AUGUST 25, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3
Send tips to [email protected] and/or via DM

🏈  Fall Sports Are Back. It’s the last week of the fall preseason!

🗞️ In Today’s Edition. Why There’s Never Enough Money in College Sports. Women’s Soccer Season Preview. Battle of the Bands ‘Sweet 16’. The Costco Hot Dog.

😃 Find Us on Facebook. Join our D3 community

📖 Subscribe Today. Our free coverage ends Friday. Our paid subscribers will continue to get D3Playbook delivered every weekday, while our free subscribers will receive access to one edition per week.

TOP STORY

1. Why There’s Never Enough Money in College Sports: ‘We’re, At Times, Our Own Worst Enemy’

by Scott Dochterman and Sam Khan Jr., The Athletic

“In 2004, on the heels of his football program’s third consecutive top-10 finish and second shared Big Ten title, Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby reluctantly chose to make Kirk Ferentz one of college football’s highest-paid coaches rather than lose him to a traditional power or the NFL.

“I don’t know that a football coach should be making five times what a university president makes,” Bowlsby, who later served as Big 12 commissioner for 11 years, said at the time. “But the only thing worse than being in the arms race is not being in the arms race.

According to NCAA financial numbers obtained by The Athletic through state open-records requests, college athletic departments have generated money — and spent it — at an eye-poppingly escalating rate from when Ferentz earned his first big contract.”

» Why It Matters. “And unlike traditional businesses, there are no shareholders in college athletics who earn dividends or demand repayment for their investment. Whatever departments take in, they spend.”

» Between The Lines. “With revenue increases far outpacing the rate of inflation (56 percent) between 2005 and 2023, it may seem unnecessary for schools to gamble on different types of financial liability and massive program upheaval just to keep up with their neighbors. Yet, driven by the paranoia and mistrust that permeates the industry, that’s exactly what they’ve done and will continue to do. It’s never enough.”

» What They’re Saying. “I’m not sure anyone is looking out for the greater good of an industry and thinking more creatively how we can create a more sustainable model because what we are currently doing is not sustainable.” - Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey

» Continue Reading

A MESSAGE FROM SUPERHUMAN AI

Start learning AI in 2025

Keeping up with AI is hard – we get it!

That’s why over 1M professionals read Superhuman AI to stay ahead.

• Get daily AI news, tools, and tutorials

• Learn new AI skills you can use at work in 3 mins a day

• Become 10X more productive

Sign up and start mastering AI

SOCCER
2. Women’s Soccer Preview

Get ready for the 2025 season with the D3Playbook season preview.

» Final 2024 Top 10 Ranking. 1-Washington U.; 2-William Smith; 3-Christopher Newport; 4-Emory; 5-Johns Hopkins; 6-Amherst; 7-Misericordia; 8-Messiah; 9-Loras, 10-Trinity (Texas).

» Preseason Conference Favorites. Loras (A-R-C); Hardin-Simmons (ASC); Christopher Newport (C2C); North Central (CCIW); Emmanuel (GNAC); Rose-Hulman (HCAC); Messiah (MACC); Misercordia/Stevens (MACF); Bridgewater State (MASCAC); Illinois Tech (NACC); Denison (NCAC); MIT (NEWMAC); Pacific Lutheran (NWC); Ohio Northern (OAC); Grove City (PAC); Texas Lutheran (SCAC); Washington and Lee (ODAC); Greenville (SLIAC); Penn State Harrisburg (UEC); La Crosse (WIAC)

» Returning All-Americans. K-Molly Brumbach, Sr., Wesleyan (Conn.); D-Lucy Iverson, Sr., Calvin; D-Annie Isphording, Sr., Johns Hopkins; M-Grace Ehlert, Sr., Washington U.; M-Sarah Zimmerman, Sr., Washington and Lee; M-Caroline Kelly, Sr., Tufts; M-Ruth Hotaling, Sr., William Smith; F-Hanna Heaton, Sr., Christopher Newport; F-Hannah Hong, Sr., Pomona-Pitzer; F-Elsi Aires, Sr., Tufts; F-Sarah Dullaghan, Sr., Emmanuel; F-Kaitlyn Nimmer, Jr., Emory.

» Returning Goal Scoring Leaders. 1-Sarah Dullaghan, Sr., Emmanuel (45); 2-Megan Kurian, So., Penn College (26); 3-Olivia Clemons, So., Washington U. (22); 4-Eowyn Lapp, Jr., Gordon (21); T5-Darilyn Nieto, Sr., Salem (18); T5-Halley Shaffer, Sr., Wilson (18).

» Returning Save Pct. Leaders. 1-Kyleigh Bland, So., St. Mary’s, Md. (935); 2-Abby Nunez, Jr., Brevard (925); 3-Margaret Huelin, Sr., Williams (920); 4-Brigid Enright, Sr., Heidelberg (905); 5-Patricia DePalma, Jr., Pomona-Pitzer (900).

excludes 2024 seniors and grads

FIGHT SONGS
3. Battle of the Bands - The Sweet 16

It’s the bi-annual D3Playbook “Best Fight Song” competition. Two-time defending champion Adrian looks to “three-peat” and has advanced to the Sweet 16, but 15 other fight songs look to knock the Bulldogs from their throne.

» How to Vote. Click on each school’s link to listen to the song. Then go to the D3Playbook twitter site and cast your vote for the winning song in each contest. The final Sweet 16 matchups are scheduled for today with the Elite 8 set for next Tuesday. The semifinals will be held on August 27 with the championship matchup set for August 28.

» Sweet 16 (Monday). Christopher Newport vs. Gettysburg; Carnegie Mellon vs. Merchant Marine; Central vs. UW-Whitewater; Simpson vs. Washington and Lee

» Elite 8 (Tuesday). Adrian vs. Case Western Reserve; North Central (Ill.) vs. St. Olaf

NEWS YOU CAN USE
4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» Communicators of the Year. D3SIDA has named its 2024-25 Communicators of the Year - Caleb Phillips (Plattsburgh State); Sam Atkinson (Gallaudet); Shawn Medeiros (Endicott); Alan Babbitt and Mackenzie McMahon (Hope); Nicholas Osterloo (North Central, Ill.); Danielle Percival, Joseph Garwood and Davis Barlow (Piedmont); and Tim Farrell (UAA).

» Connections. “The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced an enhanced three-year Enterprise Membership with Women Leaders in Sports. With this conference-wide engagement, the MAC becomes the first NCAA Division III Conference to engage with Women Leaders at the Enterprise level. This multi-year collaboration seeks to create meaningful opportunities for professional development, networking, and mentorship for individuals at the MAC’s member institutions.”

TRANSACTIONS
5. Comings and Goings 

• CONCORDIA (Wis.) - Kaitlyn Parsons named assistant director of athletic communications

• DENISON - Tiffany Ozbun named assistant athletic director. Adriene Henery named interim head softball coach

• HAMLINE - Jake Bobrowski named head women’s ice hockey coach

• HIRAM - Colton Chovanec named assistant director of sports information

• ST. JOHN FISHER - Jason Byam named head tennis coach

• SUNY CANTON - Joey Roiger named athletic communications assistant

• TRANSYLVANIA - Kevin Calhoun named associate director of athletics

• WITTENBERG - Wendel Donathan named head wrestling coach

1 THING
6. Cheap Icons Like Costco Hot Dog, AriZona Tea Defy Inflation

by Kelly Tyko, Axios

“At a time when grocery bills keep climbing, a few brands are clinging to nostalgia-priced staples — like Costco's $1.50 hot dog combo and AriZona's 99-cent iced tea cans.

Why it matters: These inflation-proof items are more than just cheap eats — they're deliberate brand strategies.

The big picture: By holding the line on price, companies trade margin for loyalty, signaling to customers that "value" is part of their DNA.”

📬 Thanks for starting your week with us.
Please invite your colleagues to sign up for D3Playbook

Copyright © 2025, D3Playbook.com All rights reserved