Azusa Pacific University’s decision to reinstate football at the NCAA Division III level isn’t just about bringing back a beloved sport — it’s a bold strategic move that could reshape the future of athletics in Christian higher education. By prioritizing academics, student experience, and financial sustainability over costly athletic scholarships, APU is setting a precedent that other Christian colleges would do well to consider.
For decades, many faith-based institutions have followed a path that leads to expensive, scholarship-driven athletics in NCAA Division II and NAIA. APU is demonstrating that there is another way — one that aligns more closely with the values and mission of Christian higher education. NCAA Division III, often referred to as the “pure sport” division, allows student-athletes to compete for the love of the game rather than financial incentives, reinforcing the ideals of character, discipline, and teamwork without the pressures of scholarship-driven recruiting.
This move should prompt Christian college administrators to rethink their athletic models. Instead of competing in conferences dominated by state-funded institutions, they could form new rivalries with peer institutions that share their academic and faith commitments. A shift toward Division III could save institutions hundreds of thousands of dollars annually while strengthening their academic reputation and enhancing institutional identity.
A Strategic Shift
Harvard strategist Michael Porter argues that effective strategy is about choosing a unique position, making trade-offs, and ensuring that activities fit together to reinforce differentiation. APU’s move to NCAA Division III exemplifies this approach.
- Choosing a Unique Position: Christian colleges have long struggled with the tension between competing in athletics and maintaining their core mission. APU has opted for a strategic position that aligns athletics with the institution’s broader academic and faith commitments rather than mimicking state schools that prioritize high-budget athletic programs.
- Making Trade-offs: Porter emphasizes that strategy is as much about what you don’t do as what you do. By moving away from Division II scholarship athletics, APU is choosing to invest in student experience, academic rigor, and financial sustainability over costly recruitment and athletic scholarships. This deliberate trade-off reduces financial strain and enhances the university’s long-term positioning.
- Ensuring Activity Fit: True strategic differentiation requires alignment across all activities. APU’s move integrates with its identity as a Christ-centered institution, ensuring that athletics reinforce — rather than compete with — its academic mission. This move strengthens institutional branding by aligning APU with academically rigorous Division III schools rather than state-funded competitors with different priorities.
A Model for Other Christian Colleges
We’ve seen this strategy work before. In 1995, George Fox University transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division III under President Ed Stevens. By joining the Northwest Conference — home to respected institutions — George Fox repositioned itself academically and athletically. The year after the move, the university raised its tuition to match its new conference peers and saw an 11% increase in tuition revenue, alongside enrollment growth.
Many Christian colleges that left NAIA for NCAA Division II made an expensive trade-off, spending more on athletics but gaining less prestige. APU’s move to Division III challenges this model. Rather than pouring resources into athletic scholarships and trying to compete in an arms race with state schools, Christian colleges have an opportunity to build something different — something better.
APU is leading the way, and it’s time for other Christian colleges to take notice. This is more than a shift in athletic classification — it’s a call for institutions to rethink their business models, realign their priorities, and ensure their athletic programs serve the broader mission of Christian higher education. The question now is: Who will be next?
–Ryan J. Dougherty is the Principal Partner at TG Three with over 25 years of experience building successful leaders, teams, and strategies. TG Three is a values-driven strategy company dedicated to serving Christian institutions to help get them from where they are to where they want to be.