D2.ticker Top Ten - the most clicked stories of the past week |
| |
|
Game One is a one-stop shop for premium intercollegiate athletic uniforms, apparel, footwear, equipment, facility needs, compliance solutions, and more. Its mission is to inspire and elevate the spirit and identity of teams. For more information about Game One's elite sales and service model, please click HERE.
|
|
|
#10: U.S. District Judge Fred Slaughter has issued a preliminary injunction for Concordia Irvine to reinstate Women’s Swimming and Diving and Tennis after discontinuing the Men’s and Women’s sports in May, while the legal proceedings continue. Slaughter writing: “The court has spent significant time considering the appropriate preliminary injunction to issue based on these findings. In particular, the court has struggled with the fact that if plaintiffs win this case, a final judgment would give CUI discretion in how to come into compliance with Title IX, yet in the short term plaintiffs seek reinstatement of particular teams that CUI has already disbanded, which CUI would not necessarily have to reinstate to comply with Title IX, and where reinstatement alone would not cure the alleged Title IX violations. […] The court emphasizes that just because the court now orders CUI to reinstate the swim and dive and tennis teams does not mean that CUI must sponsor these teams in the long term.” (link)
|
#9: Augusta cut the ribbon on its new 4K+ square-foot Alvin and Yvette Harris Sports Performance Center. Strength & Conditioning HC Jacob Topple: “This facility has also become a huge sell point from a recruiting standpoint. When I meet recruits, and coaches bring them through our facility, for the first time you can see parents, and athletes’ eyes light up.” (link)
|
#8: Aspiring DII member Texas A&M-Texarkana has begun the search for its first Football HC as the Eagles are pushing to begin playing on the gridiron in 2027. With a new 8K-seat stadium coming online, Football Scoop’s Zach Barnett adds the program will offer the DII maximum of 36 full scholarship equivalencies. (link)
|
#7: The DII and DIII Management Councils have approved legislation to permit student-athletes and athletics department staff members to bet on professional sports, paving the way for the new rule to take effect on November 1 for all three divisions. The DII Management Council also recommended the approval of the division’s six-year operating plan and long-range budget that will both run through 2031-32. The plan’s five priorities include academics, athletics, health and wellness, governance and operations and positions. The budget’s trio of core focuses are championships, revenue distribution and initiatives. Ahead of January’s NCAA Convention, the group supported a trio of membership proposals, including one to permit retroactive athletics aid during an academic year and opposed a quartet of proposals related to sport schedules and participation. The council also adopted noncontroversial legislation to financial aid changes and to eliminate the June 15 transfer notification deadline. For the 2027 Convention, the council sponsored a proposal to remove the cap of 60 total awards for men’s sports outside of football and basketball. (link)
|
#6: MSU Moorhead promotes Asst. AD for Compliance and Student Services Jason Sobolik to Assoc. AD for Internal Affairs and Compliance. (link) |
#5: The DII Executive Board has elected UT Permian Basin President Sandra Woodley and Walsh President Tim Collins as the board’s next chair and vice chair and approved Cal State San Marcos FAR Ben Cherry and Georgian Court Asst. AD for Compliance & Student Welfare/SWA Kristina Ortiz to serve as the next chair and vice chair of the DII Management Council. All moves are effective after the 2026 NCAA Convention. The board also re-elected five members and approved five new members to serve on the board, as well as six new members to the Management Council. Also of note, the board approved the six-year operating plan and long-range budget. (link)
|
#4: New Mexico Highlands has released its new $85.5M athletics master plan that, if approved, would be almost entirely funded by the state. Highlights include a $28.7M three-phase Football stadium reimagination, $14M for an indoor practice facility, $12.1M for basketball arena renovations, $10.7M for the Stu Clark Center and more. President Neil Woolf on his push with the state legislature, which would be the largest athletic expenditure in state history: “Politicians don’t want wish lists; they want an attack plan for a finished product and an analysis of how much it will cost to get it done. The more prepared you are and the more thought you put into any proposal, the better off you’ll be.” NMHU has the $5.1M in funding for phase one of the Football stadium renovation, which is set to begin this spring and include a new field, track, scoreboard and lights, along with the demolition of the east stands. Ampere Sports Design assisted with the planning and renderings. More from The Santa Fe New Mexican. (link); In a promo video for the push, NMHU states: “These current athletic facilities have negatively defined our department and university for decades. No more, they say! We begin now with a commitment to higher standards, a bolder vision and elevated expectations.” More renderings included. (link)
|
#3: Check out the initial regional rankings for Field Hockey (link), Men’s Soccer (link) and Women’s Soccer (link).
|
#2: Check out the first Football regional rankings. As a reminder, the first rankings are listed in alphabetical order. (link) |
#1: Winston-Salem State AD Etienne Thomas will resign at the end of the calendar year. Chancellor Bonita Brown: “AD Thomas has been a passionate advocate for our student-athletes and a dedicated steward of Ram Athletics. Her leadership has advanced our athletic programs and strengthened WSSU's commitment to excellence on and off the courts and fields. […] WSSU remains deeply committed to supporting our student-athletes, coaches, and loyal Ram fans as we move forward. Work is currently underway for a refreshed strategic plan, as such, the timing of this decision allows us to realign athletics with evolving priorities in enrollment, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement. We are focused on building a future that sustains excellence both in competition and in the holistic development of our student-athletes.” Deputy AD/CFO Eric Burns will serve as Interim AD. (link)
|
|
|
|
