Happy NCAA Division III Week from Alabama’s only NCAA Division III institution – Huntingdon College in Montgomery. This week, Huntingdon joins the over 400 other NCAA Division III institutions across the country in shining the spotlight on the uniqueness of this classification of intercollegiate athletics. Huntingdon proudly sponsors 21 NCAA Division III teams plus a competitive women’s flag football team and fields numerous Esports teams.
Unlike Division I and II institutions or schools that participate in NAIA, Division III colleges do not offer athletic scholarships to student-athletes. In today’s intercollegiate athletic world of NIL deals, and the instability the transfer portal has created on athletic rosters, NCAA Division III and Division III student-athletes have become the gold standard of amateur athletics.
I have often said that amid the diversity that exists within the Huntingdon student body, there are two commonalities among our students. Huntingdon students have a measure of ambition and a desire to obtain a great pre-professional education that will prepare them for a life of success beyond college. They also choose Huntingdon to fully participate in the life of the College. For 75 percent of Huntingdon students, participation in one of Huntingdon’s athletic teams is a significant part of their engagement in campus life. Another 10 percent of Huntingdon students participate in auxiliary programs that support athletics including the marching band and the cheerleading squad.
Division III student-athletes get to experience the full spectrum of college life. At a Division III school like Huntingdon, a quarterback of the football team can be the president of the Student Government Association like Blake Smith, our current SGA president. Our athletes get to experience Greek life and provide meaningful contributions to their organizations like Huntingdon’s softball right fielder Riley Rudick who serves as the president of Phi Mu, and Sam Hathcock, a member of the men’s tennis team and leads as president of the Interfraternity Council. Huntingdon student-athletes steer campus ministry programs like Eva Ellenburg, a member of Huntingdon’s indoor and beach volleyball teams. They serve as residence life coordinators like women’s basketball player Cassidy Campbell, give of their time as student recruiters like wrestler Cade Sousa, and contribute as orientation leaders like Myles Johnson, a member of the men’s basketball team.
Huntingdon student-athletes can be members of various student organizations on campus because the NCAA Division III model allows them time to participate in these things. They also populate the Dean’s List because of their classroom performance, obtain internships in the community for academic credit, present research at professional conferences, and perpetuate Huntingdon’s track record of impressive placement rates into graduate schools and entry-level jobs in their academic discipline.
Beyond the importance of athletics to attract students to Huntingdon, to create a vibrant and spirited campus life, and to create family-friendly Game Day experiences for the community, the Huntingdon athletics program is an economic engine for the River Region. In this academic year alone, Huntingdon athletic teams will host teams from 64 different institutions representing 19 states. These teams and their fans positively contribute to the River Region’s hotel occupancy rates and restaurant revenues. Visiting teams often experience Montgomery’s historical sites during their trips to our city and enjoy excursions in stores and recreational venues.
The April calendar is full of home Huntingdon College athletic contests. So, come watch our softball team (ranked in the top 10 in America in Division III) compete for another trip to the NCAA Division III tournament, follow our nationally ranked men’s and women’s golf teams, experience a men’s or women’s lacrosse match for the first time in your life, or enjoy any of our other Spring sports in action. You can find complete schedules at www.huntingdonhawks.com.
In this national celebration of NCAA Division III week, I invite you to join me in being a fan of some of the most impressive collegiate athletes in Alabama on and off their fields of play. Go Hawks!
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