Won't you please consider making a gift to D3Playbook. Your gift will help us offset the costs of operating the newsletter and enable us to continue to provide the quality you have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks to those who have already generously contributed. Please join them today.
>> Welcome to Thursday. Hard to believe it's the final day of September.
by Michael McCann, Sportico / photo by Getty Images
"In a memorandum to National Labor Relations Board regional directors and other agency officials on Wednesday, NLRB general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo announced her view that college athletes have statutory rights consistent with employee recognition under the National Labor Relations Act. While not of itself a change in law that allows athletes to be paid wages for playing sports in college, the memo is another step on the road of treating college athletes as actual laborers and not mere amateur students.
The NLRB has jurisdiction over private employees, meaning private colleges and universities. It does not have jurisdiction over public universities, which are governed by state labor laws and related agencies.
To be clear, Abruzzo’s memo does not, on its own, convert college athletes into employees or recognize them as employees of their school, conference or the NCAA. The general counsel does not have a vote, as do the five NLRB board members, on matters that could alter precedent. As a result, college athletic directors and their compliance staff do not necessarily need to alter their existing relations with athletes."
>> Court Awareness: "While it’s important to recognize the limits of Abruzzo’s memo, the document could—when viewed in the context of other changes—pave the way for transformation. To that point, while Abruzzo might lack a “vote”, she possesses substantial powers."
>> Why It Matters: "College administrators should heed the substance of the memo. For starters, Abruzzo bluntly rejects the “student-athlete” moniker, a label the NCAA and member schools and conferences have routinely employed for decades. “Student-athlete” was originally designed for legal purpose: to help schools avoid claims brought by athletes who argued they were employees and thus eligible for workers compensation. Abruzzo says she will allege violations of the National Labor Relations Act when schools “misclassify such employees as mere ‘student-athletes’.” She added that use of “student-athlete” will not, under watch, be allowed to “deprive individuals of workplace protections.”
>> Reality Check: "Abruzzo went on to note that the NCAA suspending its prohibition of name, image and likeness rules in July—thereby allowing college athletes to sign endorsements and sponsorships without running afoul of NCAA rules—help to support her conclusion that college athletes engage in commercial activities and thus ought to be recognized as employees."
>> The Final Word: "While many details need to be sorted, the times appear to be changing, and college athletes appear closer to becoming paid employees."
Did you know BlueFrame Technology has advanced integrations with top automated cameras like the Hudl Focus? Showcase your teams and student-athletes with BlueFrame’s full streaming service priced perfectly for D3 budgets….or use their Production Truck software to stream with your current provider. Step up your game this year and STREAM LIKE A PRO with BlueFrame. Learn more today!
NIL
2. Females Win on MaximBet
by Kristi Dosh, Forbes Sports Money / photo by Charlie Lengal
"The vast majority of state laws and institutional policies governing name, image and likeness for student athletes prohibit deals with sports betting or gambling entities. The majority, but not all of them.
That’s how MaximBet is able to offer NIL contracts to every female student athlete in Colorado over the age of 21, regardless of whether they play Division I, II or III. Colorado’s state law does not specifically prohibit working with brands in any specific categories, including the gambling industry. Policies at University of Colorado, Colorado State University posted online similarly carry no category prohibitions.
Doug Terfehr, vice president of brand and communications at MaximBet, said as his brand looked at how to launch in Colorado, they realized neither the state law nor institutional policies prohibited them from taking advantage of the new NIL landscape by working with student athletes in the state."
>> Between The Lines: "Female student athletes who choose to accept the open offer will commit to four-month engagements and each receive a cash payment of $500 each, invitations to parties, merchandise and more. In order to become part of the MaximBet NIL team, eligible athletes must follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, and send a DM to the brand on any of those platforms indicating her interest."
>> What They're Saying: “We firmly believe that the student athlete on a Division III campus are just as influential as a student athlete on a Division I campus, and sometimes maybe even more so in terms of the amount of people that they reach and touch beyond their social on a small Division III or Division II campus," said Terfehr.”
>> Of Note: "MaximBet is already live in Colorado and is set to go live in Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. So, don’t be surprised if you see them making more offers to student athletes where permitted."
Trinity senior OH Abby Tuggle was named the AVCA National Player of the Week. She averaged 3.54 kills per set and hit .393 to lead the Tigers to a 4-0 week.
Field Hockey
Ursinus defender Erin McIlhenny was named the NFHCA Defensive Player of the Week. She registered four defensive saves in a 2-0 week vs. ranked opponents.
Scranton sophomore Katie Redding was tabbed as the NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week. She had five goals in two victories, including a hat trick in a victory against No. 17 Susquehanna.
Some movement among the top 10 teams in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. Johns Hopkins, Claremont-M-S and Trinity remain in the top three positions.
VOLLEYBALL
Johns Hopkins, 10-0
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 10-0
Trinity, Texas, 13-1
Calvin, 16-1
Colorado College, 13-2
Hope, 12-1
Emory, 11-2
Wartburg, 17-0
Mary Hardin-Baylor, 12-0
Wisconsin-Whitewater, 11-1
>> Say Hello To: Wisconsin-Stevens Point, UC Santa Cruz
>> Matches We're Watching
No. 1 Johns Hopkins (11-0) at Haverford (12-2), Sat.
No. 7 Emory (12-2) at No. 16 NYU (12-0), Sun.
>> Stat Leaders: Wellesley's Nicole Doerges leads DIII in kills per set (5.73), while Colorado College's Jenny Jenks tops the set assist list (11.20).
Won't you please consider making a gift to D3Playbook. Your gift will help us offset the costs of operating the newsletter and enable us to continue to provide the quality you have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks to those who have already generously contributed. Please join them today.
>> Good Wednesday morning ... It's National Coffee Day! Fill up your cup and enjoy D3Playbook.
>> Today's Word Count: 1,136
>> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Share us with a friend today. Let them know what they're missing.
"A federal judge in Pennsylvania (last) Wednesday denied the NCAA’s request for dismissal of a lawsuit that seeks to have Division I athletes classified as employees of their schools who are entitled to hourly wages.
The ruling was the second in four weeks in which U.S. District Judge John R. Padova refused to dismiss the NCAA from the case. In the first, Padova ruled that lawyers for the plaintiffs had met the basic standard of plausibly alleging that athletes “are employees … for purposes of the” Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Wednesday’s ruling dismissed a sizable group of co-defendant schools from the case. But under an amended complaint that Padova is allowing the plaintiffs to file, a new set of schools will be added to the case, including the University of Oregon, the University of Arizona, Notre Dame, Duke and Purdue."
>> Point: "This suit is grounded in the plaintiffs’ contention that athletes should be treated as employees because, among other factors:
Athletes are required to participate in certain activities.
The hours that they spend on those activities are recorded on time sheets because of the NCAA’s limits on the number of hours athletes are supposed to required to spend on their sports each week.
The schools exercise significant control over the athletes, through various rules and handbooks."
>> Counterpoint: "The NCAA said in a statement Wednesday night: "The ruling is based on a preliminary view of the plaintiffs’ allegations, and we are confident that when the court has a chance to see the actual evidence, it will agree with the many previous courts who have held that student-athletes are not employees.”
>> Worth Noting: “If the student showing you to your seat or selling you popcorn meets the standard” of being an employee, then “the students who are at the heart of the enterprise” do, as well." - Paul McDonald, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney
Back in the day of gutta-percha golf balls - well, maybe not that long ago - yours truly played collegiate golf at the Division III level. Played well enough to be the No. 5 player in a very good four-man lineup ... and help my college win the 1980 conference championship.
We played stroke play just like Division III teams do today. Low four of five scores ... add them up ... low total wins. Every stroke mattered from the 250-yard drive to the two-foot par putt.
But it wasn't too many years before that colleges played match play. Five players in the lineup - mano y mano. Kinda like the Ryder Cup.
If you love golf, you watched the action from Whistling Straits last weekend. And you loved it. You saw the ups and downs of match play ... how every shot impacted the next one ... the emotions from the world's top players ... you versus your opponent.
Let's face it ... the time commitment to play college golf grows every year. One-day shootouts are frowned upon ... 54-hole tournaments over three days with a practice round are all the rage. To quote Seinfeld, not that's there anything wrong with that ... but there's a better way.
Match play. Your school versus mine. Your course or mine? No more spending minutes over every two-footer with some break ...
Imagine this as the national quarterfinals.
Men Illinois Wesleyan vs. Christopher Newport Methodist vs. Denison Guilford vs. Emory Carnegie Mellon vs. Huntingdon
Women Methodist vs. St. Catherine Carnegie Mellon vs. Emory George Fox vs. Centre Redlands vs. Williams
That's how the top eight teams finished at the 2021 Division III championship. That's how Division I does it ... play the 72 holes to determine the individual champion and the eight teams that advance to match play.
There's a reason over 3 million people start their day with Morning Brew
— the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn't have to be dry and dense...make your mornings more enjoyable, for free. Check it out today.
NCAA
3. Student Research Grants
The NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant Program provides funding for graduate student research examining the role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education and the college student-athlete psychosocial experience. Grants are set at a maximum of $7,500, and are available to graduate students enrolled at NCAA-member institutions.
For detailed information and proposal guidelines, please review the Call for Proposals and other linked documents under "Applicant Resources" on this webpage.
There is a new team atop the United Soccer Coaches men's Division III poll, while TCNJ remains on top of the women's rankings.
Women
TCNJ, 7-0
Johns Hopkins, 5-0-1
Washington, Mo., 8-0-1
Christopher Newport, 7-0
MIT, 9-0-1
Misericordia, 8-0
William Smith, 6-1-1
Trinity, Texas, 6-0-1
Chicago, 8-0-1
McDaniel, 8-0
>> Welcome: Brandeis, Hamilton
>> Longest Conference Win Streaks: Centre (58, SAA), Penn State Berks (53, United East), Lesley (21, NECC), Messiah (19, MAC Commonwealth), MIT (17, NEWMAC)
Won't you please consider making a gift to D3Playbook. Your gift will help us offset the costs of operating the newsletter and enable us to continue to provide the quality you have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks to those who have already generously contributed. Join them today.
>> Hello Tuesday. Today is National Voter Registration Day. Your voice is needed now more than ever.
>> Today's Word Count: 974
>> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Share us with a friend today. Let them know what they're missing.
>> Record books in need of an overhaul?Send us an email and see what we can do for you.
The annual ITA Regional Small College Championships continued last weekend and here are the singles and doubles champions that advance to the national tournament.
Men New England: Chase Cohen, Williams (S); Aidan Harris and Noah Laber, Middlebury (D) Southwest: Cameron Krimbill, Trinity, Texas (S); Hao Nguyen and Christian Settles, Trinity, Texas (D) Northwest: Luke Lemaitre, George Fox (S); Lemaitre and Will Leach, George Fox (D)
Women Southeast: Crystal Zhou, Carnegie Mellon (S); Bin Zheng and Lindy Cornwall, Carnegie Mellon (D) Central: Sylwia Mikos and Shainna Guo, Chicago (D) Midwest: Sabrina Tang, Grinnell (S); Cassie Lee and Autumn Bruno, Wisconsin-Whitewater (D) Northwest: Angel Le, Whitman (S)
A MESSAGE FROM BLUEFRAME TECHNOLOGY
Did you know BlueFrame Technology has advanced integrations with top automated cameras like the Hudl Focus? Showcase your teams and student-athletes with BlueFrame’s full streaming service priced perfectly for D3 budgets….or use their Production Truck software to stream with your current provider. Step up your game this year and STREAM LIKE A PRO with BlueFrame. Learn more today!
"The Vermont State Colleges System’s board of trustees will consider public comments before deciding whether to adopt “Vermont State University” as the new name for the planned consolidation of Castleton University, Northern Vermont University and Vermont Tech.
About a thousand Castleton alumni, for one, want the board to consider their recommendation ahead of its Wednesday vote on the new name. They’re asking the board to retain the name “Castleton University” for the new educational entity that is expected to be formed in July 2023.
In a letter sent to the trustees last week, the alumni cited factors such as the cost of rebranding the new entity when the Castleton University brand is apparently already established both at home and abroad."
>> Background: "In a statement to VTDigger on Friday, Vermont State Colleges System Chancellor Sophie Zdatny said the “Vermont State University” moniker leverages the nationally and internationally known Vermont brand. And designating the new institution as a university communicates the prestige, quality and level of education it provides."
>> Worth Noting: "(Alumni) underscored that within the state colleges system, Castleton has the largest alumni base, including students from 36 countries, the largest and most up-to-date campus, a wide-reaching academic program as well as a competitive sports program."
>> Gulp: "State colleges system spokesperson Katherine Levasseur told VTDigger the contract with VisionPoint cost around $261,000, which includes marketing materials for the new institution."
Here are the USTFCCCA National Athletes of the Week in NCAA Cross Country for September 27, 2021!
Williams junior Elias Lindgren topped the podium once again at the Purple Valley Classic.
Lindgren, who last won the individual title at the Williams-hosted meet in 2018, ran to victory this past weekend as he covered the 8k tract in 26:09.7. That proved to be a boon for the second-ranked Ephs, who needed every point to hold off a tough challenge from rival sixth-ranked MIT. Williams won the team title by three points, 29-32.
Tufts junior Danielle Page took big steps at the Purple Valley Classic over the years.
After finishing 21st as a freshman in 2018 and runner-up as a sophomore in 2019, Page ascended to the top of the podium this past weekend. Page covered the 6k course in 22:41.9, nearly four seconds faster than Genna Girard of Williams, who finished runner-up.
It has been a strong start to the season for Page, who notched back-to-back wins. Page captured the individual title at the Bates Super XC Shootout two weeks ago.
Operation GoodSport is an interactive and dynamic presentation on sportsmanship in America, conducted by recently-retired 30-year Division III Commissioner Tim Gleason. Designed for coaches and student-athletes alike, Operation GoodSport will give you a better understanding of how good sportsmanship not only builds character and teamwork, but impacts the educational process as well.
For more information on Operation GoodSport, or to schedule a presentation, contact Tim Gleason via email or at 330-719-8700.
FOOTBALL
4. Rankings
Two polls - two top teams. North Central heads the D3football.com poll, while Mary Hardin-Baylor has the top spot in the AFCA ranking
D3football.com
North Central (Ill.), 3-0
Mary Hardin-Baylor, 4-0
Wisconsin-Whitewater, 3-0
Mount Union, 3-0
Wheaton (Ill.), 2-1
Saint John's, 3-0
Hardin-Simmons, 3-1
Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 2-0
Linfield, 2-0
Delaware Valley, 3-0
>> On The Rise: Cortland (+6), Johns Hopkins, UW-La Crosse (+3) >> Newcomers: Hobart, Westminster (Pa.), Susquehanna
by Becky Krystal, Washington Post photo: Scott Suchman, Washington Post / food styling: Lisa Cherkasky
"Of all the quick but delicious meals I’ve leaned heavily on the past 18 months, grilled cheese is near the top of the list. I almost always have the basic ingredients around — some type of bread, some type of cheese — as well as some little extras to make the sandwich really sing. I suspect I’ve rarely made the same one twice.
Whether you’re a grilled cheese improviser or creature of habit, there’s usually at least one thing you can do to help transform a good sandwich into a great one. I’m not necessarily talking about overhauling your strategy. Instead, these are small tips for making a next-level grilled cheese."