#10: The Minnesota Vikings have partnered with Bethel (MN), Concordia (MN), Gustavus Adolphus, Northwestern-St. Paul, Wisconsin-Stout and Augustana (DII) to support the addition of Women’s Flag Football. The team will pay $140K to fund a new league and support the programs at these six schools. This comes as the Vikings are supporting the sport becoming sanctioned by the state with the first high school league coming this spring. Northwestern AD Matt Hill: “I think that it will be a recruiting piece in the future, for us to say we offer flag, whether it’s a standalone sport or it’s a supplement to your regular sport [for other varsity athletes]. It’s definitely an opportunity for us to grow our enrollment.” (link, link)
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#9: Keuka launches the Performance 360 student-athlete development program. AD Jon Accardi will lead the initiative, alongside Strength & Conditioning HC Ryan Johnson and Women’s Volleyball HC/Leadership Programming Coordinator Rachel Fiser to help student-athletes excel in their physical, mental and professional performance. Accardi: “Performance 360 is about more than just building stronger athletes. We're giving students the tools they need to perform at their best both on the field and long after they leave Keuka College. This program reflects our commitment to holistic growth and continued improvement in everything our student-athletes do.” (link)
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#8: King's Field Hockey HC Sara Myers is no longer leading the program after one year. (link) |
#7: Southwestern Men's Basketball HC Connor Kuykendall is no longer leading the Pirates. (link)
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#6: The CUNYAC has announced Lehman Men’s Basketball has withdrawn from the conference championship game as a student-athlete who was “administratively withdrawn from classes” competed in this week’s semifinal game against John Jay. The Bloodhounds will replace Lehman to play Baruch in today’s conference title game. (link)
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#5: Austin promotes Asst. AD/Women’s Basketball HC/SWA Michelle Filander to be the Kangaroos’ next AD, starting July 1 when AD David Norman officially retires. Filander will not continue to coach as she leads the department. President Steven O’Day: “Her deep understanding of Division III athletics, and her forward-thinking view of the changes coming to college sports and how those might affect our students are just two examples of the qualities that make Coach Filander an ideal choice for the role. Not only does she know the program and the College inside and out from her many years of experience leading the women's basketball program, but she will also bring some great energy and fresh ideas to the Athletics Director role to continue the momentum that Coach Norman has built up.” (link)
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#4: The Men’s Basketball bracket is live with Wesleyan, NYU, Wisconsin-Platteville and Trinity (CT) as the top four teams. The last four at-large teams in, per the NPI rankings, were TCNJ, Chicago, Catholic and Gettysburg who made the tournament by 0.4 points over Gustavus Adolphus. (link - bracket, link - rankings); Bowdoin, NYU, Scranton, Baldwin Wallace, Whitman, Illinois Wesleyan, Gustavus Adolphus and Gettysburg were the top eight Women’s Basketball teams in the NPI. The last four in: Bates, SUNY Brockport, Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-La Crosse, who edged Mary-Hardin Baylor by 0.194. (link - bracket, link - rankings)
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#3: Messiah Men’s Basketball is reportedly no longer leading the Falcons, per HoopDirt. (link) |
#2: Redlands names Juniata AD Nikki Ayers as its new VP for Athletics. President Krista Newkirk: “This marks an exciting new chapter for Bulldog Athletics as we welcome a leader with a deep passion for student-athlete success, a strategic vision for the future, and a remarkable track record in collegiate athletics. Her enthusiasm, expertise, and commitment to the holistic development of student-athletes will ensure that Bulldog Athletics continues to thrive.” Parker Executive Search assisted with the search. (link)
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#1: The NJCU Board of Trustees has accepted a proposal to merge with Kean. NJCU Interim President Andres Acebo: “This next phase is more than an administrative step — it is the deliberate construction of a bridge to our second century. By aligning our strengths with those of Kean University, we are setting the stage for a collaborative journey that will expand our academic horizons and deepen our community impact.” Kean President Lamont Repollet: “Over the next several weeks, we will negotiate a letter of intent with NJCU that begins a thoughtful and hopefully successful process of bringing the long-serving institution into the Kean University system as Kean Jersey City. […] This merger is rooted in shared missions to enhance educational access and opportunities.” (link)
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