All 18 Big Ten schools now list at least one Division III transfer

Every one of the 18 member schools in the Big Ten Conference now has at least one Division III transfer on its roster. This shift allows athletes who dominated at smaller colleges to step into the conference's most competitive programs.

McKena Ramos exemplifies this trend. A senior from Sheboygan, Ramos arrived at UW-Oshkosh as a recruited track athlete. His coach, Eamon McKenna, recalled that the staff knew Ramos was good but considered him somewhat under the radar. "When we were recruiting him, I didn't think he would be able to come in and win a national championship as a freshman," McKenna said. "We knew he was good and we knew he was a little bit under the radar."

Ramos set a private goal before the indoor national meet: winning a title as a freshman would trigger a move to Division I. He won the indoor 800-meter and outdoor 1500-meter championships. "I didn't think it was going to happen, I just made a little bet with myself," Ramos said. He subsequently transferred to UW-Madison.

At Madison, Ramos contributes to both the track and cross-country teams. He cited the higher competition level as the main athletic difference. "The biggest difference athletically is the competition level; everyone is on your level and up," he said. He also values the travel and the opportunity to compete on the highest stage.

Two Badger football players have made similar moves. Wide receiver Ricky Finco, a junior who primarily plays on the scout team, transferred from UW-Whitewater. Offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk played at UW-Stevens Point before earning All-American honors in Madison, which improved his standing on NFL Draft boards.

The move is not always successful. Emma Paulson left UW-Madison's swim team after her freshman season. She transferred to the University of St. Thomas, a Division III school in Minnesota. "I realized that people are different and have different fits, it might work for them, but it wasn't the right fit for me," Paulson said.

Paulson finished her career at St. Thomas with three individual national championships and nine All-American designations. She noted that her times met Division I standards, but the culture suited her better at the smaller school. "Swimming DI, it kind of takes over your life in a sense, but DIII [is] just a part of your life," she said.

Resource gaps drive many decisions. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, and their facilities are generally smaller than those at Division I institutions. Ramos noted that while running workouts are similar, Madison provides equipment like ice baths that Oshkosh lacked. He also credited the tutoring at the Fetzer Center and the ability to take exams while traveling for his academic success. In contrast, Paulson reported that St. Thomas holds athletes to the same standards as non-athletes and does not provide designated academic services.

Both Ramos and Paulson said they would make the same choice again. Ramos called competing for Madison a dream since middle school. McKenna advised athletes to ask if they can replace what makes them dominant at their current school. "If you stand out in DIII, you're going to have opportunities," he said.