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TOP STORY
1. NCAA Continues Partnership With Endeavor as Media Adviser

by Michael Smith, Sports Business Journal

“The NCAA is bringing back Endeavor to consult and advise on its next round of media negotiations, which will include the women’s basketball championship either as a stand-alone property or as part of a package of media rights.

This will be Endeavor’s second tour with the NCAA as an adviser. Media consultants Karen Brodkin and Hillary Mandel first began working with the NCAA from Feb. 1 through early August. When that contract ended, the NCAA again sought a media adviser through a competitive bid process. Endeavor was chosen again because, sources said, it already was familiar with the NCAA and for financial considerations.

This round of media rights includes all of the NCAA championships except for men’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf. ESPN has been in possession of those multitude of rights dating back to 2011 when this current 12-year deal was signed. It runs through August 2024, and a new media rights contract would begin with the fall championships. Talks with the incumbent, ESPN, are expected to run through the end of the year.”

» Between The Lines. “The championships across all other sports represent a total of 2,200 hours of live content, if they are all bundled together. In addition to the women’s basketball championship, this package of championships includes the NCAA’s domestic and international media rights to all NCAA Championships, the NIT and the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).”

» What They’re Saying ““After going through this first phase and this really thorough analysis with Endeavor that looked at all of the women’s team championship sports anywhere in the world, short of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the greatest value is in this package,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s SVP/basketball, pointing to the national championships in women’s basketball, the Women’s College World Series, gymnastics and volleyball.”

» Be Smart. Could Division III see a better package for championship events? We’ll soon see.

» Read More

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PRESIDENTS
2. The Enemy Within: Former College Presidents Offer Warnings

by David Rosowsky, Forbes

“There have been several recent articles by former presidents of private liberal arts colleges who are opining on the inability of colleges and universities to realize needed transformational change, no matter the nature or the urgency of the existential threat.

Their writing is frank and honest, but also sensitive and balanced. They express their thoughts, as they led their institutions, with humility, frustration and disappointment at times, and even humor (disarming and self-deprecating). Significantly, nearly all their points, concerns, and warnings were the same as those being ascribed to public research universities, about which I and others have written in recent years.”

» Situational Awareness. “There are, of course, differences between private liberal arts colleges and public research universities. But it seems evident that the combination of economics, public opinion, political pressures and polarization, enrollment trends and projections, student expectations, employer expectations, AND the very structures and processes that have come to define American higher education (including shared governance, tenure, academic calendar) have rendered both type of institutions unable to realize needed change. Now, at least for some (smaller private) institutions, the question has become "is it too late?"

» Why It Matters. “President (Brian) Rosenberg also speaks frankly if not apologetically about how college presidents think about shared governance versus how they speak about it on their campuses and to their constituencies, saying “shared governance is one of those things that if you ask any college president off the record, they’ll probably express their frustration, then they’ll go back to their campus and wax poetic about the wonders of shared governance, because that’s what they have to do to survive.”

» Worth Noting. “And in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “when you are finished changing, you are finished.”

» Read More

FOOTBALL
3. On Wisconsin

A pair of Wisconsin schools - Whitewater and River Falls - moved higher in the top-10 of the latest D3football.com rankings. Whitewater downed #20 Oshkosh to jump over Wartburg one spot to the No. 3 position, while River Falls’ 27-16 win over Platteville allowed the Falcons to vault past Trinity TX to No. 5.

Randolph-Macon was the main benefactor of Wheaton’s loss to No. 1 North Central, moving into the top-10 at No. 10. Say hello to Grove City and Berry in this week’s top-25, while bidding adieu to Oshkosh and Carnegie Mellon.

» Notable. UW-La Crosse QB Keyser Helterbrand ran for 128 yards, threw for 297 and accounted for six TDs in the Eagles’ 45-40 win over UW-Stout. Franklin RB Garrett Cora ran 265 yards and three TDs in the Grizzlies’ 31-24 win vs. Bluffton. Anna Maria QB Ryan Russell completed 30-of-40 passes for 539 yards and six TDs in a 50-49 loss to Husson. Carleton WR Nathan Streiff caught 17 passes for 190 yards and three scores in a 36-35 win vs. Concordia-Moorhead. Northwestern WR Beau Burk caught 14 passes for 289 yards with three trips to the end zone in a 42-38 win at Martin Luther. Sewanee DL Quinn Johnson had five solo and one assisted sack in a 20-19 win at Hendrix.

» Since the Coolidge Administration. Grove City improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1926 with a 31-24 win vs. Washington & Jefferson.

» Next Week. #3 UW-Whitewater (4-0) vs. #14 UW-La Crosse (3-1); #12 John Carroll (3-1) vs. Marietta (3-1); #16 Ithaca (3-1) vs. RPI (4-0); #17 Cortland (3-1) vs. Utica (5-0); Union (5-0) vs. Rochester (4-1); Albion (5-0) vs. Hope (4-1).

THE WEEKEND
4. Movers and Shakers

Another big weekend of DIII sports saw another big Saturday and Sunday of conference action. Three top-10 teams fell in men’s soccer, while a pair of women’s soccer top-10 teams battled to draws against non-ranked foes. Field hockey will see some movement in the rankings, while No. 3 UW-Oshkosh made a statement against No. 2 Hope in volleyball.

BANDS
5. The Bracket

Here. We. Go.

The 2023 D3Playbook “Best Fight Song” in Division III contest begins today.

For each of the 16 first-round contests, you can vote via “X” (or as I prefer, Twitter), to select your preference. We’ll start the first round with two matchups per day through October 11. Polls open at 7 AM ET and close at midnight ET.

Here is the bracket and today’s online matchups.

Monday’s matches: Adrian vs. Wittenberg; Hanover vs. Hope

NEWS
6. Lightning Round

🗞 News. Marietta College is planning to phase out up to 10 academic programs. Interim President Dr. Margaret Drugovich said the decision rests with the Board of Trustees. The college has 1,171 students total and 53 of them are in programs that could be impacted.

🏀 Basketball (W). East Texas Baptist will open its 2023-24 women’s basketball season with an exhibition against defending Division I national champion LSU on Oct. 26 in Baton Rouge.

🏌️‍♀️ Golf (M). Springfield won the MASCAC championship by 21 shots over MCLA. The Trailblazers’ Matt Gover took the individual crown with a 71-76-147.

TRANSACTIONS
7. Comings and Goings

• ALMA - Alex Lee no longer serving as head swimming coach.

• CENTRE - Noah Hughes named assistant athletic director for communications 

HIGHLIGHTS
8. #D3Plays

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