APRIL 15, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

What administrators, coaches, parents and fans are reading. #whyD3
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💸  Happy Tax Day. You’ve filed, right?

🗓️ What’s Happening This Week. The DIII Championships Committee meets today, while the Management Council meets Wednesday and Thursday. The DIII Membership Committee convenes on Thursday, while the Board of Governors takes center stage on Friday.

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TOP STORY
1. Athletes Accuse NCAA of Academic Discrimination Against Black Students

by Caitlin Rosen, Courthouse News Service

“Several student-athletes maintained to a Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Monday that the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s academic policies discriminate against Black college athletes and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Troyce Manassa, a former basketball player at historically Black college Savannah State University, filed a class action against the NCAA in 2020 after his team was banned from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference due to the association’s Academic Performance Program.

The NCAA’s Academic Performance Program was enacted in 2004 for Division I schools, and it subjects teams to penalties for academic underperformance as opposed to individual student-athletes.”

» Background. “The APP is based on two metrics — the graduation rate and the academic progress rate. The academic progress rate is a team-based measurement of eligibility, retention and graduation, and is used to determine eligibility for postseason games, according to the appellee’s brief.”

» Why It Matters. “The students’ attorney, Elizabeth Fegan, argued before the panel that the NCAA knew the academic performance benchmarks would discriminate against HBCU student-athletes but enforced the program anyway with the express intention of changing the mission of historically Black colleges and universities.”

» Continue Reading

NEWS
2. Miller Named McKay Scholarship Recipient

by Corbin McGuire, NCAA

“Sam Miller, a senior women's tennis student-athlete and communications major at Trinity (Texas), has been named the 2025 recipient of the NCAA Jim McKay Scholarship. The $10,000 graduate scholarship is awarded annually by the NCAA to a student-athlete who exhibits outstanding academic performance and shows promise for a future career in sports communications or public relations.

Miller, a senior from Georgetown, Texas, will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in communication and minors in sport management and education. She plans to pursue a master's degree in sport management in England, building on a study-abroad experience and coursework focused on international sport culture.”

» Tell Me More. “The McKay Scholarship, established in 2008, honors pioneering sportscaster Jim McKay and is administered by the NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship Committee. McKay, best known for hosting ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and his award-winning coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics, exemplified clarity, compassion and professionalism — qualities reflected in the scholarship recipients.”

» Worth Noting. Miller, a member of three straight SCAC championship teams, has been named to the conference’s academic honor roll three straight years. The president of Trinity’s SAAC, she has has immersed herself in the communications field, supporting projects like the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio.

» Quotable. "Whether organizing communications for community outreach initiatives, working in the charitable arm of a professional sports organization, or educating the public on the value of sports, I want to make a difference in the world — like Jim McKay."

» Continue Reading

LACROSSE (M)
3. Gulls, Jumbos Top Men’s Lacrosse NPI Ranking

The top nine teams from last week remain in their same spot in the latest NCAA DIII men’s lacrosse power index with unbeatens Salisbury and Tufts leading the pack.

» Top 10 (M). 1-Salisbury (14-0, 90.401); 2-Tufts (12-0, 89.555); 3-RIT (14-1, 84.002); 4-Christopher Newport (13-2, 81.157); 5-Bowdoin (11-1, 78.637); 6-RPI (12-1, 77.964);
7-Amherst (9-2, 77.252); 8-Gettysburg (9-3, 76.455); 9-Wesleyan (8-3, 75.694);
10-Stevenson (10-3, 72.936).

» At-Large Cut (13). Salisbury, CNU, Bowdoin, RPI, Amherst, Wesleyan, York (10-3, 72.622), Middlebury (7-6, 68.879), Trinity (8-5, 67.043), Lynchburg (8-5, 66.582), Ohio Wesleyan (9-3, 66.482), St. Lawrence (8-4, 66.426), Swarthmore (10-3, 66.284).

» First Two Out. Dickinson (8-5, 66.194), Bates (8-6, 65.670).

» Complete List

LACROSSE (W)
4. Profs, Gulls Make Big Moves

Rowan and Salisbury made the week’s biggest leaps in the NCAA DIII women’s lacrosse Power Index. The Profs used a victory against F&M to vault five spots from #11 to #6, while the Sea Gulls’ triumphs against Shenandoah and TCNJ allowed SU to jump 11 spots to No. 9.

» Top 10 (W). 1-Middlebury (13-0, 78.327); 2-Tufts (12-1, 71.979); 3-Gettysburg (11-2, 70.747); 4-Franklin & Marshall (11-2, 70.651); 5-Colby (10-2, 69.383); 6-Rowan (11-1, 67.385); 7-St. John Fisher (12-0, 67.190); 8-Amherst (9-3, 64.736); 9-Salisbury (10-3, 64.584); 10-Wooster (13-0, 64.536).

» At-Large Cut (17). Tufts, F&M, Colby, Amherst, Salisbury, Wesleyan (9-4, 63.792), TCNJ (9-3, 62.652), Muhlenberg (10-2, 62.158), Haverford (9-4, 61.797), Messiah (11-3, 61.665), Babson (10-2, 61.593), Mary Washington (9-3, 61.439), Trinity (7-5, 60.975), Chicago (10-4, 60.219), Plymouth State (10-2, 59.842), Denison (8-4, 59.778), Williams (6-6, 59.174).

» First Two Out. Connecticut College (7-6, 58.808), Ithaca (8-4, 58.732).

» Complete List

VOLLEYBALL (M)
5. Bracket Revealed

The 19-team field for the 2025 NCAA Division III men’s volleyball championship is out and NYU, Carthage, Stevens and Southern Virginia will serve as host institutions for the opening rounds.

April 17-18-19
Baruch (17-11) vs. Buffalo State (20-11) | winner at #1 New York U. (25-0)
#9 Vassar (22-6) vs. #8 Cal Lutheran (21-5)

#18 Mount Union (20-8) vs. #4 Springfield (22-4)
#10 Aurora (26-4) at #5 Carthage (22-3)

Nichols (19-14) vs. Randolph-Macon (22-9) | winner at #3 Stevens (25-4)
#13 Wentworth (26-6) vs. #6 Juniata (29-4)

Thiel (22-6) vs. St. Joseph’s, L.I. (22-8) | winner at #2 Southern Virginia (31-1)
#24 Lancaster Bible (23-7) vs. #7 Messiah (25-3)

» Complete Bracket

BASEBALL
6. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

The initial NCAA DIII baseball power index was released on Monday and Johns Hopkins holds down the top spot with UW-Whitewater and Denison hot on the Blue Jays’ heels.

» Top 10. 1-Johns Hopkins (27-3, 65.465); 2-UW-Whitewater (21-2, 64.255); 3-Denison (21-5, 62.821); 4-Salisbury (25-5, 62.706); 5-La Verne (23-5, 62.161); 6-Endicott (21-3, 61.918); 7-Lynchburg (27-5, 61.091); 8-Kean (25-5, 60.962); 9-Case Western Reserve (20-9, 60.554); 10-UW-La Crosse (19-6, 60.396).

» Conference Call (Top 40). New Jersey (4), Southern Athletic (3), Southern California (3), UAA (3), Wisconsin (3), American Rivers (2), CCS (2), Centennial (2), Ohio (2), Southern Collegiate (2), St. Louis (2), SUNYAC (2), American Southwest (1), Coast-to-Coast (1), Conf. of New England (1), Empire 8 (1), Minnesota (1), NEWMAC (1), North Coast (1), Old Dominion (1), Presidents (1), United East (1)

» Complete List

SOFTBALL
7. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

The initial NCAA DIII softball power index was released on Monday and East Texas Baptist tops the charts. Unbeaten Rowan is a close second, followed by Virginia Wesleyan, Christopher Newport and Linfield.

» Top 10. 1-East Texas Baptist (24-2, 69.211); 2-Rowan (30-0, 68.090); 3-Virginia Wesleyan (28-1-1, 67.609); 4-Christopher Newport (26-2, 67.090); 5-Linfield (24-2, 66.658); 6-Texas Lutheran (29-1, 66.212); 7-Trine (22-4, 65.718);8-Huntingdon (30-3, 65.593); 9-Redlands (27-6, 64.866); 10-Salisbury (25-3-1, 63.912).

» Conference Call (Top 40). UAA (3), Wisconsin (3), American Rivers (2), American Southwest (2), CCIW (2), CCS (2), Centennial (2), Coast-to-Coast (2), Heartland (2), New Jersey (2), Northwest (2), Old Dominion (2), Southern California (2), Landmark (1), Liberty (1), Little East (1), MAC Commonwealth (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), Northern Athletics (1), NESCAC (1), Ohio (1), Southern Collegiate (1), St. Louis (1), USA South (1)

» Complete List

NEWS YOU CAN USE
8. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» Finances. The 77 colleges and universities with the most to lose from funding-cutoff threats by the Trump Administration include DIIIs MIT, Washington U., Emory, Johns Hopkins, New York U., Chicago, Caltech, Rochester, Case Western Reserve, Williams, Amherst, Wellesley, Pomona-Pitzer, Swarthmore, Smith, Bowdoin, Grinnell, Washington and Lee, Trinity TX, Middlebury, Bryn Mawr, Berry, Claremont McKenna, Hamilton, and Carleton. Flagships Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Penn State, Rutgers, and Massachusetts are also included on the list from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

» Title. The plane crash that took the life of 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Karenna Groff also claimed the life of Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore who played for the Centennial Conference champion men’s basketball team. May their memories always be a blessing.

» Fundraising. John Carroll raised over $460,000 for athletics during its Day of Giving. Dickinson had 1,345 donors give more than $350,000 for its McAndrews Fund during its Day of Giving. UW-Eau Claire amassed over $318,000 during its athletics week of giving.

TRANSACTIONS
9. Comings and Goings

GALLAUDET - Stefan LeFors named head football coach
KALAMAZOO - Jorge G. Gonzalez announced his retirement as president at the end of the 2025-26 academic year
OHIO NORTHERN - Jon Tropf named head men’s basketball coach

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