#10: Eastern Kentucky names Missouri State AD Kyle Moats as the Colonels' next VP/AD. EKU President David McFaddin: "Kyle's impressive track record and extensive experience speak for itself. Securing someone of his caliber for EKU is a significant victory for our athletics program. As college athletics undergoes unprecedented changes, having a seasoned leader like Kyle to guide us through this evolving landscape is critical. We are excited about the future and confident that we will achieve great success under his leadership." (link)
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#9: Virginia opened the new 93K square-foot Molly and Robert Hardie Football Operations Center this week, adjacent to the George Welsh Indoor Practice Facility and the Cavs two practice fields. Lots of photos, check it out. (link)
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#8: Take a peek inside Nebraska’s new weight room via The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman. (link) |
#7: NACDA officially announces Texas as the winner of this year’s Learfield Directors’ Cup. While baseball still needs to finish, there are not enough points remaining for the schools to catch the Longhorns, who have amassed 1,339.50 total points. Texas claimed two national titles – women's volleyball and women's rowing – while also notching three runner-up finishes (women's swimming and diving, softball and men's tennis). Overall, Texas has scored in three of four countable sports (baseball not yet included), along with 15 additional total sports. Overall, one sport was omitted from the final standings, women's cross country. Stanford was this year’s runner up, followed by Tennessee, Florida and UCLA. The SEC is the conference leader. Final points will be tallied following the Men’s College World Series. (link)
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#6: The DI-AAA ADA and FCS ADA have collaborated with The Pictor Group to draft a position paper on the distinguishing factors of both subdivisions’ financial models and operational philosophies. The goal is to create specific actionable strategies to help the subdivisions chart a course forward to play a distinctive role and actualize the important value within Division I athletics. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Nell Gluckman: “Broadly, it seeks to de-professionalize athletics on their campuses, so that sports look more like extracurricular activities and less like jobs. … One piece of the plan is a tool for determining when a coach or athletic department is exerting too much control over athletes. A chart that will be presented to member institutions lists appropriate expectations a coach can impose and inappropriate ones that should be avoided because they verge on something more like an employer-employee relationship.” Another component of the plan involves giving student-athletes more of a voice in governance at the school, conference and NCAA levels. UNC Asheville AD Janet Cone: “The thing that is really driving this model is that student-athlete voice is going to be intimately involved going forward with everything we’re doing.” Kansas City AD Brandon Martin adds: “This is a test of how committed we truly are to the college athletic enterprise. Unfortunately there’s going to be some institutions who won’t be in the game.” The paper was unveiled at the NACDA Convention. (link)
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#5: St. Thomas has released a series of renderings for the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, which is slated to open in 2025-26. Have a look. (link)
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#4: Tulsa names former Texas A&M Executive Deputy AD/COO Justin Moore as its next AD, effective July 8. TU President Brad Carson: "Building upon the foundation that Rick Dickson has laid, Justin Moore is the right person to take The University of Tulsa into the next generation of college sports. Justin is extremely well-respected among his peers. ADs from Ohio State and LSU personally reached out to affirm that he is one of the most talented administrators in college sports today. Perhaps more importantly, faculty from Texas A&M praised Moore for his work with student-athletes. … He’s been in the business world a bit. He was in football operations before moving over to administration, so he’s really seen every aspect of sports that you would want.” (link, link)
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#3: The NCAA has announced the full class of administrators who will participate in the 2024-25 Pathway Program. Check out the list here, which includes senior leaders from the likes of Tulane, Cincinnati, Manhattan, Army West Point, Missouri, The Citadel, Toledo, UNC Wilmington & Fairleigh Dickinson. (link)
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#2: Coastal Carolina officially announces Senior Deputy AD Chance Miller as its next AD. CCU President Michael Benson: "Chance Miller is the right fit and a proven leader with a vision to enhance our championship-caliber athletics program. His 10-plus years of progressive experience at USC and tenure at the NCAA will be invaluable as we build upon the momentum Chanticleer Athletics is experiencing. I am delighted to welcome Chance to Teal Nation." ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the news first. (link, link)
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#1: Northwestern AD Derrick Gragg will be leaving his role to serve as the university’s VP for Athletics Strategy. In his new position, Gragg will focus on NIL and other major initiatives. Gragg will remain in his AD role until his successor is found and will advise President Michael Schill and others on the AD search. The new AD and Gragg will work together in certain areas with both reporting to Schill. Gragg tells ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg: "I wanted to be able to help the university move forward in the new era of college athletics. These departments are going to have to expand some and have to look at expanding differently. I don't know if the traditional athletic director is going to be able to do all of these things. It's a good time for the institution to be on the front end of changes." (link, link)
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