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Truman State taps Asst. AD for Operations Peter Young and Head Athletic Trainer/SWA Michelle Boyd as Co-Interim ADs. (link)

Western Colorado AD Miles Van Hee joins D2.ticker as the latest AD in Residence to discuss the Mountaineers’ recent $43.9M stadium renovation, gameday operations, NIL and more. The Mountaineer Bowl renovation had various attempts over the years, which ended in a $43.9M project that included the entire complex of the Mountaineer Bowl and Katy O. Rady Field at the Rady Family Sports Complex. Van Hee adds that the home opener earlier this month, the Mountaineers’ first home night game ever, broke WCU attendance records. On the gameday experience improvements: “It is already making an impact on the Mountaineer spirit as we have expanded the game day atmosphere utilizing our new high-end Musco lights, which provide light shows that can be synchronized to music to create special effects, and our new 10mm 1250 sq ft video board — the largest in the RMAC. In addition, we’ve added a fan cam to engage our fans on the video board. The student body absolutely loves it. The WOW factor cannot be overstated. It is simply remarkable. The fans and athletes are proud and, honestly, still in a little disbelief that this is our new normal. The student-athletes have a facility that matches how they feel about being a Mountaineer. This is a championship-caliber facility. Facilities don’t win games, but they definitely elevate the esprit de corps and give the extra boost that makes a difference.” Check out all of Van Hee’s responses on BOSCA. (link)

Sportico’s Michael McCann notes that U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman last week issued a preliminary injunction against the NLRB “based on a company’s argument that NLRB administrative law judges are unconstitutionally insulated from the president’s removal powers. This is an important decision in the college sports context. If [NLRB Administrative Law Judge Eleanor] Laws finds that USC players are employees, the school, conference and NCAA could seek review by the agency’s board in Washington, D.C., and separately challenge the constitutionality of Laws’ order.” McCann also points out that the winner of the presidential election will likely also have significant bearing on whether student-athletes are designated as employees. While neither former President Donald Trump nor VP Kamala Harris have stated a position on the matter, McCann points out that President Biden’s pick for NLRB general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, “has played a historic role in advocating for college athletes as employees.” Meanwhile, Trump’s former NLRB general counsel, Peter Robb, “rescinded a (2017) memorandum authored by his predecessor, Richard Griffin, that had reached a similar position as Abruzzo: College athletes are employees. On the other hand, several Trump-appointed judges, including U.S. Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker, have authored judicial opinions that praise athletes’ economic rights and besmirch amateurism.” (link)

FloSports will launch FloCollege on October 15, which will be available to the general public for $19.99 per month or an annual commitment of $107.88 ($8.99 per month). Students can subscribe to the platform at a discounted annual rate of $71.88 ($5.99 per month) or monthly at $9.99. SBJ’s Ben Portnoy reports that “as part of the launch, FloSports will invest upward of $50M into FloCollege to support rights fees, production, content, product technology, and marketing. That commitment comes after the company has seen a 37% increase in viewers for football and a 45% increase for soccer since the start of the 2024 fall season. FloCollege will be available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV devices. It will also be available on the internet and for download on mobile devices via the FloSports app.” FloSports Co-Founder/CEO Mark Floreani: “We are building a product that will be best-in-class in serving college sports fans of all levels. Our vision for FloCollege is to become the essential destination for the thousands of Division-II and Division-III athletes, their families, and fans, while providing much-needed funds to these smaller institutions, who are in critical need of additional revenue resources.” (link, link)

East Central signs a multi-year partnership with Citizens Bank to be the official ticketing sponsor, with Citizens to have their logo present on Norris Field at Koi Ishto Stadium. (link)

It’s Personnel:

+ Lenoir-Rhyne promotes Assoc. AD for External Relations Jake Berry to Senior Assoc. AD for External Operations and brings in former staffer/current UAB (DI) Assoc. AD for Fan Engagement and Marketing Leah Botts as Senior Assoc. AD for Marketing and Branding. (link)

+ East Stroudsburg names Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (DI) Asst. Director of Academic Services Jim Glovach as Assoc. AD for Compliance. (link)

+ Cameron Asst. AD for Communications Brayden Reeves is no longer with the Aggies. (link)

+ Wingate Asst. AD for Creative Services Dominique Maneice has departed to become the Asst. Director for Athletic Communications at Queens Charlotte (DI). (link)

+ Young Harris hires Catawba Valley Medical Center Environment of Care and Safety Coordinator Wayne McCullough as Asst. AD for Facilities and Game Operations. (link)

Fundraising Wins:

+ Drury’s Champions Challenge brought in more than $397K from 1,190 supporters. (link)

+ Montevallo raised more than $120K from 1,296 donors during its Falcon Victory Campaign. (link)

Sport Sponsorship:

+ Henderson State will add Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track starting next academic year. (link)

+ Chowan announces it will launch Women’s Flag Football in spring 2026. (link)

Hillsdale and Northwood are bringing back the programs’ traveling all-sports trophy “The Jack”. Hillsdale AD John Tharp: “As two institutions based in Michigan with similar values and a long history of competition with each other, we have great respect for each other and the character embodied by our programs when they meet on the field. Bringing this trophy back will enhance the contests between our two programs, and give every athlete in every one of our NCAA sports something more to look forward to during the season and to play for when we take on the Timberwolves.” (link)

Coaches.wire:

+ Black Hills State selects East Tennessee State (DI) AC Alex Kemp as Track & Field HC. (link)

+ Emory & Henry hires Quincy Men’s Lacrosse HC Eric Ruppel for the same role. (link)

+ Lock Haven taps tennis camp instructor Michael LeBlanc as its new Women’s Tennis HC. (link)

+ Ohio Dominican names former Akron (DI) Cross Country HC/Track & Field AC Lee LaBadie as its new Cross Country/Track & Field HC. (link)

+ This morning’s edition of Coaches.wire is ready for those looking to keep up with the changes in coaching staffs across the country. (link)

A government investigation into last year’s FAFSA rollout found that Education Department officials failed to properly test and prepare the form and launched it despite signs that it was not ready for wide release, according to Inside Higher Ed’s Liam Knox. For example, Knox explains the Government Accountability Office (GAO) “found that as early as August 2022, FSA knew, or at least anticipated, that the 2024–25 FAFSA release would have to be delayed. That month, the office began retooling its schedule for FAFSA processing, moving deadlines for contractors from October 2023—the form’s traditional, and at the time expected, release date—to December, yet they waited seven months to announce the delay publicly.” The GAO also found the department’s communication strategy to be inadequate, both for helping colleges understand the delays and for helping families navigate the form. Of the 5.4M calls the Education Department’s call center received during the first five months of the FAFSA rollout, 4M went unanswered. Ultimately, Knox explains the report’s findings “all point back to one key misstep: that the FSA moved forward with the rollout while most of the underlying processing system’s essential capabilities were unfinished. At the time of the form’s release, 18 of the 25 ‘key requirements’ for launch had not been met.’” More. (link)

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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)

(NEW!) Head Softball Coach (Colorado School of Mines / Golden, CO): Colorado School of Mines Department of Athletics invites applications for the Head Softball Coach. Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. More details HERE.

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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