Stepping Stone

D3Playbook JANUARY 10, 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 Friday Morning!  Conference play shifts into high gear this weekend. And some quality wrestling in store. Enjoy! >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. We encourage you to share with a colleague and invite them to subscribe at the link below. >> Today's Word Count: 1,086. Smart, concise. Subscribe to d3Playbook 1.  Stepping Stone   Ali Marpet (Hobart '15), Tampa Bay Buccaneers #WhyD3 is much more than a hashtag when you look at recent hires by the National Football League. Matt Rhule, 44, who just signed a seven-year, $60-million contract with the Carolina Panthers, began his coaching career as linebackers coach at Albright (Pa.) College. Joe Judge, 38, who inked a contract as head man with the New York Giants, started his coaching ascension as linebackers coach at Birmingham-Southern. Of course, Bill Belichick is also a #whyD3 guy, cutting his teeth as an undergraduate at Wesleyan (Conn.). Eleven Division III players made the team as of September 3 - five on AFC teams and six in the NFC: Dan Arnold, UW-Platteville (New Orleans Saints) Derek Carrier, Beloit (Oakland Raiders) Matt Gono, Wesley (Atlanta Falcons) Stephen Hauschka, Middlebury (Buffalo Bills) Michael Joseph, Dubuque (Chicago Bears) Jake Kumerow, UW-Whitewater (Green Bay Packers) Ali Marpet, Hobart (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Nicholas Morrrow, Greenville (Oakland) Nate Trewyn, UW-Whitewater (Tampa Bay) Jeremy Vujnovich, Louisiana College (Arizona Cardinals) Brandon Zylstra, Concordia-Moorhead (Carolina Panthers) 2.  Lower Tuition Rates Graduates of Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges can go on to earn their bachelor’s degrees online from a New Hampshire university at a rate that makes it less costly than nearly every other in-state public option, under an agreement signed Wednesday. The agreement with Southern New Hampshire University was arranged through the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, a nonprofit umbrella association, and marks the first transfer agreement between all 14 colleges and a four-year university. “Based on our data, our students will pay a rate lower than nearly any publicly available option in the state,” depending on the student’s program of study and credit load, said Elizabeth Bolden, president of the commission. She said that “is important because higher education affordability is often a barrier for students who want a bachelor’s degree.” The agreement could pose new competition for colleges in Pennsylvania, including Pennsylvania State University’s World Campus and the 14 universities in the State System of Higher Education, which are exploring a bigger online push. >> Situational Awareness: Southern New Hampshire will give students a 10% tuition reduction and charge $288 per credit hour or $864 per course. Penn State’s World Campus by comparison charges $576 per credit hour for those with fewer than 59 credits and $617 for those with 60 or more credits. >> Between The Lines: The commission on Wednesday morning notified public and private universities in Pennsylvania of the agreement and invited them to partner in similar ways — a move that could start an affordability competition in the state. >> What They're Saying: “Any time we’re removing barriers to completion for students, it is something we would applaud,” said Martha Parham, senior vice president of public relations for the American Association of Community Colleges. >> Be Smart: There are 61 Division III institutions in the Commonwealth, or approximately eight percent. >> Go Deeper with Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer 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. 3. Weekend Preview   Basketball (W) - D3hoops.com Tufts (FRI vs. Wesleyan) Bowdoin (FRI at Trinity; SAT at Connecticut College) Hope Amherst (FRI at Middlebury; SAT at Williams) Wartburg (vs. #19 Loras) Scranton (vs. Elizabethtown) DePauw (vs. Wooster) George Fox (at Pacific Lutheran) UW-La Crosse (at UW-Stevens Point) UW-Whitewater (at UW-River Falls) Basketball (M) - D3hoops.com Swarthmore (at Franklin & Marshall) Wittenberg (at Hiram) Middlebury (FRI at #15 Amherst; SAT at Hamilton) Randolph-Macon (vs. Ferrum) St. Thomas, Minn. (vs. #7 Saint John's) Emory (vs. Rochester) Saint John's (at #5 St. Thomas MN) Marietta (vs. Heidelberg) UW-Platteville (vs. UW-Eau Claire) Nebraska Wesleyan (vs. Luther) Ice Hockey (M) - USCHO Trinity (FRI at Middlebury; SAT at #13 Williams) Geneseo (FRI at #2 Stevenson; SAT at Lebanon Valley) UW-Eau Claire (vs. Lawrence) Norwich (FRI at Suffolk; SAT at Johnson & Wales) Augsburg (FRI at UW-River Falls; SAT at UW-Stevens Point) Hobart (FRI vs. Babson; SAT vs. UMass Boston) Utica (FRI at #15 Oswego) Salve Regina (FRI vs. Connecticut College) U. of New England (vs. Morrisville) Stevenson (FRI vs. #2 Geneseo; SAT vs. Brockport) Ice Hockey (W) - USCHO Plattsburgh (vs. Buffalo State) Middlebury (FRI at UMass Boston; SAT at Endicott) Norwich (at #7 Elmira) Gustavus Adolphus (FRI vs. UW-Superior) Adrian (SAT/SUN vs. Utica) UW-Eau Claire (FRI/SAT vs. Lake Forest) Elmira (vs. #3 Norwich) UW-River Falls (FRI vs. Augsburg; SAT at Bethel) Hamline Colby (FRI/SAT at Wesleyan) all games/matches Saturday unless indicated 4. Weekend Preview    Swimming (W) - CSCAA Denison Emory (FRI at Florida Southern) Kenyon (FRI at Ohio Northern/Oberlin; FRI/SAT at Cincinnati/Oakland; SAT at Ashland) Johns Hopkins (FRI at Bucknell) NYU (vs. Wagner) Tufts Chicago MIT (vs. Coast Guard) Washington U. (FRI vs. WashU Invitational; SAT at McKendree) Williams (at #17 Amherst) Swimming (M) - CSCAA Kenyon (FRI at Ohio Northern/Oberlin; FRI/SAT at Cincinnati/Oakland; SAT at Ashland) Denison Emory (FRI at Florida Southern) MIT (vs. Coast Guard) Johns Hopkins (FRI at Bucknell) NYU (vs. Merchant Marine) Washington U. (FRI vs. WashU Invitational; SAT at McKendree) Chicago Claremont-M-S (FRI at Cal Baptist Distance; SAT at La Verne) Carnegie Mellon Wrestling (Dual Meet) - NWCA Augsburg (NWCA National Duals) Wartburg (NWCA National Duals) Wabash (NWCA National Duals) Loras (NWCA National Duals) Mount Union (NWCA National Duals) Coe (NWCA National Duals) Baldwin Wallace (NWCA National Duals) Johnson & Wales, RI (NWCA National Duals) UW-La Crosse (NWCA National Duals) North Central (NWCA National Duals) all contests Saturday unless indicated 5.  Comings and Goings Markesha Henderson named athletic director at Agnes Scott. Jordan Hoover named assistant athletic director for operations and facilities at Catholic. Mark Johnson named assistant director of athletic communications at Loras. Saint Vincent joins Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference as affiliate member in men's volleyball. Wittenberg departs AMCC after 2020 season. Emory & Henry adds men's and women's wrestling beginning in 2020-21. 6.   Pic du Jour Photo: Gary Hershorn/Corbis via Getty Images The moon over One World Trade Center. - courtesy of Axios Subscribe to d3Playbook