D3Playbook: The Final Countdown

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

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>> Today's Word Count: 1,237 (less than 5 minutes)

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TOP STORY

1. The Final Countdown

Supreme Court foster care ruling raises new questions on religion

As the spring term nears a close, it is apparent that the Supreme Court will be releasing its opinion on Alston v. NCAA this week and possibily as early as this morning. Opinions are scheduled to be issued Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week beginning at 10 a.m. And since 15 opinions are still to be released, it should be a busy week.

"There is no way to know when a particular decision will be released, nor is there any way to know which justice is the author of a particular decision until it is released on the court’s website," wrote Amy L. Howe, a reporter for SCOTUSblog, devoted to coverage of the Supreme Court of the United States

>> NPR's Nina Totenberg shares her perspective (Between The Lines podcast)
>> A Look Back

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NCAA

2. Emmert: "Act on NIL or I Will"

by Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press

"NCAA President Mark Emmert told the association’s more than 1,100 member schools Friday that he will seek temporary rules as early as July to ensure all athletes can be compensated for their celebrity with a host of state laws looming and congressional efforts seemingly stalled.

In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, Emmert urged members to pass legislation by the end of June that would for the first time make it permissible for college athletes to earn money off their names, images and likenesses.

All three divisions of NCAA athletics have been working toward reforming NIL rules and lifting restrictions on athletes since 2019."

>> Situational Awareness: "“Since that time, many states have enacted NIL legislation and 10 state laws can take effect this July. It is therefore essential we now enact rules before the end of the month,” Emmert wrote in an email sent to presidents and chancellors, athletic directors, senior compliance administrators, conference commissioners and others."

>> Worth Noting: "Six states have NIL laws set to go into effect July 1 that will permit college athletes to be paid for endorsements, personal appearances and social media posts, setting up the possibility of patchwork rules from coast to coast for thousands of athletes."

>> Continue Reading

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CONFERENCES

3. Atlantic East, SLIAC Add Members

"On Friday morning, the Atlantic East’s committee chair and Neumann University President, Dr. Chris Domes, announced the addition of Centenary University as the 7th member of the conference beginning in the 2021-22 academic year. Centenary is moving from the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC).

Centenary brings 10 varsity sports to the Atlantic East Conference in 2021-22. The Cyclones will compete in the Atlantic East in the following sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, and women’s volleyball. For the upcoming school year, Centenary will continue to participate in the CSAC as an affiliate member for field hockey and women’s lacrosse. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, both sports will transition to the Atlantic East."

>> Official Announcement
>> Centenary Announcement

"The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference President's Council has officially accepted Mississippi University for Women (MUW) as a full co-educational member institution beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. Mississippi University for Women (MUW) will become the 9th member of the SLIAC and will begin competition in all 17 men's and women's conference sponsored championship sports in their inaugural year.

MUW is located in Columbus, Mississippi; 434 miles from the St. Louis metro area. The institution is currently completing their provisional NCAA status as they transition to become a full member of the NCAA Division III in September, 2022. A co-ed public institution, MUW reinstated their athletic program in 2017 with the addition of both men's and women's sports after a 14-year hiatus.

"The President's Council and the Conference Office obviously realize that MUW does not fit into the current geographic footprint of the other conference institutions, but everyone felt the opportunity to gain another quality member of such a high academic profile and a complete sports program was worth our efforts to be creative with our scheduling and championships," said SLIAC Commissioner Dr. Dick Kaiser."

>> Official Announcement
>> MUW Announcement

FINANCES

4. Mills, Northeastern Announce Merger

by Larry Gordon, EdSource (photo by Phil Bond, Mills College)

"Mills College in Oakland, Calif., which had previously planned to close by 2023 because of financial woes and falling enrollment, has announced a merger with Northeastern University in Boston that would keep the campus open.

The new plan would allow the historic college campus to stay alive indefinitely but would cease its tradition of serving only women in its undergraduate programs and would end its independence. The college, which last year enrolled about 960 students, would become known as Mills College at Northeastern University, and current Mills students could stay or possibly transfer to Northeastern’s main campus in Boston, according to an announcement."

>> Background: "In March, Mills (a member of the Coast-to-Coast Conference) said it would stop enrolling new undergraduates after fall 2021 and that it would “most likely” grant its last degrees of any sort in 2023. That triggered protests from alumni and students who contended the value of campus land could help the college survive."

>> Of Note: "Men would be allowed to enroll as undergraduates, Mills President Elizabeth Hillman said. “Mills will become gender inclusive on the undergraduate level, but will forever be shaped by our legacy as a historically women’s college,” her statement said."

>> Yes, But: "It was not revealed Thursday whether Northeastern reached out to Mills first or the other way around or whether mergers with other universities were examined as well. Also undisclosed were financial details, including the fate of Mills’ endowment, which was reported to be about $190 million last year."

>> Read More