Enduring Amid the Pandemic

 

D3Playbook AUGUST 18, 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 Tuesday Morning.  >> Today's Word Count: 1,547. Brief, concise, smart. An easy read to start your day. >> 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.   Subscribe to d3Playbook   1.  Enduring Amid the Pandemic by Stu Durando, St. Louis Post Dispatch "In discussing the viability of playing fall sports, officials in the NCAA Division III St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference had to consider factors that differed from those of their D-I counterparts. Some of the league’s nine members – and soon to be eight – struggle with enrollment, and sports are one way to boost or maintain numbers. The league was not going to sacrifice athlete safety but wanted to avoid a complete postponement. The compromise was to move soccer and volleyball to the spring but hold competition for cross country, golf and tennis in the fall. SLIAC commissioner Dick Kaiser works out of a one-man office, and the league employs one other person in assistant commissioner Brian Lovellette. These are not easy times for small conferences that operate largely off of member dues and have expenses that essentially include payroll and championship events." >> Situational Awareness: "The SLIAC reduced dues by 25% for the 2020-21 academic year, cutting into what was $206,000 of revenue in 2018-19, according to tax documents. The (conference) receives its second-largest chunk of revenue from NCAA grants, which amount to about $68,000. Schools do not charge for regular-season games, and postseason tournaments provide little in the way of a financial boost." >> Why It Matters: "The importance of athletics at these schools can’t be overlooked with about 40% of students participating in sports. Kaiser said the league isn’t concerned about making money. The goal is to maintain enough funding to run the conference’s championships." >> What's Next: "The SLIAC lost a school this year when MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., closed after 170 years. It will lose another next year because Iowa Wesleyan has opted to move from D-III to the NAIA." >> Quotable: “I’ve been around a long time, but it can be very challenging because you are basically dealing with a number of bosses who are the presidents in the league,” Kaiser said. “But I’m fortunate we have an outstanding group of presidents who seem to be on the same page most of the time.” >> Go Deeper     2.  Higher Ed's Moment of Truth by Elizabeth Redden, InsideHigherEd.com   "As fall fast approaches, a steady stream of colleges have backed away from plans for an in-person semester in favor of a largely virtual one, citing the worsening course of the coronavirus pandemic. But many other colleges are pushing ahead with plans for in-person classes, and students have already started moving in at some colleges that have implemented mask mandates, installed Plexiglas barriers in communal bathrooms and classrooms, and placed hand-sanitizing stations throughout their campuses. Observers are questioning how college leaders are balancing the health and safety of faculty, staff, students and members of surrounding communities with the financial and political pressures driving the push to reopen campuses. Are they striking the right balance? Some don't think so." >>  Quotable: “We’re not going to be able to prevent all the infections, but we’re going to see some outbreaks,” A. David Paltiel, professor of public health at Yale, said. “And when we do, the adverse consequences are not going to be borne by students. They’re going to be borne by other much more vulnerable members of the community -- the custodians and the staff and the people who work at the Starbucks just down the road from campus.” >> Reality Check: "UNC Chapel Hill announced on Monday that it would move to remote instruction for undergraduates as of Wednesday after it reported 135 new COVID-19 cases -- 130 students and five employees -- in its first week of classes. The university had opened for in-person classes against the advice of the local county public health director, and despite vocal opposition from some faculty." >> Between The Lines: "Despite their common concerns, colleges have taken sharply divergent paths for fall. Robert Kelchen, an associate professor of higher education at Seton Hall University, who has been tracking colleges' reopening plans, said, "The institutions that are still staying the course are mainly public universities in conservative states and private nonprofit colleges that are worried about their financial situation. And then there’s some other colleges that have just made such large investments in being in-person that they don’t want to turn back," he added. >> Yes, But: "I don’t think colleges are going to be able to bring students back in person if they send them home," he added. "I think they have one shot to get the semester right." >> A Timely Read     3.  The Iowa Derecho Derecho. /dāˈrāˌCHō/. noun a line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms and sometimes thunderstorms that moves across a great distance and is characterized by damaging winds. We are late to the story here ... but last Monday's intense line of thunderstorms that rolled through half a dozen states and traversed over 700 miles caused much damage at a number of Iowa colleges, including Coe and Cornell.  At Coe, 100 mph winds knocked down trees and left substantial damage across the Cedar Rapids campus. Power and internet service have not been restored to the entire campus and classes will not begin tomorrow. In Mount Vernon, the storm put the start of the fall semester on hold at Cornell College as well. The college is waiting for utility crews to repair power, internet and phone service. More than 100 trees were damaged by the high winds and the sports center and facilities building suffered roof damage. >> Quotable: “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our students and their families as we alter schedules so close to the beginning of the academic year,” said Cornell College President Jonathan Brand. “We look forward to welcoming our students back soon, but our primary concern right now is the safety of our community. This shift will ensure our facilities team will have time to make necessary repairs and bring our campus back online after the devastating storm.” >> Our thoughts are certainly with those who were affected by the storm and best wishes for a quick recovery.   4. NCAA Statement on Basketball by Dan Gavitt NCAA   "As we prepare for the 2020-21 college basketball season, we have exercised patience and discipline in monitoring the effects of COVID-19 and making decisions regarding the season. We have learned a great deal over the course of the summer, and with health and safety being our priority, we have developed and studied contingency plans for alternatives to the scheduled Nov. 10 start date. In the coming weeks, the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees will take the lead with me in a collaborative process of finalizing any recommendations for consideration by the NCAA Division I Council for the start of the college basketball season. By mid-September, we will provide direction about whether the season and practice start on time or a short-term delay is necessitated by the ongoing pandemic. We recognize that we are living and operating in an uncertain time, and it is likely that mid-September will be just the first milestone for many important decisions pertaining to the regular season and the NCAA basketball championships. While circumstances may warrant flexibility resulting in a different and perhaps imperfect season, the ultimate goal is to safely provide student-athletes and teams with a great college basketball experience." >> Be Smart: The NCAA has much more control over basketball and other sports than it has over Power Five football (none). This will be a moving target and a lot of ideas will be floated before a decision is made. Buckle up.   SPONSORED MESSAGE Would you like to advertise in 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 over 1,300 decision-makers in small-college athletics.   5. Calendar August 20: Interpretations and Legislation Committee August 20: Membership Committee August 27: Administrative Committee September 3: Nominations Committee September 13-15: Championships Committee September 14-15: Committee on Women's Athletics September 14-15: Minority Opportunities Interest Committee   6.  Comings and Goings   ATLANTIC EAST CONFERENCE- Added Gallaudet as affiliate member in swimming BALDWIN WALLACE - Nick Taljan named assistant men's soccer coach CAIRN - Tyler Savage named assistant men's basketball coach CLARKSON - Shawnee Olson named assistant cross country and nordic skiing coach HIRAM - David P. Haney named interim president effective September 1 MUHLENBERG - Billy Hallman named head golf coach NORTHWEST CONFERENCE - Suspended all conference competition and championships until January 1, 2021. SIMPSON - Keith Hackett named interim athletics director WABASH - John Bute named assistant football and track and field coach. Alister Newby named assistant men's soccer coach WISCONSIN-RIVER FALLS - Trey Meadows named head cross country coach WISCONSIN-SUPERIOR - Nicole Wishard named assistant director of athletic communications   7.  100 Years Ago: The Right to Vote   The bulletin moved at 1 p.m. on Aug. 18, 1920, breaking the news that the 19th Amendment had been ratified, giving women the constitutional right to vote. AP posted highlights of its century-old coverage, including the "Why it matters" of its day: Ratification of the suffrage amendment to the Constitution ends a struggle which began in this country before the Colonies declared their independence. It will eventually enfranchise 25,000,000 women. Keep reading, courtesy of Axios.   Subscribe to d3Playbook

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