D2.ticker Top Ten - the most clicked stories of the past week |
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#10: Pittsburg State selects Southeastern Oklahoma State President Thomas Newsom for the same role. (link) |
#9: Indianapolis rolls out its Hounds Leadership Academy to help UIndy student-athletes with leadership skills, personal development and community engagement. (link) |
#8: Emporia State taps Trustee Emeritus Gary Sherrer to lead the 11-person AD search advisory group that includes Chief of Staff Sarah McKernan, Football HC Garin Higgins, Men’s and Women’s Basketball HCs Tom Billeter and MJ Baker, Softball HC April Rosales, two athletics staff members, Emporia’s Radio Stations Owner Jamie Sauder and President Erren Harter and more. President Ken Hush notes he expects to receive next steps recommendations by July 18. (link)
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#7: West Virginia State names Memphis (DI) Women’s Basketball AC Whitney Bays as its new HC. (link) |
#6: More from the CIAA’s Spring Meeting earlier this month, as the conference will bring back the CIAA Baseball Championship and explore other championship opportunities. The Board of Directors also approved the 2025-30 Strategic Plan with three key priorities: Conflict Management Programming, Sports Scheduling & Alignment Review and Sports Sponsorship Analysis. The conference also decided to not extend membership to Saint Augustine’s, citing “ongoing compliance and operational concerns.” (link)
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#5: Pittsburg State has begun construction on a new Outdoor Track & Field Facility, with AD Jim Johnson noting: “This was probably the last outdoor season we could even practice at the stadium and not worry about significant safety concerns like injuries to athletes. We'd done all the patch jobs we could do and were at a crossroads.” The Gorillas decided to build a new facility, with phase one to cost $10M, as opposed to spend $2M in repairs that would disrupt the Football season. The facility will include seating for 1,700 and is set to be completed in March 2026. Mammoth Sports Construction will handle the project. (link)
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#4: After months of turmoil at Sonoma State, a delegation from the California Legislature and Cal State University leadership have teamed up to announce the launch of the “Sonoma State Commitment” initiative, composed of $45M in embedded state budget funding, to serve as a long-term university recovery plan, as well as an additional $5M to the CSU system to assist low enrollment campuses with expanded student outreach and recruitment. Key components of the initiative: “Building a first-of-its-kind career center to connect students and graduates with local employers, launching an aggressive recruitment campaign to expand college access for thousands of students, investing in new academic degrees to address regional and statewide workforce needs, growing SSU’s nursing program to meet the growing demand from patients, regional hospitals and health centers, restoring some key faculty positions to ensure academic success, and helping fund Sonoma State’s Athletics program over the next few years.” The initiative is set to be voted on this week before heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for final signature approval. (link); The proposal includes $8M intended for athletics over three years, which would not fully cover athletics’ expenses. Pending approval, there is a significant timing issue, according to The Press Democrat’s Gus Morris, as many student-athletes have transferred, several coaches have departed and those that have not are set to have their contracts expire when the academic year ends on Monday. Longtime Men’s Soccer HC Marcus Ziemer believes the best-case scenario is rejoining the NCAA in 2026-27 with 10 athletic programs after a year on probation. (link)
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#3: The NCAA has selected 22 administrators across all three divisions to participate in its 2025-26 Pathway Program, a yearlong initiative designed to prepare senior-level athletics administrators for their next career step as directors of athletics or conference commissioners. Participants will meet June 22-27 in Indianapolis, Ind., for a week-long education session before returning in the fall for more programming and to observe their divisions’ respective governance meetings before concluding the program at NACDA in Las Vegas, Nev., in 2026. Division II representatives include: Saint Michael’s Director of Internal Operations Shawn Bragg, Cal State LA Deputy AD/Chief of Staff Demetrus Caldwell, Millersville Senior Assoc. AD Larry Earnesty, Shippensburg Senior Assoc. AD/SWA Carrie Michaels and Catawba Deputy AD/SWA Christie Ward. (link)
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#2: Newman names Incarnate Word (DI) Senior Assoc. AD for External Relations Kenyon Spears as its new AD. President Kathleen Jagger: “What set Kenyon apart is his unique combination of coaching expertise, administrative excellence and proven ability to generate results. From his championship achievements on the court to his success in revenue generation and partnership development, he understands every aspect of what it takes to build a winning athletic program. His holistic approach to student-athlete development perfectly aligns with Newman's mission and values.” Double L Consulting assisted with the search. (link)
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#1: The PSAC invites Lackawanna (NJCAA) to join the league as its 18th member, as the college seeks to become the first NJCAA football-playing school to transition to DII. Commissioner Steve Murray: “It is a new era in collegiate athletics, and this is a new paradigm for the PSAC as we welcome Lackawanna to the Conference. President Jill Murray's vision for Lackawanna College is remarkable, and we believe that the movement to a four-year athletics program and Division II supports that vision and the future of the institution. The PSAC and its member institutions are committed to making this a successful transition for the Falcons' athletics program.” Falcons AD Erik Larson: “Our invitation to join the PSAC is a key milestone in the history of our athletic department and could not have been realized without the efforts of our coaches, students, and leadership who believed in our strategic vision and our commitment to excellence. This move allows us to elevate our athletics programs to new heights. Our student-athletes will now compete at the highest level of NCAA Division II athletics with increased exposure, scholarship opportunities, and academic support. We are honored to be welcomed into the conference.” (link)
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