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TOP STORY
1. Your SID Is Not Okay

by Matt Brown, Extra Points

“Your friendly neighborhood Sports Information Director could use some help.

Earlier this week, Randy Jones, a longtime college sports communication professional who was previously working as an SID (Sports Information Director) at Anderson University, decided to step down.

But his quotes in the “going away” story, previously published on the school website, deeply touched a nerve for many who have worked, or even currently work, in the industry: 

» Why It Matters. “Being an SID is an important job. These are the folks who help keep statistics and the institutional history of a program, who pitch stories to people like me (and me) and help facilitate media access, who write recaps and features of athletes all over the athletic department…and increasingly also have to do social media, original video, multiplatform editing, and much more.”

» Reality Check. “Those changes are happening while the role of what a SID is “supposed” to do continues to expand (short-form video! social media! podcasting! microblogging!), the number of athletes they’re supposed to serve continues to expand … but resources do not.”

» The Final Word. “Burnout isn’t just a college sports factor. Hell, I was nearly so burned out last year I thought about quitting Extra Points. And I know that many jobs in college athletics are grappling with widespread burnout. Athletic trainers are done. Strength and conditioning professionals would be another. Game officials are a struggle to find all over the country. Graphic designers change jobs frequently due to low pay and difficult work conditions. Quality operations staffers tend to leave the industry after their late 20s. The list goes on.”

» Be Smart. Back in the day, your publisher was a SID. And proud of it. The demands of the position today are nothing like when I served at McDaniel, Cornell and Yale decades ago. A former Michigan SID said, “It has always been a relentless and pressure filled job, but nowadays, it seems absolutely crazy.” It’s well past time for administrators to realize what this position means to college athletes and athletics. And well past time to support it better than it has."

» Read More

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FOOTBALL
2. Bethel, Wartburg Matchup Displayed Best of D-III Football

by Patrick Reusse, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“ You can make a case that all competitors in Division III football are underdogs. They have put heart and soul into the most gruesome of North American team sports while being turned aside or overlooked by coaches and recruiters from three higher levels of collegiate competition.

What D-III does have in common with those other levels is that the power is spread across a very thin layer at the top — and with primarily the same teams there year after year.

When those D-III powers happen to meet in a nonconference September setting, the competition can be fierce, but there is also mutual respect that does not seem forced.”

» Background. “There was one of these contests on Saturday — Wartburg, a national semifinalist in 2022, and Bethel, a national quarterfinalist, in Arden Hills. The smashmouth contest ended with the odd score of Wartburg 16, Bethel 2.”

» Why It Matters. “Bethel quarterback Jaran Roste was among four Gagliardi finalists in 2022. His long stretch running the Royals ended, and he's now helping coach as well as working with Bethel's BUILD program to assist students with intellectual disabilities.”

» And More. "The running back over there, No. 5 … that's David Geebli. We started using him more as last season progressed. He's a special runner, a special kid. He was born in Liberia. His family moved here, and he played in high school for Coon Rapids. He could've gone FCS level, but he's low-key and liked the atmosphere here."

» Read More

FOOTBALL
3. Whitewater Moves Into Top 5

Wisconsin-Whitewater vaulted four spots to No. 4 in the latest D3football.com rankings. The Warhawks drilled Saint John’s, 56-28, before a crowd listed at 15,236 at Perkins Stadium.

The top three teams remained in position - North Central (Ill.), Mount Union and Wartburg. Aurora and John Carroll equaled UWW’s jump, as the Spartans moved four spots to No. 16, while the Blue Streaks jumped to No. 17, despite their four-point loss to Whitewater on Sept. 2. Mary Hardin-Baylor fell seven spot to No. 19 after its loss to Trinity.

1. North Central (23), 1-0, 623

2. Mount Union (1), 1-0, 597

3. Wartburg, 2-0, 570

4. UW-Whitewater (1), 2-0, 532

5. Hardin-Simmons, 2-0, 510

6. Trinity TX, 1-1, 470

7. UW-River Falls, 2-0, 460

8. Linfield, 1-0, 442

9. Saint John’s, 1-1, 416

10. Cortland, 2-0, 391

» Hello. Muhlenberg. Goodbye. Salisbury.

» Complete Poll

THE WEEKEND
4. A Change Is A-Comin’

Look for some upheaval when the soccer, field hockey and volleyball coaches release their rankings this week.

STREAMING
5. What We’re Watching Today

• ⚽️ M: Southern Maine vs. Colby, 4p | NSN Sports

• ⚽️ W: Simpson vs. MSOE, 4p | BoxCast

NEWS
6. Lightning Round

⚽️ Soccer. Gallaudet junior Ashley Harlicker set a program record with six goals in the Bison’s 8-1 win vs. Penn State Scranton.

🏐 Volleyball. Congrats to Washington and Lee head women’s coach Bryan Snyder for winning his 600th collegiate match at the school.

🗞 News. Niagara University has agreed to serve as the legacy institution that will preserve student transcripts for the former Medaille University starting Oct. 15.

🗞 News. Carlow is transitioning to DIII in hopes of a better student-athlete experience. “Devote the future of you or devote to the future of you. That's kind of what the NCAA has created for us.”

» 🗞 News. New Hampshire’s private and public institutions of higher education are rolling out a host of new initiatives, facilities, degree programs and partnerships designed to address workforce needs, while increasing the appeal of each institution in an era of growing competition for every student.

» 🗞 Facilities. University of the Ozarks will begin construction in October on a new $10.75 million athletic complex that will include new fields for baseball, softball and soccer, University officials announced this week.

TRANSACTIONS
7. Comings and Goings

• COMMONWEALTH COAST CONFERENCE - Molly O’Mara Fillmore named assistant commissioner

• HOBART/WILLIAM SMITH - Molly Matthews named assistant sailing coach

• LORAS - Bob Schultz announced his retirement as cross country/track and field coach at end of academic year. Ethan Adlfinger named head cross country coach

1 THING
8. Plays of the Weekend

Here are the top plays that we were able to find online from the weekend. Make sure your plays can be found. Share them with us on the platform formerly known as Twitter with the #D3Plays hashtag.

Other Top Plays

• 🏈 Big Boy Pick-6

• 🏈 Wild Two-Point Conversion For The Win

• ⚽️ Perfect Cross

• 🏑 Short Side

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