Final D-III transfer joins Big Ten roster, completing conference-wide shift

Every Big Ten roster now includes at least one athlete who transferred from a Division III school, a threshold reached after McKena Ramos joined the UW-Madison track and cross-country teams. Ramos, a senior from Sheboygan, finished his final season at UW-Oshkosh as a five-time All-American and two-time national champion in a single year.

Ramos had privately set a condition for himself heading into the indoor national meet: winning a title as a freshman would be reason enough to consider moving up to Division I. He won the indoor 800-meter title and the outdoor 1500-meter title, then committed to Madison. His coach at Oshkosh, Eamon McKenna, said the staff viewed Ramos as a high potential recruit who flew 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.

Ramos noted that the competition level at Madison is higher, with opponents generally matching or exceeding his own ability. He cited the travel and the opportunity to compete on the national stage as key draws. The Badgers also added two football players who made similar moves from D-III to the Big Ten. Ricky Finco, a junior wide receiver who primarily plays on the scout team, transferred from UW-Whitewater. Ryan Ramczyk, an offensive lineman, moved from UW-Stevens Point and posted an All-American season in Madison that improved his NFL Draft standing.

The transition is not universally successful. Emma Paulson left UW-Madison’s swim team after her freshman season, concluding that the intensity of Division I competition did not fit her style. She transferred to the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Paulson finished her career at St. Thomas with three individual national championships and nine individual All-American honors. She said her times remained competitive with Division I standards, but the culture aligned better with D-III. “Swimming DI, it kind of takes over your life in a sense, but DIII [is] just a part of your life,” Paulson said.

Facilities and academic support differ between the divisions. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, and their programs are generally smaller in scale. Ramos said the running workouts are similar, but Madison provides resources like ice baths and dedicated tutoring at the Fetzer Center that Oshkosh lacked. He credited these supports for his academic success. Paulson noted that St. Thomas holds athletes to the same standards as non-athletes, with no designated academic services.

Both athletes said they would make the same choice again. Ramos said competing for Madison had been his dream since middle school. McKenna advised athletes to consider whether 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.