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Early bird registration is now open for the 2nd Annual INFLCR NIL Summit, which will be hosted June 3-5, 2023, at the College Football Hall Of Fame in Atlanta. To be eligible for early-bird registration, an institution must have had at least one student-athlete delegate or administrator attend the inaugural NIL Summit last year. Early bird registration closes on Friday, February 17, 2023.

D1.jobs... New openings at Creighton, Fairfield, Grand Canyon, New Mexico and Pittsburgh, below. 332 different DI departments have chosen D1.jobs to help fill their open positions. Click HERE to post your openings for tens of thousands of administrators to see.

Dallas Baptist AD Smith is headed to North Texas to become the Mean Green's new Assoc. VP/COO. UNT AD Mosley: "Connor brings a wealth of leadership experience that will serve our student-athletes, coaches and staff well as we transition into the American Athletic Conference and continue to build on the momentum we have within our programs. He is highly respected across the industry and will be a great resource for us here at UNT." (link)

Hawaii President Lassner provides an update on the AD search and says he was contacted by five to 10 headhunters “within minutes” of outgoing AD Matlin’s retirement announcement. Lassner also notes the announcement was carefully orchestrated and did not come as a surprise to him, as he requested and received five months’ notice from Matlin. Lassner tells the UH Board of Trustees he plans to bring them a recommendation before Matlin departs, adding: “Given the level of interest in the position, I do not believe we need a search firm to help us conduct a successful search.” Instead, Lassner will assemble a search advisory committee composed of internal UH staffers and community members to compile a list of qualified candidates for Lassner to interview. (link) 

As she settles into her new role, Mountain West Commissioner Nevarez says she’s still learning and therefore has yet to determine whether big changes will occur but notes of the league’s late-night kickoffs: “That’s our value to our media partners. It’s all about those late windows. I think we’ll always have some of that, but it’s about striking that balance with the hometown fan experience. We’ll likely start talking to partners in the next year for our new deal in two years.” On whether the Mountain West will look to move its HQ out of Colorado Springs, Nevarez says: “It's not one of my top four or five priorities, but our office lease is up in two years, so we'll probably take a look at it.” (link)

Alabama and LEARFIELD agree to a 15-year extension of their multimedia contract with an assist from LEONA. Per SBJ’s Smith, the new contract includes a new content platform created in collaboration with LEARFIELD Studios; new access to data and analytics from LEARFIELD’s Fanbase platform; a dedicated NIL hub called The Advantage Center, which will be the school’s centerpiece for NIL activity and the home for its dedicated staff that will provide education and resources for athletes and their commercial activity; and the development of the new Advantage Center into a showcase for NIL relationships in a new location inside Bryant-Denny Stadium next to The Authentic, the Tide’s retail store managed by Fanatics. (link, link)

The Mercury News’ Wilner reports the distribution partner in question concerning the $50M in overpayments to the Pac-12 is Comcast, noting this development makes sense on several fronts, including: “Comcast was a founding partner of the Pac-12 Networks, which were launched in August 2012, and would have been paying for distribution well before the initial audit conducted in the spring of 2017.” Wilner also reports former Commissioner Scott was one of the people interviewed by Cooley LLP, the Palo Alto-based firm hired by the Pac-12 last fall to investigate the situation. Additionally, the “audit that discovered the overpayments was requested during the tenure of one Pac-12 Networks president and concluded during the tenure of another. The request was made in the spring of 2017, according to the conference’s timeline of events, although no date was provided. On April 20, 2017, the Pac-12 announced that Lydia Murphy-Stephans would step down as president of the networks, effective in June.” Meanwhile, several insiders tell Wilner the involvement of former Pac-12 CFO Willman has caught them by surprise with one source saying: “Brent is very upstanding. … If they had an audit, why did the distribution partner keep making overpayments in future years if they knew there was a problem? It doesn’t make any sense.” (link)

It’s Personnel…

+ Florida A&M rounds out its compliance staff by filling several roles, including the promotion of Financial Aid Coordinator Goodart to Assoc. AD for Compliance, Financial Aid and Benefits. (link)

+ Eastern Washington names Innovia Foundation Marketing and Communications Manager Cobb as its next Assoc. AD for Communications. (link)

Coaches Wire…

+ Green Bay has parted ways with MBB HC Ryan, per Stadium’s Goodman. (link)

+ Tennessee and FB HC Heupel agree to a one-year extension which includes a raise to $9M per year. The new deal keeps Heupel under contract through the 2028 season and increases the value of the deal $29M to $54M. Per FootballScoop and others, the deal is 100% guaranteed through December 15, 2025, 75% guaranteed from December 16, 2025 through December 14, 2027, and 50% guaranteed thereafter. (link)

+ Presbyterian taps Wofford Men’s Soccer AC Finotti to lead the Blue Hose. (link)

+ FIU inks Men’s Soccer HC Russell to an extension through 2027. (link)

+ Michigan Volleyball HC Rosen signed a five-year, $1.09M contract extension less than three months before he was let go, per the Michigan Daily, which reports it remains unclear whether Rosen’s contract was terminated with or without cause. (link)

+ Alabama OC O’Brien accepts the same role with the New England Patriots. O’Brien’s contract with the Crimson Tide was set to expire next month. (link)

Facility Features…

+ Wichita State will embark on a $7.3M Phase 1 renovation of Wilkins Stadium, home of Shocker softball, that will be made possible with help from a $1.1M estate gift from long-time Shocker supporter Parke and a $100K gift from Jeanie and Ricky Brotherton. Renovations to Wilkins Stadium include a 12,471 square-foot team complex which features a locker room, coaches locker room, classroom, team room, athletic training room, staff offices, break room, work room, umpire locker rooms and laundry area. It will also include a 14,400-square-foot indoor practice facility with a full indoor infield and batting cages. Turf will also be installed in the outfield and on the warning track, foul territory and apron areas at Wilkins Stadium in June of 2023. Minimum estimates for the Wilkins Stadium master plan project currently stand at approximately $17.5M. (link)

+ Old Dominion has raised nearly $18M of its $20M goal for a renovation and expansion of Bud Metheny Ballpark. Monarchs Asst. AD for Major Gifts Vellines: “Once we get to $20M, we’re not stopping. We need to continue to upgrade the complex in the future in order to compete with the Power Five schools that we recruit against. And we still don’t know the final price tag.” (link)

+ Northern Iowa gets a $1.5M investment from Elite Casino Resorts to support renovations to the UNI-Dome. In recognition of Elite's gift, a “premier space” in the UNI-Dome will be named in the company's honor. (link)

+ Syracuse has received a “substantial new commitment” from Orange alum & former Fencing student-athlete Kuhn & his wife that “creates a new premium field/courtside space within the JMA Dome and provides an upgraded fan experience for premium seat holders for all five Syracuse Athletics programs that compete in the facility.” (link)

+ Air Force has broken ground on its $90M Falcon Stadium East Club modernization project. The Academy is raising $15M to complete the $35M portion of the funds that will be philanthropic support, with the remaining $55M to be financed by Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation revenue. Once complete, the area will include 1,200 premium seats, a new entrance, ticket office, hospitality decks, club experience and more. (link)

NIL Today…

+ Penn State has partnered with INFLCR to launch the Nittany Lion Exchange, which will connect student-athletes with NIL opportunities. PSU also notes the department has been working with Accelerate Sports Ventures to produce NIL education and opportunities to student-athletes and all stakeholders. (link)

+ Knights of the Raritan, a SANIL-managed NIL collective supporting Rutgers student-athletes, says every Scarlet Knight MBB, WBB and FB student-athlete will sign an NIL deal in 2023. KOTR President Newman declined to discuss how much the deals will be worth, their duration and whether they will be one-time or recurring, explaining it will vary on a case-by-case basis and details are still being ironed out. (link)

+ The Virginia Tech-focused collective The Hokie Way raised over $600K in 2022 with an anonymous donor providing $300K in matching funds, per On3’s Wittry. The Hokie Way Board of Directors Treasurer Pearman also notes the collective had 550 donors contribute during the December campaign. (link)

+ Wright State launches its NIL marketplace, with the assist from Opendorse. (link) 

Altius Sports Partners is linking up with the NFL and NFLPA to create an education-based partnership designed to provide college athletes with the tools they need to prepare for pro careers. Football programs at schools partnered with Altius will have access to player engagement and development experts from the NFL. Programming includes marketing and sponsorship guidance; brand awareness and maximization; NFL league policies; NFLPA overview; and NFLPA resources and opportunities. (link)

James Madison sold over 1,100 FB season tickets in just eight hours. The Daily News-Record’s Fleischman notes JMU sold a record 7,708 last season. (link)

Long Island becomes the eighth DI department to add Acrobatics & Tumbling to its portfolio, with the Sharks set to come online in spring 2024. NCATA Executive Director Cook: “In sponsoring NCAA Gymnastics and NCAA Acrobatics & Tumbling, as well as a robust cheer and dance program, LIU will provide comprehensive opportunities for young women with experience in the numerous gymnastics and cheer disciplines who wish to continue training and competing at the collegiate level. LIU's announcement enhances the recent growth Acrobatics & Tumbling has experienced in all three NCAA divisions in the Northeast. We are excited about the possibilities for additional growth in the region, and nationally, as we continue progress towards our goal of NCAA championship status.” (link) 

More Deals…

+ Boise State is the latest department set to utilize Teamworks Elite. (link)

+ The Gator Bowl and TaxSlayer agree to an extension of their title sponsorship through the 2027 matchup. (link)

+ Jacksonville State is the latest to partner with Taymar Sales U. to manage JSU’s ticket and sales service. (link)

+ Southwest Sports has conducted a comprehensive NCAA compliance and academic services review for Louisiana-Monroe. (link) 

+ Indiana State taps BDB Collegiate Solutions to assist in efforts to grow the Sycamores’ corporate sponsorship program. (link)

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(NEWEST!) Assistant Athletic Director - Business Operations (University of New Mexico / Albuquerque, NM): UNM seeks candidates for an Asst. AD of Business Operations to oversee the financials of the UNM Lobo Club and assist with the overall business operations of the athletic department. More details HERE.

(NEWEST!) Director/Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine (Grand Canyon University / Phoenix, AZ): Grand Canyon University is seeking a Director/Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine. More details HERE.

(NEWEST!) Director Athletic Compliance (Creighton University / Omaha, NE): The Director of Athletic Compliance will help manage the day-to-day operations of Creighton University's athletic compliance office under the supervision of the Associate AD for Compliance. More details HERE.

(NEWEST!) Assistant Director of Video, Football (University of Pittsburgh / Pittsburgh, PA): Assistant Director of Video, Football will assist with all aspects of the sports video operations for football. More details HERE.

(NEWEST!) Head Coach - Women's Volleyball (Fairfield University / Fairfield, CT): The Head Coach is responsible for directing all phases of an aspirational Division I women’s volleyball program within the NCAA and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). More details HERE.

(NEWEST!) Head Men's Soccer Coach (Milligan University / Milligan, TN): Milligan University, a member of the NAIA and the Appalachian Athletic Conference, invites resumes for the full-time (year-round) position of Head Men’s Soccer Coach. (NAIA) More details HERE.

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