D1.ticker - News from Tuesday, January 3, 2017

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The Austin American-Statesman's Bohls says no official AD search has started at Texas yet & it may not until late spring. But, here's who he indicates leadership is "kicking the tires on": NCAA EVP & former West Virginia AD Luck, Kansas State's Currie, Arizona's Byrne, Oklahoma's Castiglione & Virginia Tech's Babcock. "In addition, Texas is exploring the idea of consolidating the AD position as a vice-president over athletics and moving women’s AD Chris Plonsky to a strong marketing position." Bohls also talked to Houston Board of Regents Chair Fertitta, who continued to question the Big 12's expansion process, "To me, the Big 12 was like Donald Trump or Jerry Jones, saying ‘Let’s get our name in the paper, get our name on ESPN.’ They were never going to expand." Thinks the Cougars will still get into a top league once new TV deals get done & mega-conferences are the norm. UH AD Yurachek indicates he would like to see NCAA legislation prohibiting HCs from getting plucked before bowl games, "I think if we took out a couple of weeks of recruiting in December, I think you’d see a big difference." (link)

Speaking of Yurachek, he has a new five-year deal to continue leading Houston that actually started back on September 1 & increased his base pay from $350K to $450K. Yurachek has been in a bright spotlight for a number of months with Big 12 expansion & former FB HC Herman both hot topics. Fundraising continues to advance under his watch & this Houston Chronicle article starts with a note on how Yurachek was a "courtesy interview" during the process two years ago to replace outgoing AD Rhoades. (link)

As you likely know by now, Minnesota AD Coyle has decided to move his FB program in a new direction, leading to the exit of HC Claeys after one season. Coyle indicated his decision was not based on a single incident, like Claeys' recent support of his student-athletes during their threatened bowl ban, but from analyzing the program over the last six months. Claeys & all ACs will have their contracts honored. Coyle stuck to his script by noting the longterm nature of his decision, a commitment to making sure student-athletes have the best possible experience, a belief that FB can compete & excel on the national stage & only so many details could be shared given student-athlete privacy laws. (link); Some current student-athletes spoke out in opposition to the move. (link); A handful of donors also commented & pointed to systematic issues for the university & athletic department to avoid negative headlines. (link); Here's Coyle's full press conference video. (link)

USF AD Harlan becomes the fourth to put a MBB HC search on his plate for the coming months as he parts ways with HC Antigua after two & a half seasons of subpar results & an ongoing NCAA academic probe. Tampa Bay Times' Knight: "Antigua was in Year 3 of a five-year deal that paid roughly $900,000 annually with $25,000 yearly escalators built in. If terminated for cause (i.e. NCAA violations), the school would owe him only one month of his $375,000 annual base salary, according to his contract. If fired without cause, it owes him the annual base salary until the contract's expiration." (link)

Outgoing Pittsburgh AD Barnes opens up on his decision to head back to the West Coast, citing his daughter's health concerns as one deciding factor, "We are saddened because we don't get to see the fruits of all our labors. Under normal circumstances, we'd be here. I want people to understand how much we have appreciated being here. Pitt has been a blessing to me and my family. With what's happened here in the last six months, 12 months, it's changed our outlook, it just has. It really took a great medical community and some good friends to help us understand some of the problems we were dealing with. Certainly, we had no intention of leaving. A window opened and during that time we struggled with some family health issues. That compelled us to look now. People who know us and have become friends with us absolutely understand. That includes the Board of Trustees and donors. The fringe doesn't know and will never know, but those who know understand." (link)

Southern Cal's FB season ended much differently than it began, as you'll recall the Trojans dropped a 52-6 decision to Alabama in the season-opener. AD Swann after that loss: "One game, especially the first game, does not make a season and does not break a season." While HC Helton's squad continued to struggle in September (1-3), it rattled off nine straight Ws to close the season, capped by the 52-49 Rose Bowl win on Monday. Swann on the turnaround, "If we were back at the top of the national landscape, we’d be playing on Monday, January 9th. We’re not there yet. It’s a building process. It says something about the team, and it says something about the coach. We have a coach who can convey a message to his kids and who believe in it. Here’s a man who believes in what he’s doing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He’s not just talking to talk for an inspirational speech on gameday, but he believes in these kids and the kind of program he wants to put together. He has my support, and I think we’ll continue to grow." (link)

Marshall AD Hamrick is the latest to offer up perspective on a potential 'Group of 5' National Championship, "Here’s the big concern. If you’re a Group of 5 power school and you go to this kind of playoff, you basically sign the final contract saying we’re in a separate status. There are a lot of Group of 5 schools that don’t want to do that, i.e. [commissioner] Mike Aresco and his American Conference schools. That’s hard for a Boise State or a Houston or a Marshall, schools that have had great success over the years. That goes to a Division I/Division II kind of deal. It would separate you more. ... Those whispers have been out there for the last two or three years. You hear them, but I don’t see that having any legs right now. I can tell you my phone isn’t ringing off the hook from people saying that’s what we should do. Also, we’ve had no discussions within Conference USA about that." (link)

Same topic, more context from Old Dominion AD Selig, "Until someone can show me there’s more value to a Group of 5 playoff system than $85 million, why even have the conversation? The minute the Group of 5 starts a playoff, that $85 million goes back to the Power 5. […] Why would we cash out at this juncture when it’s inevitable that the playoffs are going to get larger? It’s going to happen. The demand is there from the TV partners and from the public and from a competitive standpoint. It’s truly hard to pick the best four teams. There were two or three teams this year that arguably could have made it. The playoffs are going to expand to eight. And when that happens, then the Group of 5 has a real shot at making it." (link)

CBSSports.com scribes Solomon & Dodd surveyed 40 student-athletes in this year's College FB Playoff on the potential for expansion, "The results: 60 percent like four teams, 25 percent want eight, 7.5 percent said two, and 7.5 percent prefer six." A number of Alabama student-athletes mention the physical demands of the season as it stands now & the increased potential for injuries with even more games. Clemson offensive lineman Godfrey lobbies for the 'Group of 5' to get a team in. Ohio State defensive lineman Holmes: "What about the NCAA president advocating for eight teams? "He graduated. I got exams." Washington center Shelton with probably the most prophetic feedback, "I don't think it's ever going to be a perfect system." (link)

The USC-Penn State barn-burner in the Rose Bowl did a 9.4 overnight TV rating, the second lowest-rated Rose in the last 15 years. But, it was the highest mark for a non-playoff New Year's Six bowl since the CFP's inception. The Oklahoma-Auburn Sugar Bowl recorded a 6.1, up from last year, but also the second lowest mark for the game since 1995-96. Wisconsin-Western Michigan's 3.2 in the Cotton Bowl also a down number for the past decade. The Rose added another 1M+ via streaming. (link, link); The Michigan-Florida State Orange Bowl won the day on the 30th with 11.461M tuned in. (link); Arkansas-Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl also topped lists on the 29th with 4.966M. (link); There aren't many major sports TV rights up for grabs for a number of years, but part of the PGA Tour's could be on the market next year if it opts out of a current agreements with CBS & NBC. Grabbing a piece of a network could be part of the solution with Comcast's Golf Channel as a possibility. (link)

It's that time of year: Winter Storm Helena is dumping snow & ice in the West & Rocky Mountain regions with potentially more coming for the Southeast later this week. A number of flights out of Denver have already been canceled for the next few days. (link); Winter Storm Gregory is nearly done after pelting the North & Northeast with inches of snow & ice. (link); Of course, by the time I hit "send," I'm sure all of these forecasts will have changed.

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James Madison AD Bourne, whose FB team faces Youngstown State this weekend for the FCS title, speaks to the Dukes FB facilities: "We’ve got probably the best facility in the country at our level. I really do consider ourselves the NCAA model for the experience at this level. ... " Bridgeforth Stadium underwent a $62M renovation in 2011 and the $10M Plecker Athletic Performance Center opened in 2005. "We have a group of donors that are very, very loyal and fans that come out and support us. That helps drive the revenue stream that in turn helps with those resources. It’s nice to be able to compete for a national championship. For us, the real key is … being able to stay at the very pinnacle of what you do. If an [FBS] opportunity came along that we felt was beneficial to the institution overall, we’d certainly look at that." Also says of first-year FB HC Houston: "We struck gold."(link)

CBSSports.com's Norlander points to Duke MBB HC Krzyzewski's upcoming absence as a factor that the NCAA MBB Selection Committee must consider in evaluating the Blue Devils. "Pardon the double-negative, but there is no reason why the committee should not do this. The protocol has long been in place; it's just never been done with such a high-profile coach before. So now this becomes an interesting side topic, perhaps something we'll give more conversation to in the lead-up to Selection Sunday. Those in basketball will tell you that a coach's influence on a team -- specifically at the college level -- can sometimes have more effect than any player. When the coach in question is Mike Krzyzewski, the influence and importance is undeniable." Norlander brings up an interesting point, however, in that if the NCAA credits Coach K with the wins and losses during his absence, should they still "judge Duke in a separate box when Krzyzewski isn't coaching?" Of note, when Coach K took medical leave during the 1994-95 season, the 4-15 record in his absence went to interim coach Gaudet. Both decisions have been made by Duke. (link)

The differing views of bowl games starts with the AP's Russo penning there being too many as Sun Belt Commish Benson believes there will be fewer by 2020. Benson also points to the potential of playing a 13th game on-campus for schools in the 6-6 range. ESPN Events SVP Derzis believes the "industry is healthy" with "respectable" TV ratings. (link); SI's Staples sits on the other side of the fence, notes the suspenseful endings of the Rose & Armed Forces bowls that have nothing to do with the National Championship, but were plenty exciting none the less. Also points to "reliable" bowl TV ratings during a time of year when ratings are hard to come by. "Resolve in this New Year to stop complaining about something others enjoy that doesn’t affect your enjoyment of the sport in the least. If you hate these games so much, simply ignore them and watch the ones you like." (link); SBD took a good look at attendance around the bowl landscape this year. Many were down. (link)

Sounds like we'll see an official release on this in the coming days, but Western Illinois AD Tanney has hired Oakland Sports Properties GM & industry veteran Westerfield as his new Senior Assoc. AD for Administration in Macomb. (link); NJIT AD Kaplan tabs Wagner Senior Assoc. AD/SWA Hefferan as Assoc. AD/SWA for the Highlanders. Kaplan: "I feel very fortunate to have Peg come on board as one of my senior staff members. She is a consummate professional and proven veteran administrator. Throughout the process it was clear she knew what NJIT was all about and will fit in with ease." (link)

More Coaching Notes: Bryant AD Smith turns to Princeton OC Perry to take over the Bulldog program (link); After its first bowl trip in three years, Wake Forest gives FB HC Clawson an eight-year extension which keeps him with the Deacs until 2024. (link); Looks like former Indiana FB HC Wilson will join Ohio State as OC next season. (link); UIC TF/XC HC Knoedel retired at the end of 2016 after 21 years with the Flames. AC Rivera will serve as interim. (link); After four seasons as the goalkeeper's coach at Mississippi State, Phil Casella heads to Wagner College to take over as Women's Soccer HC. (link); Michigan OC Drevno is the latest AC to make $1M+. ESPN's McMurphy via Twitter: "Michigan OC Tim Drevno receives new 5-year contract worth $5.15 million" (link)

The Wichita Eagle's Suellentrop notes the need for patience with Missouri Valley MBB programs who attempt to build their brands with primarily high school talent. Given the league's makeup of six public schools & four privates, Suellentrop says there's commonly a clear difference in how league members approach roster management. Wichita State, under HC Marshall, has successfully utilized a mix of transfers, international student-athletes & freshmen to excel on the national level. Meanwhile, Bradley HC Wardle is focusing primarily on the high school ranks, but notes the importance of leadership being on-board with a plan to supplement talent with transfers, when needed. More. (link)

Dish Network's Sling TV is now offering "AirTV, a $130 hardware bundle that combines broadcast TV with streaming video services." recode's Kafka says the product is "for people who haven't cut the cord yet, but are itching to do it." More market direction context from Kafka: "Sling/Dish used to rationalize this pitch by arguing that they were going after other people’s pay TV customers. They’ve basically given up on that argument; now, they’d rather cannibalize their own customers — and keep them as customers — than lose them altogether." (link)

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Former Oregon FB HC Kelly, who tried his hand at the next level with the Philadelphia Eagles & San Francisco 49ers, says he won't "rule anything out" when considering a return to the college sidelines. "I’ve never said I’m only looking at one thing. I will never leave my team when there are games left in the season, so I never looked at college because all those jobs are filled while NFL season is still going on. I only talked to NFL teams after our bowl game was over when I was at Oregon. It’s pretty simple for me: You can never leave your players during the season. How can you ask players to be all in and then leave when you get a better deal?" (link)

Oklahoma Prez Boren talked with the media after Monday night's Sugar Bowl in defense of how his institution handled the incident around Sooners FB student-athlete Mixon. "There’s no excuse for violence against women, and a severe punishment was handed down. There’s also no reason to destroy the lives of young people when they make a serious mistake at age 18. What you want to do is try to set those people on the right course and have them live more productive lives in the future, and I think that’s always the right thing to do, and I don’t think that’s something that should be incited by instant opinion. Opinion changes. Now there are people who second-guess us. And I hope what won’t be second-guessed is education institutions punishing things that need to be punished. People need to learn from those serious mistakes, but we don’t want to destroy the lives of young people that can be salvaged." (link)

Bloomberg's Novy-Williams starts a weeklong look at some shrinking FB attendance trends around the nation & the impact on bottom lines. Since 2009, cumulative FBS attendance is down by 4%, for 'Power 5' schools the loss is 0.6% & for 'Group of 5' members the figure is -3%. Here's Novy-Williams' thesis: "Collegiate sports, particularly football, generate revenue in three main ways—media contracts, ticket sales and donations—and falling attendance is a double-whammy to the business model: unsold tickets hurt the bottom line today and deprive schools of alumni donations in the future. Research suggests that when students don’t go to games, they’re less likely to give money after they graduate." FAU AD Chun says there aren't many answers out there right now, Akron boss Williams points to combining FB games with concerts to attract others to the stadium, TV monies help to offset the downturn, more. (link)

This time last year, Alabama standout student-athlete Hurts had enrolled early in Tuscaloosa & was tasked with simulating Clemson peer Watson as the Crimson Tide prepared to face the Tigers in the National Championship game in Glendale. This year, Hurts will play himself in the actual National Championship tilt in Tampa. The larger trend, as covered by the WSJ's Beaton & Cohen, is FB programs bringing in former student-athletes to mirror the skill set of an opposing quarterback in preparation for a matchup. Former Tiger Boyd, who played the role of Ohio State's Barrett last week, "I’m gonna go hang around the facility and see if they need me this week." (link)

Somehow, Kentucky MBB HC Calipari has time to record a new podcast series 'Cal Cast' during the season & I listed to his chat with Nike headliner Knight yesterday. It's quite good & includes some solid stories, like when Cal first became a Nike endorsee & encountered Knight on an elevator. The two had never met face to face & Knight thought Cal was the bellman & asked him to direct the elevator to a certain floor. Lots of laughs. (link); A coming entry from Calipari, believe it or not, is a conversation with Louisville peer Pitino, who says he had no idea what a podcast even was when Cal asked him to do it. Kentucky Sports Radio lead Jones put it this way, "Calipari and Pitino absolutely despise each other. The fact that they recorded a Podcast together shows that anything is possible." (link)

Also Noticed: Former Alabama FB OC & new FAU HC Kiffin said he'd like to be in the booth for Monday's National Championship Game. Bama & the NCAA said "no." (link); Kansas MBB beat Kansas State on a last-second shot last night that was preceded by what looked like a travel. The Big 12 says it won't revisit the issue. (link); Maine says it will repair its damaged indoor facility that deflated under the weight of snow last week. How long that process takes depends on weather cooperation. (link); Chicago State "interim president, trustees blame bad publicity for decreased enrollment" (link); If you're looking for a new pad in Austin, former Texas AD Patterson is selling his place for $2.5M. (link)

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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)

Senior Associate Athletic Director / Executive Director of the Mountaineer Athletic Club (West Virginia University / Morgantown, WV): The West Virginia University Foundation, Inc., is seeking a Senior Associate AD/Executive Director of the MAC to lead all development activities for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. More details HERE.

Assistant Broadcast Engineer (University of Arkansas / Fayetteville, AR): The Asst Broadcast Engineer will work in a team television production environment within the Broadcast Services Department assisting the chief broadcast engineer. More details HERE.

Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development (Temple University / Philadelphia,PA): Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development is responsible for the management of all advancement activities for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. More details HERE.

Assistant/Associate Director of Development, Intercollegiate Athletics (The Pennsylvania State University / State College, PA): Assistant/Associate Director of Development needed to join the Nittany Lion Club external fundraising unit supporting Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, a member of the Big Ten Conference. More details HERE.

Head Coach - Women's Soccer (University of Massachusetts Lowell / Lowell, MA): This position responsible for leading, developing and managing a competitive Division I program. To learn more and apply, please visit: jobs.uml.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=55269. EOE. More details HERE.

Associate Athletic Director, Facilities and Capital Projects (UCLA, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics / Los Angeles, CA): This Senior Staff position will lead and oversee all aspects of current and future athletic facilities, Capital Projects, and venue scheduling related to the Department of Athletics. Requisition#25086. More details HERE.

Head Coach, Women's Soccer (The University of Delaware / Newark, DE): The Head Coach for Women’s Soccer is a valued member of the Head Coaches’ team within the Department and is responsible for all aspects of operating a fully funded NCAA Division I varsity program. More details HERE.

Head Coach, Women's Volleyball (The University of Delaware / Newark, DE): The Head Coach for Women’s Volleyball is a valued member of the Head Coaches’ team within the Department, upholding and embracing the departmental mission of “Inspiring Greatness Together.” More details HERE.

Senior Associate Commissioner / Legal Counsel (Big 12 Conference, Inc. / Irving, TX): The Big 12 is hiring a sports administrator and attorney who thrives in an independent, exciting and fast-paced environment and who can thrive in the complex and varied world of collegiate sports. More details HERE.

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Assistant Director of Athletics - Marketing & Ticketing (Brown University / Providence, RI): This position is responsible for increasing the overall visibility of Brown University Athletics by leading & managing marketing, promotions, & ticket sales. Brown University is an E-Verify Employer. More details HERE.

Associate Director, Annual Giving Programs (University of Michigan Athletics / Ann Arbor, MI): The Associate Director of Annual Giving will lead strategy of our Annual Giving efforts to retain approximately 27,000 donors and acquire new donors in support of Michigan Athletics. More details HERE.

Senior Associate AD for Internal Operations (Western Illinois University / Macomb, IL): Responsible for managing academic services, business operations, compliance, and equipment services, in addition to sport programs. Resource on issues for female student-athletes, including Title IX. More details HERE.

Assistant/Associate AD for Marketing, Promotions & Ticketing (Fordham University / Bronx, NY): Fordham University, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference & Patriot League, seeks to hire an individual for the position of Assistant/Associate Athletic Director for Marketing, Promotions, & Tickets. More details HERE.

Assistant/Associate AD for Facilities & Event Management (Fordham University / Bronx, NY): Fordham University, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference & Patriot League, seeks to hire an individual for the position of Assistant/Associate Athletic Director for Facilities & Event Management. More details HERE.

Director of Development (University of South Carolina Upstate / Spartanburg, SC): The director is responsible for major gifts, planned gifts and annual fund support designated for the benefit of the Upstate Athletics facilities, programs and student-athletes. AA/EOE employer. More details HERE.

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