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OCTOBER 21, 2024 | written by STEVE ULRICH

News and notes on the largest and best Division in the NCAA. #whyD3
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Headlines
💵 NCAA Looks to Court Favor With Booker
🔄 It’s Time for Colleges to Undergo a Major Attitude Shift
📈 D3football.com Weekly Poll
🏈 NCAC Adds WashU As Football Affiliate

🗓️ What’s Happening Today. The DIII Management Council begins its two-day session today in Indianapolis.

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TOP STORY
1. NCAA Looks to Court Favor With Booker

by Daniel Libit, Sportico

“Arkansas head men’s basketball coach John Calipari’s (political contributions) giving served as an outlier among major college sports figures, according to a Sportico review of state and federal campaign finance reports. Regardless of how much money they make, or how politically engaged they behave online, the cohort has largely avoided opening their wallets to candidates this cycle. This is in spite of the increasingly political dynamics of the intercollegiate athletics industry, which in recent years has been turned on its head by state-based NIL laws, and which has habitually lobbied Congress to come to its aid.

One notable example where this appeared to come into play was in April, when Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) - who has been at the center of a bipartisan legislative effort at passing an NIL reform bill - received a number of contributions from college sports notables. They included NCAA president Charlie Baker ($2,500); Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark ($2,500); LEAD1 president Tom McMillen ($2,500); college sports consultant Oliver Luck ($2,500); MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher ($500); college basketball commentator Len Elmore ($1,000); college sports attorney Bob Boland ($500); Northwestern’s then-athletic director Derrick Gragg ($500); and Maryland AD Damon Evans ($250).”

On April 17, McMillen hosted a Booker fundraiser at his Capitol Hill home, which Baker and Luck attended in person, and Yormark joined virtually.”

» Of Note. “McMillen, who last month retired from LEAD1 (since renamed as the FBS Athletics Directors Association), also gave $500 to Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), who has similarly been central to the college sports reform debate on the Hill.”

» Quotable. “There are industries that are very political, that know their members of Congress, support them, worship both sides of the aisle, where that is all part of the game,” McMillen said. “In college sports it is really kind of hit or miss.

» Go Deeper

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OPINION

2. It’s Time for Colleges to Undergo a Major Attitude Shift In How They Treat Students

by James MacLaren, Lebanon Valley College

“For decades, colleges and universities have operated under a model where students serve the institution. In return for that service, colleges bestow upon them a series of credentials that signal to employers core sets of skills that will make them a valuable asset to any company.

But as we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, this paradigm must change. It is time for institutions of higher learning to undergo a fundamental shift - from seeing students as mere participants in their education to recognizing them as customers who deserve excellence in service.”

» Situational Awareness. “Referring to students as our “customers” may seem foreign or even uncomfortable to some in academia. Traditionally, we prefer to call them “students” or “learners,” which describes these individuals accurately, but also creates an inherent power dynamic. Students and learners need to learn - the onus is on them to do so. Customers must be served - the onus is on us, education leaders, to do so.”

» Of Note. “Service excellence is not an optional add-on to the academic experience; it is a non-negotiable core value that must be infused into our culture. The success of our institutions - and the success of our students - depends on it. Let us lead the charge in transforming higher education, ensuring that every student is not just a participant in our institutions, but a valued customer whose dreams and aspirations we are dedicated to fulfilling.”

» Continue Reading

FOOTBALL

3. Salisbury, Susquehanna Take Advantage

Two “upsets” jostled the top 10 in this week’s D3football.com top 25, as #6 UW-Platteville fell to #16 UW-Oshkosh, while #7 Grove City lost to Washington & Jefferson.

NPI (National). 1-Saint John’s, 2-Salisbury, 3-Hardin-Simmons, 4-North Central IL, 5-Cortland, 6-Ursinus, 7-Springfield, 8-UW-Oshkosh, 9-UW-Platteville, 10-Coe.

NPI (Region I). 1-Springfield, 2-UMass Dartmouth, 3-Middlebury, 4-Endicott, 5-Delaware Valley.
NPI (II). 1-Salisbury, 2-Cortland, 3-Ursinus, 4-Susquehanna, 5-Johns Hopkins.
NPI (III). 1-Hardin-Simmons, 2-Centre, 3-Randolph-Macon, 4-Berry, 5-Mary Hardin-Baylor.
NPI (IV). 1-DePauw, 2-Hope, 3-Mount Union, 4-Marietta, 5-Adrian.
NPI (V). 1-North Central IL, 2-Coe, 3-Lake Forest, 4-Aurora, 5-Wartburg.
NPI (VI). 1-Saint John’s, 2-Oshkosh, 3-Platteville, 4-Whitworth, 5-River Falls.

» Complete Poll

MEMBERSHIP

4. NCAC Adds Washington U. as Affiliate in Football

“The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) has strengthened its football membership with the addition of Washington University in St. Louis as an affiliate member effective for the fall of 2026.

This addition will bring NCAC football sponsorship to 10 institutions including full-member institutions Denison, DePauw, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Wabash, Wittenberg and Wooster, along with newest full member John Carroll, which begins NCAC play in the fall of 2025.

The addition helps solidify conference football schedules into the future and allows members to play a nine-game schedule and still leave room for a competitive non-conference opportunity at the beginning of the season.”

» What They’re Saying. "This is a wonderful move for NCAC football," stated Executive Director Keri Alexander Luchowski. "It just makes sense to partner with an institution that aligns with the NCAC philosophy of highly competitive athletics within a rigorous academic environment.

» Read More

ROUNDUP
5. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🗞️ News. Russell Sage College announced a $10 million gift from Donna Robinson Esteves ‘70 to fund initiatives for the college’s new strategic plan.

🏈 Football. North Central QB Luke Lehnen became the first player in college football history to throw a touchdown pass in 50 straight games in the Cardinals’ 69-0 win vs. North Park.

💰️ Endowments. The median return was 10.1% for U.S. college and university endowments for the period, according to a preliminary estimate by Cambridge Associates. Universities’ returns may include portions of endowments, plus other long-term investments. They may have done better investing in the S&P 500, which delivered a return of 24.6 percent over the year.

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings

• ALBRIGHT - Jen Willis stepped down as head women’s lacrosse coach

• GREENVILLE - Announced addition of men’s and women’s bowling as varsity sports beginning in 2025-26. Braydon Kunz named head bowling coach

• HUNTER - Chris Schortgen resigned as head men’s volleyball coach

• LUTHER - Brad Chamberlain named president

1 THING
7.  Plays of the Weekend

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