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» What’s Happening Today. The Wrestling Playing Rules and Officiating committee meets today, while the Walter Byers Scholarship Committee begins a two-day session.

» 🎸 Daily Bruce. “What I got I have earned, What I’m not I have learned. Desire and hunger is the fire I breathe, Just stay in my bed till the morning comes.” - Because The Night

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TOP STORY
1. How Sweep It Is! Cal Lutheran Wins National Title

“Cal Lutheran men's volleyball is the 2024 NCAA Division III National Champion!

The Kingsmen swept the Vassar College Brewers to claim the national championship 3-0 on Sunday afternoon. Scores of the match were 25-22, 25-23, 25-23. The Kingsmen followed a reverse sweep of Stevens with a sweep of Vassar.

Michael Stahl was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Jordan Cooper, Taylor Marks, and Logan Marks joined Stahl on the All-Tournament Team.”

» Worth Noting. It was the Kingsmen’s first appearance in the national tournament. CLU improved to 5-0 in five-set matches after recovering from a 2-0 deficit to defeat defending national champion Stevens in the semifinal.

» Continue Reading 
» Full Replay

FINANCES
2. Private Regionals Will Face Stiff Competition From Public Institutions, Moody’s Predicts

by Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

“Private regional colleges with small student bodies and high acceptance rates will face increasingly stiff competition from public institutions as higher education braces for widespread demographic challenges, according to a new analysis from Moody’s Ratings.

These issues will be particularly pronounced in the Midwest and Northeast, where the fight for a shrinking pool of students is expected to heat up. Moody’s analysts predicted higher education enrollment would plummet in these two regions in the coming years, citing a 2020 report from the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education.

» Reality Check. “Driving up costs, small private colleges have increased spending on employee salaries and student wellness services since the start of the pandemic, Moody’s said. Analysts also noted that “maintaining small class sizes has become more expensive.”

» The Key Stat. “Moody’s analysts examined colleges rated by the firm that had student acceptance rates of 60% or more and student bodies of 3,000 or less. The financial well-being of these institutions depends heavily on enrollment, with an average of 71% of their budgets relying on tuition and auxiliary revenue in fiscal 2023, the firm said.”

» Yes, But. “Using Minnesota and Pennsylvania as examples, Moody’s found that the small private colleges it rates in those states have better four-year graduation rates than their public system counterparts.”

» Read More

CONFERENCES
3. Punching Their Tickets

Tickets to the 2024 NCAA Division III championship tournaments were punched over the weekend in golf, lacrosse, tennis and track and field.

🏌️‍♂️ Golf (M). Franklin & Marshall (Centennial), Scranton (Landmark), Rochester (Liberty), York PA (MACC), Stevens (MACF), Hope (MIAA), Tufts (NESCAC), Otterbein (Ohio), Oglethorpe (SAA), Schreiner (SCAC)

🏌️‍♀️ Golf (W). Marymount (Centennial), Catholic (Landmark), NYU (Liberty), Suffolk (NWGC), Centre (SAA), Trinity TX (SCAC)

🥍 Lacrosse (M). Transylvania (HCLC), Centre (SAA)

🥍 Lacrosse (W). Rhodes (SAA)

🎾 Tennis (M). Eastern Nazarene (GNAC), Denison (NCAC), MIT (NEWMAC), Allegheny (PAC), Sewanee (SAA), North Carolina Wesleyan (USA South)

🎾 Tennis (W). Luther (ARC), UT-Dallas (ASC), Sewanee (SAA), Trinity TX (SCAC), Chicago (UAA), Whitewater (WIAC)

🏃‍♀️ Track and Field (W). McMurry (ASC), Endicott (CCC), Regis (GNAC), Rose-Hulman (HCAC), Southern Maine (LEC), Westfield State (MASCAC), Thomas (NAC), MIT (NEWMAC), Lynchburg (ODAC), Westminster (PAC), Centre (SAA), Trinity TX (SCAC), Chapman (SCIAC), Farmingdale State (Skyline), Greenville (SLIAC), Southern Virginia (USA South), Washington U. (UAA).

🏃‍♂️ Track and Field (M). McMurry (ASC), Roger Williams (CCC), St. Joseph’s ME (GNAC), Manchester (HCAC), Eastern Connecticut (LEC), Bridgewater State (MASCAC), SUNY Delhi (NAC), MIT (NEWMAC), Lynchburg (ODAC), Grove City (PAC), Berry (SAA), Colorado College (SCAC), Claremont-M-S (SCIAC), Farmingdale State (Skyline), Greenville (SLIAC), Southern Virginia (USA South), Carnegie Mellon (UAA)

FOOTBALL

4. Handful of DIII Players Sign Free Agent Deals With NFL Clubs

At least five Division III football players have signed NFL free agent contracts after the completion of the 2024 NFL Draft last weekend.

• Justin Blazek, DE, UW-Platteville (Cincinnati)

• Cole Burgess, WR, Cortland (Cincinnati)

• DeAngelo Hardy, WR, North Central, Ill. (Baltimore)

• JJ Laap, WR, Cortland (LA Rams)

• Wayne Ruby, WR, Mount Union (Jacksonville)

And at least five others as of this writing have been invited to teams’ minicamps - UW-La Crosse’s Mike Bertoia (Green Bay), Saint John TE Alex Larson (Seattle), Ithaca DB Derek Slywka (Kansas City, San Francisco), Wabash QB Liam Thompson (NY Giants), and Randolph-Macon WR David Wallis (New England)

» Keep Updated

NEWS
5. Lightning Round

» 🗞️ News. “The NCAA Board of Governors approved $1.7 million in Association-wide funding — $200,000 in fiscal year 2025 and $1.5 million in fiscal year 2026 — for establishing a National Collegiate women's wrestling championship, with the first championship occurring in the 2025-26 academic year.”

» 🗞️ News. “Keystone College officials are negotiating a deal with another potential “investment partner” that could ensure the school’s future, according to a letter sent Friday by the college president to faculty.”

» 👨‍🎓 Academics. Stevens’ Brandon Rogers is the recipient of the NCAA DIII men’s volleyball Elite 90 award.

» 🥍 Lacrosse (W). Christopher Newport’s Kelsey Winters became the 16th player in DIII history to amass 400 career points with her 3-point effort vs. Salisbury.

» 🥎 Softball. Babson senior LHP Moira O’Reilly tossed a seven-inning no-hitter and followed that effort up with a five-inning no-no as the Beavers defeated Salve Regina, 4-0 and 10-0.

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings

• CARLETON - Gerald Young will retire July 1 as athletic director. Heidi Jaynes named athletic director. Amy Erickson named senior woman administrator

• NORWICH - Frank Pecora announced his retirement as head baseball coach

• OGLETHORPE - Alex Richey stepped down as head women’s basketball coach

• ROANOKE - Perry Ayers named assistant men’s basketball coach

• RIVIER - Marykate Drinkwater named head women’s ice hockey coach

• SAINT MARY’S (Minn.) - Courtney Shelton named head women’s basketball coach

• WASHINGTON and LEE - Christine Clancy resigned as head women’s basketball coach

HIGHLIGHTS

7. Worth Another Look

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