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📣 Hellooo, Monday. Let’s make this last week in June a good one, shall we?

📆 What’s Happening Today? The Interpretations and Legislation Committee is scheduled for a virtual meeting.

TOP STORY
1. Strategic Planning and Finance Committee Recommends Budget Enhancement

by Justin Whitaker, NCAA

“The Division III Strategic Planning and Finance Committee met Thursday via videoconference and approved a Division III budget principles document to guide future fiscal decision-making processes. The document will soon be shared broadly with Division III governance and sport committees.

The committee approved a budget recommendation to the Management and Presidents Councils with increased enhancements to the student-athlete experience affecting the following:

• Championships (e.g., per diem increase, updated bracketing policy and bracket expansions that include football).

• Enrichment Fund (e.g., conference grant increase, officiating support, sports information and athletic trainer support).

• Supplemental spend initiatives (e.g., health and safety grant, streaming of preliminary rounds of NCAA championships and an online mental health module).

» Of Note. “The committee finalized the Division III 2025 fiscal year strategic plan and is forwarding it to the councils to approve during their summer meetings. The strategic plan features the division's philosophy statement that establishes the framework from which the division's programs, resource allocations and regulatory decisions are made.”

» Worth Noting. “Final reports from the Deloitte and Lewis Rice reviews were shared with the committee. Deloitte conducted an analysis to identify ways to strengthen the division's financial performance, improve revenue growth, identify financial priorities and threats, and reduce risk for the division.”

» Read More

APPRECIATION

2. Ryan Bowles 1978-2024

“The St. Olaf College community is mourning the loss of Athletic Director Ryan Bowles, who passed away from cancer on June 19, 2024.

"Ryan was a special person and leader who was a champion for Ole student-athletes, strongly supported his coaches, and had a competitive love for each and every contest," said St. Olaf Head Men's Basketball Coach Dan Kosmoski. "He was respected by all he came in touch with at St. Olaf and within the MIAC community. Ryan walked the talk. It was remarkable to witness his love for his family and greater Ole family, and how he lived his life and battled each and every day. He will be forever loved and missed."

A former NCAA Division III student-athlete, Bowles, 45, was a four-year letterwinner for the men's soccer program at McDaniel College in his home state of Maryland. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from McDaniel and began his career in intercollegiate athletics as the Asa S. Bushnell Intern for Championships at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in Massachusetts.

He is survived by his wife, Sarah, and son, Tom, who live in Northfield.

» Complete Team

SURVEY
3. Majority of FBS AD’s Believe They Should Be Governed by New Association

by Eric Prisbell, On3.com

“As college sports hurdles toward a new financial model, a majority of Football Bowl Subdivision athletic directors surveyed by AthleticDirectorU believe the FBS should be governed by a new association under the College Football Playoff umbrella.

The eyebrow-raising disclosure was among several hot topics of discussion during a Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics panel, “House case impact: Blueprints for the future of Division I,” at the recent National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention in Las Vegas.

The 2023 survey conducted by AthleticDirectorU and Illinois Chief Commercial Officer Tom Moreland, in which 50 FBS ADs participated, indicated that 26.2% strongly agreed and 28.6% agreed with the notion that it was time for the FBS to abandon the NCAA.”

» Why It Matters. “The snapshot of AD sentiments comes against the backdrop of NCAA President Charlie Baker saying at the same convention that he is heartened that the settlement of the House antitrust case binds all of Division I together for the duration of the 10-year agreement (which still must be certified by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken).”

» What They’re Saying. “CBS and Turner [Sports], they want the power four schools in the tournament,” Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said. “That drives viewership. Let’s be clear, Cinderella is great, but that only lasts so long.”

» Read More

COMPENSATION
4. How Much Do Noninstructional Employees Earn?

“Here’s a sector-by-sector look at changes in average annual pay for workers in selected noninstructional jobs from 2017-18 to 2022-23. These jobs include: business and financial operations; computer, engineering, and science; librarians, curators, archivists, and academic and other education services; management; and office and administrative support.”

» Continue Reading

NEWS
5. Lightning Round

» 🗞️ News. Pomona-Pitzer graduate Alexandra Turvey was selected to receive a Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship from the NCAA worth $24,000.

» 🗞️ News. “A former IT director at Webster University admitted in federal court Tuesday that he had defrauded his ex-employer and an IT equipment supplier of more than $2 million.”

» 🏈 Football. “The Empire 8 Conference and Liberty League have announced a crossover football scheduling agreement for the 2025 and 2026 seasons with the potential of renewal in future seasons.”

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings

• ANDERSON - Nathan Manley named head swimming and diving coach

• BABSON - Dave Canan announced his retirement as head softball coach

• CAPITAL - BT Pham resigned as head cross country/track and field coach

• CEDAR CREST - Rosie Famolaro named head soccer coach 

• CLARK - Andrea Keklak named head cross country coach

• FERRUM - Alexis Anderson named deputy athletic director for compliance

• LAKELAND - Rick Mobley resigned as head men’s soccer coach. Kyle Quintell named interim head coach

• LYNCHBURG - Announced addition of men’s wrestling as a varsity sport beginning in 2025-26

• MORRISVILLE - Andrew Brush named assistant athletic trainer

• PLATTSBURGH STATE - Jessica Miller named head softball coach

• ST. JOHN FISHER - Reid Lesswing named head men’s ice hockey coach. Scott McDonald named head women’s ice hockey coach

• SHENANDOAH - DeShon Foxx named director of athletics

• SOUTHERN MAINE - Scott Heath named head baseball coach

• VASSAR - Emma Meore named associate head athletic trainer. Emma Davis named assistant athletic trainer

• WELLESLEY - Dawn Dill named head swimming and diving coach

• WILMINGTON - Jake Hyatt named assistant athletic director for facilities and operations

• WOOSTER - Shaun Keenan named head men’s tennis coach

1 THING
7. Workers Embrace ‘Quiet Vacations’

“The latest workplace trend — "quiet vacationing" — is blurring the lines between work and time off.

• A "quiet vacation" involves traveling, without officially taking time off, then filling the days with a little bit more fun than in a normal workday and a little bit more work than in a normal vacation day.

⛱️ State of play: The Harris Poll coined the term "quiet vacationing" in a recent survey about out-of-office culture, in which 4 in 10 people said they had taken time off without telling their bosses.

•  🧨 48% of American workers admitted to quiet vacationing around the July 4 holiday in the past — and plenty of workers will surely do so this year, too, with the 4th falling on a Thursday.

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