The ABCs of NFTs

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: 999. An easy read to end your week. >> 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   Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook TOP STORY 1. The ABCs of NFTs   by Amanda Christovich, Front Office Sports / photo courtesy of SFA "Former Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs is selling a piece of art to commemorate the buzzer-beater that sent the Zags to the NCAA championship.  But rather than a painting or signed poster, Suggs is selling a non-fungible token.  NFTs can be anything from a tweet to digital artwork. They’ve overtaken the sports world in recent months — and now, opportunities to sell NFTs in college sports are beginning to explode." >> Situational Awareness: "Some NFTs are more akin to memorabilia than art, Edward Schauder, head of the sports law practice at Phillips Nizer, told FOS. Fans spend hundreds on collectibles like seats from the old Yankee Stadium, so now they can purchase an NFT featuring a seat. They could even buy a memorable tweet from coverage of a marquee game. Sellers can pair physical items or other experiences along with their NFTs. For example, Suggs is also selling the shoes he wore during the game." >> Between The Lines: "What makes an NFT valuable? Like a rare trading card or a print by an artist, it’s unique. “It’s a scarcity thing,” Ashley Ebersole, a partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, told FOS. “NFTs right now are undoubtedly a very hot commodity,” Ebersole said. “Will they stay that way in perpetuity? If you look at the history of the market for sports collectibles or sports trading cards, it tends to ebb and flow.” >> What's Next: "As fans become more aware of NFTs, and schools begin minting types that capitalize on the specific interests of those fan bases, value will grow. “Every athletic department is going to have their own community, their own ecosystem that they can tokenize,” said Wally Crittenden, Stephen F. Austin’s assistant athletic director for ticketing and business development. “We want to make NFTs as, if not more, affordable than promotion line items in current budgets." >> Worth Noting: "Historically, athletic departments have been the only ones benefiting from new revenue opportunities. But with NIL rights fast approaching, NFTs will achieve a rare feat: They’re a win-win for both parties. And if pro sports have taught us anything, NFTs aren’t going anywhere." >> Continue Reading   FOOTBALL 2. Change Coming to OT Rules by Greg Johnson, NCAA   "The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Thursday approved a change to overtime rules for the 2021 football season. Teams will be required to run a 2-point conversion play after a touchdown when a game reaches a second overtime period. Previously, a 2-point attempt was required after the third overtime period. Also, if the game reaches a third overtime, teams will run alternating 2-point plays, instead of starting another drive at the opponent’s 25-yard line. This is a change from the previous rule, which started to use 2-point plays in the fifth overtime period." Elsewhere ... PROP approved the team area being permanently extended to the 20-yard lines, starting in the 2021 season. Previously, the team area extended to the 25-yard lines, but this area was expanded to the 15-yard lines last season to create more spacing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   Coaches should not enter the field of play or leave the team area to debate officiating decisions. Those who do so will have committed an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct foul. >> Read More   VOLLEYBALL 3.  Down to Four     The semifinals are set for the 2021 NCAA men's volleyball championship tournament after quarterfinal action Thursday. Semifinals - Friday, April 23 #1 Carthage (22-0) vs. #3 Dominican (17-1), 4:30 p.m. #6 Southern Virginia (16-3) vs. #7 Benedictine (15-3), 7 p.m. Final - Saturday, April 24 semifinal winners, 5 p.m. Quarterfinals #1 Carthage d. #14 Messiah, 25-22, 25-15, 25-19 All-American Matt Slivinski hit .526 with 11 kills while S Gene McNulty dished out 23 assists as the Firebirds remained unbeaten and made the final four for the first time since 2014. #2 Dominican d. #3 Vassar, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23 All-America OH George Kougan had nine kills and Troy Kates had six block assists for the Stars who are in the semifinals for the second time and first since 2018. #6 Southern Virginia d. #11 Wentworth, 25-16, 25-20, 25-19 All-America OH Nahuel Recabarren totaled 11 kills and S Kaipo Tagaloa handed out 29 assists for the Knights who will make their first appearance in the national semifinals. #7 Benedictine d. #12 Lancaster Bible, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 Nathan Klimisch had 12 kills and Mike LeGros registered 33 assists as the Eagles advanced to the final four in their first NCAA appearance. >> Be Smart: Dominican senior Lucas Eggers was named the NCAA Division III men's volleyball Elite 90 award winner. He has a 4.0 GPA in biology and chemistry. >> Championship Website >> Live Video   TENNIS 4.  Regional Rankings   Women Atlantic South Emory Carnegie Mellon Johns Hopkins Mary Washington Central Chicago Kenyon Washington, Mo. Case Western Reserve Northeast Wesleyan Tufts Amherst Middlebury West Southwestern Trinity Texas-Dallas Linfield >> Complete Team and Individual Rankings Men Atlantic South North Carolina Wesleyan Carnegie Mellon Johns Hopkins Mary Washington Central Chicago Case Western Reserve Washington, Mo. Gustavus Adolphus Northeast Williams Wesleyan Brandeis Tufts West Trinity Southwestern George Fox Pacific >> Complete Team and Individual Rankings   COVID 5.  Vaccine Update As colleges look toward the fall-2021 semester, they’re grappling with whether to require — or just strongly encourage — students to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Here’s a chart of institutions that have decided to issue blanket vaccination requirements of all students, students living on campus, and/or employees.   Bowdoin Claremont McKenna Emerson Fairleigh Dickinson (Florham) Grinnell Harvey Mudd Ithaca Johns Hopkins Kenyon Lasell Lewis & Clark Manhattanville Montclair State New York U. Pitzer Pomona Rensselaer Roger Williams Rutgers (Camden, Newark) Saint Mary's (Ind.) Smith Stevens Trinity Washington Vassar Wesleyan (Conn.) >> Complete List   TRANSACTIONS 6. Comings and Goings   CENTRE - Rick Fox named assistant football coach EMMANUEL - Francis Okaroh named head women's soccer coach EMORY & HENRY - Kyle Sensabaugh named assistant director of athletics for student-athlete support MARYVILLE - Doug Corbett named head men's and women's tennis coach       Thanks for starting your day with us and enjoy your weekend. Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook.    Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook

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