D3Playbook: Could Hartford Join DIII?

written by STEVE ULRICH
your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III

>> Good Friday Morning!

>> Today's Word Count: 1,087 (4 minutes)

>> Interested in sharing your company's message in D3Playbook?

>> Thanks for reading. Remember to follow us on Twitter @D3Playbook for the latest news and transactions

TOP STORY

1. Could Hartford Join DIII?

Rizzotti Joins Auriemma and Lobo in Women's Basketball Hall of Fame - UConn Today
by Dom Amore, Hartford Courant

"Less than a month after gaining national attention in the NCAA Tournament, the University of Hartford is contemplating a drop in athletics from Division I to Division III, according to a television report.

“Look at the University of Hartford,” school president Gregory Woodward told WTNH-TV. “How many of our players go pro, one or two a year, that’s not our goal. We will do the right thing for this university and all of our 7,000 students.”

No decision has been made yet.

WTNH-TV obtained a copy of the study, from Carr Sports Consulting, which found UHart was losing $13 million per year on its athletic programs and recommended it look into the viability of dropping to Division III, where it could join area schools such as St. Joseph’s in West Hartford, Trinity in Hartford, Wesleyan in Middletown, Albertus Magnus in New Haven, and Eastern Connecticut in Willimantic and Western Connecticut in Danbury."

>> What They're Saying: “Everyone thinks, you make tournament you hit the jackpot,” Woodward told Channel 8. “We didn’t get a cent from the tournament. Congratulations to our great kids, but we are losing money doing this. I don’t think … the world understands is that everyone who plays Division I sports loses money, except for about 22 schools.”

>> Be Smart: It wasn't that long ago that Lafayette was exploring its options, including asking if an invitation to the Centennial Conference could be had. Watch fund-raising grow at UHart in the next few weeks.

>> Continue Reading

NCAA

2. Budget Update

The Strategic Planning and Finance Committee held a teleconference on March 23. It discussed the Division III strategic plan, the budget and proposed initiatives.

The committee reviewed the 2020-21 budget-to-actual summary as of February 2020. Staff anticipates the Division III revenue will be approximately $29.8 million, 10% less than 2019-20. This reduction is due to ticket sales limited to 25% capacity for the Division I men’s basketball championship. Regarding expenses, the budget forecasts $12.5 million spent on spring championships. With the cancellation of winter championships, approximately $8 million will move to the mandated reserve. Most Division III non-championship programs have either been delayed or moved to a virtual platform. Therefore, staff anticipates spending $5.6 million on non-championship programs, exclusive of overhead.
Overall, the committee endorsed most non-championships budget items, including a grant proposal from the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) to increase its annual grant allocation to $40,000. The increased funding will assist the DIIICA in securing a partnership with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to provide association management services, similar to services currently provided to the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA).
NCAA senior leadership continue to work with the current DOJ Antitrust Division to resolve any issues while it also waits for the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on amateurism that is expected in June. If there are no significant changes to the Division III proposal, staff believes that the Councils will adopt the proposal via noncontroversial legislation this summer to maintain the original effective date of August 1.

>> Learn More

FACULTY

3. New FAR Orientation

The Division III 2021-22 New FAR Orientation will be conducted in conjunction with the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association Annual Meeting on Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Indianapolis.

Faculty athletics representatives with less than two years of experience are invited to apply for the program, which focuses on understanding the Division III model of athletics, exploring the role of a Division III FAR, and enabling participants to get the most out of the FARA Annual Meeting. Also, participants will have the opportunity to build networks of new and experienced FARs and to establish goals for engagement in the role.

Applications will be open in the Program Hub from May 15 to July 1, and the program grant covers all attendee expenses. If the FARA Annual Meeting moves to a virtual format, the orientation will do the same. Contact Leah Kareti with any questions.

NOTEBOOK

4. About Last Night

Medaille's magical run in the NCAA Women's Bowling Regional came to a close yesterday with a loss to No. 2 seeded Nebraska. The AMCC champion Mavericks shocked the Huskers in the first mega-match, before falling to seventh-seeded Vanderbilt in the next match. Nebraska gained a measure of revenge, ousting Medaille in the consolation bracket.
Kean's Nolan Rowan tossed the third nine-inning no-hitter in program history as the Cougars blanked Stockton, 4-0. It was the freshman's first collegiate victory.
Nazareth won its first Empire 8 women's basketball title with a 67-62 win over St. John Fisher. Tourney MVP Ryann Stefaniak scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Golden Flyers (10-2).

RANKINGS

5. At The Net

AVCA Men's Top 10

Springfield (14), 3-0
Carthage (6), 18-0
New Paltz (1), 5-3
Vassar, 6-2
Dominican, 14-1
Benedictine, 12-2
St. John Fisher, 7-5
Kean, 9-3
Juniata, 12-2
Southern Virginia, 13-1

11-15: Endicott, Lancaster Bible, North Central, Rutgers-Newark, Nazareth.

>> On The Rise: Kean (+3), Lancaster Bible (+3)
>> Flip Side: Endicott (-3), North Central (-3)

>> Matches to Watch: #4 Vassar vs. #7 St. John Fisher (Fri.); #2 Carthage vs. #13 North Central (Sat.); #5 Dominican vs. #6 Benedictine (Sat.); #9 Juniata vs. #10 Southern Virginia (Sat.); Messiah vs. Stevenson.

>> Complete Poll

AVCA Women's Top 10

Colorado College (30), 12-0
Trinity, Texas (1), 12-2
Texas-Dallas (1), 14-0
Transylvania, 15-1
Carthage, 5-1
Berry, 8-0
Millikin, 5-1
Mary Hardin-Baylor, 14-2
Elmhurst, 5-0
Birmingham-Southern, 7-1

11-15: Calvin, Coe, Northwestern, Whitworth, Muskingum
16-20: Otterbein, Hope, Ohio Northern, Greenville, Stockton
21-25: Mount St. Joseph, Aurora, Cornell, Westminster (Mo.), Carnegie Mellon

>> Welcome: Carnegie Mellon
>> Trending Up: Ohio Northern (+6), Hope (+4)
>> Wrong Direction: Otterbein (-4), Westminster (-4)

>> Matches to Watch: AVCA Invitational tournament

TRANSACTIONS

6. Comings and Goings

AURORA - Justin Wyeth named director of men's and women's golf
CASE WESTERN RESERVE - Josh Malave named head wrestling coach
EARLHAM - Shanna Thompson named head women's basketball coach
HOWARD PAYNE - Troy Drummond will transition from his duties as head men's basketball coach
MIT - John Bryan named assistant manager for events and rentals. Matt LaVita named shooting center manager and physical education and wellness firearms instructor
NEW PALTZ - Renee Bostic named director of athletics, wellness and recreation

1 THING

7. Best Cities for 1st Time Homebuyers

Reproduced from Realtor.com; Map: Axios Visuals

Realtor.com ranked 774 cities with a population of 50,000+, based on factors that included the share of 25- to 34-year-olds in the population ... housing availability, affordability, amenities ... job openings ... commutes.

Thanks for starting your day with us. Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook.

If you have a business and would like to reach an affluent audience that works in higher education and college sports ... drop us a line at d3Playbook @gmail.com.