The Bracket

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III   >> Hello, Thursday. Let's talk DIII. >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Is your staff reading D3Playbook? Make like Ted Lasso and make the extra pass.   Send my staff D3Playbook! TOP STORY 1. The Bracket   Over the last two days, we have discussed the differences in Pools A, B, and C, as well as the selection criteria of at-large teams to NCAA Division III championship tournaments. Now, we conclude our series with a look at the bracket and how it is put together. Many committees prefer the national aspect of the NCAA tournament and will send teams on the road outside their regions. Some committees are a bit more tight-fisted and prefer to keep teams closer to home. The magic number is 500 - as in 500 miles. After that number, teams may fly to their respective site - a practice that some NCAA bean-counters frown upon, despite the obvious student experience. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful time for students that have the opportunity to participate in a NCAA Division III championship. Good luck. A MESSAGE FROM HUDL/BLUEFRAME TECHNOLOGY   Ready to stream like a pro this season? With Hudl (formerly BlueFrame), powerful broadcasting tools meet the advanced capture capabilities of Hudl Focus, bringing your program unmatched opportunities to generate revenue and connect with your fans. Plus, you get the flexibility to select the streaming option that makes the most sense for your school. [Learn More] CONFERENCES 2. SCAC Adds Lyon, Football "The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) will reinstate the sport of football as an officially sponsored conference sport effective the 2024 playing season.  In conjunction with that announcement, the SCAC has offered football affiliate membership to Lyon (Ark.) College, with that partnership also beginning in 2024. With a stated focus to reestablish football, the SCAC Presidents Council agreed in its most recent meeting that the conference will officially recognize and sponsor the sport beginning in 2024, provided that at least four institutions (via a combination of core and/or affiliate members) are willing to participate as an SCAC football member (independent of being an affiliate member of another conference)." >> Reality Check: "It is expected that Austin College, Centenary College, Lyon College and McMurry will each participate as football-playing members in the fall of 2024. The league plans to play a double round robin schedule (home and home) to provide a six-game conference schedule in that initial season’s return to the gridiron." >> What They Are Saying: “On behalf of the College, we are ecstatic that the SCAC is offering us an associate membership in the sport of football beginning in the fall of 2024,” said Lyon College Athletic Director Kevin Jenkins. “Our President Dr. Melissa Taverner, (head) Coach Chris Douglas and I are looking forward to Lyon joining this group as we transition to NCAA Division III.” >> Complete Release A MESSAGE FROM MORNING BREW   2.6 million people wake up to this newsletter every morning There's a reason over 2.6 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! Powered by Swapstack RANKINGS 3.  Regional Rankings Released The third regional rankings for Division III field hockey, soccer and volleyball were released on Wednesday. The first rankings for football - the alphabetical listing - also came out. Here are the top teams by region. Field Hockey I-Babson, MIT, Endicott II-Middlebury, Tufts, Williams III-Rochester, Ithaca, Vassar IV-Rowan, Kean, TCNJ V-Johns Hopkins, Messiah, York (Pa.) VI-Salisbury, W&L, Christopher Newport Soccer (M) I-Amherst, Middlebury. Bowdoin II-Babson, Endicott, WPI III-Oneonta, Cortland, Vassar IV-Stevens, Montclair State, NYU V-Messiah, Johns Hopkins, F&M VI-Christopher Newport, W&L, Mary Washington VII-Kenyon, Ohio Northern, John Carroll VIII-Chicago, North Central (Ill.), North Park IX-Gustavus Adolphus, UW-Eau Claire, St. Olaf X-Willamette, Pacific Lutheran, Mary Hardin-Baylor Soccer (W) I-Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin II-MIT, Babson, Emerson III-William Smith, Rochester, Cortland IV-Misericordia, Montclair State, Rowan V-Johns Hopkins, Messiah, Swarthmore VI-Christopher Newport, Emory, Virginia Wesleyan VII-Case Western Reserve, Carnegie Mellon, Ohio Northern VIII-Dominican, Washington (Mo.), Calvin IX-Loras, UW-La Crosse, Wartburg X-Trinity (Texas), Mary Hardin-Baylor, Pacific Lutheran Volleyball (W) I-Wesleyan (Conn.), Tufts, Williams II-MIT, Babson, Emerson III-Ithaca, Cortland, New Paltz IV-NYU, Stevens, Stockton V-Juniata, Stevenson, Johns Hopkins VI-Berry, Emory, Mary Washington VII-Calvin, Carnegie Mellon, Wittenberg VIII-Washington (Mo.), UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater IX-Northwestern-St. Paul, Coe, Gustavus Adolphus X-Claremont-M-S, Trinity (Texas), UC Santa Cruz WRESTLING (M) 4.  Knights Top Preseason Poll Wartburg is the preseason No. 1 team in the land according to the NWCA pollsters.   Wartburg Augsburg North Central, Ill. John Carroll UW-La Crosse Coe Stevens York (Pa.) Wabash New York U. >> Complete Team Poll Preseason Individual Rankings 125: Riley Parker, Washington and Lee 133: Robbie Precin, North Central 141: Zaren Terukina, Wartburg 149: Michael Petrella, Baldwin Wallace 157: David Hollingsworth, Wartburg 165: Nate Lackman, Rhode Island College 174: Zane Mulder, Wartburg 184: Jarritt Shinhoster, UW-Whitewater 197: Beau Yineman, UW-Oshkosh 285: Donovan King, Olivet >> Complete Individual Rankings NEWS 5.  Lightning Round    News MassDevelopment has issued a $50 million tax-exempt bond on behalf of Wentworth Institute of Technology, which will use proceeds to fund the construction of a new athletic complex on Parker Street in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood.     Soccer Luis Green of Texas Lutheran and Jenn Rennich of Westfield State were named the United Soccer Coaches Division III Players of the Week.   Field Hockey Emily Franco of Stevens and Katie George of Middlebury were named the NFHCA DIII National Players of the Week.   Happy Birthday Cake and candles for Frank Maira, athletics communications specialist, Ithaca; Kyle Milligan, associate head basketball coach, Cal Lutheran; Jonathan Logan, Cairn alum. Do you know someone celebrating a birthday soon? Drop us a line at D3Playbook@gmail.com. TRANSACTIONS 6.  Comings and Goings   BARD - Mike Galantich named head women's lacrosse coach DELAWARE VALLEY - Carol DiGirolamo named associate athletic director; steps down as head field hockey coach ELIZABETHTOWN - Betty Rider named president FERRUM - David L. Johns announced his resignation as president effective November 7 JOHN JAY - David Muchnick named associate men's basketball coach KEENE STATE - Travis Wyant named interim head women's lacrosse coach SOUTHERN MAINE - Ben White named assistant athletic director SUNY CANTON - Johnny Cotton named assistant men's basketball coach VERMONT STATE - Deanna Tyson named athletic director 1 THING 7.  Big-Bird Shortage Volunteers season turkeys for a Thanksgiving feast in Denver last year. Photo: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images The U.S. government is warning of a big shortage of big birds this Thanksgiving, Axios' Kelly Tyko and Emily Peck report. Because of avian flu outbreaks, finding 20-pound turkeys in some regions of the country could be tough, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on a call with reporters yesterday. "Some of the turkeys that are being raised right now for Thanksgiving may not have the full amount of time to get to 20 pounds," Vilsack said on the call, which was about the administration's effort to reduce meat and poultry prices in the long-term. "I don't think you're going to have to worry about whether or not you can carve your turkey," Vilsack said. "Maybe smaller. But it'll be there."  Thanks for starting your day with us. See you tomorrow. What did you think of today's newsletter? Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook

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