Management Council Recap

Gives initial budget approval for FY25 and 26

Author

Steve Ulrich
July 29, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

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JULY 29, 2024 | written by STEVE ULRICH

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🏅 Bonjour DIII. It’s the last week of July and the first full week of Olympic competition. Thanks for supporting D3Playbook.

TOP STORY
1. Management Council Recap

“The Division III Management Council reviewed and provided initial approval of the division's two-year budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 during its meeting this week at the national office in Indianapolis.

If approved by the Presidents Council, the budget includes increases of:

  • $438,500 for enrichment fund initiatives, such as conference grant funding, officiating support, athletic trainer and sports information professional development

  • $3.5 million for championships, which includes expenses related to bracket expansion, an increase in per diem and officiating fees, and a joint championship for men's basketball.

  • $3.5 million in supplemental expenses, which involve providing championship hosts with a stipend to offset livestreaming costs, creating a national platform to house livestreams of preliminary rounds of team championships, a health and safety grant for schools, and funding to provide flexibility in establishing brackets to protect highly ranked teams.”

» Convention Proposals. “Create a National Collegiate Championship for women's wrestling; Amend the Division III legislative process; Provide the opportunity for a school reclassifying to Division III to request a waiver to reduce the process from three years to two years.”

» Worth Noting. “The council approved a recommendation from the Championships Committee to approve a waiver of Bylaw 31.3.5.1-(b) for up to two years to allow flexibility to ensure top-ranked teams don't compete against each other in the early round(s) of a championship.”

» Leadership. “The council elected UW-Eau Claire’s Jason Verdugo as chair and Luther FAR Rob Larson as vice chair. These changes are effective immediately and run until January 2026.”

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2. NCAA, College Leaders File Landmark Agreement in Antitrust Cases

by Ross Dellenger, Yahoo! Sports

“For decades, the NCAA and college sports leaders went to great lengths to both avoid court and congressional intervention.

Now, in the wake of a landmark settlement agreement, the courts hold significant oversight over the industry’s new model and only Congress can prevent what some college leaders see as an inevitable end — athlete employment.

The NCAA and power conferences on Friday filed their 100-plus page long-form agreement in the settlement of three antitrust lawsuits (House, Hubbard and Carter), ushering in a future of athlete revenue sharing, expanding scholarships to full rosters and creating a historic enforcement system of arbitration overseen by the courts. The new concepts take effect at the start of the 2025-26 academic year next summer or fall.”

» Driving The News. “According to documents sent to Yahoo Sports, 83% of the back pay — $2.3 billion — is expected to go to an estimated 19,000 football and men’s basketball players, many of them from power conferences. That is an average of about $120,000 per player over the 10-year period, or $12,000 a year.”

» Between The Lines. “A court-appointed “special master” will settle disputes over compliance and interpretation matters about the revenue-sharing model, a role currently occupied by the NCAA office. A “neutral arbiter” is charged with hearing and ruling on appeals from athletes or schools found to have violated rules connected to the new model, a role currently held by the NCAA infractions entity.”

» Of Note. “The plaintiffs and attorneys will assist in NCAA and power conference lobbying efforts for congressional legislation to codify the settlement agreement and, most importantly, not advocate against the NCAA on Capitol Hill, which they, very much, have done over the last several months. They will take a “neutral” stance on the employment issues, according to settlement language.”

COMMISSIONERS

3. 50-50 Split Among Men, Women in DIII Commissioner Ranks

Division III has achieved equity in numbers in its conference commissioner ranks, according to the online NCAA Directory.

Among the 42 full-time conference commissioners, 20 are female and 20 are male with two openings. The numbers are not equal among single-sport conferences with men holding five of the six commissioner spots.

The top three positions in the Division III Commissioners Association are also held by women - Jenn Dubow, executive director of the SCIAC (president), Keri Luchowski, executive director of the NCAC (vice president), and Katie Boldvich, commissioner of the Landmark Conference (secretary-treasurer).

» Women (20). Donna Ledwin (AMCC), Marie Stroman (A-R-C), Rebecca Mullen (AEC), Portia Hoeg (CC), Maureen Harty (CCIW), Beth Vansant (CCS), Katie Boldvich (LC), Angela Baumann (MASCAC), Megan Morrison (MAC), Heather Benning (MWC), Andrea Savage (NESCAC), Marcella Zalot (NAC), Keri Luchowski (NCAC), Shana Levine (NWC), Melissa Reilly (SKY), Stacey LaDew (SAA), Jenn Dubow (SCIAC), Stephanie Dutton (UEC), Sarah Otey (UAA), Danielle Harris (WIAC).

» Men (20). David Flores (ASC), Carl Christian (CUNYAC), Chris Roekle (C2C), Patrick Colbert (CCC), Chuck Mitrano (E8), Joe Walsh (GNAC), Jay Jones (HCAC), Tracy King (LL), Al Bean (LEC), Dan McKane (MIAC), Jeff Ligney (NACC), Patrick Summers (NEWMAC), Terry Small (NJAC), Brad Bankston (ODAC), Joe Onderko (PAC), Dwayne Hanberry (SCAC), Dick Kaiser (SLIAC), Tom Di Camillo (SUNYAC), Corey Borchardt (UMAC), Tom Hart (USA South).

» Open (2). Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Ohio Athletic Conference

Single Sport Conferences (if not served by full-time commissioner)

» Men (5). JJ Nekoloff (Continental Volleyball), William McLean (Mid-Atlantic Rowing), Chuck Yrigoyen (Midwest Volleyball), Michael Whalen (New England Wrestling), Jim Olson (Northern Collegiate Hockey).

» Women (1). Lindsay Colbert (New England Volleyball)

NEWS

4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» 💰️ Finances. Wittenberg University is considering millions of dollars in cuts to faculty and staff after facing many of the same financial problems that universities across the country are facing, according to emails sent to alumni and students. According to the email, such a plan would cut projected deficits, eliminating a deficit entirely by the third year; cut staff positions at a minimum of $3 million in the current 2025 fiscal year and beyond, and eliminate “faculty lines” at $4 million in the 2026 fiscal year and beyond.”

TRANSACTIONS
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