#10: Keystone will eliminate 29 faculty and staff positions as well as a handful of academic programs. These moves combined with other service restructuring are expected to create around $3.5M in savings this year. (link)
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#9: The NPI dials are set for Men’s and Women’s Basketball, per D3 Datacast’s Matt Snyder. Women’s Basketball will have a greater emphasis on strength of schedule over win percentage than Men’s Basketball, with MBB to use different home and road multipliers for conference and non-conference play. Minimum wins for MBB and WBB are set at 12.5 and 15, respectively. (link)
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#8: Cal Lutheran removes the interim tag from AD Howard Davis. VP for Enrollment Management & Student Success Matt Ward: “Howard's gifts as a leader and athletic administrator could not come at a better time for the university. He brings a steady hand, strategic thinking, and contagious enthusiasm to a department that has experienced major changes in leadership over the last few years. He is committed to teamwork and creates a positive culture for students, coaches, and staff by encouraging the heart.” (link)
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#7: WashU Women’s Basketball HC Randi Henderson announces that she is stepping down after seven seasons at the helm to take an AC position at Iowa (DI). (link, link)
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#6: The DIII Championships Committee is recommending a two-year waiver of the Bylaw 31.3.5.1 (b), which requires the 500-mile proximity of institutions to the host site to take precedent over seeding and amendment to that bylaw that would eliminate the geographic proximity provisions in bracketing to prevent conference peers competing in the first round and make seeding a consideration, but not determinative of host institutions. Both recommendations would be effective September 1, with the waiver to cost around $250K annually. As the division explores preliminary championship round streaming, the committee is recommending a $456K annual allocation for $1K per hosting day to offset institutional costs. Further, video streaming will be a minimum facility requirement for hosts and institutions have the ability to purchase the streaming rights for games, with the cost to nearly exceed the recommended stipend. On NPI implementation, “The committee also discussed nuances the membership may experience moving forward with the NPI system, specifically that education will need to include pairing and preliminary-round host site selection details as an institution’s NPI rank does not automatically indicate it has earned the right to host.” On specific conference requests, UT Dallas will continue to be counted as a DIII opponent for the ASC, as it applies to in-region requirements and selection criteria, provided they are not accepted into the new expedited membership process, and the LEC’s waiver for its Women’s Ice Hockey AQ bid has been denied. Full report. (link)
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#5: Shenandoah selects Asst. VP for Advancement and former SU Asst. AD for Student Success, Inclusion and Equity DeShon Foxx as its next AD, effective July 29. President Tracy Fitzsimmons: “DeShon quickly rose to the top during our internal candidate selection process. His experience, leadership, and passion for student-athletes are impressive and inspiring. He brings a broad perspective from his professional athletic journey and his past coaching role, fundraising and relationship building experience, and his pursuit of higher learning. I am grateful to Dr. Wigley for his voice and guidance in the search process.” (link)
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#4: Marietta President-elect and Colby-Sawyer President Susan Stuebner will not be joining Marietta due to personal circumstances. MC President Margaret Drugovich will lead the college through 2024. (link)
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#3: Averett VP/AD Meg Stevens will step down next month to take a senior position with a private equity-backed sports and entertainment platform. President Tiffany Franks: “Eleven years ago, when I hired Meg, I believed that she would provide the personal leadership, the professional expertise, and the strong modeling and mentorship that all of our student-athletes and athletics staff would benefit from. She has far exceeded my hopes and expectations in every area, spreading her motivation and guidance across all of Averett's campuses.” Deputy AD Danny Miller will step in as Interim AD. (link)
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#2: Eastern Nazarene announces it will begin the process of closing, with D3sports noting the institution will close by the end of the 2024 calendar year. From ENC: “Like all small, private, liberal arts colleges, Eastern Nazarene has faced significant financial headwinds in recent years. During that time, the Board and multiple presidents have pursued numerous alternatives to closure. While these efforts produced fruit that enabled ENC to continue operating until now, the underlying challenges have intensified. It has become clear that transitioning to a new educational enterprise is the only viable path for continuing ENC’s mission of providing transformational education.” President Colleen Derr: “While the outcome of this process is known, the process to get there remains fluid. We are committed to communicating with our stakeholders in a timely and transparent way to ensure those most affected by this transition have the information and support they need.” ENC has arranged teach-out agreements with Gordon, Mount Vernon Nazarene (NAIA) and Trevecca Nazarene (DII). (link, link)
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#1: Knox AD Corey Goff will depart after one year leading the Prairie Fire to become the AD at Thomas Jefferson (DII). (link) |
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