Realignment Moves Forward

D3Playbook OCTOBER 15, 2019 | written by Steve Ulrich your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III

Welcome to d3Playbook >> Good Morning! Winter is no longer coming ... it is here, as basketball joins swimming and wrestling in starting the new campaign. Note: You are receiving the d3Playbook via email because of your role as an influencer in Division III athletics. d3Playbook is available as a subscription email and can also be viewed online at d3Playbook.com. Our goal is to keep you apprised of what's happening around Division III - the games, polls, news, happenings, awards, calendar of events, and much more. We hope you enjoy d3Playbook and that you'll share this with your friends, colleagues and co-workers. Thanks for reading. Steve >> Today's word count: 1,119 words >> If this email was forwarded to you, please sign up for your own in-box delivery below.

Subscribe to d3Playbook

1.  Happy Hoop Season The 2019-20 basketball season begins today with the official start of practice. I'm reminded of a scene from one of my favorite movies ... and wish coaches around the country the best of luck.

2. Championships Committee Advances Realignment Discussion The Championships Committee took another important step to advance the ongoing discussion regarding regional realignment in Division III. The committee has been working closely with the Division III Commissioners Association and the division’s sport committees to better balance geographic proximity, the number of institutions in regions and competitive equity, among other factors. After soliciting feedback from sport committees regarding how to better take competitive balance into consideration with either an eight-region or 10-region model, the committee supported a 10-region approach and will pass the concept on to the commissioners’ group for further feedback. In other news ... the committee recommended that the Management Council approve a waiver permitting alcohol sales at the 2020 Division III Men’s Basketball Championship, in accordance with recently adopted legislation that permits alcohol sales at Division III championships held in conjunction with Division I in the same venue. In 2020, the Division I Championship will be held in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, while the Division II and III championships will be contested at the adjacent State Farm Arena. To ensure a consistent experience for fans at all events, the committee recommended sales be permitted for Division III contests as well. >> What They're Saying: “The Championships Committee believes the current model of eight regions in those sports did not provide the optimal balance in terms of numbers of schools in each region. The 10-region model allows for more balance in terms of number of schools and regional opponents.” - Kiki Jacobs, committee chair and director of athletics, intramurals and recreation at Roger Williams  >> Be Smart: The committee also recommended that the final eight play the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds on March 20 and 21 at Fort Wayne, Ind. >> Still More from the NCAA

3.  18 in America "18 in America" is the title of a book written by Dylan Dethier about the year he spent between high school and college. He lived out of the back of his car, driving around the country and playing at least one round of golf in every state in the lower 48. "I’d played the cheapest, most accessible public courses and wormed my way into the strangest, most elite private clubs, exploring the U.S. through the lens of golf, finding out where the game fit in. Eighteen years old plus 18 holes in every state made 18 in America. Anyway, the book is about people who play golf and where they play it — but it’s much more about a teenager surviving in his Subaru, plus it preceded my time at Williams College and had nothing to do with my golf ability anyways. A 20-handicapper could have written the same story." In 2013, Mr. Dethier was a junior on the golf team at Williams and the Ephs had just won the NESCAC championship to earn a spot in the NCAA Division III championship tournament. Shortly before departing for the tourney, well-known commentator Jay Bilas came to speak at the Williamstown, Mass. campus about the issues of college athlete compensation. Mr. Dethier's book was to come out in less than two weeks ... and the athletic department became concerned about a possible violation. A call to Indianapolis almost became the end of Mr. Dethier's collegiate career.  >> Situational Awareness: Dethier was declared ineligible on May 6. His book was set to come out one week later ... before a dime had been earned. The NCAAs were set to begin on May 14. He was the team's No. 1 player. >> Worth Noting: Dethier was allowed to participate, although his NCAA championship experience was not the dream of most student-athletes. >> Keep Reading, courtesy of GOLF Magazine

4. To The Next Round The Pitt-Bradford men earned their spot into the 2020 NCAA Division III Golf Championships by winning the AMCC championship on Monday. The NCAAs will be held on May 12-15 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (M) Avalon Lakes Golf & CC, Warren, Ohio 1. Pitt-Bradford 641, 2. Penn State Altoona 648, 3. Penn State Behrend 651, 4. La Roche 690, 5. Medialle 702, 6. Mount Aloysius 717, 7. Hilbert 733, 8. D'Youville 758, 9. Pitt-Greensburg 786. 1. Cary Ignaczak (PB) 150, 2. Ethan Yohe (PSA) 156, 3. Garrett Schlick (PSB)  159, T4. Aloysius Lee (MA) 161, T4. Cooper Cordova (PB) 161.

5. Polls Football - D3Football.com Mary Hardin-Baylor (5-0) Mount Union (5-0) UW-Whitewater (5-0) Saint John's (5-0) Wheaton, Ill. (5-0) Muhlenberg (5-0) Berry (6-0) North Central (4-1) Ithaca (5-0) Bethel (4-1) 11. St. Thomas, 12. Wesley, 13. John Carroll, 14. Wartburg, 15. Wesley, 16. Delaware Valley, 17. Hardin-Simmons, 18. UW-Platteville, 19. Chapman, 20. Johns Hopkins, 21. Susquehanna, 22. Cortland, 23. Case Western Reserve, 24/ Redlands, 25. Linfield. >> Moving Up: Wartburg (+4), John Carroll (+3) >> Moving Down: Redlands (-9), Bethel (-4) >> Hello: Chapman >> Goodbye: Whitworth >> Games to Watch: #4 Saint John's at #11 St. Thomas; #14 Wartburg at Simpson; Washington-St. Louis at #5 Wheaton; Hobart at #9 Ithaca; #16 Delaware Valley at Wilkes. Football - AFCA Mary Hardin-Baylor (4-0) Mount Union (4-0) UW-Whitewater (4-0) Saint John's (4-0) Muhlenberg (5-0) Wheaton, Ill. (4-0) Berry (5-0) Wesley (4-0) Bethel (4-0) Ithaca (4-0) 11. Wartburg, 12. North Central, 13. Delaware Valley, 14. John Carroll, 15. Salisbury, 16. St. Thomas, 17. Redlands, 18. Johns Hopkins, 19. UW-Platteville, 20. Hardin-Simmons, 21. Case Western Reserve, 22. Linfield, 23. Central, 24. Susquehanna, 25. Cortland. Bethel, 12. Ithaca, 13. Wartburg, 14. Delaware Valley,1 5. John Carroll, 16. Salisbury, 17. St. Thomas, 18. Johns Hopkins, 19. Redlands, 20. UW-La Crosse, 21. Hobart, 22. Linfield, 23. Trine, 24. UW-Platteville, 25. Case Western Reserve. >> Hello: Central, Susquehanna, Cortland >> Goodbye: UW-La Crosse, Hobart, Trine

6.  Comings and Goings  Hunter Yrigoyen named sports information director at Coe.

7.  Today's Number: 8:30   New legislation signed earlier this week means that middle schools and high schools in California will officially phase in later morning start times over the next three years, in line with research on sleep, study habits, and other benefits. The law stating middle schools cannot begin earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Opposition includes the California School Boards Association, the California Teachers Association, as well as critics who cited parental work schedules and after-school activity schedules. [Washington Post]

8.  Tweet of the Day

Here's the game-winner! Lizzie King heads it in for the 90th minute goal. @SwatWSoccer wins 1-0 against Farmingdale St. pic.twitter.com/lkf7NjVUmI

— Swarthmore College Athletics (@SwatAthletics) October 14, 2019

Subscribe to d3Playbook