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DECEMBER 23, 2025
composed by STEVE ULRICH
No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3

🍾 That’s A Wrap. From my family to yours, best wishes for a safe, happy and healthy holiday season. We’ll be back on Jan. 2, as we have a consecutive week streak to keep alive. See you then.

🎶 Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. Bruce Springsteen

🗞️ In Today’s Playbook. Is This Alabama Court Ruling The Last Straw For NCAA Enforcement? Tigers, Maroons and Eagles Top Big Basketball Spenders. These Rising Costs Are Squeezing College Budgets. Swimming Dual Meet Polls.

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Top Story

1. Is This Alabama Court Ruling The Last Straw For NCAA Enforcement?

“Whatever remaining power the NCAA still has to enforce whatever rules are remaining might be in serious trouble after a ruling last week in an Alabama state court.

Judge Andrew J. Hairston of the circuit court of DeKalb County, Alabama, on Monday granted a preliminary injunction to former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt that for now prohibits the NCAA's enforcement of a six-year "show cause" penalty. The NCAA sanction effectively made Pruitt unemployable in college athletics for that time period.

Pruitt coached the Vols from 2018 to '20, but he was fired after the school uncovered recruiting violations. In 2023, the NCAA's committee on infractions [COI] concluded the program committed 18 Level I violations, mostly related to paying prospects and their families (back when this was illegal). The NCAA summarily ruled that Pruitt was directly involved, leading to his individual punishment.”

» Court Awareness. “The show cause is one of the few NCAA punishments that still have teeth; essentially a banishment from college athletics that, at least theoretically, deters coaches and administrators from violating various rules.”

» Between The Lines. “The significance of the Pruitt injunction is that it wasn't based on the merits of Pruitt's claim of innocence (which, if true, would limit the NCAA's scope to one case) but rather the unfairness of a process that, Judge Hairston ruled, made it impossible for Pruitt to even mount a defense.”

» Why It Matters. “This is a single preliminary injunction in a single case in a single state circuit court, not a federal one. The decision is open to appeal. Yet longtime NCAA observers believe it could serve as the groundwork for anyone looking to challenge any NCAA penalty, including show causes.”

» What They’re Saying. "The system is not designed to reach the truth or give the accused due process," said Bartley Loftin III, another of Pruitt's attorneys.

2. Tigers, Maroons and Eagles Top Big Basketball Spenders

“How much did your school and its rivals spend on men’s basketball during the 2023-24 season?

Hampden-Sydney, Chicago and Emory each spent more than $600,000 on their men’s basketball programs while four other programs topped $500,000.

» Definition. According to the EADA and the U.S. Department of Education. “All expenses attributable to intercollegiate athletic activities. This includes appearance guarantees and options, athletically related student aid, contract services, equipment, fundraising activities, operating expenses, promotional activities, recruiting expenses, salaries and benefits, supplies, travel, and any other expenses attributable to intercollegiate athletic activities.”

➕ A paying subscriber bonus: Email me at [email protected] and I’ll send you your team and conference’s information. Not a subscriber? No better time than the present to subscribe for just $8 per month.

» Money Doesn’t Buy Everything. Just six of the top 20 big spenders made the 2024 NCAA DIII Sweet 16 - Hampden-Sydney, WashU, UW-Platteville, CNU, Randolph-Macon, and Calvin.

» Conference Call. AEC (Marymount $249,476), AMCC (Pitt-Bradford $178,001), A-R-C (Loras $383,556), ASC (UMHB $338,658), C2C (CNU $435,486), CC (Gettysburg $323,532), CCIW (North Park $313,749), CCS (Belhaven $290,027), CNE (W. New England $255,804), CUNYAC (Baruch $98,356)

E8 (St. John Fisher $247,649), GNAC (USJ $239,005), HCAC (Transylvania $278,064), LAND (Scranton ($316,133), LEC (Eastern Connecticut $271,985), LL (Hobart $307,690), MACC (Widener $200,675), MACF (Stevens $282,243), MASCAC (Westfield State $102,295), MIAA (Trine $443,721), MIAC (Macalester $255,796), MWC (Knox $222,726)

NAC (Husson $166,582), NACC (Benedictine $436,690), NCAC (DePauw $341,753), NESCAC (Hamilton $514,140), NEWMAC (WPI $424,085), NJAC (Ramapo $268,500), NWC (Whitworth $360,853), OAC (ONU $356,621), ODAC (Hampden-Sydney $687,924), PAC (Saint Vincent $262,768)

SAA (Trinity $433,135), SCAC (Colorado College $439,528), SCIAC (Chapman $340,596), SKY (USMMA $222,351), SLIAC (Mississippi C for Women $195,842), SUNYAC (Oswego State $199,365), UAA (Chicago $672,417), UEC (St. Mary’s $278,208), UMAC (Bethany Lutheran $233,594), USAS (N.C. Wesleyan $220,183), WIAC (Platteville $535,973).

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3. These Rising Costs Are Squeezing College Budgets

“Higher education’s uncertain financial picture is often talked about chiefly as a matter of revenue. Enrollments — and tuition revenue — are under pressure as the number of traditional-age students descends. The federal government’s suddenly unpredictable commitment to funding research poses a threat to some of the nation’s most august institutions.

Less commonly discussed is the other side of the equation: costs. But the warning lights are flashing.”

» Driving The News. “The rising cost of living is the subject of a national conversation. But in higher education, much of the focus has been on revenue — and the impact of changes in enrollment and federal-policy shifts, said Liz Clark, vice president for policy and research at the National Association of College and University Business Officers. “All of that is an important part of the equation, but the costs are important as well,” she said. “Colleges and universities have to buy eggs, too.”

» State of Play. “Here are some of the cost pressures that are bearing down on budgets: Utilities, Climate damage, Deferred maintenance, Insurance, Staffing, and Cybersecurity.”

» Quotable. “Costs such as these used to pose risks chiefly for financially vulnerable institutions like small tuition-dependent private colleges and regional colleges. That’s changed, said Miguel Delgado, associate vice president for enterprise risk management and chief risk officer for Carnegie Mellon University. “That financial fragility has sort of moved up the food chain,” he said. “We have Ivy League schools and elite R1s that have not seemed to be immune from these current challenges, so I think that just indicates that it’s a different landscape than what we’ve seen in the past.”

4. Swimming Dual Meet Polls

“The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) has released the December edition of the Division III Top 25 dual meet poll. The Emory women and Denison men claim the top spots of their respective polls.

The committee, consisting of Division III coaches, assesses and ranks the nation’s top 25 dual meet teams. Their evaluation takes into account head-to-head dual meet outcomes, performances since the last rankings, season-long performances, dual meet records, roster changes (such as injuries), and data from the SwimCloud Simulator.”

» Men’s Top 10. 1-Denison (4-0), 2-NYU (4-1), 3-Emory (1-2), 4-Chicago (4-0), 5-Carnegie Mellon (4-0), 6-Kenyon (3-4), 7-MIT (2-1), 8-Washington U. (1-1), 9-Pomona-Pitzer (7-1), 10-Calvin (1-2)

» Women’s Top 10. 1-Emory (2-1), 2-NYU (4-1), 3-Kenyon (5-2), 4-Denison (2-1), 5-MIT (2-2), 6-Chicago (4-0), 7-Pomona-Pitzer (9-0), 8-Williams (5-0), 9-Tufts (3-1), 10-Hope (0-0)

5. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» Endowment. “In a historic milestone for the University of Rochester, University Trustee Tyler Zachem '88 and Karen Zachem have established the first-ever endowment supporting a coaching position. Made during For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, the gift establishes the Michael & Connie Neer Family Head Men's Basketball Coach fund and marks a significant milestone toward the Department of Athletics and Recreation's 2030 campaign goal.”

6. Comings and Goings

ADRIAN - Announced resignation of Kaylie Laskody as head track and field coach. Named Matthew Gipple acting head coach. Kirk Richards will assume head coaching duties at the end of the academic year
CONCORDIA (Minn.) - Named Nick Zuchowski head men’s soccer coach
HARTFORD - Named Johan Dulfer head volleyball coach
LEWIS & CLARK - Announced that Shanan Rosenberg stepped down as head men’s basketball coach. Named Shawn Carson acting head coach

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