Presidents Council Recap

New DIII Bowl Game Sponsor. A 'Freaky Athlete'

Author

Steve Ulrich
August 08, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes


AUGUST 8, 2024 | written by STEVE ULRICH

The news that you need to know about DIII non-scholarship college athletics and those who love it.
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🌀 What Happened to the Sun? Uh, tough week to be on vacation along the East Coast, Debby. Maybe the sun will come out next week when we get home.

🗓️ What’s Happening. The Board of Governors holds a virtual meeting, as does the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.

⚽️ Why? Why do the United Soccer Coaches continue to proclaim they have a preseason DIII ranking when it is just the same as the 2023 postseason final ranking?

TOP STORY
1. Presidents Council Recap

“The Division III Presidents Council took emergency legislative action to immediately change the requirement that transferring student-athletes would have to serve an academic year of residence before being eligible to compete.

Division III has been closely reviewing its transfer rules since January by engaging with the division's governance committees, faculty athletics representatives, commissioners and membership. Many of these groups supported eliminating the year in residence.

The proposal clarifies that a student-athlete who transfers while academically ineligible would not be immediately eligible for competition but could regain eligibility after the first term at the new Division III school based on the school's academic standards for all student-athletes.” 

» By The Numbers. “The council approved the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee's recommendation that Management Council also approved for Division III's two-year budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The budget includes increases of $438,500 for enrichment fund initiatives, $3.5 million for championships and $3.5 million in supplemental expenses, including providing championship hosts with a stipend to offset live streaming costs.

» Don’t Bet On It? “The council discussed possible deregulation to permit betting on professional sports and its impact on Division III student-athletes and athletics departments. It will continue to engage the membership and reexamine the issue during its October meeting.”

CONFERENCES

2. OAC, PAC Secure Sponsor For Football Bowl Game

“Extra Points, a leading newsletter covering business, policy and off-the-field stories in the college sports industry, is pleased to announce they will be the official title sponsor of “The Extra Points Bowl,” part of the Opendorse Football Bowl Series.

The Extra Points Bowl will feature the top ranked football teams that do not qualify for the NCAA Division III Playoffs from the Ohio Athletic Conference and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. The game will be played on Nov 23, 2024, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Opendorse Bowl Series will also feature a bowl game between programs from the North Coast Athletic Conference and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.”

» Driving The News. “Opendorse, the leading NIL company and athlete marketplace, will sponsor the series while also providing year-round NIL services to the participating conferences. In addition to bringing together top teams from each conference in a celebration of Division III football excellence, all student-athletes from each conference will benefit from NIL opportunities and ongoing education.”

» Why It Matters. “We believe that one way to help our audience understand how the business of college athletics actually works is to jump headfirst into that business. Now that we want to help our readers understand event management and sponsorship, we believe this is a great opportunity to take them through the process with us,” said Matt Brown, the founder and publisher of Extra Points.”

» Quotable. “This publication deeply believes that all of college athletics matters, not just P4 football and basketball. I live in Chicago now, but I grew up in Granville, Ohio, an NCAC town. I spent a lot of my early life on and around the campuses of the OAC and NCAC, and I have a deep respect and appreciation for the mission of these institutions. Getting a chance to improve our coverage, while serving the athletes, communities and fans of my home, is a blessing. We’re very excited to be a part of it.”

FOOTBALL

3. Middlebury’s Perry a “Freaky Athlete”

by Bruce Feldman, The Athletic

“My annual college football Freaks List has proven to be a great exercise to get primed for the upcoming season. The calls, texts and information I get from sources is invaluable. Most players who end up on our Freaks List I’ve usually heard of before, but I’d be lying if I said I knew about all of them.

Some of the most insightful nuggets of my Freaks research come from my conversations with NFL scouts. One of the biggest revelations this summer was Thomas Perry, a Division III offensive lineman from Middlebury College in Vermont.

Perry is a molecular biology and biochemistry double major who holds a 3.96 GPA and made first-team All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in 2023. He turned heads at this year’s OL Masterminds summit, hosted by O-line guru Duke Manyweather.”

» Why It Matters. “The 6-foot-2 3/4, 316-pound Perry, whose arms measure 32 inches, is a powerhouse. This offseason he completed 34 reps of 225 pounds on the bench. Head coach Doug Mandigo told me Perry did two reps of 485 and benched 380 pounds for 12 reps. Perry also squatted 575 pounds for two reps. He recorded a 29.3-inch vertical jump and broad jumped 9-1 1/2. He had a laser-timed 5.37-second 40-yard dash and a 1.85-second 10-yard split.”

» What They’re Saying. “When he walks into a room, just like Zach Frazier, he’s broad shoulders, big chest, real yoked up,” Manyweather said. “Tom’s physically impressive. He’s a very quick processor. He picks up on things very fast. He’s very athletic. He’s just a guy who happens to be playing Division III football.”

» Of Note. “Expect to hear his name a lot more as we get closer to the 2025 NFL Draft.”

NEWS

4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🗞️ News. “The Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2025-26 academic year will be fully available by Dec. 1 - two months later than the form’s usual debut, according to an announcement Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Education.”

🗞️ News. “Months before the landmark House case is even certified – which is not a foregone conclusion – another antitrust class-action complaint was filed against the NCAA: Cornelio v. NCAA. In short, the suit seeks damages for Power Five conference athletes who received partial scholarships and to enjoin NCAA rules that limit the number of scholarships by sport, said Mit Winter, a college sports attorney with Kennyhertz Perry.

🗞️ News. “The National Association of Division III Athletic administrators has announced that Mike Snyder, director of athletics at Pacific Lutheran University, will move into the President role for the 2024-25 membership year.”

🗞️ News. “Gordon College has been told to pay back a $7-million Covid-era loan issued under the federal Paycheck Protection Program because it had too many employees to qualify for forgiveness.”

⚾️ Baseball. Hamilton RHP Jack Eshleman has signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and will forego his final season of college eligibility. In a team-leading 57 innings over 11 appearances, he ranked 18th in NCAA Division III with a 2.05 earned run average. He ranked 10th with a 0.91 WHIP, 26th in the strikeout-to-walk ratio category with a 5.75 mark and 34th with 6.32 hits allowed per nine innings.”

TRANSACTIONS
5. Comings and Goings

1 THING

6. Farmers Honor ‘Peanuts’ Creator With Corn Mazes Across US and in Canada

“Visitors to corn mazes across the country are finding a familiar and joyous figure in the winding labyrinth of tall stalks. Snoopy.

More than 80 farms in the U.S. and Canada have teamed up with Peanuts Worldwide to create “Peanuts”-themed mazes to celebrate the beloved strip’s 75th birthday this summer and fall.

“All of these events helps keep my dad’s legacy alive,” says Jill Schulz, an actor and daughter of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz.”

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