Guessing the at-large bids is one of the mental exercises that D3 fans can play entering the last month of the season. We usually have the official handbook available by now (The updates to the 2006 handbook have yet to be published) so as to know how many Pool B and Pool C bids will be awarded.

If we assume no change from the 2006 allocations (which may be inaccurate because of the conference shifts involving the Lake Michigan Conference, the North East Athletic Conference, and the North Atlantic Conference), we should have 7 Pool B bids and 14 Pool C bids.

In 2006, these seven Pool B bids were awarded to: Aurora, Cal State East Bay, Chapman, St Scholastica, Ithaca, Salisbury and St Joseph's (Maine). Two more schools from "Pool B" earned an at large bid in Pool C, Emory and Washington (Mo.), both of the UAA. What a difference a year makes.

Aurora, competing in the new Northern Athletics Conference (NAthCon), is having trouble this year. Cal State East Bay is off. York (Pa.) and not Salisbury is the top seed in the Capital Athletic Conference postseason tourney. St Joseph's (Maine) is competing in the North Atlantic Conference, which is expected to earn a Pool A bid in 2007. (Read more in the Daily Dose so you can tell us who your top seven Pool B bids are to date.)