The Student Athlete Sessions

In this episode, we help you get ready for the release of FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) on October 1st - with items to gather ahead of time, plus common mistakes to avoid that could delay your D3 financial aid process. Note: The 2027-28 FAFSA was released early so it is already available (as of 9/28) Our Website : d3-direct.com Our Weekly Newsletter : d3direct.substack.com As al...

This year, nine D3 schools have +$100,000 sticker prices to attend. That is insane. But, recruits and families who assume that going D3 means “no athletic scholarships, so full price” will miss out on opportunities by not doing their reserach. We dug into the nine most expensive D3 schools in 2026 to show you what the sticker price doesn’t tell you and what families pay on average at each school....

Mike Deckert is the creator and host of D3 Golf Guys, a podcast and media platform dedicated to NCAA Division III golf. Since launching D3 Golf Guys, Mike has built a community of current and prospective D3 golfers, coaches, families, and alumni by covering tournaments, rankings, recruiting, and the people shaping Division III golf. He joined the Student-Athlete Sessions to talk D3 Golf recruiting...

Choosing where to go to college can be a daunting decision to make as an 18 year old. The choice helps shape future relationships, career path, and worldview - so it is definitely something to take seriously. In this episode, we share eight concrete steps recruits can take to find a Division III school where they can continue their academic and athletic career. Our Website : d3-direct.com Our Week...

Linfield University's head volleyball coach Jenna Street nearly walked away from the sport before ever playing in college.  Now leading a resurgent program coming off its best season since 2013, she opens up about her own D3 recruiting story that led her to play four years at Cal Lutheran University, why she prioritizes multi-sport athletes in recruiting, and why she believes D3's four-y...

Stockton University's all-time leading scorer didn't pick up a basketball until he moved to the U.S. from Jamaica. Now, starting his second year playing professional basketball overseas, D.J. Campbell shares his recruiting story, his rocky freshman year, and the networking playbook that got him his first pro contract. Our Website : d3-direct.com Our Weekly Newsletter : d3direct.substack....

A Senior-Focused D3 NIL Collective?  Center of the Universe (COTU) NIL was created by Buzz Anthony & other Randolph-Macon Men's Basketball alumni to reward Seniors who stay & play all years with the Yellow Jackets. Could this help alleviate donor fatigue and also ensure better student-athlete outcomes overall? We think so. They launch soon. Find out more about what they're doing...

Elsebeth Birman is a former college student-athlete who is currently the Director of Player Development at Shenandoah University (D3) and the founder of Hoops Through Life. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Elsebeth discusses her own college sports recruiting process, the realities of D2 athletic scholarships, developing her own coaching style, her favorite D3 coaching memories, and...

Here's what we've learned after researching college scholarships for nearly 50 weeks... Every weekend, we release a new edition of Scholarship Sunday - our weekly series where we share resources & upcoming scholarships to help future D3 Athletes pay less for college. 46 straight weeks and counting of digging through college scholarship deadlines, requirements, and fine print. Here ar...

If you grew up watching baseball in the late 1990s, you know Scott Brosius as the third baseman who helped the New York Yankees win three consecutive World Series titles, and whose iconic 1998 World Series MVP performance is one of the great underdog stories in baseball history. What you might not know is that his path to the Bronx Bombers began at a small liberal arts school in McMinnville, Orego...

For most recruits, the college search process starts with athletics. But in our experience the athletes who end up happiest with their decision usually think much bigger than just playing time, facilities, or conference standings. As a recruit, you’re choosing where you’ll live, study, compete, and grow for the next four years. That decision deserves a full-picture evaluation - well beyond your sp...

Jordan Pettway is a former D3 student-athlete (Endicott College) who is currently creating basketball content for Barstool Sports and under his own brand, ShakeHoops. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Jordan discusses how his D3 sports experience opened up time for him to pursue other interests, get internships, and ultimately launch his career after graduating - something his frien...

Mike Klinzing is a former D1 student-athlete (Kent State) who is the Founder and Executive Director of Head Start Basketball - and the parent of a current D3 Athlete. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Mike discusses his recruiting process and what he didn't understand about coach interest at the time. He eventually signed at Kent State, but it wasn't without some luck and...

Eugene Campbell III is a former D3 student-athlete (New Jersey City University) who is currently playing professional basketball, with recent stops in Malta, Lebanon, and Jordan. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Eugene discusses how he got cut in high school and did not receive a single offer during his recruiting process. These challenges were not a setback, but rather fuel for hi...

On this episode, we sit down with two former D3 basketball All-Americans, Jeff Hunter (Keene State) and John Adams (WPI), to break down their D3 athletics experience and what they're building with Champions Corner. Both Jeff and John dive into how they got recruited, how they developed strong habits in college, how they're challenging themselves with their post-grad athletic pursuits, an...

On this episode, we speak to a former D3 athlete who is making a name for himself as a content creator.  Nick shares his recruiting process and why he picked Franciscan, the impact of playing multiple sports in high school, his advice to future D3 student-athletes, why he decided to start making content online, the current state of Franciscan basketball, some NBA second-half of the season predicti...

On this episode, we sit down with Carlo DeMarco, a director at ID Sports USA, to break down the realities of the college recruiting landscape. Carlo shares how ID camps actually work, what college coaches are really evaluating (beyond highlight tapes), and where families waste time and money in the recruiting process. We also discuss the evolving role of exposure events, international recruiting,...

Buzz Anthony is a former D3 student-athlete (Randolph-Macon College) who is currently playing professional basketball in Germany. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Buzz shares his recruiting process and why he picked D3 over other opportunities, winning a D3 National Championship, gives his advice to future D3 student-athletes, talks about why he decided to play pro basketball &...

Rei Halloran is a former D3 student-athlete (Wesleyan University Women's Hockey) who is currently playing professionally for Järnbrotts HK in Sweden - and will soon take the ice for Team Japan in the 2026 Winter Olympics. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Rei shares her recruiting process as a dual-sport athlete in high school, how she decided to go D3 and what it was like star...

Sidney Conner is a former D3 student-athlete (WashU Women's Soccer) who is currently an assistant coach for her alma mater while she completes her MBA at WashU's Olin School of Business. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Sidney shares her recruiting process priorities & what made WashU feel like the right fit, why playing multiple sports helped her as a soccer goalie,...

Jim Conlon is a former D3 student-athlete (Loras College Men's Soccer) who is the head coach of the Washington University of St. Louis (WashU) Women's Soccer team. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Coach Conlon reflects on his career as a D3 athlete & what he learned from the experience, shares how he got his start as a coach, gives his advice to future D3 student-athl...

Duane Goodman is a former D3 student-athlete (Knox College) who is currently playing professional basketball in Malta. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Duane shares how he overcame a tough recruiting process, navigated a D3 school closure & the COVID pandemic, gives his advice to future D3 student-athletes, talks about why he decided to play pro basketball & what it took to...

Adam Miller is a former D3 student-athlete (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Baseball) who is currently the Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Adam shares how he found about about D3 sports & committed to CMS, discusses how he got his start in college admissions, gives his advice to future D3 student-athl...

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...

Madison Quan is a former D3 student-athlete (Pomona-Pitzer) who is currently the interim Head Women's Basketball Coach of the CalTech Beavers. In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Madison shares what mattered most to her during her college sports recruiting process, discusses how she improved as a player over her college career, gives her advice to future D3 student-athletes, talk...