I have said that DIII sports is basically taking HS and getting rid of the kids who never started. Many of these schools would not exist if it wasn’t for sports now. Why pay 25k to go to a central/Simpson when you can pay 20k to go to a regents school? I had a talk to a Waldorf admissions officer several years ado when they were in financial trouble. I asked why they didnt drop sports, was told that 83% of their students are in a sport so they couldn’t. My son had a scholly at an NAIA and chose ISU in the end, he realized that his degree from ISU would serve him much better than the small school and that he would need to quit playing sometime.
I walked away from D2 for the same reason. It’s nice to have fun, but unless you are getting college paid for, I believe it’s better to consider your degree first. DIII sports are basically glorified HS sports.
That's kinda where I was too although at places like Central/Wartburg/Simpson most players were stars at small high schools that were just outside of D2 talent (some were recruited D1) or they just wanted to play right away. If it was a good experience for them, great, but unless you're playing a lot you find yourself standing on the sidelines thinking about how fun that D1 game would be to watch instead.