College sports are at a crossroads.
On one side, the Power Four conferences (SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12) are rapidly transforming into semi-professional leagues, where NIL money, the transfer portal, and direct revenue-sharing with athletes have created a system that increasingly resembles free agency.
On the other side, the Ivy League and Patriot League have shown that elite academics and athletics can coexist without commercializing the student-athlete experience.
But where does that leave schools like William & Mary, Richmond, and Elon —institutions that refuse to compromise academic integrity yet still seek to compete at a high level?
Right now, one could say they are scattered across conferences that don’t fully align with their values or long-term interests.
While we’re not saying we’re anti-CAA, we are saying a conversation is, at minimum, warranted.
The Scholars League, proposed by the W&M Sports Blog (league name is a work in progress — the WMSB is open to ideas!), would provide a new home for a regional collection of the country’s premier academic-first, athletics programs —one that restores historic rivalries, elevates national recognition, and secures a sustainable future for academically-oriented institutions that refuse to sacrifice excellence in the classroom or on the field.
The Scholars League’s Core Mission: Real Student-Athletes, Not Semi-Pros
College sports are undergoing seismic shifts.
- The House v. NCAA settlement will soon require Power Four schools to pay athletes up to $20 million annually, creating a financial model that is completely unsustainable for high-academic FCS schools (the Ivy League has already opted out of this model).
- NIL and the transfer portal have turned recruiting into a bidding war, forcing programs to prioritize short-term, transactional rosters instead of four-year student-athletes.
- The Power Four are chasing TV money above all else, with mega-conferences built around revenue, not tradition, academics, or student development.
The Scholars League would reject this model entirely.
Instead, it would be built on the Ivy League approach:
✅ Prioritizing academic integrity while maintaining strong athletic competition.
✅ Focusing on four-year student-athletes rather than quick-fix transfers chasing NIL money.
✅ Competing at the highest possible FCS level without selling out to semi-professionalism.
✅ Reinforcing traditional rivalries, not forcing teams into a national travel circus for TV dollars.
We are not trying to be the SEC.
We are not pretending to be a minor league for professional sports.
We are here to develop strong student-athletes — the kind who become leaders, thinkers, and builders after college, like Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott and former US Women’s National Team Head Coach Jill Ellis (both, William & Mary alums).
What is The Scholars League?
The Scholars League would be a 10-member conference designed for academically-minded, mid-sized schools that are committed to true student-athletes, not the pseudo-professionalization happening in the Power Four.
When building this list, schools already in the Patriot League and Ivy league were ruled out; schools were restricted to the same general geographic region (to minimize travel expenses for each institution); schools were chosen for their focus on academics and overall reputation; schools who are already in “bigger conferences” for any sport (especially football and basketball), minus Richmond and Davidson, were excluded; D3 schools that could make a jump to D1 to join this proposed conference were included.
These are the proposed members of The Scholars League:
The Scholars League (10 Schools, 7 FCS Football Members, 3 Non-Football Members)
FCS Football Members
- William & Mary (CAA → Scholars League for Football & All Sports)
- Davidson (Pioneer → Scholars League for Football & All Sports)
- Elon (CAA → Scholars League for Football & All Sports)
- Richmond (Patriot → Scholars League for Football & All Sports)
- VMI (SoCon → Scholars League for Football & All Sports)
- The Citadel (SoCon → Scholars League for Football & All Sports)
- Howard (MEAC → Scholars League for Football & All Sports)
Non-Football Schools
- College of Charleston (CAA → Scholars League for Basketball & All Other Sports Except Football)
- Washington & Lee (D-III Football, D-I in Scholars League for All Other Sports)
- Johns Hopkins (D-III Football, D-I in Scholars League for All Other Sports, Already D-I in Lacrosse)
This conference would align itself with the Ivy League and Patriot League model, allowing its members to compete at a high level without chasing commercialism and professionalization.
A Smarter Approach to Media & Exposure
The Scholars League would take a measured approach to media partnerships, ensuring that games are accessible to a broad audience without restricting viewership. The focus would be on getting games in front of as many fans, alumni, and recruits as possible rather than locking into a deal that limits exposure.
A natural fit would be a widely available digital platform that serious sports fans already have access to, ensuring that games can be easily watched without barriers or excessive costs. This approach would align with the Ivy League’s strategy of maximizing exposure rather than purely chasing media revenue.
With this model, The Scholars League would provide its schools with a sustainable, national platform while staying true to its mission of fostering true student-athletes.
Out-of-Conference Scheduling: Playing Like-Minded Schools
The Scholars League wouldn’t operate in isolation — it would align itself with the Ivy League and Patriot League, ensuring that its members continue to face top-tier academic-athletic competition.
Out-of-conference scheduling would prioritize:
- Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Penn, Columbia, Cornell, Brown)
- Patriot League schools (Lehigh, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Colgate, Bucknell, Georgetown, Fordham)
- Elite D-III programs for non-football schools (Amherst, Williams, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, UChicago, etc.)
- Traditional local rivals from current conferences (to maintain history, rivalry, and tradition)
Imagine a season-opening William & Mary vs. Harvard matchup or an annual Davidson vs. Princeton showdown, while College of Charleston builds a new annual basketball rivalry with Richmond — games that elevate the national profile of these institutions while ensuring they remain true to their values.
Conclusion: The Time to Act is Now
The Power Four has made its decision. It is embracing pay-for-play, free agency through the transfer portal, and a business-first approach to college sports.
The Ivy League has also made its decision. It has remained true to a pure academic-athletic model that values student development over TV dollars.
The Scholars League is the logical next step.
Now the question isn’t “Can this happen?” The question is “Why haven’t we done this yet?”
AI contributed to the enhancement of this article
The William & Mary Sports Blog 
I support the proposed “Scholar League” for all the reasons you suggested in the article, plus one: WM has little in common with the teams in the CAA. In addition, who has ever heard of Monmouth, Stony Brook, and Albany? My guess is not many of the Tribe fans. Also, the CAA now has 14 schools for all sports except football. I suggest adding Furman to the Scholar League for all sports and UNCW might be a good non-football member. While Richmond should be in this new league, I doubt they will leave the Atlantic 10 anytime soon and they just joined the Patriot League for football. Eight teams are required by the NCAA to form a new conference. The time is right for the Tribe to make a change.
The idea of a “Scholars League” is a good plan in theory, but I can’t see most of these colleges agreeing to join.
Davidson and Richmond are in the Atlantic 10 for all sports except football. This is a premier mid major basketball conference that historically gets multiple NCAA tournament bids and has a national tv deal. Plus, Richmond just joined the Patriot League for football.
No offense to Elon, but are they on the same level as William and Mary academically?
VMI and The Citadel have long standing ties to the Southern Conference, and I cannot see them switching conferences. The same goes for Howard, a founding member of the MEAC.
I don’t understand the logic behind adding 2 Division III programs. Washington & Lee is an also ran in basketball in the ODAC conference but has some football conference titles in the last decade plus. Hopkins is a lacrosse powerhouse and competes in the Big Ten. At the Division III level, football is ranked regionally and rarely if ever do teams play outside of a 4 hour drive. You’re essentially asking W&L and Hopkins go independent and hope they can schedule opponents with like minded academics.
W&M got left out in the cold during conference realignment. To be fair, it was not their fault. William and Mary’s academics plus status as a state university make athletics a challenge. The Patriot League is a perfect fit, sans the whole not a private university thing.
One idea that ties into some of this.
Rejoin the Southern Conference.
This would create a natural rivalry with VMI and be more of a geographic fit. Football would be able to schedule non-conference games with Richmond, other Patriot League teams, UVA or VT (for the payday), and Ivy League members.