📖 In Today’s Playbook. NCAA Doubled Federal Lobbying Efforts in 2025 in Failed Push for College Sports Bill. NWCA Announces 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Hall of Fame Class. Men’s Lacrosse Preseason All-America List. February Calendar. America’s Boom States.

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“The NCAA spent $1.75 million on federal lobbying in 2025 - almost twice the amount the governing body logged in 2024, according to federal lobbying disclosures reviewed by Front Office Sports.

The spending is the latest in a now seven year-long lobbying campaign waged by the NCAA and power conferences to convince Congress to pass a law that would protect what’s left of its amateurism model. But the NCAA’s investment has not yet paid off—to date, zero college sports bills reached the floor of Congress for a vote.”

» Driving The News. “The federal lobbying disclosures, which list quarterly payments from clients to lobbying firms, don’t necessarily represent the full breadth of spending on lobbying activities: The NCAA and power conferences have also hired outside public relations firms and incurred travel expenses for sending commissioners and NCAA employees to Washington to lobby on its behalf. But they do provide a window into the NCAA and conferences’ general spending habits - and the NCAA’s failed attempt to get Congress to pass the pro-NCAA SCORE Act.”

» Billable Hours. “The NCAA has been lobbying Congress for more than 20 years, but the specific effort to protect amateurism began in earnest in 2019. The group’s lobbying spending has grown steadily since then, from about $700,000 in 2019 to $890,000 in 2024. In all, the six (and now five, without the Pac-12) organizations - all of which are 501(c)(3) educational nonprofits with legal lobbying limits - have spent more than $10 million combined.”

» What They’re Saying. “Student-athlete leaders representing thousands of college athletes from all three divisions called on Congress to address the issues facing college sports that only Congress can address, including employment and limited antitrust protection, and the NCAA has been working on behalf college athletes and member schools to achieve those priorities,” Tim Buckley, NCAA senior vice president of external affairs, told Front Office Sports in a statement.”

» By The Numbers. “In total, 2025 marked the first year the NCAA reported more than $1 million in lobbying spending. The NCAA worked with Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Shreck, consistently listed as one of the highest-grossing lobbying firms, with clients like Purdue Pharma. In addition, the NCAA took on a new firm last year: theGroup DC, which describes itself as bipartisan. The NCAA also employs its own in-house full-time lobbyists, led by former professional tennis player Dawn Buth.”

“The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has announced the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Hall of Fame class, recognizing six individuals whose careers as athletes, coaches, officials, and contributors have left a lasting impact on Division III wrestling.

The 2026 class will be formally inducted during the NWCA Hall of Fame Ceremony prior to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Championships in Cedar Rapids, IA. Each inductee has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the sport through competitive excellence, leadership, service, and lifelong dedication to wrestling.

The 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Hall of Fame inductees are Alan Boucher (Official), Mike Howard (Oswego State - Coach), John Oostendorp (Coe College - Coach), Clayton Rush (Coe College - Wrestler), Nick Slack (Augsburg University - Wrestler), and Mike Surak (Millikan University - Contributor).”

“USA Lacrosse announced its Division III Men’s 2026 Preseason All-Americans, honoring 99 players from around the nation.

Salisbury and Christopher Newport led the way with seven selections apiece, while two-time defending national champion Tufts placed six players on the list.

Tufts senior attackman Jack Regnery was selected as the preseason Player of the Year.

First Team

A-Connor Herraiz, Salisbury
A-Kevin Miller, Christopher Newport
A-Jack Regnery, Tufts
M-Julian Kammerman, Roanoke
M-Garrett Kelly, Tufts
M-Riley Strub, Salisbury
FO-Blake Malamphy, Salisbury
SSDM-Elliot Cohen, Washington and Lee
SSDM-Matt Sheinberg, Amherst
LSM-Ben Frisoli, Tufts
D-Mark Davison, Christopher Newport
D-Jack Pyne, Bowdoin
D-Bryce Stevenson, Salisbury
GK-Mason Bellinger, Christopher Newport

» Positional Players of the Year. Attack: Jack Regnery, Tufts. Midfield: Garrett Kelly, Tufts; Defense: Bryce Stevenson, Salisbury. Specialist. Elliot Cohen, Washington and Lee. Goal: Mason Bellinger, Christopher Newport.

MON FEB 2: New Commissioner Orientation
MON-TUE FEB 2-3: Championships Committee (Indianapolis)
WED FEB 4: Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact (virtual)
THU FEB 5: Management Council

TUE-WED FEB 10-11: Financial Aid Committee (Indianapolis)
THU FEB 12: Playing Rules Oversight Panel

MON-TUE FEB 16-17: Championships Committee; Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Committee (virtual)
TUE-FRI FEB 17-20: Postgraduate Scholarship Committee
WED FEB 18: Interpretations and Legislation Committee
FRI FEB 20: Interpretations and Legislation Committee

» Lacrosse (W). USA Lacrosse announced its preseason positional Players of the Year, led by Franklin & Marshall’s Lauren Pittman as the attacker and overall Player of the Year. Others honored include Stefanie Sellitto of Stevens (midfield), Abby Fleishell of Salisbury (defense), and Izzy Weintraub of Wesleyan (goal).

» Basketball (W). Washington and Lee standout Mary Schleusner set a Division III record for career double-doubles in the Generals’ 69-47 victory against Roanoke. Schleusner had 17 points to go along with 20 rebounds for the 84th double-double of her career.

» Football. Congratulations to Knox College graduate Todd Monken ‘98, who was named head coach of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.

“Household incomes have grown unevenly across the U.S. over the past half-century, with some states seeing explosive gains while others lagged, Alex Fitzpatrick writes from a new Urban Institute report.

🎓 The most important factor tied to income change, the report finds: educational attainment.

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