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Complete List of D3 Football Schools by State
Many students who are passionate about football dream of playing at the college level. For many of those who live and breathe their sport, the NCAA Division I (DI) is the goal. It’s an extremely competitive and selective division, however, as DI provides high visibility for those looking to pursue their sport professionally, as well as generous scholarship funding for a select few recruits each year. But Division I isn’t the only option for talented student athletes. Division III (DIII) is another path. Though less competitive, DIII isn’t solely for those who can’t get recruited by DI or Division II (DII) schools; many student-athletes who prefer the balance of academic rigor with a competitive football career at the college level choose to play in DIII programs. DIII programs differ from DI and DII programs in a number of ways. For one, in DIII, eligibility requirements are up to the school itself, while the NCAA sets requirements for DI and DII athletes. Moreover, DIII schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, although a vast majority of participating students receive academic or need-based scholarships and aid. There are also several differences when it comes to actually playing in each division. For a DI athlete, their sport is their life. DI players must be willing to commit weekends, off-seasons, vacations, and any other time away from the classroom to practicing and playing. DII, meanwhile, offers a bit more balance; student-athletes must still be very committed to the sport, but they will find it less demanding than DI. For those who want to focus on academics and have athletics take a backseat to their education, DIII could be the answer. While student-athletes will still need to be committed to practicing and playing, they’re often more immersed in a much more varied collegiate experience than their DI and DII counterparts. School Nickname State Acceptance Rate Bulldogs Adrian, MI 65% Britons Albion, MI 68% Lions Reading, PA 62% Pioneers Alfred, NY 63% Saxons Alfred, NY 63% Gators Meadville, PA 64% Scots Alma, MI 64% Golden Wolves Reading, PA 68% Mammoths Amherst, MA 13% Ravens Anderson, IN 65% Amcats Paxton, MA 74% Auggies Minneapolis, MN 69% Vikings Rock Island, IL 64% Spartans Aurora, IL 81% Kangaroos Sherman, TX 55% Cougars Danville, VA 61% Yellow Jackets Berea, OH 74% Bobcats Lewiston, ME 18% Hawks Leicester, MA 66% Blazers Jackson, MS 52% Buccaneers Beloit, WI 56% Eagles Lisle, IL 93% Vikings Mount Berry, GA 66% Bison Bethany, WV 91% Royals Arden Hills, MN 71% Panthers Birmingham, AL 54% Beavers Bluffton, OH 42% Polar Bears Brunswick, ME 10% Tornados Brevard, NC 46% Bears Bridgewater, MA 90% Eagles Bridgewater, VA 66% Golden Eagles Brockport, NY 53% Lions Ewing, NJ 50% Saints Duluth, MN 66% Scots Wooster, OH 54% Beavers Storm Lake, IA 57% Bengals Buffalo, NY 67% Kingsmen Thousand Oaks, CA 71% Crusaders Columbus, OH 73% Knights Northfield, MN 20% Tartans Pittsburgh, PA 17% Pioneers Waukesha, WI 69% Red Men Kenosha, WI 68% Spartans Cleveland, OH 29% Spartans Castleton, VT 85% Cardinals Washington, DC 84% Dutch Pella, IA 79% Colonels Danville, KY 73% Panthers Orange, CA 54% Captains Newport News, VA 68% Claremont Colleges (Claremont Mudd Scripps) Stags Claremont, CA 9% (Claremont McKenna) Bears New London, CT 19% Kohawks Cedar Rapids, IA 67% Mules Waterville, ME 13% Falcons Mequon, WI 65% Cougars River Forest, IL 76% Cobbers Moorhead, MN 61% Rams Mount Vernon, IA 61% Storm St. Bonifacius, MN 55% Colonels Milton, MA 93% Bulldogs Franklin, MA 83% Yellow Jackets Defiance, OH 52% Aggies Doylestown, PA 66% Big Red Granville, OH 34% Tigers Greencastle, IN 63% Red Devils Carlisle, PA 49% Spartans Dubuque, IA 73% Tigers Marshall, TX 54% Bluejays Elmhurst, IL 68% Wasps Emory, VA 70% Gulls Beverly, MA 80% Red Devils Eureka, IL 57% Devils Madison, NJ 89% Panthers Ferrum, VA 75% Lions Hancock, MI 32% Falcons Fitchburg, MA 87% Rams Framingham, MA 73% Diplomats Lancaster, PA 35% Grizzlies Franklin, IN 75% Bison Washington, DC 57% Golden Tornadoes Beaver Falls, PA 63% Bruins Newberg, OR 82% Bullets Gettysburg, PA 45% Pride Greensboro, NC 44% Panthers Greenville, IL 48% Pioneers Grinnell, IA 24% Wolverines Grove City, PA 79% Quakers Greensboro, NC 64% Gusties St. Peter, MN 66% Continentals Clinton, NY 21% Pipers St. Paul, MN 67% Tigers Hampden-Sydney, VA 59% Panthers Hanover, IN 79% Cowboys Abilene, TX 84% Hawks Oneonta, NY 83% Student Princes Tiffin, OH 73% Warriors Conway, AR 72% Terriers Hiram, OH 58% Statesmen Geneva, NY 57% Flying Dutchmen Holland, MI 76% Yellow Jackets Brownwood, TX 58% Hawks Montgomery, AL 58% Eagles Bangor, ME 83% Blueboys Jacksonville, IL 76% Titans Bloomington, IL 59% Tigers Mount Pleasant, IL 58% Bombers Ithaca, NY 69% Blue Streaks University Heights, OH 83% Blue Jays Baltimore, MD 11% Eagles Huntingdon, PA 70% Hornets Kalamazoo, MI 73% Cougars Union, NJ 86% Lords Gambier, OH 36% Giants La Plume, PA 71% Monarchs Wilkes-Barre, PA 81% Prairie Fire Galesburg, IL 74% Panthers LaGrange, GA 48% Foresters Lake Forest, IL 58% Muskies Sheboygan, WI 52% Vikings Appleton, WI 62% Flying Dutchmen Annville, PA 78% Pioneers Portland, OR 74% McMinnville, OR Wildcats 81% Duhawks Dubuque, IA 93% Wildcats Pineville, LA 78% Norse Decorah, IA 63% Warriors Williamsport, PA 66% Scots St. Paul, MN 41% Mariners Castine, ME 55% Spartans N. Manchester, IN 59% Pioneers Marietta, OH 69% Knights New Ulm, MN 89% Scots Maryville, TN 55% Engineers Cambridge, MA 7% Buccaneers Buzzards Bay, MA 89% Green Terror Westminster, MD 64% War Hawks Abilene, TX 41% Monarchs Fayetteville, NC 55% Panthers Middlebury, VT 17% Big Blue Decatur, IL 61% Majors Jackson, MS 59% Cougars Dallas, PA 83% Scots Monmouth, IL 69% Red Hawks Upper Montclair, NJ 71% Greyhounds Bethlehem, PA 73% Mustangs Morrisville, NY 72% Lions Cincinnati, OH 60% Mules Allentown, PA 62% Muskies New Concord, OH 72% Prairie Wolves Lincoln, NE 72% Bison Dudley, MA 82% Battling Bishops Rocky Mount, NC 63% Cardinals Naperville, IL 56% Vikings Chicago, IL 47% Cadet Northfield, VT 66% Yeomen Oberlin, OH 36% Tigers Los Angeles, CA 37% Polar Bears Ada, OH 68% Battling Bishops Delaware, OH 69% Comets Olivet, MI 71% Cardinals Westerville, OH 81% Lutes Tacoma, WA 80% Boxers Forest Grove, OR 85% Panthers Plymouth, NH 82% Sagehens Claremont, CA 8% (Pomona) Yellow Jackets Ashland, VA 67% Engineers Troy, NY 43% Lynx Memphis, TN 45% Red Hawks Ripon, WI 69% Regents Rockford, IL 49% Engineers Terre Haute, IN 68% Profs Glassboro, NJ 73% Sea Gulls Salisbury, MD 62% Seahawks Newport, RI 76% Tigers Sewanee, TN 65% Hornets Winchester, VA 70% Storm Indianola, IA 84% Knights Buena Vista, VA 69% Pirates Georgetown, TX 45% Pride Springfield, MA 63% Cardinals Pittsford, NY 64% Johnnies Collegeville, MN 73% Saints Canton, NY 46% Green Knights De Pere, WI 78% Oles Northfield, MN 50% Bearcats Latrobe, PA 68% Red Dragons Cortland, NY 44% Mustangs Stevenson, MD 73% Lobos Alpine, TX 99% Privateers Throggs Neck, NY 72% River Hawks Selinsgrove, PA 85% Bulldogs Seguin, TX 54% Tomcats Greenville, PA 76% Thunder Angola, IN 73% Bantams Hartford, CT 34% Tigers San Antonio, TX 34% Jumbos Medford, MA 15% Mariners Kings Point, NY 22% Maroons Chicago, IL 7% Leopards La Verne, CA 51% Crusaders Belton, TX 87% Corsairs North Dartmouth, MA 78% Cougars Morris, MN 63% Purple Raiders Alliance, OH 96% Nor’easters Biddeford, ME 80% Eagles Roseville, MN 93% Loggers Tacoma, WA 88% Bulldogs Redlands, CA 75% Yellowjackets Rochester, NY 29% Tommies St. Paul, MN 80% Blugolds Eau Claire, WI 78% Eagles La Crosse, WI 71% Titans Oshkosh, WI 71% Pioneers Platteville, WI 82% Falcons River Falls, WI 75% Pointers Stevens Point, WI 83% Blue Devils Menomonie, WI 90% Warhawks Whitwater, WI 76% Dutchmen Schenectady, NY 39% Bears Collegeville, PA 71% Pioneers Utica, NY 84% Little Giants Crawfordsville, IN 65% Knights Waverly, IA 76% Presidents Washington, PA 82% Generals Lexington, VA 21% Bears St. Louis, MO 15% Yellow Jacket Waynesburg, PA 91% Wolverines Dover, DE 62% Cardinals Middletown, CT 17% Colonials Danbury, CT 79% Golden Bears Springfield, MA 85% Owls Westfield, MA 86% Blue Jays Fulton, MO 94% Titans New Wilmington, PA 66% Thunder Wheaton, IL 83% Poets Whittier, CA 76% Pirates Spokane, WA 91% Pride Chester, PA 69% Colonels Wilkes-Barre, PA 75% Bearcats Salem, OR 84% Pioneers Wayne, NJ 93% Ephs Williamstown, MA 13% Quakers Wilmington, OH 85% Warriors Milwaukee, WI 80% Tigers Springfield, OH 74% Lancers Worcester, MA 78% Engineers Worcester, MA 42%
Unlike DI and DII coaches, DIII coaches don’t have to follow specific rules about when and how they can contact recruits, except in-person. Typically, however, they’ll begin reaching out in the recruit’s junior year of high school. There’s also no limit on when and how frequently students can receive recruiting materials, calls, emails, and other communications. However, coaches may not initiate off-campus in-person contact, such as high school visits, until after sophomore year. In the meantime, you should be initiating contact and demonstrating your interest in the college and playing for the team. You should be reaching out to coaches and working on your own branding and self-promotion by emphasizing your highlights and achievements. Moreover, if you receive any type of communication from a coach, respond with enthusiasm if that school interests you! You should also bear in mind that your grades will need to be high when applying to top-tier DIII schools, even if you’re being recruited. Many selective schools use the Admissions Index (AI) to weed out academically unqualified candidates even before considering other qualifications. However, coaches may be permitted to accept a certain number of recruits who fall below that threshold, depending on the school and football program. You’re allowed to accept official visit invitations from coaches after January 1st of your junior year of high school, but you can visit “unofficially” at any point. During these visits, you should be evaluating more than the football program— consider the student body, academic programs, campus life, and additional opportunities. After submitting your application, you may receive a “likely letter,” indicating that you will almost definitely be accepted. Likely letters aren’t limited to athletic recruits, but they are still part of the recruiting process because they’re meant to drum up enthusiasm for the school and encourage the student to attend. Don’t be concerned if you don’t receive one—colleges only send a certain number of likely letters, and you could very well still be admitted. After you’ve received an offer of admission, the school might ask you to sign a non-binding celebratory signing form, indicating your commitment to the college. Colleges may not publicize this until they’ve received a financial deposit. Will you be recruited to play football? What are your chances of getting into a top-tier school? Find out with our chancing engine. This free tool will estimate your odds of admission to hundreds of colleges and universities across the county based on your real statistics and profile, plus give you free tips on how to improve your chances. What’s Covered:
What Makes Division 3 Different?
List of D3 Football Schools
How to Get Recruited to Play D3 Football
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?
