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More from CACC Commissioner Dan Mara’s Small College Conversation at the 2025 NACDA Convention on the challenges of the commissioner role, now being the longest-tenured commissioner in DII: “When you're a commissioner, you don't really make a lot of decisions. Your job is to direct your athletic directors or your presidents to make the best possible decisions. Maybe I have an idea, but maybe it's better if the athletic directors think it's their idea and how do I best work that so that we can accomplish what I think is best for the conference with them being satisfied that they had the input and the final decision on it. So I think that's an important part of being a good commissioner. You have to know how to negotiate. You have to know how to empower people, and you also have to know when to step in and say, ‘Whoa, we might need to rethink this.’ Because sometimes you get that mob mentality, and maybe the best decision doesn't come from that.” Mara also serves as the commissioner of the Collegiate Sprint Football League and says of that sport’s future: “I think there's a strong future. I don't think there'll ever be an NCAA sport. Obviously there are Title IX implications with it, but for the schools that have it, although they have it for different purposes, I think it's of real value. And we see it in that we have applications for new schools to come in. We had the Midwest League form three years ago, which is not associated with us at all but is a derivative of one of our presidents moving to a college in the Midwest. But I think there's a real future for that sport.” Full conversation on BOSCA. (link)

Alaska Anchorage taps Executive Director for University Advancement/former Assoc. AD Tanya Point as Interim AD, with Men’s Basketball HC Rusty Osborne to serve as Acting Senior Assoc. AD. (link)

Colorado-Colorado Springs AD Nathan Gibson chats with The Scribe’s Adan Andrade about the process of potentially bringing new sports online for the Mountain Lions. Gibson’s steps begin with gauging student interest to ensure there is a true fit for that sport on campus. Next is figuring out the finances, as Gibson notes around half of funding comes from student fees, with the other half coming from campus funds, adding: “It’s one of the lower fees in Division II and in our conference. We’ve been intentional about making sure that our student fee isn’t high and that it’s not a burden for our students. […] Obviously we have to fund it, and we want to fund it at a high level so we can be good at it.” Other key considerations include facility needs, sport sponsorship within the RMAC, and more. (link)

More on the reintroduction of admission fees for non-Florida Tech students and staff at athletic events, as new revenue is set to support expanded food and beverage options and potential fan experience upgrades. AD Jamie Joss tells The Florida Tech Crimson’s Elise Sutherland new options may include a new space at Stottler Field, VIP seating at outdoor events and more. Joss adds they do not expect a “significant drop” in attendance and that pricing will remain the same, as: “The pricing we have set is consistent with, or in some cases, less than that charged at Brevard County School competitions, and is aligned with our peer Sunshine State Conference schools.” Joss goes on to note the reintroduction of admissions are “a permanent model, with rising expectations and costs, that necessitates charging admission to cover these costs and continue to expand upon them.” (link)

A Knight Commission survey of 376 university presidents, ADs, SWAs and FARs found that a “significant majority (62%) of leaders believe Division I is headed in a negative direction. This frank assessment is most pronounced among university presidents and chancellors (80%), reflecting a concern at the highest levels of institutional leadership about the stability of college sports.” Leaders question the sustainability of the DI structure, with 62% of all respondents expressing doubt that DI remains viable as a single entity within the NCAA. This sentiment from a majority of presidents (69%) and athletics directors (55%) “may signal that the current alignment of Division I institutions is seen as increasingly unworkable,” according to the Knight Commission. Further still, respondents indicate overwhelming concern (79%), with 48% saying they are “extremely concerned,” about their athletics programs’ “future reliance on institutional funds and student fees to balance their budgets.” Full report. (link)

It’s Personnel…
➤ Southern Connecticut State promotes Asst. AD for Fiscal Affairs Giovanni D'Onofrio to Assoc. AD. (link)
➤ This morning’s edition of Coaches.wire reveals plenty of hoops coaching staff updates, plus movement in 20 other sports. (link)

America’s higher-ed crunch isn’t just about price, according to The Argument publisher Kyla Scanlon, who submits that it’s a demographic shock that’s turning many campuses – especially regional publics – into the next Rust Belt. Scanlon notes that undergraduate enrollment fell roughly 12% from 2010–2023 and cites Western Kentucky (DI), her alma mater, as a microcosm. WKU is down ~23% from its 2012 peak, and over 60% of those who are admitted but don’t enroll there “go nowhere,” choosing work over school. Scanlon also observes that even if colleges do fix cost issues and outcomes, the pipeline is shrinking, as the U.S. is hitting “peak 18-year-old.” Specifically, new Census-based projections indicate two cliffs ahead – a small plateau around 2030, then another drop. Moreover, the country is aging fast. By 2030, there will be more people aged 65+ than under 18. This is all occurring as confidence in higher ed has cratered, especially among Republicans, and the labor market and trades offer viable alternatives – the Wall Street Journal calls Gen Z “the Toolbelt Generation” as more young people are choosing plumbing and carpentry over college degrees. Closures and mergers – of which there have been 90+ in the past decade – threaten local economies that depend on universities for payrolls, housing demand, culture, and a pipeline of young professionals. As such, Scanlon argues for “managed decline” over chaotic collapse. Specifically, Scanlon calls for expanding “smart immigration” to offset demographic losses, helping towns plan transitions (repurpose facilities, use federal/state funds like POWER); pushing institutional efficiencies and more. Flagships, elite private schools, and universities with major football will likely endure, but Scanlon believes many small colleges won’t. The goal, she concludes, isn’t saving every campus, but cushioning inevitable contractions so communities keep faith in public institutions and a shared future. (link)

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law a new bill that will automatically admit qualified high school seniors to a California State University campus starting in 2026-27. (link)

Warner Bros Discovery has rebuffed Paramount’s initial takeover approach, according to Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, Michelle F. Davis and Thomas Buckley, who report WBD rejected an offer of around $20 per share for being too low. Warner Bros. shares closed at $17.10 on Friday, giving the company a market value of $42.3B. Paramount shares were at $17 a share, valuing it at $18.6B. Shaw, et al. add: “Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav believes he can get a hefty premium for his streaming and studios businesses once they’re separated from the cable channels.” (link)