Spencer Takes Over at CSAC

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III     >> Good Friday Morning!  >> Today's Word Count: 846. An easy read to end your week. >> Interested in sharing your company's message in D3Playbook? >> Thanks for reading. Remember to follow us on Twitter @D3Playbook for the latest news and transactions   Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook TOP STORY 1. Spencer Takes Over at CSAC   "Notre Dame of Maryland University President Dr. Marylou Yam, Chair of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Board of Directors, has announced that Travis Spencer will serve as Acting Commissioner of the CSAC, effective Thursday, April 15. Spencer currently serves as the Director of Athletics at Centenary University, one of the CSAC’s 11 core institutions. Spencer came to Centenary after spending 13 years at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He had most recently served as the Director of Business Development, a position he assumed in March of 2010. In that role, he worked with the sales and marketing teams to plan, budget and execute marketing plans while playing a significant role in the event management team that scheduled over a 100 events per year." >> Of Note: Spencer replaces Adrienne Mullikin who had served as commissioner of the CSAC since 2016. >> Complete Release   NCAA 2. Six Personals Would Be a Foul Change by Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News "There was no bigger star in college basketball during the 2020-21 season than Iowa center Luka Garza. That’s not a controversial statement, is it? He was honored with the Sporting News Player of the Year Award in early March, and that was followed by the Naismith Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the John R. Wooden Award. He ranked as the No. 3 scorer in Division I and led a team that entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. The people in charge of the sport surely would want such a player on the court as much as possible, wouldn’t want to limit his participation simply because of a rule that’s been around for decades, the one that mandates disqualification after five personal fouls. Which is fine, because Garza didn’t foul out of a game once." >> Background: "One of the issues contained in the annual NCAA men’s basketball rules committee survey of coaches, officials, media members and other interested parties was the possibility of changing to a six-foul DQ rule. The truth: This is a solution desperately seeking a problem. There is no need for college basketball to mandate six fouls for disqualification. There’s never been a worse time to call for such a change." >> Why It Matters: "The push behind the six-foul DQ is, ideally, to keep star players on the floor more. That seems like a worthy pursuit, but again, this is a concern based on a myth. The five consensus All-Americans this past season fouled out six times. Combined. They averaged 33 minutes of playing time per game. In games from which they were disqualified, they averaged 32 minutes." >> Quotable: “As someone who was there when the Big East experimented with a 6-foul rule, you don’t really want to go there,” tweeted Mike Waters, who has covered Syracuse for three decades at The Post Standard. “Basketball turned into rugby." >> Continue Reading   REGIONAL RANKINGS 3.  Women's Golf     The first DIII women's golf regional rankings were released on Thursday. Central St. Catherine Bethel Washington, Mo. East York, Pa. Stevenson Alvernia Great Lakes Carnegie Mellon Illinois Wesleyan Rose-Hulman Southeast Methodist Centre Emory West Redlands George Fox Texas-Dallas >> Complete Rankings   VOLLEYBALL 4.  About Last Night   Top-seeded Westminster (Pa.) swept Grove City to capture its second straight Presidents Athletic Conference women's volleyball championship. Maya Steward was named the tournament's MVP after posting a career-high 17 kills.   ALUMNI 5.  Marcucci is a Red Bull "New York Red Bulls II have signed goalkeeper AJ Marcucci to a USL Championship contract pending federation and league approval, the club announced today. Marcucci, 21, was a three-year starter at Connecticut College. He appeared in 54 matches and only allowed 27 goals.  The West Chester, Pennsylvania native holds the school record for 25 clean sheets throughout his career. He was named to the NCAA All-America First Team both by United Soccer Coaches and D3soccer.com. Marcucci was named 2017 NESCAC Rookie of the Year and 2018 NESCAC Player of the Year. Marcucci was selected 67th overall by the New York Red Bulls in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. >> What They're Saying: “We are really excited to add AJ to the 2021 roster,” NYRB II Head Coach John Wolyniec said. “He is a determined player with a big personality, who continues to show that he can up his game.” >> Complete Release   TRANSACTIONS 6. Comings and Goings   ELMIRA - Renee Carlineo will be leaving her position as associate vice president of athletics at the end of the academic year GOUCHER - Brad Mountcastle named head athletic trainer HOWARD PAYNE - Kevin Bachtel and Stoney Patton named assistant football coaches LYCOMING - Allyson Kenyon named head field hockey coach McMURRY - Marquis Muse named head men's soccer coach WILSON - Mark Seidenburg named head men's basketball coach. Ben Roberts named head men's golf coach    1 THING 7. The Mascot Hall of Fame   "When we are down, when we're at our lowest point and getting close to hopelessness ... mascots give us a reason to smile, to laugh, to believe."   Actually, any reason to include a photo of the Phanatic makes my day. Have a great weekend. >> Read More    Thanks for starting your day with us. Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook.    Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook

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'It's Going to Change the Landscape'

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III   >> Not only is it Thursday, but it's also "Jackie Robinson Day." >> Today's Word Count: 1,367 (5 1/2 minutes) >> Today's Subscriber Count: 1,658 (newsletter), 2,195 (twitter) >> Interested in sharing your company's message in D3Playbook? >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Remember to follow us on Twitter @D3Playbook for the latest news and transactions   Please send D3Playbook to my inbox TOP STORY 1. 'It's Going to Change the Landscape' by Ross Dellenger, Sports Illustrated "On the heels of the NCAA’s decision to allow college athletes to freely transfer and play immediately, Greg Kampe has a message for basketball coaches everywhere: Change the way you recruit or see your career go up in flames. “If you are building for the future,” the longtime Oakland men’s coach says, “you’re going to lose your job.” In the latest move from college sports to rectify its archaic policies, the NCAA Division I Council approved a long-awaited measure Wednesday to grant all players the ability to transfer once in their careers and be immediately eligible, sources tell Sports Illustrated. The vote, expected for more than a year now, eschews a rule from the 1960s that penalized athletes in certain sports by forcing them to miss their first season at their new school. The legislation is expected to be approved April 28 by the NCAA Board of Directors and would, potentially, take effect immediately." >> Situational Awareness: "Under current transfer rules, athletes in five sports, including football and men’s and women’s basketball, are ineligible in the first year they transfer. The new rule would allow all athletes to move freely at least once, though it includes some stipulations. Athletes must submit to their school a notification of transfer by certain dates to be immediately eligible at their next location. Fall- and winter-sport athletes would have to notify their schools by May 1, and spring sport athletes would have until July 1." >> Why It Matters: "In a way, the transfer legislation is leading to an overhaul in some athletic departments, as teams heighten their focus on current college players and away from high school and junior college athletes. The shift in recruiting—from high school products to transfers—is alarming for some. The time-honored tradition of developing incoming freshmen for future seasons is evolving and will continue to evolve into coaches taking the NFL and NBA path, some say, assembling a team year by year with new players obtained through the college waiver wire—the transfer portal." >> Worth Noting: "The raiding by power schools on mid-majors, in basketball, and on FCS programs, in football, is an expected result, administrators and coaches say. Todd Berry, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, in fact, believes that some FBS programs, out of signee spots in a given year, will resort to placing recruits at FCS schools to later add them as a transfer—similar to the old sign-and-place strategy with junior colleges." >> Read More   BASEBALL 2. Transfers Take Different Roads to Trinity   by Luke Terry, Trintonian / photo: Claire Sammons "A Wildcat, Husky, Cardinal, Puma, Panther, Longhorn and a couple of Spiders are all Tigers today. “How is that possible” you might ask. The answer is simple: the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer portal, a tool that has been utilized extensively by Trinity’s baseball program to put together one of the most talented teams in school history. Assistant Coach Andrew Waters currently serves as the recruiting coordinator for the baseball program, scouting and communicating with high school players who could potentially join the program. But Waters is also responsible for monitoring the NCAA transfer portal, which he calls “a great tool that the NCAA came up with for student-athletes.” So far, the portal has helped many athletes relocate, but Waters still describes the process as somewhat of a “crapshoot.” For the Tigers, the success that they have found using the portal can partially be attributed to luck, beyond anything else. “All of them have their own specific story about how they just kind of showed up and fell in our laps,” Waters said." >> Why It Matters: “It’s too great of an opportunity not to jump on. And if everybody else is doing it and you’re not doing it, you’re behind. There’s so many great, amazing baseball players out there that are looking for somewhere to play,” fifth-year senior OF Rafe Chaumette said. >> What They're Saying: “There’s a reason why those kids were offered an opportunity at a higher level to begin with. Our standpoint is if we can get a guy that, for whatever reason, it didn’t work out in Division I or II … we want them because they’re probably just a notch better than the guys we can recruit right out of high school,” Waters said." >> Go Deeper   A MESSAGE FROM BLUEFRAME TECHNOLOGY   The best and most reliable end-to-end live video streaming provider in college athletics is BlueFrame Technology. Join #BlueFrameNation and Stream Like a Pro with special pricing for D3Playbook subscribers! Learn more today!  NCAA 3. Management Council Recap by Jeremy Villanueva, NCAA "A blanket waiver could allow Division III student-athletes in the upcoming academic year to participate while enrolled less than full time for both semesters. The Division III Management Council approved the recommendation from the Subcommittee for Legislative Relief at its quarterly meeting Tuesday. The proposal moves to the Presidents Council, which will take final action at its meeting April 28. Due to waivers granted this year to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athletes were effectively granted an additional year and season of eligibility. The Management Council wants to provide students who have graduated or are close to graduating a certain level of enrollment flexibility to use during the 2021-22 academic year. The recommendation maintains a base level of enrollment, ensuring students compete against students, while providing flexibility that supports graduation and participation. Elsewhere ... The Management Council approved a slate of legislative items for the 2022 NCAA Convention, including sponsoring legislation incorporating elements of a current blanket waiver allowing greater flexibility with virtual recruiting involving multiple prospective student-athletes. The item was introduced to the council from the Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee. The Management Council is also requesting the Division III Presidents Council sponsor Convention legislation to permit the Presidents Council to use an emergency legislative process.   The Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports asked the Management Council to discuss and introduce 2022 NCAA Convention legislation to eliminate the option for a student-athlete to sign a written release or waiver declining the sickle cell solubility test.   Based on a recommendation by the Committee on Women’s Athletics, the Management Council will sponsor 2022 NCAA Convention legislation to add STUNT as an emerging sport for women. >> Continue Reading   RANKINGS 4. Marlins Ascend to #1 This Week's NFCA Top 10 Virginia Wesleyan (8), 23-3-1 Texas Lutheran, 23-4 Linfield, 25-3 East Texas Baptist, 19-3 Eastern Connecticut, 18-0 Birmingham-Southern, 23-3 Belhaven, 23-6 Salisbury, 17-5 DePauw, 17-2 Moravian, 10-0 11-15: Christopher Newport, St. John Fisher, MSOE, Wartburg, Berry 16-20: Saint Benedict, Emory & Henry, TCNJ, Randolph-Macon, Kean 21-25: Cortland (tie), Mount Union (tie), Hope, Framingham State, Stevenson >> Hello: TCNJ, Hope, Framingham State, Stevenson >> On The Rise: Moravian (+5) >> Other Direction: Kean (-12), CNU (-5) >> Games to Watch: #16 CSB vs. Bethel (Thurs.); #8 Salisbury vs. #11 CNU (Sat.); #9 DePauw vs. Wittenberg (Sat.); #16 CSB vs. St. Olaf (Sat.); #18 TCNJ vs. Montclair State (Sat.); #24 Framingham State vs. Brandeis (Sat-Sun.) >> Complete Poll   RANKINGS 5.  Unbeatens Hold Top Spots   This Week's AVCA Men's Top 10 Carthage (16), 20-0 Vassar (3), 8-3 Dominican, 16-1 New Paltz (1), 7-4 Springfield (1), 5-1 Southern Virginia, 15-2 Benedictine, 13-3 Juniata, 13-3 Endicott, 9-3 St. John Fisher, 7-6 11-15: Wentworth, Kean (tie), Lancaster Bible (tie), Messiah, North Central (Ill.) >> Complete Poll   This Week's AVCA Women's Top 10 Colorado College (31), 14-0 Trinity, Texas, 12-2 Carthage, 9-1 Mary Hardin-Baylor, 16-2 Berry, 8-0 Millikin, 6-2 Texas-Dallas, 15-1 Elmhurst, 8-2 Calvin, 6-0 Transylvania, 15-3 11-15: Northwestern, Muskingum, Coe, Otterbein, Hope 16-20: Birmingham-Southern (tie), Whitworth (tie), Ohio Northern, Aurora, Greenville 21-25: Stockton, Cornell, Mount St. Joseph, Westminster (Mo.), Wartburg >> Complete Poll   TRANSACTIONS 6.  Comings and Goings   ALVERNIA - Brazel Marquez named head women's wrestling coach ST. THOMAS, Texas - Katie McAninch named head cheer and dance coach   1 THING 7.  The Best U.S. States   There are endless rankings of the US states: whether they are the best places to live, the best places to do business, how much fun they are. Such judgements are made by economists, companies, and journalists – but what do Americans themselves think?  We asked people to choose the better of two states in a series of head-to-head matchups. States are rated based on their “win percentage”, that is: how often that state won the head-to-head matchup when it was one of the two states shown.  >> Contrast and Compare    Thanks for starting your day with us. Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook.

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If you have a business and would like to reach an affluent audience that works in higher education and college sports ... drop us a line at D3Playbook@gmail.com. Copyright © 2021, D3Playbook.com All rights reserved.