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NCAA President Charlie Baker on the potential of granting eligibility to men’s basketball student-athletes who’ve previously signed NBA contracts, remarks: “The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract). As schools are increasingly recruiting individuals with international league experience, the NCAA is exercising discretion in applying the actual and necessary expenses bylaw to ensure that prospective student-athletes with experience in American basketball leagues are not at a disadvantage compared to their international counterparts. Rules have long permitted schools to enroll and play individuals with no prior collegiate experience midyear. While the NCAA has prevailed on the vast majority of eligibility-related lawsuits, recent outlier decisions enjoining the NCAA on a nationwide basis from enforcing rules that have been on the books for decades -- without even having a trial -- are wildly destabilizing. I will be working with DI leaders in the weeks ahead to protect college basketball from these misguided attempts to destroy this American institution.” (link)
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The Division I Cabinet is set to discuss allowing sponsored jersey patches in competition during the 2026 NCAA Convention over Jan. 13-16, per SBJ’s Ben Portnoy, who notes the talks don’t necessarily mean a vote on the topic will be held as one is not currently scheduled as part of the event’s agenda. The upcoming talks represent a “next step” in the “months-long process to open a lucrative sponsorship asset amid increased financial pressures throughout the ecosystem. … The shift in rules around jersey patches has also included varying conversations between NCAA stakeholders, conference commissioners and, of note, apparel companies.” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips: “You’ve got to understand the perspective of the shoe and apparel dealers that our schools rely on, and that are integrated deeply into every campus across the country. You’d be well-served to at least listen to their perspective on jersey patches.” Portnoy: “The actual value of jersey patches remains to be seen, but administrators and industry sources expect it could fetch millions annually for schools depending on how they package the asset for individual teams or department-wide.” (link)
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In his latest fan missive, Murray State AD Nico Yantko notes the department has now officially closed out the first iteration of its three-year strategic plan, THE RACE IS ON, that served as a road map in navigating the transition into the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference. He also announces MSU’s next three-year strategic plan is on tap, titled RACING TOWARDS EXCELLENCE, which is slated to help guide the Racers into a new era of intercollegiate athletics. Additionally, Yantko highlights record-breaking revenue numbers with $37M raised by athletics over the last two years, 13 seven-figure gifts over that stretch and 250% sponsorship growth since 2022. More. (link)
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The Athletic’s Sam Khan, Jr. chats with former NFL Pro Personnel Director/current Nebraska GM Pat Stewart to discuss how college football roster building compares to the NFL. Stewart: “The head coach is the face of the program in college football. A lot of times in the NFL, it’s going to be a couple of players plus the head coach. And none of this works if there’s not a collaborative effort of everybody to see things the same way instead of ‘my guy versus your guy.’ … Personnel is all about opportunity and belief. It’s the opportunity the player gets and the belief the coach has in that player that makes them good.” Stewart adds that there were two big learning curves coming from the New England Patriots: recruiting and infrastructure. On recruiting: “To build a team, you don’t just collect talent, but at the same time you do need some difference-makers. In college football, you pay the premium for a running back that in the NFL maybe you wouldn’t. There’s a little different positional value.” More. (link)
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Tulsa Football details plans for a new “Portal House” series granting an all-access look behind the scenes at what navigating the transfer portal looks like for a G6 program. Per FootballScoop’s Doug Samuels, the program will offer a birds-eye view of how its staff navigates the portal, while providing insight into player evaluations, arranging visits and signing the portal class. The Golden Hurricane’s series is slated to run the full length of the open portal window from Jan. 2-16. Tulsa HC Tre Lamb offers some additional details on X, noting the portal house will serve as “home base for 14 days straight. 45-50 visits in 14 days. Coaches need somewhere to host/sleep. School is closed until Jan 21. An entertainment spot to host right by campus without having recruiting hosts. … Barstool/Hard Knocks documentary of how the portal works to energize the fanbase ‘live from’ the portal house daily/weekly. Former players and donors will come meet the transfers at the house.” (link)
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Arkansas is reportedly set to ink a deal with TheLinkU “centered on helping the school drive above the cap NIL dollars,” per SBJ’s Ben Portnoy. (link)
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People & Places…
➤ New Mexico taps Deputy AD/COO Ryan Berryman as its Interim AD. (link)
➤ Florida A&M Assoc. AD for Operations Marquel Broussard has left the athletic department, per CollegeAD. (link)
➤ Iowa State hires Washington State Football GM Ricky Ciccone for the same role with the Cyclones. (link)
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ESPN’s family of networks highlights their combined success from this year’s NCAA Women’s Volleyball season, noting the trio of ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 teamed up on a record 33 match broadcasts. Those resulted in the most-watched women’s volleyball regular-season ever, drawing an average of 190K viewers while finishing up 36% YoY with gains among women (+41%) and viewers ages 18-34 (+59%). Analyzing NCAA Tournament numbers, the 2025 version of the sport’s highest-profile event was the most-consumed ever with more than 1.3B minutes watched across platforms. The entirety of the tourney finished up 13% YoY and averaged 666K viewers over 15 contests with four matches reaching an average of at least 1M viewers. ESPN+ engagement increased 33% over 2024 during the First and Second Rounds, while “The Fifth Set” whip-around coverage was up 60% YoY, averaging 183K viewers across its ESPN2 telecasts. The Regional round averaged a record 530K viewers, up 32% YoY, and featured four of the six most-watched Regional matches ever with huge demo growth among viewers 25-34 (+147%), viewers under 17 (+89%) and women (+39%). The NCAA semifinals averaged 1.1M viewers and the title match-up between Texas A&M and Kentucky drew 1.4M viewers. More. (link)
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Michigan State was the most-watched men’s college basketball team through Dec. 22, according to Nielsen TV ratings data, highlighted by the Spartans’ Nov. 27 win over North Carolina that averaged 6.499M viewers on FOX to rate as the network’s most-watched college basketball game on record. Arkansas ranked second, followed by Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville, Indiana, UConn and Purdue to round out the top 10. More. (link)
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Sports will account for 96 of the 100 most-watched shows of 2025, per SBJ’s Austin Karp, who notes that number ties a record from 2023 and marks an increase from 87 during the Olympic and election year of 2024. Overall, football dominates the list with 92 of the top 100 telecasts, while an estimated 84 of those will come from the NFL, falling well short of the league record of 93 from 2023. The expanded College Football Playoff is likely to secure a sport-record eight slots in the top 100, a figure that is expected to include the New Year’s Eve quarterfinal match-up between Miami (FL) and Ohio State. Major League Baseball put two World Series tilts in the top 100, courtesy of Games 6 and 7 between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, while the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game and Kentucky Derby accounted for the only additional sports outliers this year. The projected list is for the calendar year 2025, not the Nielsen calendar, which concluded this past Sunday. Excluded were programs less than 30 minutes and pre-game shows. More. (link)
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The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman asked the NCAA whether players with NBA experience were eligible to play in college and received the following response: "Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro and professional experience than ever before and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making. At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges." (link)
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Boise State AD Jeramiah Dickey joined Bronco Studios Live to elaborate on his viral 12-point plan to fix college football, calling for an FBS commissioner, collective bargaining, and potentially separating FBS football from the NCAA to "stop the bleeding" of litigation. "We realize that football is different and it can be monetized differently. We know here if we're being honest, football pays for everything that we do. So let's create a path for football with unity. … The NCAA has taken the brunt of a lot of litigation. I understand there's risk, but the lawsuits are going to continue to happen because we're living in insanity. So creating an infrastructure that works for everyone, and having one leader and eliminating the NCAA in how it's currently set up, seems like a reasonable path." Dickey on a promotion/relegation model: "I think promotion, relegation gives everyone a seat at the table. It forces and reinforces investment into our programs. ... Could I live with that? They tell us, all right, we're going to take the top 50, and then the next is going to have this opportunity. And based on your level of investment, based on your level of success, you're going to have the opportunity, it's going to force the top to continue to do the same. To me, that drives the competitiveness of our industry. ... Why not create something that benefits all? Give us an opportunity to at least have a path to also be a part of that." (link)
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Colorado Chancellor Justin Schwartz on the hire of new AD Fernando Lovo: "Fernando is a dynamic leader who is perfect for these dynamic times and embodies CU's high standards and values. He has a proven track record of leading student-athletes to success both in competition and in the classroom, and I'm confident that he is the perfect steward to lead CU Athletics into this new era of college athletics." Schwartz tells BuffZone’s Brian Howell there were initially 35-40 candidates for the job and that list was narrowed to six before CU eventually hired Lovo. "He beat some heavyweights for the job.” Lovo on working with outgoing Buffs AD Rick George for the remainder of the academic year: “Not only do I like it, I love it. Rick is one of the titans of the industry and I’m excited to work with him in this transition.” (link, link)
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The Athletic’s Justin Williams is the latest to examine Texas Tech’s rise to Big 12 champion and the No. 4 College Football Playoff seed, driven by a massive influx of resources from the Permian Basin led by TTU Board of Regents Chair Chair Cody Campbell. The Red Raiders reportedly poured $25M into the football roster this season—including $7M specifically on the defensive line—and plan to distribute $55M to athletes across all sports for the 2025-26 academic year through a mix of NIL and revenue sharing. Football HC Joey McGuire’s staff utilized advanced analytics and a "character-first" vetting process to land a top-tier transfer class, with Campbell noting: "Whatever it costs, we’ll cover it. So the money was there. ... The obvious concern was, if you bring in a bunch of transfers, it’s just a bunch of mercenaries who are there for the money. That won’t work. You need people who have talent, but who are also unselfish and willing to play for their teammates. We really vetted the character of the individuals we brought in.” Campbell also notes: “We’re not done. This is a long-term process. We’ve set it up to have the resources. The strategy has evolved, but fundamentally, it remains the same. Hopefully, this will be the era of Texas Tech in the Big 12." (link)
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The Ohio Valley Conference has tapped WittKieffer to assist with its search for a new commissioner, according to CollegeAD, which reports the search will be led by former multi-stop AD Jeff Compher. (link) For those interested in pursuing the position, it is posted on the No. 1 jobs board in the industry, CollegeSports.jobs. (link)
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Hero Sports’ KC Smurthwaite addresses growing speculation about North Dakota State moving to the FBS, noting that while the Bison undoubtedly possess an "elite football program" and donor base capable of competing at the next level, a move is not "actively coming together right now." Smurthwaite explains there is a split on campus, with one faction "fully engaged and exploring the idea" while another remains hesitant. Meanwhile, a significant financial gap persists – namely, NDSU reported roughly $30M in total athletic revenue for 2024, well below the $44.2M figure reported by San José State, the lowest revenue generator in the Mountain West. Smurthwaite suggests that given these hurdles, a "football-only move makes the most sense if it happens."(link)
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Connecticut Men’s Basketball HC Dan Hurley thought the news of Baylor signing former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji “was actually a joke,” telling CBS’ Matt Norlander: “I just assumed that when you stay in the draft or you get drafted that you would forgo your college eligibility. I was not aware of the loopholes in it.” While Hurley acknowledges that coaches "are gonna find ways to make their team the best they can be" in the NIL/portal era, he argues for centralized leadership to protect the sport: “Who's looking out for the shield, the college basketball (shield)? Who's protecting college basketball, one of the most special things we have in sports. ... It's a frustrating game to play when you don't know the rules and rules are being made up as you go and there's no communication and there's no leadership. So, I think college basketball needs a commissioner. A [Roger] Goodell. A David Stern. Somebody that's gonna make decisions and start making moves that are in the best interest of college basketball.” (link)
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College.town breaks down the football head coaching hires from 2024 and (thus far in) 2025 and notes that 53 roles were filled in 2025, up from 52 in 2024. Internal promotions accounted for 10 jobs (18.87%), which is up from 9.62% (5) in 2024. Hires included 12 minority candidates (22.64%), down from 28.85% (15) in 2024, and 41 white males (77.36%), up from 71.15% (37) in 2024. Regarding the hiring category, 27 hires were a head coach at a different institution (50.94%), similar to 50.00% (26) in 2024, and 26 were not head coaches upon hire (49.06%), also similar to 50.00% (26) in 2024. Finally, three hires were of the interim coach (5.66%), which is similar to 5.77% (3) in 2024.
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More Coaches Corner…
➤ Nevada taps Cal Poly AHC Jason Borchin for its Volleyball HC post. (link)
➤ Indiana State has named former Colorado State Volleyball AC Ted Kopacz as HC. (link)
➤ UCLA Water Polo HC Adam Wright will step away from the program's day-to-day operations for the 2026 season to address some health issues. Men's and Women's AHC Jason Falitz and Men's AC Matt Kubeck have been named Interim Co-HCs. (link)
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We offer our deepest sympathies to the Portland community following the passing of former longtime AD Joe Etzel. (link)
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Sportico’s Daniel Libit unpacks the details of UCLA’s five-year ticketing partnership with Elevate, which includes a $4M upfront signing bonus and grants the firm a 5% commission on net ticket revenue, provided sales exceed $100M over the term. The agreement, finalized in September after being announced in May 2024, effectively sets a breakeven point at $80M in sales through the 2029-30 academic year, and if the $100M threshold isn't met, the deal automatically extends by a year with a reduced 3% commission. Libit also reports the deal stipulates UCLA covers all staffing and marketing costs while barring the university from increasing donor contributions tied to season tickets without Elevate's approval. Also from Libit: “In 2023-24, UCLA generated $16.4M in ticket revenue, according to its financial disclosures to the NCAA, down from $20.2M the year before. UCLA would have to at least hit that figure for Elevate to be able to recoup its investment.” (link)
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The Wisconsin State Journal's Todd Milewski reports that Wisconsin football attendance plummeted to historic lows in 2025 as the Badgers finished 4-8, marking their first consecutive losing seasons since 1991-92. The average scanned ticket count dropped 20% YoY to 49,063—the lowest figure since tracking began in 2006—with a record 27% no-show rate for distributed tickets. The Nov. 8 game against Washington set an all-time low with just 40,582 scans, and for the first time in the scanner era, no single game reached 60,000 actual attendees. Milewski adds: “The decline in foot traffic also hit ancillary revenue, driving a 21% drop in alcohol unit sales compared to 2024. Student ticket scans also fell to their lowest average on record, 10,031 on 12,759 distributed. The previous bottom spot on the list was 10,620 in 2006. … General public season ticket sales fell 10% between 2024 and 2025. Wisconsin kept the season ticket price at $399 but raised some of the minimum contributions required to buy in most sections.” (link)
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Puck's Julia Alexander forecasts major sports media storylines for 2026 and predicts that Amazon will secure a significant NFL package to complement Thursday Night Football. “Obviously, Amazon has more dry powder than virtually all of its media rivals, outside of YouTube. … If Amazon can prove they’re a reliable partner for global growth, then they may be a safer bet for the NFL right now. Arguably, from the global angle, YouTube would be the best partner: There are localized versions of YouTube in over 100 countries, and across 80 languages, per the company. But its $2B annual deal for Sunday Ticket means it doesn't need to bid on another expensive NFL package. Amazon is the next best option—it’s the second-largest global streamer behind Netflix, and has a loyal sports audience in international markets, a powerful ad marketplace, and the funds to commit upfront.” (link)
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Learning Specialist (The George Washington University / Washington, DC): More details HERE.
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Assistant Director/Coordinator of Business Operations & Payables (University of Arkansas / Fayetteville, AR): More details HERE.
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Director of Creative Services (University of Central Arkansas / Conway, AR): More details HERE.
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Sr. Associate/Executive Sr. Associate AD/Leadership and Culture Development (University of North Texas / Denton, TX): More details HERE.
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