#10: Lynchburg promotes Field Hockey Assoc. HC Jenni Releford to HC. (link) |
#9: United East Commissioner Stephanie Dutton sits down with All Things Division III Soccer’s Paul Oliu to discuss the league’s merger, the future of DIII and more. As the league works through year one of its new structure, Dutton believes the league can lay the groundwork for others: “I do think internally our folks really truly felt … I think this as well personally as commissioner, that we made a decision that was a little bit ahead of the curve. I think if we can successfully execute it and then consider what changes do we need to pursue at the NCAA level, what things do we need to think about in the future as a conference, that we can be an example for others who may decide that this is something that they need to consider in the future.” On the potential for added revenue generation opportunities: “I think there is definitely more exploration in that space. I really hope that in the near future as a conference we can really start leveraging the fact that we are the largest Division III conference. Right now we do have a really great footprint as far as an impact, from a geography standpoint stretching Northern Pennsylvania to Southern Maryland with a whole lot of different rural and urban areas between there, that mix of public and private … we are very much a kaleidoscope when it comes to Division III. If you want to see what Division III looks like, take a look at the United East. … So finding ways to leverage that, if we can start bringing in some consistent revenue as a conference is certainly something that would be a boon for us.” More. (link)
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#8: As part of Mississippi University of Women’s name change to Mississippi Brightwell, the athletics branding will remain unchanged. (link) |
#7: Colorado College teams up with Goat Patch Brewery to rebrand the brewer’s blonde ale as CC beer. (link) |
#6: Norwich and President Mark Anarumo have parted ways after three-plus years. (link) |
#5: Greensboro AD Kim Strable will retire at the end of the academic year. President Lawrence Czarda: "Leadership has been a significant strength throughout Kim's 24 years serving this institution. Among other notable achievements, Kim launched and sustained our Athletics Hall of Fame, served two stints as President of the conference, was a head coach of Men's Tennis for 6 years and named 'Coach of the Year' in his third season, and hired many exceptional coaches through the years. His induction into our William Smith Ariail Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010 speaks loudly of his legacy and how much he has meant to Greensboro College. Kim is the architect and builder of what Greensboro College Athletics is today." Chapel Hill Solutions will assist with the search for Strable's successor. (link)
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#4: An analysis from the Urban Institute examined the enrollment impact of adding sports or investing in full-time coaches one, two, three and five years afterwards at 325 DIII schools between 2004 and 2020. The analysis found that of the 201 institutions that made such an investment 91 increased enrollment while 110 did not grow enrollment. The institute’s analysis found that “by comparing the shares of schools that invested or did not invest in athletics: adding sports or full-time head coaches has little relationship with changes in enrollment.” In conclusion: “Most likely, any effects on enrollment are diminished because schools are trying multiple approaches beyond investing in their athletic programs, such as lowering tuition, increasing student aid, or adding new academic programs. Ultimately, these findings indicate that investing in athletics is not a silver bullet for small, private colleges looking to boost enrollment, though it’s clear that athletes and athletics are important to the survival of many Division III schools.” (link)
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#3: The NCAA has released a historical membership dashboard that includes high-level details and summary information on every NCAA member school and conference. Displayed as a map, the dashboard allows users to view historical membership data by year, division, school, region, conference and state going back to 1906. Some nuggets from the dashboard: The NCAA started with 39 charter members in 1906 and reached 80 schools by 1912. In 1921, the NCAA surpassed the 100-member mark, and the first historically Black college and university conference joined. The 1920s saw positive gains in membership, followed by a decline in the early years of the Great Depression. And in 2002, the NCAA surpassed the 1,000-member threshold, a figure that remained consistent over the next 15 years. (link)
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#2: Q-Cast’s Bob Quillman was the first to report John Carroll is expected to exit the OAC for the NCAC, effective 2025-26. No official announcement has been made. Hoopsville’s Dave McHugh adds context: “From an outside perspective, this move makes a lot of sense for #d3fb. For other sports, it has been seen differently depending on who I spoke with about the possible move. I’m told that since Allegheny left the NCAC, presidents have been looking to add members. […] In this time of financial challenges for lot of institutions, concern conferences could suddenly constrict COULD be a worry for school presidents.” (link, link, link)
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#1: Mount Holyoke hires Goucher Senior Assoc. AD/SWA Andrea Ricketts-Preston as its next AD, starting February 1. VP of Student Life/Dean of Students Marcella Runell: "After conducting a national search with an incredible search committee and working with multiple stakeholders across campus, we are confident that Andrea will be a stellar leader for athletics and physical education." (link)
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