#10: Sul Ross State has received approval from the Texas State University System Board of Regents to “negotiate and execute a contract for membership in the Lone Star Conference (DII).” Asked if SRSU has the financial resources to comfortably move into the LSC, newly-named President Hernandez: “That’ll be part of the contract negotiations that we’ll enter into with the Lone Star Conference, but we believe we have the capacity to absorb this, especially with decreased costs associated with travel we’ll be able to offset the increased cost of scholarships.” (link)
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#9: Wayne State (MI) AD Fournier has retired after being placed on administrative leave earlier this month for an undisclosed reason. In an email to staff, President Wilson: “I think we can safely say that today’s Wayne State athletics department is far beyond what it was when Rob arrived in 2000. And we are all the beneficiaries of this development.” Wilson will announce an Interim AD in the near future. (link)
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#8: MIAA Commissioner Racy expresses some frustration with the FB selection process with a number of top teams nationally housed in Region III: “For the MIAA on selection day to be worried about a second team into the playoffs, I think we can do better than that. I think there’s some things that we’re going to need to look at as a conference and that’s the way we schedule and I think there are things that need to be looked at nationally.” Broadly, Racy takes issue with the emphasis on strength of schedule over in-region record, continuing: “The GAC and the MIAA have close schedules, but we’ve built our membership around that. We value football. We value the sponsorship of football and we want our schools to have opponents in the region to play but the selection committee instead put a lot of weight on strength of schedule and that is a measuring tool that really penalizes our conference.” (link)
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#7: The WSOC semis are set for Dec. 1 with West Chester vs Ferris State and Columbus State vs Western Washington. (link) |
#6: The University of Indianapolis will remain in the DII ranks “at this time” & not push for a move up to DI after the Board of Trustees fully vetted the opportunity. However, UIndy Interim President Terry with key context: “It’s [going DI] a work in progress…, We’ve got to get it implemented. We’ve got to make sure that it’s going to be successful before we can make the decision to go DI… It’s going to be well thought out; it’s going to be resourced. We’re going to have the resources to do it. Once we get those plans and the resources in place, we’ll do it.” (link)
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#5: West Texas A&M will hire a new FB HC after parting with HC Hughes who accrued a 32-29 record over six seasons. (link) |
#4: Franklin Pierce, Lake Erie and Colorado State-Pueblo have secured spots in the MSOC semifinals. (link); The Barry-Rollins matchup was postponed at halftime due to weather and will be finished on Saturday afternoon. (link)
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#3: Holy Names has released a statement on the future of athletics, reading in part: "Like many small, tuition-dependent universities nationwide, HNU is facing financial challenges. To address these challenges, HNU’s Board of Trustees is exploring a partnership with another educational institution. ... As partnership discussions continue, we feel a responsibility to our community to be transparent about transitions that will be needed to prepare for such a change. It has become apparent that beginning Fall 2023, HNU will no longer be able to offer an athletics program. Knowing the important role that athletics has in our community makes this news difficult to share. The announcement is being made now to provide our student-athletes with as much time as possible to explore their options. HNU staff and coaches, and our entire community, are committed to working with student-athletes on their individual paths forward and ensuring they are supported through this transition." (link)
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#2: Only two regional 1-seeds advanced to the WVB championship site, with quarterfinal action scheduled for Dec. 1. (link) |
#1: Alaska Anchorage WVB HC Green resigns after 15 seasons. (link); Green sounds off on the events leading up to his departure, citing “disrespectful” treatment from admin regarding not hosting the West Region WVB tournament in favor of the Women’s Great Alaska Shootout. Green asserts he was not consulted on any scheduling matters for the weekend and, regarding admin, “I don’t know that we worked hard enough” to make both events happen. More from Green: “I think we lost out on the inside track for a national championship and that really burns. ... I just feel something was stolen from this volleyball program.” Green characterizes his final meeting with AD Swartwood as “cordial,” but believes he was not allowed enough time to address the team and recruits prior to the news becoming public. (link)
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