"Run for Fun and Personal Bests": How Team Values Draw Student-Athletes to Division III Sport
Video Health & Life Sciences 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Cam Mallett
Exhibition Number 524
Abstract
Since 2020, over seventy small colleges and universities have closed due to financial pressures and dwindling enrollments. To stave off this decline and boost their student populations, many small schools have turned to Division III (DIII) sport, a category of intercollegiate competition which does not offer athletic scholarships. Although the average DIII school only has 2,500 total students, on average 31% of them are athletes. But despite the financial lifeline DIII sport provides these schools, the reasons why athletes select their teams or even decide to compete in this scholarship-free environment at all remain unexplored. A case study of one of the most successful DIII programs—the North Central College men’s cross country team—provides insight on this question of athlete motivation. North Central is an exemplar of DIII recruiting success with nineteen national championships and one of the division’s largest rosters. Interviews with thirty-nine athletes found their process to select North Central proceeded in three stages. First, athletes decided to pursue college athletics due to intrinsic pleasure drawn from their sport and the desire to remain within a sporting community. Second, athletes chose DIII over big-time, scholarship competition due to their competitive ability and desire for a more balanced athletic experience. And finally, runners committed to North Central because they aligned with its team values of “running for fun and personal bests.” These findings demonstrate how DIII teams can better recruit and maintain athletic talent while also serving as a strategic tool for small colleges facing declining enrollment.
Importance
This case study provides insight on the often-overlooked experiences of Division III (DIII) athletes, who compete without scholarships or financial incentives. Although big-time college sport—and especially football—attract the most attention, research, and revenue, more athletes and schools compete in DIII any other segment of intercollegiate competition. The 429 schools that compete in DIII have, on average, only 2,500 students, but 31% of them are athletes. Understanding these athletes’ motivations can teach colleges how to better recruit students, help coaches build more competitive programs, and ensure athletes can have meaningful athletic experiences at financially stable institutions.