Evelyn Perkins

In the world of Division III sports, Division III Week is one of the most important times of the year. Each year, Division III athletes take a break from their constant training to celebrate their accomplishments and journeys. This year, Division III Week took place from Monday, April 6, through Sunday, April 12. At Augsburg, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) represents the athletic student body. Each team nominates two athletes to serve as representatives. SAAC meets biweekly to discuss initiatives and events for the student body. Division III Week was one of the larger initiatives SAAC took on this year. Organizers held an Instagram post competition between teams, inviting them to post videos on social media explaining the significance of Division III Week and what being a Division III athlete means to them. By the end of the week, the post with the most likes won a gift card. Many teams posted impressive videos, highlighting the best aspects of being a Division III athlete. The football team won the competition with more than 600 likes on one of their videos. You can check it out on their Instagram, @augsburgfootball. Additionally, SAAC hosted a candy bar event in the Kennedy Center on Thursday, April 9. The event featured a wide variety of candy for student-athletes to enjoy as they celebrated their hard work. This event gave many students the chance to stop by, learn about SAAC, meet representatives from other teams, and feel how proud Augsburg is of our student athletes!

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I had a chance to speak with Jada Stanford, a representative for Augsburg women’s basketball in SAAC. When asked what being a Division III athlete means to her, she said, “One of my favorite things about being a DIII athlete is that the level doesn’t define the athlete. The mindset does. A D3 athlete trains not for recognition but for who they become in the process.”

Unlike at Division I and II institutions, Division III athletes are not eligible for athletic scholarships. While Division III athletes can profit from name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals and sponsorships, there are far fewer opportunities for them than at the Division I or II levels. Additionally, the NCAA requires all offseason training to be completely optional, allowing players to work or rest during the offseason. All offseason workouts are done voluntarily; coaches have no involvement or say. As a result, many Division III athletes participate for the love of the game and for their own development as athletes and individuals. Since Division III is not the highest level of competition, I believe the DIII athletes often go unappreciated. However, Division III Week provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the work athletes put in year-round, and this year, Augsburg did just that.