The D3Direct Newsletter
Join our community of over 2,500 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.
D3 Financial Aid 101
If you are going through the D3 college sports recruiting process you will more than likely have to deal with financial aid at some point.
While many view this as a scary proposition and would rather find a D1 or D2 athletics scholarship to make things smoother - we’re here to tell you not to worry.
Today, we’re getting back to the basics and sharing key definitions and terms you will want to know as you navigate D3 Financial Aid.
What to Say When a D3 College Coach Calls
What do you say when a college coach calls you for the first time?
If your answer is "uhhh…" - this post is for you.
Whether it’s a scheduled call or a surprise voicemail, that first conversation can shape your entire recruiting future.
Here’s a 5-minute prep guide so you feel confident when the opportunity presents itself.
Scholarship Sunday
Let’s reduce the cost of your college tuition!
Every weekend, we share another edition of ‘Scholarship Sunday’, a weekly series with resources & upcoming scholarships to help future D3 Athletes pay less for college.
D3 Walk-on Becomes 2x All-American
Sophie Suechting is a former D3 student-athlete (Colby College) who is currently the Head of Partner Experience at WinWon.
In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Sophie shares how she was recruited to row Crew after never playing the sport before, discusses how she improved en route to becoming a 2x All-American, gives her advice to future D3 student-athletes, talks about why she decided to coach Crew at her alma mater, working at a sports tech startup, and much more.
The Truth About D3 Scholarships
You have probably heard by now that NCAA D3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships.
It is one reason many feel it is necessary to pursue other levels of college athletics, like D1 or D2, to get an athletics scholarship just to ensure school tuition is affordable.
Today, we will show why that is not the case and how the vast majority of NCAA D3 athletes do not end up paying full price on college tuition.
The D3 Academic Pre-Read Playbook
If you’re going through the D3 athletics recruiting process, there’s a term you need to know: academic pre-read.
It’s the hidden checkpoint that determines whether you’re actually admissible to a D3 college or university, long before applications even open.
Today, we’re breaking down how it works.
Top 15 D3 Dining Halls
We sifted through all of the noise, scoured the web, and filtered down to only the D3 schools to compile a list you can actually trust.
Why? Because food is such a critical part of the college experience and has a huge impact on the daily performance of student-athletes.
Here’s how we determined the best D3 dining halls in 2025…
Be "Recruitable" and Get College Offers
Today, we go into the mind of D3 Coaches to understand what they think makes someone “recruitable”.
In this post we will bring you their collective advice from recruiting high school athletes in the Class of 2025 so you know what to do (and not to do). There were four D3 coaches interviewed in total.
D3 Schools With $0 Tuition
Going to a great D3 college or university does not have to be expensive.
Recently, both Tufts (Tufts Tuition Pact) and Emory (Advantage Plus) pledged to cover 100% of tuition for families that make less than certain income thresholds annually.
So naturally we did a deep dive to find our readers all of the D3 schools we could that offer similar programs.
Are D3 Recruiting Camps Worth It?
If you want to play a college sport, chances are you’re familiar with recruiting camps.
They go by many names, including:
“Elite Prospect Camp”
“Recruiting Showcase”
“ID Camp”
And they are often where recruits go to get “exposure” or direct scouting by college coaches that can translate to college offers. But, here’s the truth…
LIVE Conversation with a D3 College Coach
We hear it all the time - Getting in touch with college coaches can be a challenge for recruits.
That’s why we launched our live Q&A series with D3 coaches to make it easier for our readers to get their questions about school, sports, and admissions answered directly.
In our fifth live Q&A we sat down with Head Coach of Umass Boston Men’s Basketball, Jason Harris.
The Top 25 D3 Athletic Facilities
Think Division 3 Athletics means cramped gyms, small stands, and outdated weight rooms?
Think again.
Today, we’re releasing our ranking of the Top 25 D3 Athletic Facilities in the country.
From cutting-edge training centers to venues that could host pro events - many of these setups will make your local D1 program jealous.
D3 College Coach Conversation (LIVE)
We hear it all the time: Getting in touch with college coaches can be a challenge for recruits.
That’s why we launched our live Q&A series with D3 coaches to make it easier for our readers to get their questions about school, sports, and admissions answered directly.
In our fourth live Q&A we sat down with Head Coach of Regent University Track & Field and Cross Country, Michael Rose.
D3 Campus Visits: What Every Family Should Know
For college recruits, the campus visit is a vital step.
No one’s committing to anything yet, but both you and the coaching staff are getting serious about determining if this could be the right fit.
With that in mind, here is a 4-step guide for recruits to navigate their college visits.
FAFSA: Prepare Now, Get More Aid Later
If you anticipate needing any form of financial assistance during college, it is crucial that you complete FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
FAFSA is not just a form. It is a ticket that can help you reach your athletic and academic goals for college.
D3 NIL Collectives Aren't Dead
We’re addressing a topic on the minds of a lot of recruits: NIL
In Part One of our end-of-year 2024 D3 NIL recap, we dig in to the current state of D3 collectives to see how they’re adapting to changes in the NIL landscape.
Plus - the leading D3 conference for NIL deal compensation…
Fall D3 Recruiting Stoplight
It’s college application season and time is of the essence.
So we’re cutting right to the chase.
Here are our guidelines to successfully navigate college athletics recruiting this Fall.
What recruits should:
🔴 Stop Doing
🟡 Be Patient with…
🟢 Keep Doing
Brad Breier - Lewis and Clark College Golf
Brad Breier is a former D3 baseball catcher who didn’t even start playing golf until after he graduated from Willamette University in 2015.
Flash forward 10 years later and he is building a powerhouse D3 golf program as the Head Men’s and Women’s Coach at Lewis & Clark College.
Here’s how he went from D3 Athlete to D3 Head Coach in a completely different sport.
Quinn Meinerz: From D3 to an $80 Million NFL Contract
Quinn Meinerz - the former D3 Student-Athlete turned Denver Broncos lineman - is not only one of the highest D3 NFL draft picks of all time, but recently signed a lucrative extension worth ~$80 million dollars.
So, how did a guy from a D3 school end up signing an $80 million contract in the NFL? Here’s the full story.
D3 “Offers” Explained
So a coach just told you they’re “offering you a spot.”
Sounds exciting, right?
But here’s the truth: in Division III, that word can mean a lot of different things depending on the school.
So today we are breaking down what a D3 “offer” actually is (and what it isn’t), including insights from current D3 coaches.

