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Let's start with our first $2M+ FB AC as LSU takes the term 'pony up' to a whole new level. Tigers DC Aranda, who was being courted by Texas A&M, will make $10M guaranteed over the next four years in Baton Rouge. That's not just $2M+, but an average of $2.5M per year. Hell, why not $3M while we're at it? Aranda's pay will be more than Missouri HC Odom's $2.35M. LSU HC Orgeron: "Dave is a very instrumental here with what we're building at LSU. He's one of the best defensive minds in all of football, and he's even better person. We're looking forward to him being at LSU for many years to come." (link, link)
UCF-National Champs: Knights AD White continues to stick to his charge of crowning his FB program national champions after a 13-0 campaign. $325K worth of  bonuses will be doled out to the coaching staff & the squad will have a parade at Disney's Magic Kingdom this Sunday. White points to multiple champs in seasons past & adds, "The way this whole thing played out, I don’t know how in any kind of equitable system you don’t consider us the national champion. I think we need to fight for that. Our kids have earned that." CFP boss Hancock: "UCF is an excellent team, but you still have to take into account who each team played and defeated during the regular season." (link, link); Big 12 Commish Bowlsby takes Hancock's view a step further, "...getting ready for one game against Auburn, that’s a lot different than playing Auburn every week. ... TCU, if TCU and UCF played 10 times, I defy anybody to convince me that UCF would win the majority of the games. Of course I’ve only been looking at it for 35 years." (link); SBD/SBJ with a solid mashup of perspectives frown around the nation on UCF's perfect season. (link)
CBSSports.com's Dodd with a savvy piece on the future of the College Football Playoff as former CBS Sports boss Pilson thinks a low-rated all-SEC title game could fuel leaders to reconsider expanding the format to eight. Further, Pilson expects ESPN & the CFP to open up conversations on a new deal well before the 2026 expiration of the current pact, says there may be a 50% increase - $10B - available if the Playoff expands. "I think, from a competitive point of view, ESPN is going to focus on major packages. The most major of the ESPN packages is college football and the College Football Playoff. It would make sense for ESPN." Others disagree as an unnamed executive points to so many details - like the Rose Bowl dynamic - plus the reality that leagues would have to be mightily rewarded if they were required to exit the conference championship game format. (link)
Cohen Dowd Quigley performed the internal investigation at Arizona that played a role in the dismissal of Arizona FB HC Rodriguez. Wildcats AD Heeke reportedly made the decision to change FB leaders before the probe was even complete. Rodriguez's full buyout will be paid - $6.28M - and is not subject to mitigation. (link)
More Rich Rod: Sports Illustrated's McCann takes at look at the situation in Tucson, works through the "notice of claim" filed by Rodriguez's former assistant & its utility before a full lawsuit comes to bear, potential defenses by Rodriguez & the university, most notably being sovereign immunity, why UA made a move before more legal proceedings, a potential defamation suit by Rodriguez against the university & what the NCAA may want to know. McCann thinks a pre-trial settlement is likely. (link); Bloomberg's Novy-Williams & Kochkodin refresh on the portion of Rodriguez's contract that involved shares of Western Refining Logistics, which actually sold to Andeavor Logistics LP back in August. At any rate, Rodriguez was due $3.24M in less than three months as part of longevity payouts tied to the oil stock. (link); Here are the full allegations filed in the $7.5M suit against Rodriguez. (link)
SWAC Commish Sharp has officially exited the league's leadership structure after 10 years at the helm. The company line is to "pursue other opportunities." Rumors started to bubble back in November that such a move was in the works as Southern AD Banks & other leaders started to question the direction of the conference, even to the degree that the Jags looked at other potential league homes. Sharp's current contract was due to expire at the end of July. (link)
Sounds like next Monday's CFP National Championship tilt between Georgia & Alabama will have a special guest, President Trump. USA Today's Tucker: "The president and First Lady Melania Trump are expected to be guests of Nick and Jamie Ayers. Nick Ayers is chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence and a native of Georgia." CFP boss Hancock says he has no confirmation yet, "I'm sure the White House will announce the president's travel plans ." (link)
What can a manager do to make sure the people on his/her team or department treat each other well? Georgetown Professor Porath recommends "Make Civility the Norm on Your Team" in this Harvard Business Review piece. 1. Articulate values and set expectations - this starts in the interview process; 2. Define civility - includes an example of one from California-based law firm Bryan Cave which was ranked as the best place to work in Orange County; 3. Give employees skills - train them to understand and respect the defined norms; and 4. Coach employees for civility - focusing on "helping them learn to listen fully, give and receive feedback, work across differences, and deal with difficult people." And of course, practice what you preach. (link)
Experiencing the World presented by Anthony Travel
"Mavericks" in Chinese means "Little Cows." So, the NBA's Dallas Mavericks have officially changed their Chinese nickname to "Lone Ranger Heroes." Given the Pac-12's Pacific Rim strategy, this makes me wonder if all league member nicknames translate directly in Chinese? Utes? Cardinal? Sun Devils? Seriously, can someone in San Francisco send me a note? (link)
 presented by Anthony Travel
ESPN's Maisel writes on the confluence of southern powers Georgia & Alabama meeting for a FB crown in a city that cares far more about college FB than the pro game. Context from Maisel: "Not only does Atlanta sit at the geographic heart of the SEC and the ACC, two of the conferences that make up the Power 5, but five years ago, when the Big Ten expanded to 14 teams, the league didn't take Rutgers until it had been turned down by Georgia Tech. Atlanta has brought in so many transplants that nearly half of the Power 5 schools have alumni watch parties on autumn Saturdays." Maisel also notes the financial impact of Atlanta for college FB as The Home Depot & Chic-Fil-A, major industry sponsors, call the city home. MEAC Commish Thomas says of Atlanta, "hell, this is the damn football capital." More. (link); Monday night's kick will be the first major sporting even in the nation to basically go completely paperless with tickets. While the move may be impacting the secondary market a bit, safety & convenience are the keys for Ticketmaster. (link)
New Texas AD Del Conte doesn't expect alternate unis to come into play for Longhorns FB, took to Twitter on the subject: "Hmm, I'm not one to mess with tradition. As DKR once said dance with the one that brung ya." Goes on to defend why TCU had multiple uniform options under his leadership: "Good question - not that it’s a good or bad idea .. non traditional programs embrace change while traditional programs honor history and tradition.. think Oregon vs say a Penn State.. Texas is the most icon of colors and brand... As They Say Don’t mess with Texas [longhorn emoji that doesn't translate well into email :)]" (link)
Former Tennessee AD Hamilton caught up with Western Kentucky boss Stewart in his latest "From The Chair" podcast series. The pair covered some good ground from Stewart's background in communications and media to his current role leading an entire department. Steward also dove in on the benefits of the relatively recent conference move by the Hilltoppers and how it's proven to be a successful transition. Of particular note from Stewart, "It surprises me that more people from the communications/media relations background haven’t been hired as ADs." (link)
More Personnel: Former Murray State AD Bubb, who is currently the Assoc. AD for Development at Cal Poly Pomona, is in the mix for the Executive Director of Development position at Western Illinois, from where he has a Master's in Sport Management. (link); Eastern Michigan AD Wetherbee promotes AC Roof to Interim HC status for the Baseball team for the 2018 season. Eagles will also bring in an interim pitching coach this year, before resuming a national HC search at the end of the season. (link); Towson AD Leonard goes with local club coach Vettori as the Tigers new Women's Soccer HC. (link); Former Navy standout Nicolao tabbed Water Polo HC at his alma mater after serving 20+ years in the same role at Princeton. (link); South Carolina AD Tanner goes with High Point Volleyball HC Mendoza to fill the vacancy for the Gamecocks. (link) 
As you know, Arizona State is in start-up mode with its Men's Hockey program & HC Powers comments on the build, "We know this isn’t for everybody. There’s kids in the northeast, kids up north in Minnesota and North Dakota right now that grow up wanting to play for those good traditional programs, and we get that. That’s the differentiator for us right now. We don’t have a rink, we don’t have a conference, we don’t have NCAA tradition. The one thing we do have is the ability to tell a kid, 'You have endless opportunity to come here and set standards.'" Part of Powers' recruiting pitch is "Be the Tradition," but I'm sure the reality of "It's 75 and sunny in January in Tempe" doesn't hurt when recruiting from hockey-dominant regions of the country. ASU has won 24 games in the first two-and-a-half seasons at the DI level, as the Sun Devils had a highly successful club team before the transition. (link)
Minor League Baseball Prez O'Conner touched on the potential of a new Baseball stadium for VCU as part of negotiations with the Richmond Flying Squirrels in an interview last month. "...the last report I had was that VCU and the Richmond Flying Squirrels had been working very cooperatively and collaboratively on a new facility. I am guardedly optimistic, but I was talking early today with someone and saying that I was guardedly optimistic 11 years ago when I let them go there and relocate with the promise of a new ballpark. […] They need a new ballpark. That ballpark, I was just getting into baseball for real with the Sporting News when The Diamond broke in. She has served her useful purpose. Her time has come and gone." Lots more on the MILB landscape. (link)
The Connected Fan Sponsored by From Now On
SBD/SBJ's Karp: "ESPN megacast options may not be for everyone, but no denying the fan interest. Two years ago, straight simulcasts of each CFP semifinal was under 100K viewers on ESPN2. Now, with coaches' film room, ESPN2 approaching 1 million viewers for each of those games." (link); Overall in 2017, ESPN primetime viewing was up 7% & total day viewing up by 1%. Live programming & events continue to be the story. (link); Snapchat needs to prove it can make lots more revenue & one way it's thinking about doing so is requiring users to watch the first three seconds of ads. That should go over well. (link)
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"Mid-Year Vector Check" sounds really cool & it's what Air Force AD Knowlton held with cadet-athletes in Colorado Springs as a way to welcome them back from winter break and to "reinforce the expectations that were set at the beginning of the fall semester." In addition to motivational messages and a "knowledge test" from Knowlton, the cadet-athletes heard of their many accomplishments from the fall, including 30 of the Academy's 31 teams averaging above a 3.0 GPA, a Men's Soccer WAC Championship, four All-America accolades and a 43rd-place standing in the Learfield Director's Cup. (link)
Officiating: Man, Teddy Valentine really did turn his back on a North Carolina MBB student-athlete last night during a game at Florida State. Not sure I've ever seen anything like that before. (link); Kentucky AD Barnhart comments on the ejection of standout student-athlete Snell from last week's Music City Bowl in one of the most controversial calls of the post-season, "While this is not something I would typically comment on, I feel it is important to do so since Benny’s intentions and character have been called into question. Benny, who has been a quality young man in our program, has my full support and the support of Coach Stoops and our football program. Benny’s frustration and his passion for the game are why he reacted the way he did, but he was not deserving of an ejection. It was unfortunate our fans didn’t get to see one of the best running backs in the country play against an excellent Northwestern team." (link)
Add Iowa to the list of states looking to capitalize on sports gambling if the federal government changes its legislation. The Iowa Gaming Association is pushing state lawmakers to pass a bill during the next Legislature that would give it permission to expand sports wagering if & when the time comes. Iowa State AD Pollard's view, "We are certainly aware of that national landscape regarding this issue. However, it is very premature for anyone at Iowa State to be commenting on this issue." (link)
New Mexico State's FB accomplishments this season continue to be a focus as the Aggies snapped a 57-year bowl draught & won multiple late season games at the wire. Perspective from HC Martin, "I probably underestimated the depths we were in, honestly. You were selling a vision. You weren't selling anything that anyone could see or had experienced before. The folks that bought in believed on credit." The story of Lori Paulson's connection to the program is the focus of this ESPN piece. Paulson, who passed away in March of 2016 at the young age of 36, was one of those who "believed on credit" & contributed mightily to the program via her personal efforts & via her family's exercise event company that outfitted NMSU's "fully loaded" weight room. (link)
More on how the new endowment excise tax could impact higher ed as IHE's Seltzer points to Wellesley (DIII) economic professor Levine who says in 15 years 55 to 80 institutions nationally could be hitting the threshold of $500K net assets per student. The variable: Assume rate of growth, which Levine calculates at 4 to 8 percent. However, Grant Thornton Managing Partner Romano: "I think calculating the tax is not as difficult as figuring out what goes into the endowment or what is accepted in the definition they put out there. Will institutions be able to maybe not designate things as endowment? That’s a possibility." (link)
Also Noticed: Looks like Parker Executive Search has the St. Joe's AD search. (link); Purdue selects The Aspire Group for ticket sales & philanthropic growth opportunities. (link); Attorneys for former Louisville MBB HC Pitino have asked for the university's countersuit against their client to be dismissed. (link); Grambling WBB student-athlete Hill had a quadruple-double last night. 15-10-10-10. First one in nearly 25 years. Amazing. (link); Check out this staggered stripe-out of sorts Wichita State MBB is trying to pull off this weekend. (link); Custom neck pillows will most certainly become a thing for bowl gifts. The Boston Celtics are getting units as part of its new deal with BEDGEAR. (link); More goodies from SBJ/SBD's Karp: "NFL teams averaged 67,404 fans per game during the 2017 regular season, marking the league's lowest figure since 2011 (67,394). Obviously, a 56% drop for the Chargers did not help (1st season at soccer stadium). Rams also down 24% at LA Coliseum, while Bengals down 16% in Cincy." (link); Thoughts & prayers to Marshall FB as a Thundering Herd student-athlete is reportedly paralyzed after being shot at a New Year's party. (link)
1.Question brought to you by Turnkey
Seems appropriate to repost previous 1.Q conversations with UCF AD Danny White. The first covers a number of key HC & senior leadership hires White made very early in his tenure & how it impacted getting to know his team & building a department culture. The second part of the conversation covered the challenge of on-boarding so many key leaders at once, as well as a fun question about the most talented college athletics management team he can recall all being on the same staff. Listen by clicking the link. (link) (Part I - 6:01, Part II - 5:54)
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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)

(NEW!) Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts (Michigan State University / East Lansing, MI): MSU Athletics is now seeking an Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts. The Associate Director is responsible for identifying, cultivating and soliciting gifts from donors and prospects. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director, Athletics Communications (IRC13296) (Tulane University / New Orleans, LA): Supports Tulane athletics programs and external departments to promote and enhance, through media, public relations, web and social media, the image of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Marketing and Promotions (University of North Texas / Denton, TX): The Athletics Depart at the University of North Texas is hiring an Asst Director of Marketing and Promotions. Focus on Olympic sports with an added emphasis on Football and Basketball game day. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director - Marketing (Rice University / Houston, TX): The Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing will play an integral role in driving revenue and attendance for the Department of Athletics, as well as serving as guardian of the Rice Athletics brand. More details HERE.

Associate Director of Administration, Donor Relations and Events (University of Oregon / Eugene, OR): The Associate Director of Administration, Donor Relations and Events directly assists the athletic director in the management, operations, and administration of the Athletic Department. More details HERE.

Associate Athletic Director - Human Resources and Administration (San Jose State University / San Jose, CA): The Associate Athletic Director for HR and Administration serves as the principal staff officer to develop, implement, and manage the department's human resources and serving as a senior staff member. More details HERE.

Associate Director of Facilities, Operations & Events (Georgia Institute of Technology / Atlanta, GA): Supports the Associate AD of Facilities, Operations & Events with oversight in the areas of event operations and athletic facilities. Oversees assigned areas in event management and facilities. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director/Mrktng & Game Experience (Northern Illinois University / DeKalb, IL): Serving as a Department Head, this individual is responsible for oversight of all marketing, sales, and group plans to increase revenue generation for Intercollegiate Athletics. More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Athletics - Marketing & Ticketing (Brown University / Providence, RI): Responsible for increasing the overall visibility of Brown Athletics by leading & managing marketing/promotions, social media, student & campus engagement, & meeting annual ticket sales revenue. More details HERE.

Director - Athletic Facility Technology (Georgia Institute of Technology / Atlanta, GA): Provide professional level support in operations and management of GT Athletics broadcast and venue production facilities. Ensure technical production facilities are innovative and efficient. More details HERE.

Senior Associate AD, Governance & Compliance (University of Delaware / Newark, DE): Lead, plan & organize all phases of a Division I NCAA governance & compliance program for 21 varsity sports and more than 550 student-athletes, athletics dept & University administration & staff. More details HERE.

Director of Athletics (West Chester University of Pennsylvania / West Chester, PA): West Chester is a NCAA Division II school with outstanding athletics tradition & a member of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. For a detailed leadership profile visit the Witt/Kieffer link below. More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Enforcement (Football Group) (NCAA / Indianapolis, IN): This position is responsible for developing specific expertise in and knowledge of the football recruiting environment through monitoring, investigation, outreach and educational efforts. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletics Trainer (University of Akron / Akron, OH): The Assistant Athletics Trainer will primarily provide day-to-day care of our Women’s Soccer and Softball programs. Requires a 2+ years experience in athletic training in a Division I college setting. More details HERE.

Associate Athletic Director, Strategic Communications (CSUN / Northridge, CA): The Associate Athletic Director, Strategic Communications is responsible for generating media coverage for CSUN Athletics and overseeing everything produced by CSUN Athletics, in print or online. More details HERE.

Part-time Staff Writer (Total Campus Report, a division of Drive & Company): Total Campus Report, a curated news vehicle for Higher Education & a sister product of D1.ticker is growing & ready to hire a handful of new writers! Responsibilities on Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday nights. More details HERE.

Assistant Football Coach (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill / Chapel Hill, NC): The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Division I member of the NCAA, and a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, has an opening for a full-time assistant football coach. More details HERE.

Associate Director of Athletics (Harvard University / Boston, MA): Manage and direct the compliance function for Athletics, the largest D1 program in the U.S. Ensure compliance with NCAA, Ivy League and University regs. Supervise select sports, key student services. More details HERE.

Director of Development for Athletics (University of North Carolina Wilmington / Wilmington, NC): Responsible for planning, development & implementation of strategies that position UNCW to acquire, manage & distribute funds that will enhance educational mission of the Department of Athletics & UNCW. More details HERE.

Coordinator of Academics for Football (University of Akron / Akron, OH): Position will assist football student-athletes in pursuit of their educational goals by developing and assisting with study plans to increase retention and graduation rates of athletes. More details HERE.

Director of Aztec Club (San Diego State University / San Diego, CA): Promote the SDSU athletic program; solicit private contributions; and sponsor or host activities to provide alumni, donors, and fans a vehicle to remain loyal to SDSU Athletics. More details HERE.

Athletics Administrative Associate (Purdue University / West Lafayette, IN): Assist in the day-to-day operations and execution on a variety of Athletics Administration functions. Provide research and data for strategic initiatives for Athletics Administration. More details HERE.

Assistant, Associate, or Sr. Associate Director, Athletics Major Giving (Boston College / Chestnut Hill, MA): Responsible for the cultivation and solicitation of alumni, parents and friends of Boston College who are capable of making gifts of $100,000 to $999,999 to support Boston College Athletics. More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Development (Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation / USAF Academy, CO): Help grow the Falcon Pride Club Annual Giving program in support of Air Force Athletics. Works on the strategic execution and management of the annual giving program for Air Force Athletics. More details HERE.

Associate Director of the Ohio Bobcat Club (Ohio University / Athens, OH): Primary responsibilities including oversight of the annual campaign, coordination of the premium seating and parking program, planning all donor events and management of a donor portfolio. More details HERE.

Head Volleyball Coach (Eastern Illinois University / Charleston, IL): Eastern Illinois University is seeking candidates for the position of Head Volleyball Coach. Please email resume/cover to Mark Bonnstetter, Sr. Associate AD, mdbonnstetter@eiu.edu. More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance (Florida Gulf Coast University / Fort Myers, FL): The Assistant Athletics Director, Compliance directs all aspects of the NCAA compliance program. Develops procedures and policies to monitor and ensure compliance. More details HERE.

Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement (Elon University / Elon, NC): Elon University is currently accepting applications for a Director of Marketing & Fan Engagement . Apply at https://elon.peopleadmin.com/postings/4914. Please do not submit your material via email. More details HERE.
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