SEPTEMBER 2, 2024 | written by STEVE ULRICH

News and notes on the largest and best Division in the NCAA. #whyD3
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TOP STORY
1. NCAA Considers Applying Football Redshirt Rule to Athletes in All Sports

by Ross Dellenger, Yahoo! Sports

“The NCAA is considering more historic changes to its amateurism rules.

Member schools plan to seriously consider granting athletes in all sports, not just football, the ability to participate in up to a certain percentage of games in a fifth season and still use their redshirt; permit athletes to earn prize money before they enroll in college; and eliminate the National Letter of Intent.

The potential changes are part of what is expected to be a year-long comprehensive review of NCAA athlete-eligibility rules to reflect and operationalize the House settlement terms, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports.”

» Situational Awareness. “While expected given the arrival of athlete revenue sharing next year, the changes under consideration are historic and significant in nature — the latest steps in college sports’ evolution away from the amateurism model that has cost it billions in legal losses.”

» Why It Matters. “In one of the more notable potential changes, athletes in all sports could participate in up to a certain amount of contests during a sports season while still using their redshirt. Such a policy is only currently permitted in football and wrestling.”

» What’s Next. “If the policy is changed, sport-specific NCAA committees will be tasked with determining how many contests a player in each sport can participate in before a year of eligibility is exhausted. In the NCAA documents, an example is offered of 30%, a similar figure used in football.”

» Continue Reading

STUDENTS

2. UW-Whitewater Gymnastics Champion Kara Welsh Killed in Shooting, Man in Custody

by Jim Riccioli and Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student and a national gymnastics champion, was shot and killed late Friday night. A 23-year-old suspect is in custody.

Welsh, who is from Plainfield, Illinois, was a member of the Warhawk gymnastics team, the university said in a statement. Last year, Welsh took the individual national title on vault at the NCAA Division III championships. She majored in management in the university's College of Business and Economics.”

» Driving The News. “Police have not yet named the 23-year-old suspect, who remains in Walworth County Jail. Police said the shooting happened at an off-campus apartment building. Details of what led to the shooting were not released, though police said it evolved from an altercation between Welsh and the man, who knew each other.”

» What They’re Saying. "We know the news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community. It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve," UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey King said.”

» Read More

GOLF (M)

3. Monarchs Top Preseason Poll

“After winning their NCAA Division III Men’s Golf-record 14th national championship in May, Methodist is No. 1 in the Preseason Bushnell/Golfweek DIII Coaches Poll.

The Monarchs received six first-place votes and 264 points on August 30, five more than Carnegie Mellon (three first-place votes and 259 points).”

» Conference Call. ODAC (4), MIAC (3), SCIAC (3), ASC (2), NCAC (2), SAA (2), UAA (2), CC (1), CCIW (1), CCS (1), NACC (1), NEWMAC (1), USA South (1), WIAC (1).

» Complete Poll

ROUNDUP

4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🗞️  News. “The NCAA blocked Oklahoma State from placing QR codes on its players' helmets — a move that would have allowed fans to link to a team fund and donate to the program's name, image and likeness (NIL) money pool.”

🏈 Flag Football. “A new opportunity awaits the women students at the University of Redlands when they return to campus: Women's Flag Football as a club sport in the spring of 2025, with plans to elevate it to an NCAA Division III-sponsored program in 2025-26.”

TRANSACTIONS
5. Comings and Goings

• HENDRIX - Tony Marleneanu resigned as head swimming coach

• PLATTSBURGH STATE - Zach Nedbalski named head men’s lacrosse coach

• RHODES - Laura Hurff named interim head field hockey coach

• ROSE-HULMAN - Matt Wilson named head tennis coach

• RPI - Sachi Vines resigned as associate athletic director

• TEXAS-DALLAS - Bruce Unrue retired as associate athletic director for media relations

• THOMAS - Jeannine Diddle Uzzi named president 

• TRANSYLVANIA - Dalton Christopher named assistant athletic director of communications and media. Jonathan French named assistant director

• WILLIAM PEACE - Troy Humphrey named head men’s lacrosse coach

• WISCONSIN-RIVER FALLS - Ethan Giese named head softball coach

• WITTENBERG - Darren Hertz named head men’s basketball coach

1 THING

6. Private Equity Takes on Youth Sports

“U.S. families spend more than $30 billion annually on youth sports, which now operate year-round with a phalanx of professional facilities and staff.

Private equity is helping to make it happen — and hoping to profit from it.

🏦 Zoom in: One of the largest players is Unrivaled Sports — launched earlier this year by a pair of veteran private equity investors who began buying up pro sports teams over a decade ago.

🥅 The bottom line: The youth sports industrial complex has been great for some kids, providing them with better coaching and facilities.

It has priced out others, denying them the chance to play and improve alongside more affluent peers.” (Axios)

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