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Coming out of the DII Think Tank, the group and the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee laid out a list of top priorities for the sustainability of the division. The 11 top priorities (those with more than 50% of the group’s support) include, in order: reviewing and enhancing finances for championships, increased mental health resources, modernizing the Life in the Balance mantra, updated bracketing models, increasing attendance, reimagining the DII Festival, reviewing the division titles, offering an officiating certificate, considering expanding the neutrality policy, athletic trainer grants and scholarships and utilizing AI. On bracketing, the think tank is recommending to “use a metric-based method (NPI/KPI) for selections. Consider revised bracketing model for selections. Confirm that the championships regionalization philosophy is met at the time of selections.” Other notable priorities include an expedited membership process, a new Football model, student-athlete education modules and more. This report and future survey results will be used to finalize the 2026-2032 DII Operating Plan. (link)

GSC Commissioner Matt Wilson on the DII Think Tank: “I get a little tired of hearing words like 'unprecedented' and 'transformative' used to describe the current intercollegiate athletics landscape, but they are so accurate. The issues we discussed and topics we considered are items that we may not have considered in any meaningful way just five years ago. However, now, the Division must be clear in its mission and priorities. In my opinion, those are championships and membership. […] It is a really tough time in higher education right now. Enrollment and advancement dollars are both declining in certain segments of institutions as state flagship institutions and larger regional public institutions gain students and funding. We must wrestle with how DII can support each institution to reach their individual aspirations for athletics while at the same time providing worthwhile competitive and education opportunities to our students.” (link)

Peach Belt Commissioner Dave Brunk chats with The Union-Recorder’s Matthew Brown about the state of the industry and the association, on which he says: “I definitely say (the NCAA) is needed. There needs to be some tweaking. Charlie Baker, the new NCAA president, has done a great job. He was really behind the 8 ball when he first came on board. He’s very proactive. He knows how to deal with both sides of the issue. Quite frankly … we missed the boat by not being proactive when NIL and the portal were first being talked about. If we could have put something in before California and Florida and Texas and some of those states put in their regulations, if we could have towards the end of President Emmert’s tenure, I think we’d be in a better position now. But I think Charlie Baker is the one that is going to lead us out of the myriad of issues. His contacts on Capital Hill, being a former governor of Massachusetts, is going to help.” On changes around the National Letter of Intent, as a member of the NLI Appeals Committee: “Something needs to be done about that. […] The question is how can you keep student-athletes committed to a school. There would have to be some language added to the basic financial aid agreement at the particular institution to provide some failsafe for the school that’s bringing them in.” More. (link)

@1QLeadership Question: Are corporate partnerships always about advertising exposure?

Jazmin Elliott, Director of Corporate Sponsorships and Marketing at Norfolk State athletics, discusses her thought process when looking for companies to partner with the department. She finds areas of alignment between the company and the university, that go beyond just advertising exposure.

• national brands don't need Norfolk State for exposure

• impactful relationships between a company and student-athletes are always top of mind

• "In business and personal relationships, when you make their ROI just as important as your ROI, people will try their best to help you succeed."

Elliott gives an example of a synergistic relationship with a corporate partner where both parties value a lot more than just the transaction of money. Her overarching philosophy is that people should always be a part of the formula for maximizing return on investment. 🎧 on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Sportico’s Michael McCann notes the NCAA’s role is likely to diminish regardless of what happens with the House settlement, citing numerous state laws which prohibit the association from punishing schools over NIL-related matters. McCann points out that the “NCAA could challenge those states in court by asserting their laws unlawfully interfere with two provisions in Article I of the U.S. Constitution: the Commerce Clause (Section 8) and the Contract Clause (Section 10). … That legal playbook worked for the NCAA when it took on the state of Nevada in the wake of the UNLV/Jerry Tarkanian scandal. But that was a more confident era for the NCAA and amateurism. The NCAA of the 2020s is a more scrutinized entity whose long-standing legal arguments have been rebuked in court.” McCann goes on to observe: “The fact that the antitrust settlement, even if approved, wouldn’t insulate the NCAA from other amateurism challenges also reveals its limited importance. Athletes outside the classes retain their rights to raise antitrust claims. The settlement could also be challenged on Title IX and other grounds. Further, college athletes continue to make progress toward recognition as employees who can unionize and demand collective bargaining. … ‘Amateurism’ and ‘student-athlete’ may or may not survive as meaningful terms in a post-settlement world. But labels won’t matter when reality tells a different story. If college sports looks like pro sports, if it sounds like pro sports and is paid like pro sports, then it just may be pro sports.” (link)

Ferrum (DIII) AD Cleive Adams sat down with D3.ticker’s Kristen Eargle about the Panthers’ plan to move to DII, institutional alignment and lots more. Adams give President Mirta Martin the credit for leading the charge to transition to Conference Carolinas adding: “To have a president who is 100% on board, an executive leadership team who is 100% on board, the Board of Trustees who is 100% on board that just puts us in a place to move forward understanding our challenges but understanding that once we get on the other side of this we’re going to be better for it as an institution and an athletic department.” On the impact a move to DII will have, Adams states: “When we looked at the big picture about making this move, we wanted to breathe life into the athletic programs and the institution and I think it's doing that and we have some great momentum going right now. […] Over the years, we have lost a foothold in the state of Virginia from a recruitment standpoint. […] We have, in the last five or six years, pushed south into North Carolina and South Carolina to chase and mine those areas to find talent and now as a Division II institution and athletic department, there's excitement around Ferrum again. We're going to really push our home state. When you push your home state for athletes and you’re attracting athletes, you're going to attract an athlete's friend and a friend of a friend so for us it's huge that we focus on the Commonwealth of Virginia and become significant in our home state.” Check out the full conversation on BOSCA. (link)

Quick Hits:

+ Saint Michael’s raised over $295K from 1,874 donors during its Purple Knight Challenge. (link)

+ The MIAA teams up with TicketSmarter to serve as its official ticket resale marketplace. (link)

Coaches.wire:

+ Lake Superior State selects PGA Associate Caleb Cavendish as its new Men’s and Women’s Golf HC. (link); LSSU also names high school Track & Field HC Matt Stith as Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field HC. (link)

+ Minnesota Crookston hires prep hockey coach Brady Heppner as Women’s Golf HC/club hockey AC. (link)

+ Charleston Men’s and Women’s Tennis HC Alec Foote inks a contract extension. No further details have been disclosed. (link)

+ Nova Southeastern promotes Rowing AC Nicholas Iliadis to Interim HC. (link)

+ This morning’s edition of Coaches.wire is available, for those wanting to check out the latest moves in the coaching ranks. (link)

More from U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on the SAFE Bet Act he recently co-sponsored: "The blunt, simple truth is, this industry targets losers. It does it methodically and scientifically, using algorithms to track who's betting, what they're betting on, whether they're winning or losing, what kind of promotions, credits, ads, bonuses to drive at them and make them more likely to lose." The bill would prohibit the use of AI to track users' gambling preferences, ban prop bets on college and amateur sports and create a national self-exclusion list, through which bettors with gambling addictions could voluntarily bar themselves placing wagers. Blumenthal: "It's fine to gamble, but the industry should be barred from exploiting and abusing people." (link)

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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)

(NEW!) Head Field Hockey Coach (Barton College / Wilson, NC): Barton College is seeking a Head Field Hockey Coach to launch our inaugural program and oversee all aspects of it. More details HERE.

Team Lead of Transfer Eligibility (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) / Kansas City, KS): The transfer team lead will manage eligibility for students with breaks and transfers in the NAIA, overseeing team workload and maintaining resources, procedures, and training materials. More details HERE.

Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations (Pepperdine University / Malibu, CA): The role will report directly to the director of athletics, and will lead and execute the brand, marketing and revenue generation strategies for Pepperdine Athletics, using a data driven approach. (DI) More details HERE.

Assistant AD, Bronco Productions & Digital Strategy (Western Michigan University / Kalamazoo, MI): Responsible for all creative video projects and production efforts for the athletic department. (DI) More details HERE.

Head Softball Coach (DePauw University / Greencastle, IN): Recruit, coach, mentor and graduate outstanding student-athletes in an environment that supports nationally competitive athletics opportunities at the #1 liberal arts college in Indiana. (DIII) More details HERE.

Assistant/Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance and Academics (Dallas Baptist University / Dallas, TX): DBU is seeking an Asst/Assoc AD for Compliance and Academics to assist the Director of Athletics in planning, supervision and conduct of all NCAA and club sport athletic programs. (DI) More details HERE.

Vice President and Director of Athletics (Villanova University / Villanova, PA): Villanova seeks a bold, collaborative and innovative leader to work with colleagues and across campus to provide strategic leadership to ensure the continued elevation of the Athletics Department. (DI) More details HERE.

Executive Director of the Bulldog Foundation/Assistant/Associate Athletics Director (Fresno State / Fresno, CA): Reporting to the Senior Associate AD for Development, this position oversees the Bulldog Foundation's annual giving program and staff, including solicitation, retention, and stewardship strategies. (DI) More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Wrestling (Emmanuel University (Georgia) / Franklin Springs, GA): Are you Lion material?? Emmanuel University, located in NE Georgia, has an immediate opening for a full-time Assistant Director of Wrestling to assist with both men’s and women’s wrestling programs. More details HERE.

Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach (Michigan Technological University / Houghton, MI): Oversee the direction of the Men’s and Women’s Varsity Tennis programs at the NCAA Division II level. More details HERE.

Assistant/Associate/Senior Associate Athletic Director for Championship Resources (University of North Alabama / Florence, AL): Position is responsible for the fundraising activities for the division of Athletics, with primary emphasis on increasing philanthropic engagement on behalf of the division. (DI) More details HERE.

Director of Intercollegiate Athletics (University of Illinois at Chicago / Chicago, IL): Reporting to the University Chancellor, the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics will be part of an outstanding leadership team for the University focused on broad, far-reaching impact. (DI) More details HERE. The D1.dossier for this position is available HERE.

Assistant Athletic Trainer (The College of New Jersey / Ewing, NJ): Responsibilities of the Assistant Athletic Trainer include assisting in providing athletic training services to varsity intercollegiate athletes. (DIII) More details HERE.

Assistant Coach, Men's & Women's Swimming (Gannon University / Erie, PA): The assistant coach will assist in coaching, managing, and directing all aspects of a competitive, NCAA Division II, intercollegiate swimming program. More details HERE.

Assistant Women's Tennis Coach (University of South Carolina / Columbia, SC): Assistant coach will support the women’s tennis program at the University of South Carolina by assisting with coaching, recruiting, and providing essential logistical support. (DI) More details HERE.

Vice President for Athletics (Hanover College / Hanover, IN): The vice president for athletics at Hanover College oversees all aspects of Hanover’s NCAA Division III athletic program. (DIII) More details HERE.

Associate Athletic Director of External Relations (Lewis University / Romeoville, IL): The Associate Athletic Director for External Operations position will collaborate with internal and external constituents for strategic planning of the athletic department and university. More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Athletic Development and External Affairs (Texas A&M International University / Laredo, TX): Assists Development Officers and Institutional Advancement in securing philanthropic support for athletics. More details HERE.

Athletic Trainer (Texas A&M International University / Laredo, TX): The Athletic Trainer prevents, cares and treats injuries to athletes using necessary knowledge of injury patterns and modern principles of athletic training. More details HERE.

Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach (Grand Valley State University / Allendale, MI): Position serves as the leader of the NCAA intercollegiate women’s lacrosse program that recruits and retains quality student-athletes who achieve student-athlete success on and off from the field. More details HERE.

Director of Athletics Communications (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) / Kansas City, MO): The Director of Athletics Communications is responsible for the leadership and oversight of the department's day-to-day operations. (NAIA) More details HERE.

Director of Athletics Media Relations (Coker University / Hartsville, SC): Director of Athletics Media Relations. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Trainer (University of Texas at Dallas / Richardson, TX): UTD seeks experienced and energetic athletic trainer who will provide education, assessment, treatment and prevention services for athletic-related injuries and illnesses. More details HERE.

Assistant Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach (Grand Valley State University / Allendale, MI): Reports to the Head Swimming and Diving Coach and assists in all aspects of the program, including and not limited to, coaching, recruiting, camps and swim lessons. More details HERE.

Director of Advancement & Stewardship (Rose Bowl Stadium / Pasadena, CA): The Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the 501c3 of the Rose Bowl Stadium, is recruiting for a Dir. of Advancement & Stewardship to support the preservation, protection and enhancement of America's Stadium. More details HERE.

Head Softball Coach (Adelphi University / Garden City, NY): The head softball coach is responsible for the recruitment and retention of quality student-athletes. More details HERE.

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