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D1.jobs... New opportunities at Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Washington (x2), Florida (x2), Grinnell College (DIII), Short's Travel Management, SMU, the Southland Conference, Tennessee and Wichita State below. 332 different Division I institutions have chosen D1.jobs to maximize their ability to attract potential applicants. Click HERE to post your openings for tens of thousands of administrators to see.
D1.dossiers... Hawaii's opening is officially posted and the D1.dossier for it is available, for those interested in the island life. Dossiers for seven other Athletic Director openings are also ready for you. $249 for an entire year of subscription. Stay tuned for the dossier for Southern Utah’s Senior Assoc. AD for Administration opening. (link)
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CollegeAD has UNC Wilmington’s AD search down to the following four: St. Bonaventure AD Manhertz, Connecticut Deputy AD for External Relations Oblinger, UNCW Deputy AD/SWA Tucker, and Memphis Executive Assoc. AD for Administration Walker. No indication yet on a final decision timeline. (link)
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JohnCanzano.com: “I am told that the Pac-12 has kept Boise State at ‘arm's length’ in recent months per a source. Pac-12 has had very limited contact with the school. Conference appears far more interested in SMU, San Diego State, and some others.” (link)
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USA Today’s Wolken believes it’s fair to be skeptical about a media entity paying the Pac-12 “top dollar” for its broadcast rights at this point. “Even matching the $31.7M per school that new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark secured during negotiations last fall with Fox and ESPN seems like a tall task. How do we know? Because if that kind of deal was on the table for the Pac-12, it would probably already be done. … Despite the (overly?) confident projections coming out of the league office, administrators at Pac-12 schools are nervous. They should be. And while an utter collapse of the Pac-12 remains unlikely right now, every day that passes without a media rights deal is a day where the league looks weak and vulnerable.” Wolken goes on to acknowledge that it’s possible commissioner Kliavkoff will “pull a rabbit out of his hat and silence the doubters. But for now, it looks like he may have misread the room about the Pac-12’s actual value — the same mistake his predecessor Larry Scott made when he convinced his presidents that the league would be better off owning the Pac-12 Network itself.” (link)
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Connect/MB Sports’ Banker spoke with Rhode Island AD Bjorn about a number of topics, including his approach to new coaching limits. “With those changes…the handcuffs are off in some of those areas, but at the same time we have budgetary restrictions on things that we can and can’t do. We know that, and although other programs will have some more flexibility that they’ve been looking for. Programs like Rhode Island, we’re not in position to do that. We are in position, I believe, to compete for conference championships, and as long as we have access to NCAA championships, that’s our focus.” Bjorn also talks about the potential for increased conference or national oversight on medical and mental health care, telling Banker: “Part of that’s a little scary. You want to provide great service to your student-athletes, but at some point, a 10-year timeframe, what does that mean? What are the financial challenges of that? That’s hard. … We don’t have a full-time psychologist within our department right now. So, there’s a challenge in doing that, the cost. And at places – we’re not unique – what are you going to do instead of? Unless you have unlimited resources, what are we going to instead of – we’re going to do this now, so we can’t do something else.” Lots more in the full conversation on Connect. (link)
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George Washington has narrowed its new moniker search to the following 10: Ambassadors, Blue Fog, Catalysts, Fireworks, Independents, Monumentals, Revolutionaries, Sentinels, Squad and Truth. To give constituents more opportunities to provide feedback, GW is launching Moniker Madness, which will include an online survey, online rating activity and an in-person activity. Blue Fog seems like it should be hard to beat. (link)
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Texas A&M AD Bjork on the newly launched 12th Man+ Fund: “Being the first that is really public like this, the first affiliated organization like this in college athletics, we wanted to make sure that the SEC was aware of it and that the NCAA was aware. So we took that extra step as a proactive approach to call the NCAA, call the SEC, ‘Hey, you are going to see this news. Here is what it is.’” After reaching a “flashpoint” with NIL over the past few months, Bjork says it’s important to have the “credibility of an established organization who has been fundraising for a long time, that the donors trust – our athletes, they know about the 12th Man Foundation. So there is going to be a relationship here that I think is natural. All parties can benefit from this setup.” (link)
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Latest from Cincinnati AD Cunningham on the challenges of the transfer portal & NIL: “I don't necessarily think it's wrong to be able to allow students to transfer freely. You almost have this bidding war that's taking place where students are being pulled from other teams based on financial commitments. I truly believe that a lot of people are being brought into our world that don't have the best interests of the students in mind.” (link)
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Notre Dame AD Swarbrick responded to a fan’s disappointment over not hiring Utah OC Ludwig for the same role in South Bend by pointing out that while it was an issue, Ludwig’s $2M buyout was “an obstacle we knew could be quickly resolved.” Swarbrick added: “As a policy matter, we do not discuss the details of personnel matters but given the extraordinary reaction by you and others in this instance I am comfortable sharing that while, prior to this week, our discussions with candidates never reached the point where we extended a formal offer, we communicated clearly in each and every instance that any offer we made would include our funding of their buyout with their current institution. … I also want to be clear that Notre Dame will never apologize for being a good steward of the resources provided to us by our fans and partners. Our focus is not matching the expenditures made by our competitors; it is making investments calculated to advance us toward our goals.” Full email. (link)
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Leadership Wire…
+ Less than two years into her role, Illinois State President Kinzy has resigned and intends to pursue “other opportunities.” The Illinois Pantagraph reports: “The board plans to vote on a separation agreement for Kinzy. She took over the job in July 2021 and had agreed to serve through June 30, 2025. The board plans to vote Friday to approve Aondover Tarhule as interim president. Tarhule has served as provost and vice president of academic affairs at ISU since 2020. Pending board approval, he’ll serve as interim president until June 30, 2024.” (link)
+ Prairie View A&M taps Jackson State Asst. AD for Compliance Ross for its Assoc. AD for Compliance post, per CollegeAD. The Panthers’ staff directory reflects her return to Texas. (link) |
Facility Features…
+ The Kentucky Athletics Committee has endorsed a renovation of Memorial Coliseum, which will encompass all of the building’s interior, including climate control function; the addition of modern seating; systems-related upgrades such as life safety, security, lighting and sound; and improve the facility overall experience. The $82M project is expected to begin next month, pending approval from the UK Board of Trustees. (link)
+ The Idaho State Board of Education gave Boise State approval to begin the planning and design of the MBB and WBB auxiliary gym. The Broncos hope to add new weight rooms tailored to the basketball programs as well as offices and conference rooms. The project is estimated to cost between $5M and $6M. (link)
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The John Purdue Club will now recognize donors who contribute $250K or more over a five-year period as members of the Lamar Lundy League, named in honor of the two-sport star and first African American to receive a football scholarship for the Boilermakers. Benefits of joining the league include personalized Lundy League credentials with game day access to areas of Ross-Ade Stadium and Mackey Arena – including the Ross-Ade Stadium Pavilion – pre-game Rohrman Field access, access to the premium Spurgeon and Wooden club spaces during basketball season and exclusive travel experiences to future games in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and elsewhere. (link)
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The Billiken Victory Fund has launched to support Saint Louis student-athletes in their NIL endeavors. Billikens AD May: “The Billiken Victory Fund collective, coupled with the Billiken Exchange, create the important infrastructure that will continue to grow NIL opportunities for student-athletes to build their brand and engage in the community. We couldn't be more thankful for the Billiken Victory Fund as they show yet another way the Billiken community is supporting our student-athletes as they compete at the highest levels." (link)
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The Athletic’s Pickman examines whether NIL earnings will forestall WBB players from playing overseas to supplement – or, in some cases, far outstrip – their WNBA earnings. Three-time WNBA all-star McBride says playing abroad started with a focus of making money but grew into an experience from which she derived several benefits. “For young players, I always tell them to come overseas because it’s uncomfortable. But you get better from it, and not just as a basketball player, but as a person.” However, McBride acknowledges that if she had been able to profit from her NIL while at Notre Dame, she might not have played in the EuroLeague as long as she has. Pickman adds: “Several pro players say they think that collegians with some money in hand might elect to stay home entirely when faced with an overseas choice. Or, they could go play half-seasons abroad, spending January through March there, much like what two-time WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart did this winter. That could be a way to experience new cultures, get in game shape and earn money, all while trying to manage burnout.” (link)
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Also Noticed… + Texas State extends Volleyball HC Huiet through the 2027 season. (link)
+ Bellarmine will host the 2025-27 ASUN indoor track & field championships. (link)
+ Seton Hall rolls out its first apparel featuring the names and numbers of student-athletes via the Pirates’ partnership with The Brandr Group. The initial offerings feature MBB players, and SHU says WBB merchandise is coming soon. (link)
+ DraftKings reported $855M in sales during Q4, beating estimates of $800M. The company reported a loss per share of $0.54, beating analysts’ expectations of $0.59. Subsequently, DraftKings raised its adjusted FY23 EBITDA to losses of $350-$450M from a range of $475-$575M. (link) |
Yesterday's Evening Standard... |
NCAA General Counsel Bearby joins MB Sports/Connect’s Banker to talk about what the membership should know about current litigation and the national landscape, what athletic departments should know about their own general counsel, the transition from President Emmert to President Baker and advice for standing out in the industry. Bearby notes there is a lot of litigation where the NCAA is the only defendant because “those four letters are perceived as a target and as a form of ‘where all the money is’ even though that’s not the case and there’s not a vault of money here in the national office. … There’s also a need for us to clarify what is the schools’ responsibility and what is the association's responsibility. Very clearly in the constitution it says health and safety is the responsibility of the campus. It isn’t here. We provide a resource, we help facilitate policymaking, but the relationship between the student and the doctor is at the campus level. So, I think it’s a good reminder that we aren’t the backstop as an association for everything that happens on a campus.” Lots of important information in the full interview, which is now available on Connect. (link)
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SMU’s interest in joining the Pac-12 “is so high it’s ready to help cover some of the costs,” according to the Fort Worth Telegram-Star’s Engel, who reports one concession the Mustangs are willing to make “would be a willingness to agree to a substantial decrease in revenue sharing for the first few years in the league, as well as potentially covering its own expenses.” Engel also notes this is “not a done deal” because there are "high ranking members of current Pac-12 schools that are unsure if the combination of SMU and San Diego State are good adds and add value to the league.” (link)
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Michigan State teams will largely resume athletic competition this weekend, according to Spartans AD Haller, who says: “In consultation with mental health professionals and in conversations with our student-athletes it became apparent that a return to practice and competition is a crucial part of their recovery. Student-athletes were given an active voice in the decision to return to competition, as well as the autonomy to make their own individual choices about participation. Athletics can be a rallying point for a community in need of healing, a fact many of our student-athletes have mentioned to me. … I also recognize that everyone grieves in their own unique manner, and there are some who aren't ready to return to athletic events. Those feelings are incredibly valid, and as Coach Izzo so eloquently stated last night, I hope that we will all focus on taking care of one another." Instead of traveling to its tournament this weekend, the men’s tennis team will remain home and compete against Drake in a matchup originally scheduled for February 15. Additionally, both women’s tennis matches have been canceled and the Spartans gymnastics meet with Illinois has been postponed. (link)
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A source close to outgoing Ohio State President Johnson tells The Columbus Dispatch that Johnson’s decision to step down was based on the realization that she could no longer run the university according to her vision. "[Prominent OSU benefactor] Les Wexner wanted things done his way, and there is a faction of the board that makes sure he gets what he wants. Kristina decided it would be nearly impossible to finish the amazing work she had started with that kind of pressure. That's why she made the painful decision to resign, not because of some exaggerated complaints from her staff." However, two “community leaders close to the university” dispute that assertion, claiming “multiple factions of trustees were upset with Johnson over a number of different issues in the past two years, but it was the complaints about her leadership that fueled her exit.” The tension between Johnson and Wexner – along with his wife, who is on the OSU Board of Trustees – reportedly stemmed from Wexner’s desire to have more control over the OSU medical center which bears his name. After a particularly tense meeting, Johnson reportedly knew the working relationship was no longer tenable; however, during that time, the Dispatch reports Johnson was “in the running to become the next president of the NCAA and was in the final stages of the interviewing process. When the story broke that some had complained of Johnson's managing style, the NCAA moved on from considering Johnson for the job.” Lots more. (link)
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“If you want to be an elite college hoops program moving forward in the modern era, you must have a general manager (or someone comparable) on staff,” The Athletic’s Marks and Tucker surmise, noting Duke, DePaul and Howard have hired GMs for their MBB programs while others have outsourced those responsibilities. Duke GM Baker says she goes about overseeing Duke student-athletes’ NIL responsibilities in two ways: by making sure everyone is updated on the latest regulations and by providing guidance while being sure the school isn’t directly involved in the dealmaking process. “Two of our guys have the exact same contract with a company. One of them, it’s literally pulling teeth trying to get him to record and share and post these videos; the other one, it’s nothing at all. So it’s a matter of figuring out, this $5,000 deal may make a lot of sense for you — but this stresses you out so much, is it really worth it? Because I need you to go play basketball.” Blue Demons AD Peevy adds that it’s important to take this responsibility off of a coach’s plate: “Now you need other people: to be innovative and think ahead and have a sense, a pulse, of what the world is doing right now — and stay ahead of it, not following. That’s the challenge we all have.” (link)
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Leadership Ledes… + Jackson State promotes Asst. AD for Academics Silver to Assoc. AD for Academics and Compliance. (link)
+ MOAA named five new members to its Board of Directors for terms beginning in June: Park Point (NAIA) AD Ashaolu, Temple Exec. Senior Assoc. AD Horne, UAB Deputy AD Louis-Verrett, North Texas Senior Assoc. AD Oliver and Towson Asst. AD Robb. (link)
+ Dartmouth inks Women’s Lacrosse HC McFadden to an extension through 2028. (link)
+ YouTube CEO Wojcicki is stepping down after nine years in charge and will be succeeded by Chief Product Officer Mohan. (link) |
Florida FB HC Napier and Florida State HC Norvell were on hand as Florida Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 7B into law. Kennyhertz Perry attorney Winter: “The passage of 7B continues the trend of states removing restrictions on NIL activities and leaving those decisions up to individual schools. This makes sense as most of the state laws are or were more restrictive than the NCAA’s NIL rules, and schools and coaches in states with NIL laws have often felt like they are at a disadvantage in creating NIL opportunities for their athletes. Schools in Florida will now be able to pass on information about NIL opportunities to their athletes.” Florida State Representative LaMarca (R-93), who sponsored the bill: “I think it puts us on a level playing field for us to do endorsements and deals, but I think it makes us a leader because we’re now going to equip our kids with the tools to build their brand and not just get deals because of the team they’re playing on.” (link)
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The USC-focused NIL collective BLVD has ceased day-to-day operations, per On3’s Nakos, who reports “the root cause of BLVD’s fall was a disconnect between USC and leaders of Stay Doubted,” the media agency running BLVD. Earlier this week, a new Trojans-aligned collective, The TOMMY Group, launched but another is set to launch soon, with BLVD Senior Account Director Harris to lead the new group which “plans to build off of BLVD’s framework.” Harris says of the coming collective, which will be assisted by J1NS Holdings: “A group of longstanding, substantial donors and members of various USC boards are in the midst of completing a non-profit, alumni-led NIL collective. The group intends to benefit from some of the successful operational aspects of BLVD but are building a separate, board-led entity with strategic alliances within the USC community.” (link)
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On3’s Wittry unpacks how the Texas A&M-affiliated 12th Man Foundation will support student-athletes' NIL endeavors, noting the foundation’s website states it will “contract currently enrolled student-athletes to engage in promotional activities to further its mission. Promotional activities will include services such as social media posts, appearances at events, and speaking engagements.” Wittry: “Basically, Texas A&M athletes will receive compensation to promote the 12th Man Foundation. The 12th Man+ Fund now is arguably the closest public link between traditional athletic department fundraising and NIL-related fundraising.” Headlining attorney Winter on the compliance angle: “From everything I’ve read about it and from my understanding of it, it’s compliant with the NCAA rules and Texas state NIL law and A&M’s NIL policy. So I don’t think there’s a problem there. I think other people probably haven’t done it just because from an optics point of view, it can look – I don’t know if ‘bad’ is the right word but like it’s too entangled with the university, so that’s probably why other people haven’t done it yet.” 12th Man President/CEO Dabney emphasizes that the 12th Man is not a collective but a “501(c)(3) that has supported Texas A&M athletics for 73 years. There is one other fundraising organization in the SEC that set up something similar to this – not exactly – and that is the Razorback Foundation at the University of Arkansas.” (link)
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Facilities Features…
+ New Hampshire will receive $8M in state funding from Governor Sununu’s capital investment proposals to upgrade Whittemore Center as part of its $30M renovation. (link)
+ William & Mary has received a $2M anonymous gift for new AstroTurf for Field Hockey’s Busch Field this spring. The Tribe’s All In campaign has raised close to $40M of its $55M goal. (link)
+ Cincinnati will install a new 17.85’ x 24.15’ video board at UC Baseball Stadium ahead of the Bearcats’ home opener against Miami (OH) on March 1. (link)
+ Kentucky shares a progress photo of construction on the Jim Green Indoor Track and Field Center. (link)
+ UTEP cautions fans to dress warmly if they attend tonight’s MBB game as the heating in the Don Haskins Center is “currently being repaired and will not be functional.” (link) |
Deals, Deals, Deals… + Marshall inks a multi-year deal with Nike and BSN Sports to become the official apparel, footwear and equipment provider. (link)
+ Charlotte announces a new apparel partnership with Nike through BSN Sports, effective with the beginning of the 2023-24 season. (link)
+ The Big South inks a three-year extension with the High Point Downtown Stadium Foundation to hold the league’s baseball championship at Truist Point for the next three years. (link)
+ Saint Joseph’s is partnering with SureAthlete to maximize MBB and softball student-athletes’ performance via the firm’s development, communication and analytics platform. (link)
+ Iona partners with Opendorse for its NIL needs. (link) |
ESPN’s next College GameDay show will visit Bloomington, where second-ranked Indiana will take on No. 7 Iowa in a WBB matchup on Sunday, Feb. 26. It’s the second of three shows this season for women’s hoops. (link); ESPN VP for Production Lowry: “We’ve had our eye on this Indiana-Iowa matchup all season for College GameDay as an opportunity to showcase these outstanding programs and top players like (Iowa’s) Caitlin Clark and (Indiana’s) Mackenzie Holmes. (link)
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The USOPC and NCAA Office of Inclusion announce the activation of three adaptive sport programming initiatives to be implemented across the WBB Final Four, Drake Relays and ITA Fall National Championships. NCAA SVP for Inclusion Education and Community Management Martin: “The USOPC and NCAA Para-College Inclusion Project is monumental because it marks the first time the two organizations have partnered at this level to celebrate and highlight adaptive sports and the amazing experiences of college athletes with disabilities. The NCAA shares student-athlete stories through its many platforms and championships. We look forward to highlighting the wheelchair basketball exhibitions at this year’s Women’s Final Four fan events and the Division II and III women’s basketball championships in Dallas.” Alabama AD Byrne, Clemson AD Neff, Calvin (DIII) track & field student-athlete Detmer and Paralympian/Northern Iowa student-athlete Heims will comprise an implementation team to analyze the impact of the Para-College Inclusion Project in the fall of 2023. (link)
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Interested in advertising a job opening in D1.ticker? Click here to submit your position. To view more recent job openings by discipline, click on the corresponding button below...
(NEWEST!) Director of Athletics and Recreation (Grinnell College / Grinnell, IA): The Director of Athletics and Recreation oversees operations of the College's NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics program as well as intramural, outdoor and physical recreation programs. (DIII) More details HERE.
(NEWEST!) Assoc Athletic Director - Student Success (Eastern Washington University / Cheney, WA): Eastern Washington University Department of Athletics seeks a skilled and innovative Associate Athletics Director to lead the Academic Services for Student-Athletes & serve on the leadership team. More details HERE.
(NEWEST!) Sr. Athletics Academic Advisor (Eastern Washington University / Cheney, WA): Eastern Washington University seeks a skilled & innovative Senior Athletics Academic Advisor in creating, executing, & monitoring academic support programs to serve assigned student-athletes. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Associate Commissioner - Chief Financial Officer (Southland Conference / Frisco, TX): The Associate Commissioner - Chief Financial Officer will oversee and lead the Southland Conference’s financial strategy and planning initiatives to elevate the student-athlete experience. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Chief of Staff, Athletics (SMU / Dallas, TX): The Chief of Staff will provide executive level support to the Director of Athletics on strategic planning initiatives, Board of Trustee meetings, Strategy Team retreats and All-Staff meetings. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Assoc/Asst AD. Development (Eastern Kentucky University / Richmond, KY): Will assume an integral role within the University’s fundraising team. Incumbent will be focused on strategic objectives and directly responsible for major gift development. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Account Executive - Hotels (Short's Travel Management/STM - Stay / Waterloo, IA (remote)): This position will utilize networking and customer relationship skills to contact and qualify strategic prospects including university athletic departments, professional sports organizations, and more. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Learning Specialist (2 Openings) - Hawkins Center (University Athletic Association, Inc. at the University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): Works with student-athletes in need of academic support and with education-impacting disorders. Develops education programming and learning plans, offers learning strategies, and makes referrals. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Intern - Business & Finance (University Athletic Association, Inc. at the University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): Assists in supporting sports and departments across the UAA. Applies accounting/finance principals to perform specialized financial, administrative, and clerical accounting functions. Time-limited. More details HERE.
(NEW!) FellowVOL Post-Graduate Fellowship (University of Tennessee / Knoxville, TN): The FellowVOL program is a 12-month post-graduate athletics fellowship created for individuals looking to have a career in college athletics. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Athletic Graduate Assistant (Wichita State University / Wichita, KS): Wichita State Athletics is looking for multiple graduate assistants in the following areas: Communications, Marketing, Creative, Shocker LIFE, Ticket Operations, Facilities & Events and Equipment. More details HERE. |
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