😄 Good Monday Morning. The last Monday in September.

📆 What’s Happening Today. The Protect College Sports Act is scheduled for a final vote in the U.S. Senate at 5:30 p.m. EDT. The DIII Convention Planning subcommittee also meets today.

🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. I Love It. Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX

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“On Monday, within the United States Senate, history will be made.

Lawmakers are poised to pass a piece of college sports legislation intended to regulate an unruly industry — a historic moment in the NCAA's century-plus existence that moves the federal government one step closer to its most involvement ever in college athletics.”

» Driving The News. “At least two-thirds of the 100-member chamber is expected to support the bill, according to procedural motion votes over the last week. The legislation would grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption to limit athlete transfer movement (one transfer without penalty); standardize a five-year eligibility policy; more strictly regulate a new, increased player revenue-share cap; create an agent registry with a maximum 5% fee, and plenty more.”

» Yes, But. “But as the legislation sits on the brink of Senate passage — the vote is expected Monday evening — conference executives and high-level school administrators are busy crafting what is often referred to as "Plan B": a conference-based governance and athlete-compensation framework that mirrors many of the bill's concepts.”

» The Big Picture. “Conference officials are also discussing the possibility of independently establishing league-only governance policies, such as an agent registry and fee cap and a transfer limitation. At the very least, they are gearing up to operationalize the bill's provisions — whether it passes or not.”

» Reality Check. “For these reasons — and others — the bill's prospects to pass the House remain uncertain and, some believe, doubtful.”

“The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Presidents’ Council has announced the appointment of Lauren Bryne-Dunn as Commissioner of the MIAA, effective October 1, 2026. Bryne-Dunn has served as Interim Commissioner since July 2026 and will become the 12th commissioner in the history of America’s First Conference.

Bryne-Dunn began her career with the MIAA as Assistant Commissioner on August 1, 2020. She was promoted to Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator in July 2024 before assuming the role of Interim Commissioner in July 2026.”

» What They’re Saying. “Lauren has provided great service to the MIAA over the past six years in progressively more impactful roles, as Assistant Commissioner, Associate Commissioner, and most recently as Interim Commissioner,” said Dr. Steven Corey, Chair of the MIAA Presidents’ Council and President of The University of Olivet. “The MIAA Presidents’ Council is pleased to remove the interim title and looks forward to her leadership and working in partnership with her as commissioner for many years to come.”

» State of Play. “Her leadership development and service within NCAA Division III have included participation in the 2023 NCAA Division III Senior Woman Administrator Program, the NCAA Division III Inclusive Leadership Workshop Facilitator program, the 2025 NCAA Fall Summit and NCAA Impact Forum, and the 2025-26 CSC Inclusion Fellowship. She was also selected to participate in the 2026-27 NCAA Pathway Program, a national leadership development program designed to prepare emerging leaders for senior-level positions within college athletics.”

“Places one through six remained unchanged in the latest Division III football rankings from D3football.com and D3FBHuddle.

North Central continues on top of both polls, while UW-River Falls, Wheaton, UW-Platteville, and Saint John’s hold onto 2-3-4-5 in both listings.

» D3football Top 10. 1-North Central (3-0), 2-UW-River Falls (3-0), 3-Wheaton (4-0), 4-UW-Platteville (3-0), 5-Saint John’s (3-0), 6-UW-Whitewater (3-0), 7-Bethel (2-1), 8-John Carroll (4-0), 9-Hardin-Simmons (2-0), 10-Trinity TX (3-0)

» D3FBHuddle Top 10. 1-North Central (3-0), 2-UW-River Falls (3-0), 3-Wheaton (4-0), 4-UW-Platteville (3-0), 5-Saint John’s (3-0), 6-John Carroll (4-0), 7-Bethel (2-1), 8-UW-Whitewater (3-0), 9-Trinity TX (3-0), 10-Hardin-Simmons (2-0)

» Saturday’s Games to Watch. UW-River Falls at UW-Whitewater; Bethel at Saint John’s; John Carroll at Washington U.; Berry at Trinity TX; Cortland at Utica

“Addie Chandler tallied a penalty-stroke goal with 57 seconds left in Sunday's overtime, sending the #6 Middlebury field hockey team to a 1-0 victory over #1 Christopher Newport.

Chandler collected a loose ball near the midfield stripe and dribbled through defenders before being fouled from behind. The forward calmly stepped to the dot and buried her bid into the lower-left corner for the thrilling 1-0 triumph.

Ella Fallen made a career-best 12 saves for the Captains (7-1), while Madeline DiLemme turned away five CNU second-half shots as the Panthers improved to 6-1.

» Finances. “The University of Minnesota plans to cut $225 million from its budget over two years as it navigates “shifting enrollment trends, unpredictable state and federal funding, and rising costs,” senior leaders said Thursday.”

» Enrollment. “Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divide extends beyond who enrolls. Young men are also less likely than young women to earn a degree of any kind, raising questions about why some men are opting out of higher education and what colleges can do to better engage and support them.”

“Happy Oktoberfest season, to those who celebrate. If you shop the beer aisle, you’ve likely noticed the arrival of one of fall’s premier beer traditions, as brewers have flooded the market with special releases tied to the world’s biggest folk festival. But more and more, that also includes nonalcoholic (NA) specialties.”

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