In mostly Division I and II athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals are making athletes life-changing amounts of money. Athletic programs across the country are leveraging the amount of funds they have budgeted for NIL to attract the best high school prospects, and intrigue current NCAA athletes to transfer to their organizations. 

This is giving college athletes a taste of what it’s like in the big leagues, and therefore, making the Division I and II recruitment process much different than it used to be. In addition, more than 40 athletics associations allow NIL deals at the high school level.

Division III institutions, however, are different: athletes cannot receive financial compensation from a college or university to encourage them to compete for their program. Sure, NIL still exists in a smaller capacity, but students aren’t able to receive scholarships specifically because of their athletic ability. Of course there are ways around this, like giving a student an academic scholarship or finding grants to help pay for their tuition, but generally, the individuals participating in varsity sports at this level are doing it simply for the love of the game.

In January, however, the scope of Division III athletics has the opportunity to completely change. Whether that’s for the better…that’s where I’m unsure.

In June 2026, Division I athletics unanimously voted towards implementing a new rule for eligibility called 5-for-5, which allows athletes up to five seasons of competition in a continuous five-year period. Previously, athletes had four years of eligibility, making the additional year eliminate “redshirt” seasons. 

However, because athletes get a full five years to play five seasons, the new rule completely eliminates loopholes that would allow athletes to have more than their previously permitted four years.  Redshirting, meaning a student-athlete who delays a year of active sports competition to extend their college eligibility window, medical hardships and extension waivers are no longer permitted according to the NCAA. Division II adopted this rule in August 2026.

In January 2027, the Division III institutions will have the opportunity to vote toward implementing this process. As the rule currently stands, a Division III athlete looking to continue participating in athletics for a fifth year cannot do so at a Division I or Division II institution. 

As the rule currently stands, if you are a Division III athlete and are looking to continue participating in athletics for a fifth year, you are unable to do so at a Division I or Division II institution. You must have an extra year of eligibility remaining from a medical redshirt in order to do so at another Division III program. However, if the 5-for-5 passes in January, this is where regardless of the level, athletes will be able to play a fifth year at any institution, at any level.

This could be a great thing; they can develop their athletic abilities in a Division III environment and then transfer to a higher level if they want. More athletes will have better opportunities to play professional athletics, graduate schools and undergraduate tuitions can decrease and they’ll be able to fully leverage their ability to make money from NIL. On top of it all, athletes will be able to play their sport for an extra year.

What scares me the most about this change isn’t the monetary benefits or the extra year of getting to participate in competitive athletics – it’s the vulnerability of the special environment that Division III has cultivated. 

Division III athletics have always represented something different to me. The athletes are competitive, the programs are successful and the desire to win is just as strong as it is at any other level. But there’s something special about competing at a school where athletics aren’t the center of your college experience.

At the Division III level, athletes are students first. We’re encouraged to pursue internships, participate in extracurricular activities, study abroad and explore interests that have absolutely nothing to do with the sports we play. For many of us, athletics are an important part of our college experience, but they’re not supposed to define the entirety of it (Look at me! I’m a four year varsity athlete and I’m able to be an executive editor of Denison’s student-run newspaper!). I worry that introducing a fifth year of eligibility could slowly begin to change that dynamic.

Coaches might begin prioritizing experienced fifth-year transfers over developing younger athletes, potentially limiting opportunities for incoming first-years and underclassmen. Additionally, students might begin making academic decisions based on their remaining athletic eligibility rather than their educational or professional goals, which defeats one of the many purposes of competing at the Division III level. 

As someone who has dedicated much of my life to a sport, I understand the appeal of another year of competition. However, I also recognize the importance of everything Division III athletics offer outside of competition. I’m not arguing that a fifth year would destroy Division III athletics, but I do worry it could slowly change the culture that makes it special. Division III doesn’t need to become a smaller version of Division I. Its value comes from offering something different, and that’s something worth protecting. That something is why I came to Denison in the first place, and therefore why you’re reading this column.

Emily Orsini ‘27 is a politics, philosophy and economics and journalism double major from Philadelphia.