D3 Conference History & Recruiting
Founded in 1915, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) brings together Southern California colleges for NCAA Division III competition. The conference has nine established member institutions and is adding Azusa Pacific University, which began its transition from NCAA Division II to Division III in 2026-27. APU is scheduled to participate in SCIAC competition during the transition, with full membership and NCAA championship eligibility expected in 2028-29. Across its history, SCIAC institutions have produced national champions in sports ranging from golf and tennis to baseball, soccer and softball.
Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, Calif.)
California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, Calif.)
California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
Chapman University (Orange, Calif.)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (Claremont, Calif.)
University of La Verne (La Verne, Calif.)
Occidental College (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (Claremont, Calif.)
University of Redlands (Redlands, Calif.)
Whittier College (Whittier, Calif.)
SCIAC recruiting combines competitive athletics with the academic expectations of its member institutions. Caltech, Pomona, and the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps consortium are among the conference’s most selective academic environments, so prospective student-athletes should understand each school’s admission requirements and prepare academically. Coaches can help recruits navigate the process, but academic pre-reads, recruiting timelines, and admissions policies vary by institution. Ask coaches about academic benchmarks, application deadlines, and the steps required to remain under consideration.
SCIAC institutions do not award athletic scholarships under NCAA Division III rules, but merit scholarships and need-based financial aid can help families manage college costs. Policies vary by school. Caltech does not offer merit scholarships and meets demonstrated financial need through its aid program, while Pomona does not offer merit or athletic scholarships and commits to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of eligible students. Families should compare each school’s total cost of attendance and estimated net price, use its net price calculator, and ask about grant eligibility, award renewal, and whether different forms of aid can be combined.
The conference’s Southern California footprint creates regional rivalries and opportunities to compete without routinely traveling across multiple states, although traffic can make even local trips lengthy. Recruits should ask coaches about typical travel schedules, overnight stays, missed class time, and how teams accommodate labs, internships, and other academic commitments. Campus visits can also help prospective student-athletes evaluate coaching styles, roster opportunities, campus culture and the balance between athletics and other interests.
“I’m still looking for that top talent, whether I was at Division I or at Division III… I think Division III is holistic and as a coach, I can help with that holistic growth… [student-athletes can] study abroad during your fall semester of your junior year and get that experience, or be a part of institutes on campus, or be able to work through the community… Division III, you’re actually able to build the relationships with other student-athletes, other teams on campus.”
SCIAC institutions have built national championship histories across multiple sports, including men’s golf, tennis, baseball, soccer, and softball. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the 2026 Division III men’s golf championship, its second team title in the sport following its 2016 victory. CMS golfer Sebi Aliaga also won the individual NCAA championship, a separate achievement that should not be included in team-title totals.
The University of Redlands won last season’s D3 softball championship, the first national title in the sport for a SCIAC member. Chapman won the 1995 Division III softball championship as an independent. California Lutheran has won national titles in women’s soccer and men’s volleyball, while Chapman has also won national championships in baseball.
Water polo has boosted the conference’s national profile, but its D3 national championships should be distinguished from NCAA Division III team titles. Pomona-Pitzer women’s water polo won its fifth consecutive USA Water Polo Division III national championship in 2026. CMS and Redlands have also earned national recognition in men’s water polo.
These achievements demonstrate the range of sports in which SCIAC programs have competed for national honors, although they should be tracked separately from the NCAA Division III team-championship total.
Jack Kemp, Football, Occidental College (‘57)
Jack Kemp starred as a quarterback at Occidental College before playing professional football with the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills. He won two American Football League championships with Buffalo before entering politics, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1989. Kemp served as U.S. secretary of housing and urban development from 1989 to 1993 and was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 1996.
Maril Davis, Soccer, Scripps College (‘94)
Maril Davis scored 106 career goals for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s soccer, a program record that remains one of the most notable individual marks in SCIAC history. A four-time first-team All-SCIAC selection, she was named the conference’s Player of the Year in 1992 and earned All-West Region recognition in 1993. Davis was inducted into the Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame in 2004.
Eric Rogers, Football, California Lutheran University (‘13)
Eric Rogers finished his Cal Lutheran football career as the program’s all-time leader in receptions (220), receiving yards (3,461) and receiving touchdowns (41). He earned All-America recognition in football and track and field and was named SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 after recording 91 receptions for 1,298 yards and 18 touchdowns. Undrafted in 2013, Rogers played in the Canadian Football League, leading the league with 1,448 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015 before signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.
Holly Roepke, Soccer, California Lutheran University (‘14)
Holly Roepke starred in Cal Lutheran women’s soccer from 1995 to 1998, earning two All-America selections and four first-team All-SCIAC honors. She was named SCIAC Player of the Year in 1998. After leaving college one semester short of graduation, Roepke returned while working and raising her family and earned a degree in organizational leadership in 2014. She later held athletics leadership roles at Pomona-Pitzer and Grinnell before becoming Cal Lutheran’s director of athletics in 2022.
