The Division III Presidents and Boards of Management approved a mental health partnership to directly provide mental health first aid training to all NCAA Division III head coaches and athletic trainers.
The approved partnership with the Mental Health First Aid program aims to equip head coaches and athletic trainers with tools and skills to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health issues.
As part of the partnership, Mental Health First Aid will provide two-hour virtual and five-hour on-campus training to head coaches and athletic trainers from Division III campuses who choose to participate. Participants will have the opportunity to recertify in the future.
“Student-athletes face unique stressors, including performance pressures, academic challenges and injuries. We want to help our members improve mental health on campus, and we believe this partnership with Mental Health First Aid will be a great help. These trainings will focus on building mental health literacy, supporting the long-term mental well-being of teams, and reducing mental health stigma,” said Jim Troha, President of Juniata and Chair of the Presidents’ Council.
The boards also discussed other key Division III topics, listed below.
Coaches Connect Program
The Management Council discussed and supported the continued development of a Division III Coaches Connect program. This program would increase communication and improve coach engagement and training. The mission of the Coaches Connect program is to prepare coaches to make informed decisions, collaborate with athletic administrators and conference offices, and take responsibility for the growth and future of their sport.
Final approval is expected in the spring. If approved, Division III will implement the program for three selected sports in the fall of 2025 and evaluate the effectiveness of the program in the summer of 2026.
Subcommittee on the Future of the Council of Presidents
At its inaugural meeting, the Division III Presidents’ Council Subcommittee on the Future discussed the proposed goal and key objectives, which include oversight of the higher education landscape and its impact on athletics Division III intercollegiate team, identifying revenue disruptions and scenario planning, optimizing revenue opportunities, and contributing to the division’s strategic plan. The Presidents’ Council provided feedback and guidance to the subcommittee regarding its purpose and responsibilities.
Live broadcast of Division III championships
The Board of Management reviewed the results of the division’s initiative to live stream all Division III team championships. During the fall, ncaa.com and Hudl partnered to live stream a total of 210 Division III championship contests for free. Championship viewers watched a total of 11.5 million minutes of live content, compared to 2.3 million minutes in fall 2023. The overall audience increased by 40%.
Among the top video streams were the field hockey championship, which was promoted through the NCAA fan database and saw a 158% increase in viewers, the women’s cross country championship and the men’s football.
Membership Committee to Reconsider Graduate Student Eligibility Proposal
A proposal to create an exception to allow a student-athlete who graduates from a Division III school and is enrolled at a non-member institution with a formal academic relationship with a Division III institution to continue to participate was initially sponsored by the Congress 2025 Management Council.
However, the Council of Presidents chose to refer the proposal back to the Board of Management for further consideration. The Council of Presidents supported the concept in general, as it aims to broaden opportunities for participation and provide flexibility for schools that do not offer a specific graduate program, but members felt the proposal needed to be clarified further. The Board of Management referred the proposal to the Membership Committee for further consideration. It is anticipated that any possible clarifications and recommendations will be referred to the boards for consideration at their April or summer meetings.