DIVISION III PRESIDENTS QUARTERLY UPDATE - JANUARY 2024
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR, PRESIDENT JIM TROHA
I am Jim Troha, president at Juniata College and the newly elected chair of the Division III Presidents Council. I hope this quarterly update finds you, your students, staff, and faculty having seamlessly started the spring semester. It is with great honor that I begin my service as the council chair. It has been a privilege to serve with outgoing chair, Chancellor Jim Schmidt, and I thank him for his exceptional leadership. I also thank all departing council members for their dedication and hard work. These volunteers do extraordinary work on behalf of ALL of us at Division III. This newsletter has some important information, and I encourage you to review and discuss the topics included in this update with your presidential colleagues, athletics direct reports and commissioners.
The council approved noncontroversial legislation, in concept, to remove cannabinoids from the list of NCAA banned drug classes. The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended the removal of cannabinoids from the list of NCAA banned substances based on extensive study informed by subject matter experts (including medical doctors, substance misuse experts and membership practitioners), consensus opinion from the 2022 Summit on Cannabis in Collegiate Athletics and referrals from Divisions II and III to consider banning only performance enhancing drugs. The council stressed the importance of the Sport Science Institute developing and distributing educational materials to the membership.
ESPN BROADCAST AGREEMENT
The council ratified the Administrative Committee’s action to approve annual spend to produce the Division III women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball semifinals and championship games to be digitally broadcasted on ESPN+ as part of the NCAA’s new broadcast agreement. The new ESPN contract, which is in addition to the NCAA’s agreement with CBS/Warner Brothers, also provides additional revenue to the division (estimated $1.2 million annually) and expands its coverage of Division III championships from the current coverage of the football semifinals and championship. The remaining Division III championships will continue to be web streamed on NCAA.com.
FINANCIAL REVIEWS
The council received updates on two current financial reviews. Lewis Rice is reviewing the division’s Enrichment Fund grants and programs and evaluating if the grants and programs have defined measurable objectives, achieve the intended objectives, and align with the division’s strategic plan. Deloitte is conducting a higher-level review of the division’s finances. The review objectives include strengthening the division’s overall financial performance, improving revenue growth, identification of financial priorities and threats, and structure options to reduce risk and advance the division financially. Both reviews, with recommendations, will be completed by Summer 2024.
MEMBERSHIP DUES ASSESSMENT
The council approved a recommendation from the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee to pause the membership dues assessment (i.e., the amount above the annual membership dues set by the Board of Governors) for FY25 and FY26. Institution dues for the next two years will be reduced from $2,000 to $900 and for conference offices, the reduction will be from $1,000 to $450.
ATHLETIC TRAINERS WORKING GROUP
The council received updates from the working group’s most recent meetings, including a review of findings from a membership survey that revealed the following primary areas of focus for the working group: 1) workload for athletic trainers (student-athlete health care delivery models/expectations based on the number of student-athletes, venues and the expectation of coverage); 2) work-life balance (work schedule, requirement to travel with teams, and training room hours); and 3) athletics department culture (communication/collaboration, being valued, compensation, and establishing and maintaining boundaries). The working group is considering establishing subgroups to review each of these areas. Final recommendations will be given to the councils this summer.
DIVISION III AWARD WINNERS
The council would like to congratulate this year’s award winners honored at the NCAA Convention in Phoenix. The Division III LGBTQ of the Year recipients are Oberlin College (Athletics Department of the Year), Danielle O’Leary, William Peace (Administrator of the Year), and Anna Slominski, Illinois Institute of Technology (Student-Athlete of the Year). Anita DeFrantz, Connecticut College, received the Gerald R. Ford Award, the NCAA’s highest honor, and John Cena, Springfield College, received the Silver Anniversary Award, recognizing the 25th anniversary of the completion of his college career. Sydney Packard, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Anika Washburn, Case Western Reserve were recognized with Today’s Top 10 Award, given to outstanding senior student-athletes from the previous academic year. Congratulations to all this year’s award recipients.
DIVISION III GRADUATION RATES
The council received the most recent Division III graduation rates. Student-athlete graduation-rate reporting was mandatory for the fourth time with this reporting cycle. The Division III national four-year average Academic Success Rate (ASR) continues to hold steady at 88 percent. Even when utilizing the less-inclusive federal rate, Division III student-athletes perform better than the general student body. Click here for more information.
DEPARTING MEMBERS
The Division III Presidents Council saw three individuals attend their last meeting. Richanne Mankey, Defiance College, Troy Paino, University of Mary Washington, and outgoing chair Jim Schmidt, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The council welcomes five new members: Suzanne Davis, Greenville University; Marisa Kelly, Suffolk University, Carolyn Lepre, Salisbury University; Milton Moreland, Centre College, and Adam Weinberg, Denison University.
CONCLUSION
It is my intent that the quarterly update provides the necessary and critical information to assist you in the oversight of Division III athletics on your campus. You can find a full recap of the January Presidents Council meeting here and the Summary of Actions, which highlights all recent council actions. As always, I welcome any feedback or questions.
This email was sent to NCAA Division III presidents and chancellors;conference commissioners and athletics direct reports based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
