JANUARY 6, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

News and notes on the largest and best Division in the NCAA. #whyD3
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👋 First Monday of the New Year! Welcome back

Headlines
🔴 North Central Wins 3rd Crown in Five Seasons
🖐️ NCAA Considering 5-Year Eligibility Rule
🏆️ Lehnen Repeats as Gagliardi Trophy Winner
🔄 The Biggest Changes to College Sports Are Coming in 2025

📆 What’s Happening This Week. The women’s volleyball rules committee meets on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Board of Governors Finance and Audit Committee meets Tuesday, while the BOG Executive Committee gathers on Thursday. And the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities holds its annual Presidents Institute in San Antonio through Tuesday.

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TOP STORY
1. Cardinals Paint H-Town Red

QB Luke Lehnen threw for four touchdowns and ran for another to lead North Central to its third NCAA Division III football championship in five seasons with a 41-25 victory against Mount Union.

The Cardinals (15-0) broke open a 21-17 game after three periods with three fourth-quarter TDs, including a pair of Lehnen scoring tosses and a 66-yard scamper by Charles Coleman.

T.J. DeShields threw for 314 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Purple Raiders (14-1) who fell in the Stagg Bowl for the second time in three seasons to NCC.

Lehnen was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player.

» Final Statistics

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STUDENTS
2. NCAA Considering 5-Year Eligibility Rule for All Student-Athletes

by Dustin Schutte, Sports Illustrated

“The NCAA is reportedly considering a rule change that would grant student-athletes across all sports five years of eligibility. Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today reported the news on Friday.

Currently, student-athletes have four full years of eligibility to use at the college level. It's unclear if the NCAA would still allow players to use a redshirt year across different sports. Currently, the only way to receive additional eligibility is for the NCAA to grant a waiver for individual student-athletes - usually because of injuries or other unique circumstances.

» The Big Picture. “Per Rothstein's report, the NCAA is expected to discuss this possible change early in 2025, but there's no real timetable regarding a decision.”

» Reality Check. “This would be a landscape changing move for college sports, which has seen many radical changes in the past few years such as NIL and the Transfer Portal.”

» Be Smart. While DIII does not need to follow a path chosen by DI, it is not hard to envision a trickle down across all divisions in time, should this be enacted.

» Continue Reading

FOOTBALL
3. Lehnen Wins Gagliardi Trophy

North Central quarterback Luke Lehnen is the recipient of the 2024 Gagliardi Trophy, presented to the top player in Division III football.

The senior became just the second Division III player to win two Gagliardi trophies and just the eighth in NCAA history to win a national top honor more than once.

Lehnen added to his honors collection, as he was also named AP National Offensive Player of the Year, D3football.com North Region Offensive Player of the Year, and CCIW Art Keller Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year.

The Cardinals have had four Gagliardi Trophy winners in the last five seasons, including QB Broc Rutter in 2019 and RB Ethan Greenfield in 2022.

» Read More

STUDENTS
4. The Biggest Changes to College Sports Are Coming in 2025

by Amanda Christovich, Front Office Sports

“In 2024, college football experienced multiple seismic shifts. A season of change began with another round of realignment led by the Pac-12, and culminated in the first 12-team College Football Playoff that, so far, has showcased an unprecedented amount of parity.

But in 2025, the entire business model of college sports could change in football and beyond. Revenue-sharing, employee status, and collective bargaining are all on the table.”

While the courts, Congress, and industry stakeholders battle over the specifics, college sports, and big-time football, in particular, are moving further into an era of professionalization.”

» What’s Next. “The most probable change, revenue-sharing, will result from the House v. NCAA settlement. Think of it as a give-and-take: The NCAA is conceding that schools should finally be allowed to pay players; but in exchange, it wants more power to control the NIL (name, image, and likeness) market.”

» Of Note. “The new makeup of Congress will likely also be pro-NCAA. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will head the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over college sports compensation questions, and he’s already said that passing a bill to govern college sports will be a priority. He’s signaled interest in banning athletes from being deemed employees, though he’s also conceded his legislation will need to be bipartisan.”

» Be Smart. “There are plenty of moving parts, but one thing is certain: In 2025, college athletes will look more like professionals than ever before.”

» Keep Reading

QUICK HITS
5. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🏀 Basketball (M). Top-ranked Emory suffered its first defeat of the season as No. 18 Christopher Newport defeated the Eagles, 83-76. Jahn Hines led four Captains in double figures with 19 points. No. 3 Trinity (Conn.) also received loss #1 as Babson downed the Bantams, 99-89, in double overtime.

👨‍🎓 Academics. North Central TE Bobby Behmer is the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award for DIII football. It is the second consecutive award for the economics major with a 4.0 GPA.

🤝 Merger. In the DII space, Gannon University and Ursuline College have inked a definitive agreement to merge by December 15, 2026. The schools their combination would create “the largest Catholic system of higher education along Lake Erie.”

🏈 Football. The transfer portal giveth and the portal taketh away. Saint John’s is the recipient of the former as QB Beau Bush is leaving DI South Dakota to play for the Johnnies.

🔼 Hiring. BOSCA and D3.ticker compiled a list of 45 athletic director hires in DIII in 2024. Twenty-one of those were internal hires, while 24 were external, including 13 from other DIII institutions.

🤼‍♂️ Wrestling. Congrats to Ohio Northern HC Ron Beaschler on recording the 400th dual-meet victory of his 37-year career as his Polar Bears blanked Mount St. Joseph.

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings

• ALVERNIA - Bill Stiles announced that he will step down as director of athletics in May

• GUILFORD - Kyle Farmbry stepped down as president. Jean Parvin Bordewich will serve as acting president

• NEUMANN - David Deal named deputy director of athletics. Gina McLaughlin named senior associate director of athletics/SWA

• WELLESLEY - Caitlin Pickul stepped down as head soccer coach

7. Plays of the Weekend

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