The D3Direct Newsletter
Join our community of over 2,600 subscribers and get:
The weekly D3 recruiting email – an actionable post every week (think of it as your mid-week D3 recruiting boost.)
‘Scholarship Sunday’ - a weekly series where we share resources & upcoming scholarships to help future D3 Athletes pay less for college.
Bonus: Get our College Recruiting Checklist with actionable steps recruits can take during all four years of high school.
D.J. Campbell - How Stockton's All-Time Leading Scorer Went Pro Overseas
D.J. Campbell, Stockton University's all-time leading scorer, didn't pick up a basketball until he moved to the U.S. from Jamaica.
Now a professional basketball player overseas, he shares his recruiting story, his rocky freshman year, and the networking playbook that got him his first pro contract.
Carly Assimon - The Head Coach of Vassar Women's Basketball
Carly Assimon is the head women’s basketball coach at Vassar College, bringing experience as both a former Division III student-athlete and collegiate coach.
In this episode, she shares her coaching journey, how she got traction as a women's basketball recruit in high school, learning to be resilient in the face of setbacks like injury, the importance of honesty in the recruiting process, her outlook for the upcoming season, and much more.
Umar Rashid: From D3 Basketball to Playing Professionally Overseas
Umar Rashid is a former D3 student-athlete (Case Western Reserve University Men's Basketball) who is currently playing professional basketball in Europe.
In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Umar discusses his own college sports recruiting process (including getting denied from his top choice), the realities of adjusting to playing in college, how he made the Guyana national team, finding a pro agent, and much more.
From D3 Athlete to NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Head Coach
You can reach the top of the college basketball coaching world - even if you are a former Division III athlete. In fact, in this post we will show you how it might even be an advantage.
Based on our count, at least 43 current NCAA Division I men's basketball head coaches played their college ball at D3 schools, including coaches at NCAA tournament mainstays like Alabama, Arizona, Notre Dame, Marquette, Iowa State, Stanford, and Wisconsin.
What High School Senior Recruits Should Be Doing Right Now
Fall of Senior Year: Your To-Do List for Academics, Athletics, and Applications
Senior fall is go-time.
Your grades still count, your college list needs to get real, and your applications will be due before you know it. Here’s exactly what to focus on this semester — broken down by academics, high school athletics, and the D3 recruiting/application process.
The Top 25 Active Coaches in D3 Women’s Sports
Some of the best coaches in college athletics coach at Division III schools.
Coaches who have built nationally dominant programs…without the massive budgets, staffs and resources of the Division I level.
To help recruits in their college search, we’ve built our list of the Top 25 Active D3 Women’s Sports Head Coaches.
FAFSA: How to Prepare Now and Avoid the Mistakes That Cost Families Financial Aid
The FAFSA opens annually on October 1st.
Here's how families of college-bound athletes and students can get ahead of the process.
Plus, the most common mistakes that delay or reduce financial aid offers.
Stop Ruling Out D3 Schools Because of the Sticker Price
In this post we’re covering D3 Tuition Sticker Prices and why you should never rule a school out just because their cost of attendance looks expensive on paper.
Our focus, nine D3 schools with $100,000 annual tuition.
We know that looks crazy, but hear us out…
These D3 Schools Are in Financial Trouble
Forbes recently published their annual list of College Financial Grades, to “assesses the financial health of more than 900 private not-for-profit colleges with enrollment of more than 500 students.”
In this post we isolated the Top 20 D3 schools from the list (aka the “Healthiest” D3’s) as well as the 20 from the bottom (aka the “Least healthy” D3’s) to bring you more context.
Linfield Volleyball’s Jenna Street - From D3 Athlete to College Head Coach
Linfield University's head volleyball coach Jenna Street nearly walked away from the sport before ever playing in college.
Now leading a resurgent program coming off its best season since 2013, she opens up about her own D3 recruiting story that led her to play four years at Cal Lutheran University, why she prioritizes multi-sport athletes in recruiting, and why she believes D3's four-year commitment model is worth protecting.
How College Coaching Changes Can Impact Recruiting | D3 Recruiting Guide
Coaching changes happen every summer across college sports, and for high school athletes, it can be confusing.
You may have already visited campus or gone through the pre-read process - Then the coaching staff changes. What happens next?
From D3 to EuroLeague Stardom
How John DiBartolomeo Built a 14-Year Pro Basketball Career from the Division III Level
University of Rochester legend and Maccabi Tel Aviv guard John DiBartolomeo shares the recruiting story, career journey, and hard-won lessons behind one of the most remarkable pro basketball paths in NCAA Division III (D3) history.
D3 Women's Basketball Recruiting Reality - A Coach's Honest Take
Elsebeth Birman is a former college student-athlete who is currently the Director of Player Development at Shenandoah University (D3) and the founder of Hoops Through Life.
In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Elsebeth discusses her own college sports recruiting process, the realities of D2 athletic scholarships, developing her own coaching style, her favorite D3 coaching memories, and much more.
Is This the Future of D3 NIL?
When NIL became legal five years ago, most people assumed it would only benefit the biggest stars in college sports.
But the reality has been different and we think this group of alumni have found a way to align NIL with D3 in a really sustainable way that reduces donor fatigue.
College coaches are looking you up right now
Before a D3 coach starts to seriously recruit you, they will usually Google you. Before they call your high school coach, they’ll check your social media. Before they offer you a roster spot, they'll check your recent posts.
Your social media presence is part of your recruiting presence whether you like it or not. Today, we’re showing you how to build a social media profile that helps your recruiting process, rather than hurting it.
How to Pay Less for D3 Tuition
Most families assume the price on a college website is what they’ll pay - but it’s usually not.
In this 5-part series, we’re highlighting financial aid resources in each U.S. State (and D.C.) that can help NCAA D3 recruits and their families reduce the cost of college.
From Linfield Baseball to World Series MVP: What Scott Brosius Learned About Trusting the Process
In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Scott Brosius talks about his recruiting journey, his professional baseball career, and what brought him full circle back to Linfield University, where he now serves as Athletic Director.
The conversation is packed with lessons for any student-athlete navigating the recruiting process, especially those frustrated that the big schools aren't calling.

