DOJ and NCAA

D3Playbook JANUARY 16, 2020 | written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III Our goal is to keep you - the influencers in DIII athletics - 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. >> Good Thursday Morning! Have you announced your intention to declare for the NFL Draft yet? >> Today's Word Count: 1,372. Just about five minutes and worth your time. >> If this email was forwarded to you, we invite you to sign up for your own in-box delivery below. Also well worth it. Subscribe to d3Playbook 1. DOJ and NCAA Ed O'Bannon (courtesy of Getty Images) NCAA executives met with the Justice Department’s antitrust chief in November to discuss the association’s plan to change its rules that prevent student-athletes from profiting on their names, according to people familiar with the matter. Several officials, including the NCAA’s chief lawyer, Donald Remy, met with Makan Delrahim to explain the organization’s views on the issue and its thinking on changes it is considering, said the people, who declined to be named because the conversation was deemed confidential. Delrahim, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, meanwhile, told the NCAA that the antitrust division is following the issue, the people added. The meeting highlights the mounting political pressure the NCAA is facing to change a system that critics have argued is unfair or even akin to price fixing, putting it in potential violation of federal antitrust laws. State governments are threatening to force change upon the NCAA through legislation. But the specter of the DOJ bringing suit against the organization – should it wish – puts a powerful set of eyes on the NCAA as it formulates its policies. >> Why It Matters: The NCAA has acknowledged a need to modernize its policies. But it has also said it is intent on protecting student-athletes from becoming money-driven employees, rather than education-focused students. The organization does not want student-athletes to benefit from special treatment. >> The Big Picture: Representatives for the NCAA told the DOJ that it does not support the California bill, nor any state law that would create patchwork regulation, one of the people familiar with the talks said. >> Worth Noting: A person familiar with the DOJ’s thinking said that, in the meeting, the antitrust chief warned NCAA representatives that if it announces new policies in April the DOJ views as anticompetitive, the department is willing to take appropriate action. >> Be Smart: Delrahim called amateurism a “laudable goal,” but said it in of itself “does not grant antitrust immunity, and rules designed to promote amateurism need to be carefully tailored so they don’t unreasonably limit competition.” >> Keep Reading courtesy of Lauren Hirsch, CNBC 2. Blink and You'll Miss It Stanford University fell behind in 2017-not in academics, or in athletics (they are consistently ranked #1 in the Learfield Directors' Cup for best overall sports program), but in stadium Wi-Fi performance. In 2011, they were the first FBS stadium to install the technology, and by mid-2017, they were falling behind. The tech was working fine—it’s just that more was being demanded—more video uploading, more selfies, more downloading statistics, etc. The University of Notre Dame undertook a massive project in 2017. Called “Campus Crossroads”, the $400 million project took a very creative approach to putting in public Wi-Fi in their upgrades—through placing handrails in lower bowl seating areas (required by the Americans for Disability Act), they were able to create 1,096 new Wi-Fi access points inside the stadium. Notre Dame Senior Associate Athletics Director Rob Kelly told Edscoop in 2018, “We didn’t have handrails in the lower bowl (originally), because the construction happened in the 1930s; the handrails helped accomplish distribution of the access points throughout the lower bowl. The connectivity has been one of the top three positive customer feedback items throughout the season.” >> Between The Lines: "It’s a daunting, unnoticed part of the arms race in college sports. A great game day experience that keeps people in their seats longer must include high speed cellular or broadband technology. It's a very expensive proposition for an older facility (which many college stadiums and/or arenas are) and must be a part of the planning for any athletic facility, practice or game." >> Read More from Karen Weaver, Forbes 3.  Preseason All-America  D3baseball.com has released its 2020 preseason All-America team. C-Alex Kachler, Methodist 1B-Tim Johnson, Sul Ross State 2B- Harry Witwer-Dukes, Wooster SS-Max Lahn, Denison 3B- Daniel Montgomery Jr., Southwestern OF-Connor Harding, Scranton OF-Alex Mumme, Ursinus OF-Bret Williams, Penn State Harrisburg DH-Dan Harding, Wooster U-David Larson, WPI SP-Jonathan Cole, Franklin & Marshall SP-Nolan McCarthy, Occidental SP-Zach Pronschinske, UW-La Crosse SP-Luke Summers, Fontbonne RP-Nick Garcia, Chapman >> Complete Team SPONSORED MESSAGE Would you like to sponsor this newsletter? Would you like to advertise an open position in your department for a head coach or administrator? Contact d3playbook@gmail.com to get your job opening in front of decision-makers in small-college athletics. 4.   About Last Night   Whittier ended Pomona-Pitzer's 11-game win streak, downing the No. 24 Sagehens, 97-93. Ahmad Young scored 28 for the Poets.   UW-Stevens Point edged No. 7 UW-Platteville, 66-64. Blake Ehrke led the Pointers with 21.   Aiden Gilbert scored a career-high 42 points as Grinnell defeated Illinois College, 135-107. The Pioneers made 24 of 55 three-point attempts.   The No. 6 UW-Whitewater women posted a huge 66-52 road win at No. 18 UW-La Crosse. Johanna Taylor had a double-double with 14 points and 10 caroms.   Dejah Terrell tallied 33 points to go along with 17 rebounds to lead No. 24 Albright past Widener, 83-72. 5. Comings and Goings Aaron Pelch named athletic director at Millsaps. He stepped down as head football coach. Tom Kelley announced his retirement as head football coach at Framingham State. He will remain as athletic director. Jamie Stefani named head softball coach at Delaware Valley. Paul Anderson named head men's soccer coach at Millikin. Jordan Deadwyler named assistant sports information director at Macalester. Brian Hoener announced his plans to step away as head men's soccer coach at Fontbonne. Dylan Cassidy will assume head coaching dutirs on July 1. 6.  Squash. Not Just for Dinner Anymore Does your institution have squash among its varsity sport offerings? Did you know that Trinity (Conn.) won every men's national title from 1999-2011? Do you know how squash is played? Invented in 1830, squash is often referred to as "physical chess." It's played by two players (singles) or four players (doubles) in a four-walled court measuring 31 feet x 21 feet x 18.5 feet. The basics: Don't let the ball bounce twice, and don't hit it below the bottom line on the front wall (aka, the "tin") or above the top line (aka, the "outline") on any wall. Avoiding contact: Once you play a shot, you must get out of the way of your opponent. If you don't, your opponent gets a point (known as a "stroke"). If you try to get out of the way but can't (known as a "let"), the point is replayed. How a point starts: The ball is served from the back quarter of the court with one foot in the small "service box," and the serve must go above the middle line (aka, the "service line") and below the top line. Match structure: Best three out of five games. Games are to 11, and you must win each game by two points. Word of the day: The "T zone" refers to the intersection of lines at the center of the court. When playing a ball, it's advantageous to get yourself to the T, as it gives you the best chance of playing the next shot. >> Keep Reading courtesy of Axios >> National Rankings >> Past Champions 7.  1 Work Thing St. Louis Fed researchers found that more than 3% of American employees primarily worked from home in 2017, up from 0.7% in 1980, per Axios' Felix Salmon. That number rises to 4% for workers in sales and 5% for workers in management, business and finance. In Boulder, Colorado, 9% of full-time employees work primarily from home. At Axios, 12% of full-time employees work from home. As Axios' Erica Pandey points out, the growing acceptance of remote work could lead to new opportunities for people who live too far from jobs. But working from home remains a privilege only available to middle- and high-skilled workers in jobs that can be done on a computer or over the phone. It also requires a fast, reliable broadband connection for video conferencing and workforce-collaboration platforms. The bottom line: America's self-employed have been working from home for decades. Now full-time employees are beginning to discover the attractions of avoiding the open office. Go deeper from Axios: An unsettling future for millions of American jobs Americans are moving less Subscribe to d3Playbook