D3 Conference History & Recruiting
Founded in 1986, the University Athletic Association (UAA) comprises eight academically selective private research universities. The UAA’s eight member schools are located across seven states: Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The UAA sponsors competition in a variety of men’s and women’s sports, but it hasn’t sponsored football since 2018. The five UAA members that currently sponsor football compete in other conferences.
Brandeis University (Waltham, Mass.)
Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio)
Emory University (Atlanta, Ga.)
New York University (New York, N.Y.)
University of Chicago (Chicago, Ill.)
University of Rochester (Rochester, N.Y.)
Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Mo.)
UAA recruiting demands both high-level athletic ability and academic achievement. Each school has strict standards for GPA, standardized test scores, and extracurriculars. Recruited athletes are expected to reflect the academic profile of the general student body. For example, at the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis, the average unweighted GPA for admitted students is between 3.9 and 4.0.
Member schools, which are all private universities, do not offer athletic scholarships. Financial aid packages are the same as those for non-athlete students and are calculated based on financial need. Nevertheless, most UAA schools fully meet demonstrated financial need, and many also offer separate academic or leadership merit scholarships.
UAA universities are located across the Eastern, Midwestern, and Southern states, so athletes can expect long bus rides or flights to competitions. UAA student-athletes must balance athletics with a demanding academic schedule. As a result, many student-athletes earn Academic All-American and All-Academic honors every year.
Of the 82 NCAA Division III team national championships won by UAA schools, Emory University’s women’s swimming & diving team has won 12. The team won 10 consecutive titles from 2010-19, along with championships in 2005 and 2006. Emory’s men’s swimming & diving team has won four titles in 2017, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
With 35 NCAA Division III team national championships through the end of the 2025-26 academic year, Emory has won more NCAA team titles than any other current UAA member.
The Washington University in St. Louis volleyball program has won nine D3 national titles, including five consecutive championships from 1991-95. It won its championships between 1989 and 2009.
The University of Chicago men’s tennis team has won three Division III national championships in the past five years: 2022, 2024, and 2026.
Kim Ng (Softball, UChicago, ‘90)
Ng was a four-year letter winner at the University of Chicago before beginning her baseball career with the Chicago White Sox. She later held executive roles with the Yankees, Dodgers, and Major League Baseball before becoming MLB’s first woman and first Asian American general manager when the Miami Marlins hired her in 2020. She now serves as commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
Matthew Jackson (Men’s Lacrosse, Rochester, ‘91)
Jackson was a prolific scorer at Rochester and remains the program’s career leader in goals, finishing with 167 goals, 37 assists, and 204 points. A Rochester Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, he played for a select U.S. Lacrosse team in England after graduation before earning his law degree from Syracuse. He later spent 17 years with an Albany law firm before opening his own practice, specializing in commercial litigation, business counseling and real estate law.
Jenny Fortner (Women’s Basketball, UChicago, ‘98)
Fortner was a four-year starter for UChicago women’s basketball and is a member of the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame. After earning her psychology degree, she spent 24 years at Goldman Sachs, where she became a managing director before moving to the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund. She has also held leadership roles with Special Olympics International, DePaul University, Misericordia, and Big Shoulders Fund.
Tom Courtad (Football, Case Western Reserve, ‘00)
Courtad is the most prolific tackler in Case Western Reserve football history, finishing his run with a school-record 521 tackles. He also holds the program’s single-season record with 191 tackles in 1997 and the single-game record with 30 tackles in 1998. A three-time all-conference selection, Courtad was named the 1998 UAA Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-American honors that season.
