Penn State Brandywine reflects on first year of NCAA Division III athletics

May 11 was an unusually hot afternoon at Penn State Berks with the sun shining brightly on the campus’ softball field as Penn State Brandywine played Pennsylvania College of Technology for the United East Conference championship. Brandywine trailed by five runs heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before the team’s bats came alive. Scoring seven runs over the next two innings, the team earned an 8-7 victory and concluded Brandywine’s first year in the United East with the campus’ first conference title.

Both the tough weather and the come-from-behind victory were symbolic of an athletic program that has always focused on perseverance and the big picture.

Long a member of the Penn State University Athletic Conference and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, along with 13 other Commonwealth Campuses, Brandywine had often considered transitioning to NCAA Division III. Such a move was included in the campus’ 2020-25 strategic plan. In 2022, Regional Chancellor Marilyn J. Wells decided the time was right, and the process to complete and submit the 612-page application was underway. It was developed with input from multiple campus departments and faculty, as well as support from the Brandywine Advisory Board and athletics alumni.

In February 2023, Brandywine received the news it had long hoped for, as the campus was approved for an exploratory year in Division III of the National College Athletic Association — the first step in a four-year process that began with the exploratory year in 2023-24, followed by three years as a provisional member. The process leading to full membership includes educational and operational benchmarks that introduce institutions to the Division III philosophy and the best practices of model Division III institutions.

In early 2024, the United East Conference Presidents Council announced that it had accepted Penn State Brandywine as a full member of the league, with all 12 of the campus’ varsity athletic programs competing in the conference.

For Wells, joining the NCAA was an opportunity to elevate the campus’ already successful athletic program and expand the opportunities available to Brandywine student-athletes — while always keeping the campus’ emphasis on academics at the forefront.

“Athletes have been an integral part of campus life since Penn State Brandywine was founded in 1967,” Wells said. “After many years of discussion and preparation, we were ready to build on our highly successful athletic program by transitioning to NCAA Division III.

“Our athletic programs greatly enhance the collegiate experience for our student-athletes. Not only do they receive support to excel in their chosen sports, but more importantly, they receive the resources to succeed academically, the organizational and goal-setting abilities to manage their time and priorities, and mentorship to help prepare them for success after graduation. Our athletic teams also reflect the rich diversity of our campus and strengthen our commitment to an equitable and inclusive environment.”

Wells credited the athletic staff, coaches and alumni for their support of student-athletes and their commitment to building on the program’s success.

Director of Athletics Bobbi Caprice — a former Brandywine student-athlete — also emphasized that student-athletes are students first and said joining Division III adds to the resources and opportunities available to student-athletes.

“Our student-athletes, our athletic department and our campus have received many benefits from our transition to NCAA Division III,” Caprice said. “We’ve increased our visibility and our level of recruiting. We’ve seen more people watching our games on our livestream.

“Our teams are facing an increased level of competition, and that’s been an adjustment,” she added. “Our student-athletes are stepping up to the challenge of a higher level of play, and they’re proud to be part of the NCAA and they respect what it stands for.”

Caprice also noted that Brandywine is attracting interest from more talented student-athletes, including more out-of-state students who are interested both in athletics and the academic experience that Penn State offers.

The NCAA has provided variety of new resources, including access to health and safety grants. Brandywine has received a grant that will be used to bring a nutritionist and a sports psychologist to campus to talk with student-athletes about physical and mental health.

Professional development is also a priority, and Caprice, Wells, Associate Athletic Director Jeff Scarpone, Faculty Athletic Representative Joshua Phillips and recent graduate Karly Rees have all had the opportunity to attend NCAA conferences covering topics from managing coaches to fundraising to inclusion.

“Every other college in the conference has opened their arms to us and offered to be a resource to us,” Caprice noted. “It’s been great to see everyone working together for the betterment of our conference and the betterment of our student-athlete experience.

“We knew the transition wasn’t going to be easy,” she added. “But it’s been a great opportunity to evaluate how our department operates, how other schools are doing and how we can continue to improve going forward.”

In addition to the softball championship, highlights of the 2024-25 year include the tennis team competing in a conference for the first time since 2011, the men’s soccer team advancing to the second round of playoffs and the baseball team narrowly missing a playoff appearance.

Off the field, some key accomplishments from the year have included:

• 35 fall student-athletes and 57 winter and spring student-athletes earned United East Scholar Awards, recognizing that they earned a grade-point average of 3.2 or higher.
• Four Brandywine teams received United East Academic Awards, recognizing a team grade-point average of 3.25 or higher.
• Student Athlete Advisory Council President Karly Rees was selected to attend the 2025 NCAA Convention in Nashville on behalf of the United East Conference.

The Brandywine athletic department currently supports more than 175 student-athletes competing for six men’s teams (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis) and six women’s teams (basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball). In addition to Caprice, Recruiting Coordinator Myeisha Matos, two head coaches — Emily Battista (volleyball) and Vinny Gallo (baseball) — and several assistant coaches are former Brandywine student-athletes.

Since 1968, Penn State Brandywine athletics has claimed more than 40 conference championships and four national championships. In addition, more than 60% of its student-athletes receive academic awards annually.

More information about Penn State Brandywine Athletics is available on the athletics department website.