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“As a culmination of a months-long assessment and collaboration with the Atlantic East, the United East Conference is announcing the addition of Centenary University, Gwynedd Mercy University, Immaculata University, and Marymount University as full members, effective July 1, 2027. The addition of the four institutions will bring the conference’s total core members to 17.

In recent months, presidents and commissioners from the Atlantic East and United East have been engaged in strategic discussions to evaluate the potential of maintaining two separate conferences in a way that would benefit the student-athlete experience for all conference members. While leadership from both conferences continue to believe that greater consideration for fair AQ access is needed for larger conferences, it became evident in the collaboration that having all athletic programs competing under one conference provided the most stable environment for member institutions and its student-athletes.”

» Situational Awareness. “The two conferences will remain committed to a strategic partnership in select sports for the 2026-27 academic year. Partnered sports for the upcoming year include Field Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field, Men’s Volleyball, and Women’s Lacrosse. Men’s Lacrosse will join the list of partnered sports for Spring 2027 with the top team from each conference competing in a crossover championship for the Atlantic East automatic qualifier.”

» Quotable. “I want to thank the presidents and chancellors from the Atlantic East and the United East for their work and commitment over the last nine months,” said United East Commissioner Stephanie Dutton. “While the outcome of our work differs from our initial goal, it was clear in every discussion that our campus leaders are most committed to ensuring their student-athletes have a positive conference experience in a stable and competitive environment.”

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“Late Friday night, in the last hours before the Senate left for August recess, there was still a chance, however slim, that the Protect College Sports Act would go to a vote.

And it was about that time, when there was a “new groundswell of interest in the bill,” as one Senate aide put it, that Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) went to work. Each called a number of their fellow Democrats to explain why they don’t like the bill. They called labor groups, civil rights groups, all kinds of groups that could strengthen the public and private pushback. Their staffers called one another. A lot.

“Booker and Murphy put stakes in the ground and said we’re not moving,” said a lobbyist working on the bill. “And that was basically that.”

» Why It Matters. “Where Murphy and Booker align, however — or where they align most — is in believing athletes should have a real say in any college sports legislation, especially if it gives the NCAA an antitrust exemption to regulate compensation and player movement. This is what they stressed to fellow Democrats on Friday, according to a handful of aides. They kept the argument simple. But in the weeks ahead, as Murphy told NOTUS, they plan to drill down on specifics to limit Democratic support.”

» What They’re Saying. “I think there are very few people who understand the implications of this bill,” Murphy said. “It was not ready for prime time on Friday night, and that became apparent to everyone. I don’t think this bill is going to become more popular, and it’s not going to get more popular amongst legislators as time goes on.”

“The transfer portal is alive and well in college football, but in reality, only a few of the seniors from last year's All-America team have departed from Division III, and there is always more talent ready to step into the spotlight. Check out the top returning players in D-III for 2026.

First Team Offense. QB-Garret Wilson (North Central); RB-Harrison Hensley (Coast Guard); RB-Drew Miller (Heidelberg); WR-Albert Rundell (Bethel); WR-Cole Crotty (Johns Hopkins); TE-Logan Frederick (Utica); OT-Cortez Jones (North Central); OG-Joe Pruchnic (Adrian); OC-Quentin Lehman (Ohio Northern); OG-Andrew Belford (Christopher Newport); OT-Michael Bougie (Saint John’s).

First Team Defense. DE-Galen Limantour (Susquehanna); DT-Connor McDonald (Wartburg); DT-Phil Conant (Bethel); DE-JP Chaney (Aurora); LB-Jason Bateman (Eastern); LB-Kaiden Roden (Hardin-Simmons); LB-Nolan Hartsel (Baldwin Wallace); CB-Nazair Jean-Lubin (Cortland); S-Ethan Burrows (Adrian); S-Joe Spirra (Ithaca); CB-Kenyon Johnson (Linfield).

First Team Specialists. K-Pedro Altamirano (Hardin-Simmons); P-Cade Johannsen (Linfield); RET-Joel Perez (Delaware Valley).

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» Facilities. Franklin & Marshall College and the Atlantic League’s Lancaster Stormers announced an eight-year agreement establishing Penn Medicine Park as the official home stadium for F&M baseball. Through this joint venture, the F&M baseball program gains comprehensive access to Penn Medicine Park’s professional amenities.

» Football. Ron Snodgrass has been hired to serve as the national coordinator of officials, effective Sept. 1.

» Softball. Robbie Guest, who has worked as a Division I softball umpire for 21 years, will be the new NCAA secretary-rules editor for the sport, effective Sept. 1, 2027.

» Settlement. “Haverford College leaders have agreed to a settlement with a group of Jewish students and faculty members who alleged that the private Pennsylvania institution hadn’t done enough to protect them against antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”

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