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SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz will retire at the end of May, concluding 18 years leading the league. Mars Hill President/SAC Presidents Council Chair Tony Floyd: “Patrick Britz's leadership has been instrumental in shaping the success and stability of the South Atlantic Conference. His vision and steady hand have helped our conference navigate an evolving collegiate athletics landscape. We are grateful for his years of service and dedication.” Britz: “Serving as Commissioner of this prestigious conference for the past 17 years has been the honor of a lifetime. Together, with so many dedicated presidents, administrators, coaches and student-athletes, we have achieved extraordinary progress and growth, and I am deeply proud of what we have built. The conference is stronger today because of the collective efforts of so many passionate individuals who care deeply about its mission and values. […] While I will always remain one of the conference's biggest supporters, the time has come for me to focus more on my family and explore new opportunities that align with my experience and personal goals.” (link)

West Virginia Wesleyan VP for Athletics Rae Emrick will transition to a new role as Senior Advisor for Athletics. Asst. VP for Athletics/Men’s and Women’s Tennis HC Kyle Hoffman will serve as the Bobcats’ next VP of Athletics, effective today. President James Moore: “Dr. Emrick's impact on this College is immeasurable. She has led with integrity, care, and an unwavering belief in our students. We are grateful for her continued support as we move through this transition. Kyle is exceptionally well-prepared to build on her legacy and lead Wesleyan Athletics into its next chapter.” (link)

At the Big East’s Basketball Roundtable, NCAA President Charlie Baker “says he’s in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament to give an opportunity to ‘worthy teams,’” per New York Times contributor Adam Zagoria. Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich adds Baker did not answer when asked what he would like TV partners to pay for an expanded tourney but noted “there would be enough money for units and transportation and all costs, whatever they negotiate.” On the future of championships and media rights, Baker says both the CBS/Turner and ESPN deals were locked in until 2032 to have “maximum flexibility at that point in time to do whatever made the most sense for all sports. And I personally believe by then, we’ll not only have a terrific women’s tournament in basketball along with the men’s tournament, but we’re also going to have significant increases in volleyball and softball and baseball and ice hockey. I personally think a lot of the stuff that’s in that portfolio is going to be really interesting to everybody.” (link, link, link) 

Lincoln Memorial unveils a new concussion care and rehab initiative that combines occupational therapy and the expertise of concussion expert Dr. Joshua R. Johnson. The new plan includes a focus on the recovery of daily life skills and cognitive function, environmental modifications and more via OT; diagnostic imaging and functional testing, oversight of progression and more under the direction of Johnson’s Knoxville Orthopaedic & Concussion; academic support and reintegration; unified care; and more. Assoc. AD for Sports Performance & Wellness Don Grigsby: “At LMU, we see on average more than 30 concussions among our athletes each year. We refuse to settle for a basic return-to-play checkbox. With Taylor Bowling, OT, leading the rehabilitation of our concussions and Dr. Johnson providing medical oversight, we're building a holistic pathway to get our student-athletes back not only to competition, but to full life, full function, and long-term wellness.” (link) 

Fundraising Developments…
➤ Columbus State has relaunched and restructured its Cougar Club with new basketball game day experiences, including premium courtside seating, hospitality access, all-sport passes and more. AD Justin Hay: “Through the generosity of our Cougar Club members CSU Athletics is able to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience that allows us to recruit and retain the best student-athletes around. We are not just developing student-athletes to be champions in competition but in life as well.” (link)
➤ Kutztown raised over $148K for athletics during its 1866 Minute Giving Challenge. (link)

Quick Hits…
➤ Auburn-Montgomery names Montevallo Asst. AD for External Affairs Wyatt Hall as its new Assoc. AD for External Affairs. (link)
➤ Bowie State is the latest to partner with Influxer to provide personalized NIL merchandise. (link) 

➤ Everyone, meet Indianapolis' new greyhound, Grady II, from New South Wales, Australia. (link)

The DII Championships Committee has issued a public reprimand for the Tampa Women’s Lacrosse program for misconduct during this spring’s NCAA championship, finding that coaches, student-athletes and fans “damaged hotel property, brought outside alcohol onto the property, disregarded hotel staff trying to clear the pool area after pool hours on multiple occasions, and made noise that led to numerous complaints.” Tampa has been hit with a $1K fine and a requirement of proof of payment for the invoice sent by the hotel. Committee Chair/Concordia-St. Paul AD Regan McAthie: “The committee cited the fact that the activities in question were posted on social media in real time. The committee also believes the minimal response from the school when questioned reflected a lack of respect for the process.” (link)

Coaches.wire…
➤ Ashland Swimming & Diving HC Hueston Holder departs to become an AC at Massachusetts (DI). (link)
➤ Point Park hires high school HC/former member of Team USA Sharon Vasquez as its first Women’s Flag Football HC. (link)
➤ With the season quickly approaching, basketball continues to lead the way in the number of coaching staff updates, but check out the movement across all sports in this morning’s edition of Coaches.wire. (link)

New research from Pew Research Center says an increasing number of Americans believe higher education is going in the wrong direction, up from 56% five years ago to 70% today. Notably, 76% believe the higher education system is doing a fair or poor job at keeping tuition affordable. 55% feel the same about preparing students for well-paying jobs, 52% feel similarly about providing financial help to those who need it and 49% believe the system is doing a fair/poor job developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Politically, Republicans have more negative feelings about the higher education system, most specifically about exposing students to a wide range of opinions, with 61% of Republicans feeling the system does a fair/poor job compared to 29% of Democrats. More. (link)