Cause for Concern

D3Playbook APRIL 29, 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 Wednesday morning! >> Today's Word Count: 991. An easy morning read. >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Please recommend us to a friend or co-worker. Or share with your staff and bring them up-to-speed on what's happening in DIII.   1.  Cause for Concern by Rick Seltzer, InsideHigherEd.com "As the traditional May 1 college decision day approaches, admissions leaders have been expressing concern that a significant number of students who’ve paid deposits promising to attend certain campuses will opt against enrolling because of the coronavirus pandemic. Such decisions could upend the models colleges and universities use to build their freshman classes -- and to balance their budgets. Today, newly released data from polling of U.S. high school seniors suggest admissions officers may have good reason to be worried. About 12 percent of such students who have already made deposits no longer plan to attend a four-year college full-time, according to the polling. The findings are being shared today by the consulting firm Art & Science Group, which polled 1,171 high school seniors from April 21-24." >> Why It Matters: “Here you are before May 1, and you may already have lost a very important component of your class that you’ve been banking on coming,” said Nanci Tessier, senior VP at Art & Science. >> Reality Check: "About 40 percent of students hadn’t made a deposit anywhere when the Art & Science polling closed. Coming this late in the admissions cycle, that statistic may reflect students’ uncertainty about college this fall. More than four-fifths of students who have not sent in a deposit said they doubted their ability to attend the college or university that is their first choice." >> Worth Noting: "Taken on the whole, the data could suggest colleges and universities should try to double down on student outreach over the summer. That means staying in touch with any students who were wait-listed, those who may still deposit and even those who have already deposited." >> Go Deeper   2.  News Up,     News Down   Amid the coronavirus pandemic, finance and business news websites have seen a 42% increase in web traffic compared to the same time last year, while sports news websites are down 22%. Counterpoint: D3Playbook's open rate is at an all-time high! Thank you.   3. Fall Plans. From the Chronicle of Higher Education, here’s an alphabetical list of Division III colleges that have either disclosed their plans, mentioned them in news reports, or set a deadline for deciding. George Fox University — plans to open campus in the fall New York University — “proceeding on the basis that it will resume in-person operations” in the fall Randolph College — planning to resume on-campus, residential operations University of Chicago — plans to decide by the end of June University of Maine system (Farmington, Presque Isle, Southern Maine) — planning for in-person classes University of Maryland system (Salisbury) — planning to start in-person, but some larger classes may be online University of Pittsburgh (Bradford, Greensburg) — says "back to normal probably is not likely" for the fall Wheaton College (Mass.) — “We have affirmed our intention to deliver an on-campus fall semester” subject to the guidance of public-health experts. Whitworth University — plans to reopen the campus and resume in-person classes as of April 28, 6:42 p.m. EDT   Subscribe to d3Playbook SPONSORED MESSAGE   D3Playbook is looking for sponsors. NCAA Division III has a desirable demographic that can help your company thrive. Reach more than 700 influencers in NCAA Division III today. Contact d3playbook@gmail.com to get your company in front of decision-makers in small-college athletics.   4.  #WatchD3   Our campaign to have past Division III athletics contests made available to those quarantined and looking for quality viewing continues.    Today's Feature   2011 Midwest Conference WBB Final Monmouth vs. St. Norbert   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmRSdQyVUWk&t=7009s As we wind down April and our #WatchD3 campaign, we ask that you all unlock the vaults and share with the DIII community the best of what D3 has to offer in terms of classic games. 5.  The List   Strikeouts - Career by a Pitcher 1,540 - Lindsey Thayer, St. John Fisher, 2015-18 1,457 - Hayley Feindel, Coast Guard, 2009-12 1,359 - Caroline Brehm, McDaniel, 2012-15 1,332 - Alex Hill Montclair State, 2011-14 1,315 - Allyson Fournier, Tufts, 2012-15 1,243 - Ashlee Simon, Coe, 2009-12 1,130 - Molly Rathbun, Eastern Connecticut, 2009-12 1,165 - Jennifer Martinez, St. Joseph's (L.I.), 2006-08 1,125 - Laura Heise, St. Scholastica, 2003-06 1,121 - Kelly Schade, Simpson, 1996-99 source: NCAA   6.  Comings and Goings   Susanna Baker named president at LaGrange. Betty Wesney named assistant AD at Clarks Summit. Sean Smiley named head men's basketball coach at Fredonia State. Sarah Burnell named head cross country coach at Grinnell. Lorenzo Canalis announced his retirement as head women's soccer coach at Berry.   7.  1 Sad Thing    The coronavirus pandemic forced event centers, sporting venues, bars and restaurants to close across the U.S. — leaving millions of gallons of beer unused and at risk of going stale, The Wall Street Journal reports. Brewers and distributors will also take a hit from the postponement of Major League Baseball's season, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and European soccer. The state of play: The unsold or expired beer could cost the industry as much as $1 billion, per the Journal. Brewers are struggling to figure out what to do with the excess suds. In March, roughly 10 million gallons were abandoned in venues, according to an NBWA estimate. Large quantities of beer can't be dumped into the water stream because environmental regulations say it can negatively impact the pH balance, reduce oxygen and produce bad bacteria. >> Go Deeper   Subscribe to d3Playbook

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