#10: On3 Athlete Network Development Director/former Tennessee football student-athlete Frerking reacts to the DI SAAC's letter to Congress: “As someone who is six months removed from the game and has played in a NIL era AND pre-NIL era, I can fully assure you this letter inked by D-1 SAAC Chair DOES NOT ‘represent the nearly 190,000 student-athletes who participate in Division I sports within the NCAA.’” (link)
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#9: Brown AD Calhoun unveils the Division of Athletics and Recreation’s new ethos, which she explains provides a “clear depiction of how special it is to be a Brown Bear. We hope it speaks to the students and the student-athletes we attract, and serves as a reminder of our mission, vision, and values. As a proud Brown alumna, I hope it resonates as movingly with the rest of our Brown community as it does with me." Read the full Ethos. (link)
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#8: Morehead State selects Pikeville (NAIA) AD/Eagles alum Wells as its next AD, starting July 1. MSU President Morgan: "As MSU moves forward, we are increasing our strength and competitiveness in athletics. We are confident that Kelly Wells is ready to lead that charge." (link)
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#7: Significant news for NIL collectives as the Office of the IRS Chief Counsel released a 12-page memo clarifying that donations to collectives are not tax exempt because benefits provided to student-athletes are “not incidental both qualitatively and quantitatively to any exempt purpose.” An unnamed Assoc. AD to Sports Illustrated’s Dellenger: “I’m glad we didn’t go with the 501c3 model. What I tell my donors is. ... What charity are you donating to? You’re not. You’re lining kids’ pockets to keep them at your school. That’s not a charity. That’s a way to get around tax laws which leads to tax evasion and opens a whole different can of worms for donors. I’m damn sure glad we didn’t do it.“ (link)
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#6: Former Minnesota Women’s Basketball HC Whalen accepted a $215K settlement rather than becoming Special Asst. to the AD after being let go. (link) |
#5: Former Missouri AD Sterk will take over as the new AD at Western Washington (DII). Sterk is a 1980 graduate of WWU. (link) |
#4: Syracuse will name Virginia Senior Assoc. AD for External Operations Ball as Deputy AD, per CollegeAD. (link) |
#3: ESPN’s Thamel reports on the lay of the land as it relates to the future of each Power 5 league…
+ Colorado’s allegiance remains a wait-and-see, as Thamel notes: “The Pac-12 won't be blindsided if Colorado does end up leaving. It has been acknowledged around the league that the Buffaloes would be replaced by San Diego State, a quick solution that delivers a desirable market. But it's also not as simple as plug and play, since the symbolism of Colorado leaving would likely mean more than the actual defection, leading to more departures and uncertainty.”
+ Thamel calls it “instructive” that Big 12 Commissioner Yormark has denied meeting with Memphis but not Colorado or Connecticut. “For now, the Memphis interest remains strongest on Memphis' side, as they are just part of the Big 12's whiteboard of potential additions.” Should Colorado join the league but not be followed by the Four Corners schools, opinions differ as to whether the Big 12 would invite UConn.
+ One conference source tells Thamel: “There's a lot of unhappiness in the ACC right now. Why not see what happens with the Pac-12 and the ACC a little more before making any decisions?"
+ While nothing is imminent, Thamel notes the next battleground for expansion between the Big Ten and SEC will be in North Carolina and Virginia, both of which – as well as Notre Dame – are in contiguous states to both leagues. (link)
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#2: USA Today releases revenue and expenses from FY22. Ohio State is the top earner with $251.62M in revenue. Texas ($239.3M) is second, followed by Alabama ($214.37M) in third with Michigan ($210.65M), Georgia ($203M), LSU ($199M), Texas A&M
($193.1M), Florida ($190.4M), Penn State ($181.2M), and Oklahoma ($177.3M) rounding out the top 10. Full sortable list. (link) |
#1: USC has released renderings of its new football performance center, which will include three levels dedicated to team operations, a rooftop hospitality deck, player lounge and a second full-length practice field. The complex will also feature student-athlete-centric spaces, including a new locker room, multiple player lounges, recovery hub, nutritional support, sports science services, weight room, training room, equipment room, team auditorium, position meeting rooms, recruiting areas, staff offices and flexible space for future growth. (link)
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