In partnership with

OCTOBER 14, 2024 | written by STEVE ULRICH

News and notes on the largest and best Division in the NCAA. #whyD3
Send tips to [email protected] and/or via DM

😫 Monday, Monday. Thanks for your support of D3Playbook.

Headlines
🏛️ The broken college presidency
🎾 ITA Cup Champions
⛳️ Tourney features best field ever
🏈 NCC, Cortland, Saint John’s 1-2-3

📰 Subscribe to D3Playbook Today. We’ll deliver to you every weekday by 8 AM ET. Thank you for your support.

TOP STORY
1. The College Presidency Is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It

by Chronicle of Higher Education

“This has been an annus horribilis for college presidents. Budget shortfalls, enrollment declines, protest encampments, congressional interrogations, high-profile resignations. Every malady isn’t evident on every campus, of course, but the confluence of crises and criticisms has created what Brian Rosenberg, the former president of Macalester College, has described as an “intolerably toxic environment for college presidents.” NPR recently asked, “Why would anyone want to be a college president?”

Such laments are typically accompanied by an indictment of this or that president’s missteps and shortcomings. But what if the problems run deeper? Has the job of president grown too big and too multifaceted for one person to carry out successfully? Are there too many disparate constituencies to satisfy? Are boards doing their part, or are they too often ineffectual and negligent? Do presidents have too much or too little authority? Do they have the right skills and experiences and temperaments?”

» Perspective. “The most difficult challenge of being a president is not budgeting, planning, donor relations, politics, or even the brutal landscape of college sports. The greatest challenge, and greatest joy, is strengthening the actual work of the university — research, teaching, service.”

» Running Through Your Progressions. “In the cacophony of concerns academic leaders face, one concern may get lost: the future of big-time athletics. The NCAA has offered no effective leadership in dealing with those issues. Each conference is now responsible for governance. Some within the NCAA are urging colleges to make athletics an academic discipline, like music and other performing arts, so that academic credit can be given for athletic performances. That would only make the mess worse.”

» Worth Noting. “To be effective, a president must have the solid backing of the governing board. The only proper reason to become a president is the opportunity to strengthen the university’s unique and essential mission: teaching, research, and scholarship. To do so, a president must inspire rigorous innovation and the renewal of tradition. A president has to have the respect of the faculty and students and be more than an ambassador, salesperson, or politician. Administrative experience is not necessary, but concrete ideas and idealism are. Colleges are not ordinary businesses.”

» Continue Reading

Looking for unbiased, fact-based news? Join 1440 today.

Upgrade your news intake with 1440! Dive into a daily newsletter trusted by millions for its comprehensive, 5-minute snapshot of the world's happenings. We navigate through over 100 sources to bring you fact-based news on politics, business, and culture—minus the bias and absolutely free.

Subscribe to 1440 today.

TENNIS

2. ITA Cup Crowns Champions

Top-seeded Advik Mareedu of Claremont-M-S won the ITA Cup men’s singles crown with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over fourth-seeded Ethan Green of Denison. Mareedu needed three sets to dispatch RPI’s third-seeded Aiden Drover-Mattinen in the semis, while Green took down Alex Feies of Carnegie Mellon in straight sets. It was Mareedu’s second ITA Cup singles championship in three seasons.

On the women’s side, Wesleyan’s Jackie Soloveychik defeated Chicago’s Clara Zou,
6-1, 6-3, to take the singles title. Soloveychik, seeded third, came from a set deficit to down Erica Ekstrand of Chicago in one semifinal, while the unseeded Zou toppled second-seed Emily Kantrovitz of Emory in three sets to reach the final.

In the doubles draws, Caitlin Bui and Eleanor Archer of Washington U. defeated Kantrovitz and Dakota Fordham of Emory, 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-1 for the ladies championship. The Tufts tandem of Alex Ganchev and Sacha Maes downed Green and Kael Shalin Shah of Denison, 7-6(3), 7-5 for the gentleman’s title.

» Results

GOLF

3. Golfweek October Classic to Feature Some of Strongest Fields in Division III Golf... Ever

by Cameron Jourdan, Golfweek

“It’s not the national championship, but it’s a good preview of who could be there come spring.

The Golfweek D-III October Classic kicked off Sunday in Sandestin, Florida, at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s Raven and Links courses. The men’s field will take on the Raven while the women will battle the Links.

And both fields resemble ones that you can find at a national championship.”

» Tee Time. “On the men’s side, where top-ranked Methodist returns as the defending champion, the top-seven teams in the Oct. 11 Bushnell/Golfweek coaches poll are teeing it up in the Florida panhandle.”

» Ladies Day. “And on the women’s side, the top three and seven of the top 10 schools in the latest Mizuno WGCA coaches poll are in the field, including defending champion Pomona-Pitzer, which is ranked third.”

» Kylie is Aces. Illinois Wesleyan senior Kylie Hundman recorded a hole-in-one on the 124-yard par-3 12th hole on Sunday.

» Live Results: Men | Women

FOOTBALL

4. Wacky WIAC. Platteville Stuns River Falls to Move Into Top 10

The best football conference in Division III is also its wackiest. Platteville handed River Falls its first loss of the season, 28-7, while Oshkosh tripped up La Crosse, 34-33, and Stout defeated Whitewater, 29-27, for its first win against the Warhawks since 2001.

» Full Scoreboard

ROUNDUP
5. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🎾 Tennis (W). Grinnell won its sixth straight Midwest Conference title with a 5-2 victory against Lake Forest. The Pioneers have now won 45 consecutive matches against league foes dating to 2018-19.

⚽️ Soccer. The Christopher Newport women’s soccer team (11-0-1) ran its NCAA DIII record unbeaten streak to 79 matches with a 2-0 whitewashing of Mary Washington. Only the great North Carolina teams (1986-90) and (1990-94) compiled longer streaks of 103 and 101, respectively.

🏐 Volleyball. Did you know that the two schools with the longest winning streaks in NCAA women’s volleyball history are located just 30 miles apart? Juniata ran its DIII record streak to 79 consecutive victories with sweeps of Susquehanna and Washington and Lee. Only Penn State put together a longer streak in NCAA history, winning 109 straight matches from 2007-10.

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings

• CARROLL - Jacob Acevedo stepped down as head men’s lacrosse coach

• SUNY POLY - Eric Miccio named head men’s lacrosse coach

1 THING
7.  Plays of the Weekend

📬 Thanks for starting your day with us!

Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook

Copyright © 2024, D3Playbook.com All rights reserved