#10: Power conference leaders are considering reducing the size of football rosters as part of a new student-athlete compensation model, according to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, who notes rosters could shrink from 115+ to as few as 85-95 players, roughly aligning with the current scholarship limit. As such, the future of walk-on student-athletes could be in jeopardy. Dellenger reports settlement negotiations in the House case that are being socialized includes new roster limitations but would remove scholarship restrictions, thereby allowing schools to award scholarships to every player on a given roster. “The move is rooted in legalities. Permitting scholarship expansion is a way to avoid future antitrust lawsuits related to athlete restrictions. It also affords schools more freedom to strike a balance with the federal Title IX law requiring equal benefits to women and men athletes. Setting football roster limits is also an effort to both (1) reduce expenses amid the rising costs of athlete revenue sharing and (2) instill a cost-containment concept to limit a school’s scholarship distribution.” Administrators from the Big 12, ACC and SEC tell Dellenger they’re budgeting $8-10M for increased scholarship costs. Also from Dellenger: “In positive news for administrators, a portion of the additional scholarship expense – perhaps as much as $3 million – may be counted toward the revenue-sharing cap. However, one administrator asks: “Do you want your cap high or do you want it lower?” That answer is likely determined based on a school’s resource level. More from Dellenger. (link)
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#9: More details are beginning to emerge in a potential House v. NCAA settlement as Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, as well as ESPN’s Pete Thamel & Dan Murphy, break it all down. $2.9B is the number reported as the settlement amount with the NCAA paying out the sum over 10 years to previous student-athletes who did not have the opportunity to monetize their NIL. Along with the settlement would come a revenue sharing agreement moving forward that could cost Power 4 programs up to $30M per year, broken down this way: “(1) a $17-22 million revenue distribution cap for athletes; (2) at least $2 million in withheld NCAA distribution for back damages; and (3) as much as $10 million in additional scholarship costs related to an expansion of sport-specific roster sizes — a concept previously unpublicized.” More on that last item: “The expense of increasing scholarships is significant. Two power conference administrators told Yahoo Sports that they plan to add more than 100 additional scholarships at the expense of $9-10 million annually. A portion of the additional scholarship expense may be counted toward the revenue-sharing cap, but that too is a fluctuating figure.” From an industry source on the negotiations: “They've got stuff on paper. This is not just lawyers and commissioners meeting and having a cocktail. This snowball is moving downhill. The horizon on this is about a month.” Timeline on when all of this could go into effect: Fall of 2025 at the earliest. Lots more. (link, link)
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#8: Sam Houston has unveiled a new secondary mascot mark set to roll-out this fall. Check it out. (link) |
#7: Marquette has formed an eight-person search committee to select its next AD. Chaired by Diederich College of Communication Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs/FAR Kati Berg, the committee will be assisted by Collegiate Sports Associates. Additional notable committee members: Executive Assoc. AD/SWA Sarah Bobert & Asst. AD for Compliance Jamie McGaver. (link)
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#6: Northern Iowa has named Drake Senior Assoc. AD for Strategic Initiatives & External Operations/SWA Megan Franklin as its new AD. UNI President Mark Nook: "Megan has been a key contributor to the renaissance of Drake Athletics in recent years. Her understanding of the NCAA Division I landscape and the Missouri Valley Conference will be immediately beneficial to Panther Athletics. Her longstanding commitment to student-athlete success stood out among a field of very strong candidates. Megan’s vision of how UNI Athletics can compete for championships, while bolstering the profile of our entire university impressed me and the rest of our search committee." Franklin's tenure in Cedar Falls will officially begin next Monday. (link)
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#5: UTRGV argues that a former Tennis AC who has accused the school of firing her because of her sexual orientation was actually let go for violating the school’s policy while traveling for a tournament. (link)
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#4: “There are no plans or discussions about a departure of Derrick Gragg from Northwestern University administration.” That’s Northwestern VP for Global Marketing & Communications Jon Yates as the Daily Herald’s Jim O’Donnell reports, “MULTIPLE SOURCES TOUCHING some very high places have been indicating that Gragg is leaving.” More from Yates: “As we face an uncertain and challenging environment in intercollegiate athletics, Dr. Gragg will help us chart future directions.” (link)
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#3: More details are beginning to emerge in a potential House v. NCAA settlement as Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, as well as ESPN’s Pete Thamel & Dan Murphy, break it all down. $2.9B is the number reported as the settlement amount with the NCAA paying out the sum over 10 years to previous student-athletes who did not have the opportunity to monetize their NIL. Along with the settlement would come a revenue sharing agreement moving forward that could cost Power 4 programs up to $30M per year, broken down this way: “(1) a $17-22 million revenue distribution cap for athletes; (2) at least $2 million in withheld NCAA distribution for back damages; and (3) as much as $10 million in additional scholarship costs related to an expansion of sport-specific roster sizes — a concept previously unpublicized.” More on that last item: “The expense of increasing scholarships is significant. Two power conference administrators told Yahoo Sports that they plan to add more than 100 additional scholarships at the expense of $9-10 million annually. A portion of the additional scholarship expense may be counted toward the revenue-sharing cap, but that too is a fluctuating figure.” From an industry source on the negotiations: “They've got stuff on paper. This is not just lawyers and commissioners meeting and having a cocktail. This snowball is moving downhill. The horizon on this is about a month.” Timeline on when all of this could go into effect: Fall of 2025 at the earliest. Lots more. (link, link)
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#2: So, too, has the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. Defending champion Notre Dame is the top overall seed, followed by Duke, Johns Hopkins and Syracuse. First-round games will be aired on ESPN. The tournament runs from May 8-27, with the title game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (link - release, link - bracket)
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#1: The 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship field has been announced. Northwestern tops the 29-team field, followed by Boston College, Syracuse and Maryland. First-round games begin May 10 and will be shown live on ESPN+. North Carolina is hosting the final championship weekend, May 24 & 26, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. (link - release, link - bracket)
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