D1.ticker - News from Friday, January 13, 2017

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New 1.Question: Ross Bjork - Athletic Director - Ole Miss (part I)

Another DII program is headed up to the DI ranks as Cal Baptist will join the WAC in 2018-19, pending successful navigation of the reclassification process. The Lancers finished fourth in last year's Learfield Directors' Cup standings at the DII level & how about this stat, "Since 2013-14, 65 percent of eligible teams have qualified for NCAA postseason play." Cal State Bakersfield Prez Mitchell: "Utah Valley President Matthew Holland, Grand Canyon President Brian Mueller, WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd and I made a visit to CBU in early October. We were impressed by the university’s academic programs, its commitment to transitioning its athletics program to NCAA Division I and its strong desire to join the WAC." (link); Cal State Bakersfield AD Siegfried: "We’re pumped about it. It’s another California school and someone who will help the strength of our conference. Their (athletics) budget is already over $14 million. They’ll come in and be very competitive very quickly. [...] Chicago State is in better shape than what has been put out there. In recent meetings they’ve been clear on their commitment to remain in D-I and remain a strong member of the WAC. Our conference right now is as strong as it’s been since we joined it. Our membership as a whole feels very, very good about the conference right now. That’s been said over and over again the last several months." (link)

Georgia Tech AD Stansbury's contract details reviewed by the AJC's Sugiura, which includes a five-year pact with compensation that starts at $900K & ends at $951K in the deal's final year. There's also a $1.1M loan from the university to pay off part of his buyout to Oregon State, a loan that will be completely forgiven in 2021 if he's still leading the Yellow Jackets. If not, Stansbury will owe the full amount, plus interest. Sugiura notes the $900K figure is one of the top pay rates in the nation for an AD. Former Georgia Tech boss Bobinksi was at $700K with another $175K in deferred comp. Back to the loan, Stansbury's total buyout at OSU was $2.2M & Sugiura writes, "The salary/loan combination helped Stansbury meet the roughly $2.2 million buyout, which was due within 30 days after the date of his contract termination." Stansbury says his plan is to be at Tech the rest of his career. (link)

Reports indicate Ohio State AD Smith will replace Wisconsin AD Alvarez on the College FB Playoff selection committee. No official word from the CFP, though an announcement of new members to take the spots of Alvarez, former Vanderbilt HC Johnson & former Secretary of State Rice is expected by the end of the month. The tenure of committee Chair & Texas Tech AD Hocutt could also be more clear before January is out. (link)

Speaking of Smith & Alvarez, their league, as a whole, is surging as ESPN's Bennett looks at variables that have led the Big Ten into an advantageous strategic position. Northwestern AD Phillips points to the strong FB HC portfolio throughout the conference, "It starts and ends with great head coaches." Big Ten Network revenues & the new six-year $2.6B TV deal that goes into play next season allows even the mid- to smaller-sized budgets to invest at a higher level for FB. As a byproduct of the HC roster, more effective recruiting has been a key cog in making the wheel spin faster. Alvarez says he expects more success out of the league as he sees young talent on the field & HC stability. (link)

Florida A&M AD Overton continues his financial maneuvering to balance the Rattlers' books. The 2016-17 budget is expected to come up $237K short, but that's down from a projected $651K in December. The differences, so far, are a one-time payment of $200K from the NCAA & eliminating a number of part-time roles, as well as a full-time Compliance position that was paying $55K. Cuts can make up some of the gap, but fundraising is the other key driver & VP for University Advancement/Prez of the FAMU Foundation Cotton expects to find 100 donors who can give $5K or more by the end of June to cover the shortfall & also pump money into Bragg Stadium upgrades. (link)

Cal AD Williams is hiring Wisconsin FB DC Wilcox as the new HC for the Golden Bears. ESPN's McMurphy reports it'll be a five-year deal for Wilcox in Berkeley. (link); The San Jose Mercury News' Wilner looks at a couple of different angles, continues to wonder what the AC salary pool will be & where the school will come out financially after payouts for former HC Dykes' departure, plus commitments to the new staff. (link)

Western Michigan AD Beauregard turns to former Broncos standout student-athlete & former Purdue quarterbacks coach Lester to take over the WMU program. Lester does have some HC experience, from 2008 to 2012 at Elmhurst College (DIII) where he went 33-19. Lester met with his new team last night & a full presser is set for this morning in Kalamazoo at 11am. (link)

Beauregard also notes she hasn't talked much with former Western Michigan FB HC Fleck since his departure to Minnesota. "I talked to him the morning he took the job, but that's all. It's just really hard, you move forward but you miss the contact. I certainly, truly wish them the best. He says this was a dream job for him and I want them to be happy, I want them to be successful. Is it awkward that we don't talk every day, or we don't communicate? Yes, it's different than what we've had, but he has a whole new life ahead of him, a whole new career ahead of him and a lot to get done in a short amount of time. We've texted a couple times, but he's got to move forward in his way and I've got to move forward in mine." (link)

The debate around shortening the length of college FB games continues as CBSSports.com's Solomon pens on the issue & notes that, to a degree, it's not just a FBS issue as FCS kicks this past season averaged three hours & five minutes. Comparatively, FBS averaged 3:24, DII = 2:48 & DIII = 2:40. And, the average number of plays were relatively the same ranging from 139 to 142.6. So, commercial air time & replay reviews would seem to be part of the narrative at the FBS level. Add Solomon to the list of those who believe some NFL rules, such as a running clock after first downs & only so many reviews allowed, should be transferred to the college game. Adding title & post-season games, along with more plays per game, equates to this year's Clemson squad playing in the equivalent of four more games than the 2005 National Championship Texas team. (link)

The NCAA Convention gets rolling in Nashville next week & some key pieces of conversation include: 1) Student-Athlete time demands balance & making study aboard & internship experiences more flexible & accessible; 2) Clarification on "required athletically related activities"; 3) Limiting student-athlete media obligations; 4) Required days off during holiday or vacation periods. Lots more as detailed by the NCAA here. (link)

Miami (FL) fits well for Canes MBB HC Larranaga given his Cuban heritage & Depty AD Hernandez says community engagement is one part of the story, as is success on the court. "He has been able to build our program to a level it's never seen before. For us to have two Sweet 16 seasons, to win the ACC Tournament and regular season [in 2013], to be able to accomplish what he has in a short period of time is really remarkable." Larranaga's view: "We don't have the tradition that a Duke has or a North Carolina has, or even that a Pittsburgh has. [...] But, we're heading in that direction. We've established a very unique culture here and people have really bought into it." (link)

presented by Anthony Travel

Memphis Prez Rudd with a long Q&A with the Commercial Appeal's Calkins on the state of the Tigers athletic department. Says overall athletics is in "remarkably good shape" with a budget in the $50M range, not too far off from the largest budget on campus, that of the College of Arts & Sciences at $55M. Support from campus to athletics is around $20M, which Rudd says he struggles with, but knows athletics is a "critical function within the university." FB revenues are down a touch this year, with MBB revenues "significantly" down. Curious to see how the marketplace evolves in the next decade, not sure the current structure survives, which could impact the biggest pot of money, TV revenues. An indoor FB facility is still in the works, but additional fundraising & a new board are still points of navigation. Lots, lots more. (link)

This feels like a long shot, but Washington Senator Baumgartner has submitted a bill that would require state athletic department budgets to be approved by the Commerce, Labor & Sports committee within state government if they're in the red for two consecutive cycles. "College sports play an important role in higher education, but we need to take a closer look at how schools are budgeting for these programs. If they’re persistently underwater in terms of budgeting and over-relying on public subsidy, they need some oversight." If there's support behind Baumgartner's proposal, Washington & Washington State could be in his crosshairs given recent financial challenges. As you may recall, Baumgartner was recently involved in hearings around discipline handed down to Cougars FB student-athlete Barber & exclaimed when leaving one meeting, "If you don't fix this, I go**amn will." (link)

The NCAA will host analytics leaders Sagarin, Pauga, Pomeroy & Alamar on the 20th of this month to discuss metrics that define success & competitiveness in college hoops, which could impact use of the traditional RPI. Michigan State Asst. AD for Administration Pauga, who also crated the surging KPI rankings, "The selection process could benefit greatly from a composite metric, especially if it includes both results-based and predictive elements. Having a few metrics together minimizes the effect of a single outlier. It also can provide context where if a team's results-based metrics are way better than the predictive, their résumé may be better than their team -- and vice versa." NCAA SVP Gavitt: "You need to stay relevant in the age that you're operating in. Certainly relevant today is embracing analytics and technology to the appropriate level." (link)

ESPN's Crabtree on how new rule proposals in college FB could "benefit coaches' and recruits' personal lives." Miami (FL) Asst. Director of Player Personnel Baez nails it, "Everyone in this business talks about, 'Come join our family.' But when we talk about our own family, our own kids, we're always, 'I'll see you tomorrow morning,' as you run out the door to work. You don't see your family in the summer anymore. We talk about family all the time in this business, but it's scary how little we put our real family first, especially with all the crazy stuff that goes on in the summer with camps and unofficial visits." A lengthy summer dead period could be the answer & will be discussed in Nashville next week. Northwestern AD Phillips & MAC Commish Steinbrecher, both of whom occupy key NCAA leadership seats, voice their support for such a change. (link)

It's Personnel: Georgia Tech AD Stansbury hires former Yellow Jackets FB student-athlete Keisler as Assoc. AD for Annual Giving & Engagement. Keisler previously teamed with Stansbury at both UCF & Oregon State. (link); Utah Valley Women's Soccer HC Anderson exits after 11 years leading the Wolverines, will join the staff at BYU. (link); The new deal for Old Dominion FB HC Wilder has yet to be signed. (link); ECU MBB HC Lebo is set for hip surgery on Monday, will be away from the Pirates program indefinitely. (link); Texas A&M FB has a new Strength & Conditioning leader in former Florida State assistant Hocke. (link); Like Wilder's new pact, Rutgers WBB HC Stringer doesn't yet have a newly inked contract, but there doesn't seem to be any reason why it won't get done. (link)

CBSSports.com's Solomon takes to Twitter to update on the NCAA's $75M class-action concussion settlement. Of note, "As of Jan. 5, 803 NCAA schools provided 3.2M records of athlete contact info for concussion settlement. Notices started going out Jan. 9. […] Concussion suit lawyers sent 385 subpoenas to NCAA schools for last-known contact info of their athletes. Most will provide info by Jan. 31." More. (link)

More context on the AD search at Tennessee comes from SECCountry's Griffith as he points out that the Vols were positioned last among SEC programs in the Fall Learfield Directors' Cup standings and 113th overall. Only FB recorded points for the Fall seasons. It's likely an oversimplification, but Griffith writes, "DiPietro, formerly the chancellor of UT’s agriculture department, took over as the school’s president on Jan. 1, 2011. In the five complete athletic seasons since DiPietro became UT’s president, the Vols’ athletic program has averaged a finish of 36.4 in the Learfield Cup all-sports standings. The five years prior to DiPietro taking over, Tennessee averaged a 16.8 finish." (link)

Given the recent spotlight on FB student-athlete suspensions & the subsequent sequence of events, Minnesota Prez Kaler comments on moves made by Athletics back in 2015 to better educate student-athletes on inappropriate behavior. "I know they responded to it with some additional training, but … if these findings are reinforced during the appeals process, then we didn’t have sufficient training or we didn’t have sufficient oversight. […] I think clearly we need to do both more and different (training), because our student-athletes get an exceptional amount of training around sexual assault and harassment issues, and yet we didn’t seem to make the point." More Kaler, including the reality that's there's no due process for student-athlete suspensions & an expectation that the Trump administration may clarify how universities handle claims of sexual violence given the current "impossible set of demands." (link)

Hoops: CBSSports.com's Parrish, "TCU is penning a blueprint every irrelevant power-conference school can follow." Parrish is specifically talking about the hire of alum & former Pittsburgh MBB HC Dixon to go along with the $72M investment to revamp Schollmaier Arena & recruiting, as well as travel, upgrades. One source: "They've given Jamie everything he needs." I know what you're thinking: It's easy for Parrish to write about the solutions, but much harder to achieve. (link); UTSA's challenge in drawing fans for MBB is emblematic of many south Texas programs in a FB-obsessed state. The Roadrunners are off to an 8-9 start under first-year HC Henson & have won every home game thus far, but are still only drawing an average of 948 fans. More. (link)

Xavier & Butler MBB meet today in Hinkle Fieldhouse & the two fan bases love each other in a special way. Lead-up to the key Big East matchup has produced one of the best sound bytes of the season so far from Musketeers HC Mack, "I can't worry about what grown men do on their computers in their living rooms." Just 117 miles separates the two campuses & the growth of both programs to the upper levels of the sport has been nothing short of super impressive. Butler's student section is sure to have some juice, hopefully all of the tasteful variety, for key XU student-athletes. FS1 at 2p EST. (link)

Awful Announcing's Yoder with a clean recap of what TV ratings for the recent bowl season actually mean. Says New Year's Eve semifinal games for the College FB Playoff simply don't work, but wonders if down semis ratings could be a direct precursor to down Championship game numbers. Next year could be a decent test as the semis move to the Rose & Sugar on New Year's Day. Notes that ESPN basically has a monopoly on bowl season, which is a self-fulfilling situation for ratings given the promotional inventory used to hype other games & points to only one game drawing under 1M eyeballs, "...as long as ESPN can drive viewership with all of these bowl games, from the Idaho Potato Bowl to the National Championship Game, they’ll see it as an important pillar of their dominance in sports television." (link)

Also Noticed: Long Beach State gets a $100K commitment from former standout & MLB All-Star Longoria. (link); Liberty opened its sparkling new indoor T&F facility yesterday. (link); Behind a paywall, but Indiana reported 24 secondary violations in 2015-16. (link); Keep an eye on the FCS next year as an astounding 19 of 20 starting quarterbacks return for programs in the final Top 20 rankings. (link); MANDT VR continues its growth with the Pittsburgh Steelers as all fans will receive an all-access virtual pass to a 360-degree game day experience. (link); Oral Roberts has a new fan app thanks to From Now On. (link); Kansas State adds a neat second screen view for hoops games to its gameday app. SportsLabs & Silver Chalice assisted. (link); Will-they-ever-bid-on-sports-rights player Netflix continues to surge as its stock hit an all-time high of $133.70 yesterday on strong Q4 performance expectations. (link)

Key update on a clip from yesterday. Thanks for the notes, they're welcome anytime. "Just an FYI that Coach Berger from AND1 is confused on how the Academic Progress Rate (APR) is calculated. Grade point averages are only a factor relative to the APR if it results in a student-athlete on scholarship becoming ineligible. [...] Contrary to Coach Berger's point, non-scholarship walk-ons play no part in the APR calculations." (link)

Part I: Ole Miss Athletic Director, Ross Bjork, starts this 1.Q with the story of the first time he asked a for $1,000,000, which included the involvement of current New Mexico State AD Mario Moccia & current Kansas State Deputy AD Laird Veatch, back when the trio was together at Missouri. High-level fundraising has been central to Bjork's progression through college athletics, so we dug in a bit further on the "art of the ask," as well as challenges of continuing to build relationships once you become an AD. More from Bjork on Monday. Listen by clicking the link. - link (length - 9:55)

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