, Wisconsin Lutheran
2001 - Christopher Newport, Utica
2003 - Endicott, Huntingdon, Husson
2004 - North Carolina Wesleyan
2005 - Becker (since closed)
2006 - LaGrange, SUNY-Maritime
2007 - St. Vincent, Birmingham-Southern
2008 - St. Scholastica
2009 - Anna Maria, Castleton
2010 - Pacific
2011 - Presentation (since joined NAIA, then closed), Stevenson
2012 - Misericordia
2013 - Hendrix, Berry, Southwestern
2014 - George Fox
2015 - Finlandia (since closed)
2018 - Alvernia, University of New England
2021 - Keystone
2022 - Hilbert
2023 - Eastern
2024 - Calvin, Centenary (La.)

Announced but yet to take the field: Maine Maritime announced on Jan. 9, 2023, that it would return to varsity play in 2025. Roanoke announced in June 2023 that it would start football as a club sport in the fall of 2024 and work toward becoming a varsity program in 2025. New England College is slated to start varsity play in 2025. Schreiner initially announced it would start play in 2025, but in July 2024 updated that to 2026. Azusa Pacific announced in March 2025 that it was joining Division III and adding football in 2026.

Updated March 17, 2025 by Pat Coleman

Do Division III schools offer athletic scholarships?

You'd be surprised, but we do get this question very frequently. No, Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships. That's a basic tenet of the Division.

Sept. 26, 2006 by Pat Coleman

How is the Play of the Week chosen?

The D3football.com Play of the Week was a fun part of our regular coverage from 2010 through 2017, but we have discontinued it. Check out the archives for the best plays from eight years of Division III football.

Sept. 3, 2018 by Pat Coleman