BLD, as usual, you provide a broader perspective of D3 which is so valuable. What happens in the NESCAC might be different than the much larger SUNY schools and those in Wisconsin. What happens at a school like UT Tyler(pretty large) might be very different than what happens at Harden-Simmons(smaller and private) even though they are in the same conference.
Based on our experience over a pretty long time, there can also be variations based on the University president and who is in charge of admissions. The vision of each D3 President and Admissions officer about college athletics makes a major difference on the admissions considerations discussed so well in this thread. A change in President or Admissions officer can send the pendulum swinging a very different way.