Edition #1808
October 12, 2026
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CACC Commissioner Dan Mara sat down with Big Pear Daily Sports’ Alex Washington as he enters his 21st year at the helm and recently signed a five-year extension that would keep him with the league through 2030-31. “I think it's important to have that type of consistency. It tells the conference that we're here for the long haul, that no matter how tumultuous things are in higher ed at this point, no matter how things may look, that the conference has faith in its mission, in its direction, in its leadership, and that nothing's going to change anytime soon and we're just going to keep getting better.” More from Mara…
➤ On limiting travel time to prioritize education: “When we established our conference membership, we have a four-hour rule that no school can be farther than four hours from the farthest school. … That's all based on education. Our tournament schedules are based upon reducing missed class time. We do as much as we can on weekends or at night. We try to stay away from doing things during the day. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but we do our best, and that's because we are primarily education.”
➤ What lies ahead for the CACC? “We're always looking to add members if they're the right schools. We're always looking to add sports to provide opportunities for our student athletes. It'd be nice if perhaps we could get an indoor track and field championship for men and women going in the next couple of years. We currently have outdoor, but we don't have indoor. I'd love to have men's tennis come back as a championship sport. We have Monroe University coming in in the near future as our 12th member. The plan is that, we've always said we'd like to be a conference of 16, so we'll see what's out there and see what we can do in terms of membership.” (link)
Mansfield AD Andrew Petko chatted with Redshirt Sports’ Omar-Rashon Borja to discuss differentiating the Mounties in the PSAC, sprint football and more. Here are some of his most notable comments…
➤ Petko says Mansfield has no plans to elevate its 70-man sprint football program to a DII program, adding: “One of the recruiting tools we have is you get to immediately play even if you're a freshman, just an opportunity to jump out there. And some student athletes play on both of the sides of the ball and get an opportunity to make an impact on offense and defense. So it's one of the positives that come out of it. It's really economical as well. … We don't start practice until after school starts at the sprint level. We don't have to bring them in early and house them and feed them. So it's really economical. It's non-scholarship, and staffs are very limited. We have one paid head coach. That's very similar across the board in the CSFL, so it's very economical.”
➤ On differentiation within the PSAC and Commonwealth University: “Sprint football definitely does help. We're the only public institution in the CSFL, so it's one of the things that really makes us different. We also don't have large rosters, so that's really impactful. So, student-athletes come here and make an immediate impact. Not a lot of our student-athletes redshirt; they get to immediately make an impact and start playing right away. … Our student-athletes see that all of our coaches get together. Our student athletes play on multiple different teams. A lot of our student-athletes run track or compete in a track and field program. That and they might play in field hockey or women's basketball. So I think it's a really big benefit. You don't see that a ton of schools that I've seen at least the Division II [level].” (link)
The CARE Consortium, a joint NCAA-Department of Defense concussion research initiative launched back in 2014, is nearing the end of its current five-year, $42.65M grant phase, per Sportico’s Daniel Libit, who notes that while a new grant proposal is under review by the DOD, the NCAA is “engaged in ongoing discussions regarding the next steps,” but would not directly answer whether that includes providing money after its $10M contribution to the consortium’s most recent grant.” A source familiar with the situation confirmed the NCAA is not involved in current funding discussions, which are focused squarely on the Pentagon. At the start of this year, Congress reduced the Defense Department’s basic research funding by 4.9%. Now named the Department of War under President Donald Trump, the department has since shifted its scientific research budget to focus on military capabilities, at the exclusion of non-defense fields. Over its 12-year existence, CARE has secured over $105M in total funding (including at least $23M from the NCAA) and studied 53K college athletes and service academy members. (link)
Tampa announces a number of facility upgrades: a new Daktronics videoboard at Bob Martinez Athletics Center gym, a new six-hole, on-campus, synthetic turf short-game facility, relocated benches at Pepin Stadium that will now be underneath the grandstands’ overhang and expanded dugouts at Naimoli Family Softball Field. AD E.J. Brophy: “You can get better, or you can get worse, but you can't stay the same. These facility enhancements are huge additions to our athletic department and we greatly appreciate our upper level administration, especially our fantastic facilities department, for making these aspirations become reality.” (link)
Over the weekend, Dominican (CA) cut the ribbon on the new turf field at Kennelly Field. (link)
Thomas Jefferson’s Rams Rise Up Challenge raised $147K from 1,316 donors. (link)
Our sincerest condolences go out to the entire Southeastern Oklahoma State community, as well as to the family and friends of football student-athlete Dylan Sebock following his passing. (link)
People & Places…
➤ Gannon President Walter Iwanenko stepped down last week after three years in the position. President Emeritus Keith Taylor will serve as Interim President. (link)
➤ Missouri S&T selects Jamestown Men’s and Women’s Golf HC Jared Lentz as its new Men’s Golf HC. (link)
From this morning’s CFO.ticker: How are leaders implementing AI?
➤ Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds says his league is deploying narrow, highly specific agents into existing workflows: “The companies that get this right over the next three years won’t be the ones with the largest AI budgets. They’ll be the ones that treat each deployment the way a race team treats a new component: tested under pressure, judged on whether it makes the car faster and ripped out if it doesn’t.”
➤ Financial performance platform Prophix CEO Alok Ajmera expects AI to drive increased capacity, as opposed to decreased headcount, with the company seeing 3.5 times higher engineering output over two years with the help of AI tools. Further, Ajmera estimates current AI tools save employees four to eight hours a week—yielding a 10% to 20% productivity improvement—though adoption remains limited to low-risk tasks.
➤ While Boston Consulting Group projects staff could be cut in half with the adoption of AI-first finance functions, executives still are hesitant, pointing to a lack of auditability and accuracy concerns. Finance software company Esker CFO Scott McDermott explained that while tools like Anthropic's Claude can assist with straightforward data modeling, complex financial choices still require human oversight: “Those decisions often require context, judgment, and a deep understanding of company strategy, competitive dynamics, and management priorities that do not fully reside in enterprise systems.” More. (link)
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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)
(NEW!) Men's Assistant Coach (Swarthmore College / Swarthmore, PA): Swarthmore College Men's Lacrosse is hiring an assistant coach. Duties include recruiting, logistics and on field coaching. Send resume to [email protected] (DIII) More details HERE.
(NEW!) Head Coach – Men’s & Women’s Swimming and Diving (Roberts Wesleyan University / Rochester, NY): Build a competitive NCAA Division II swimming and diving program at Roberts Wesleyan University through strategic recruiting, dynamic coaching, and transformative student-athlete development. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Rochester? Click HERE.
Internal Operations/Facilities and Event Management Graduate Assistant (Fort Hays State University / Hays, KS): Fort Hays State University seeks a graduate assistant for internal operations and event facility management for the athletic department. More details HERE.
Deputy Athletic Director/Chief Development Officer for Athletics - (ATH00000504) (Southern Methodist University – SMU / Dallas, TX): The Deputy Athletic Director serves as the Chief Development Officer for SMU Athletics, providing strategic leadership for all philanthropic efforts supporting Mustang Athletics. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Dallas? Click HERE.
Associate Director of Development - Major Gifts (Purdue University / West Lafayette, IN): Build meaningful relationships, inspire transformational giving, and help shape the future of Purdue Athletics through philanthropy, alumni engagement, and major gifts. (DI) More details HERE.
Associate Athletic Director for Sports Analytics (William & Mary / Williamsburg, VA): The Associate AD for Sports Analytics leads the department's strategy for data, analytics, and artificial intelligence across all 23 varsity sports. (DI) More details HERE.
Director, Governance and Compliance (Mountain West Conference / Las Vegas, NV): The Director, Governance & Compliance will serve the Mountain West Conference and its member institutions supporting the day-to-day aspects of the Conference’s governance and compliance services. (DI) More details HERE.
Assistant Softball Coach (Quincy University / Quincy, IL): Quincy University, an NCAA Division II institution and member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, invites applications for the position of Assistant Softball Coach. More details HERE.
Coordinator of Internal Operations (Kutztown University of Pennsylvania / Kutztown, PA): The Coordinator for Internal Operations, Athletics position is a full-time 10-month position within the Department of Athletics. More details HERE.
Aquatics and Facilities Coordinator (Black Hills State University / Spearfish, SD): This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated professional who enjoys leadership, event operations, facility management, and collaboration in a dynamic collegiate athletics environment. More details HERE.
Deputy Director of Athletics, Title IX Coordinator (California State University – San Marcos / San Marcos, CA): Come join an amazing NCAA DII institution competing in the CCAA conference who values the student-athlete experience, academics, athletics, and the holistic development of our student-athletes. More details HERE.
Assistant Vice President, Licensing & Trademarks (University of Houston / Houston, TX): Lead the University of Houston System's licensing & trademarks strategy, protecting institutional brands and driving revenue through high-impact partnerships and innovative licensing programs. (DI) More details HERE.
Faculty | Athletic Training/Kinesiology (University of Mary / Bismarck, ND): The Assistant Professor is responsible for teaching assigned courses, advising students, advising research projects, maintaining/obtaining contemporary expertise, and other duties as assigned. More details HERE.
IPP Strength and Conditioning Program Specialist (University of North Georgia / Dahlonega, GA): This position directs and coordinates the University's strength and conditioning program to support the physical readiness and tactical durability for the Corps of Cadets. More details HERE.
Vice President and Director of Athletics (Rice University / Houston, TX): Rice seeks a strategic athletics leader to drive championship success, strengthen student-athlete experiences, grow revenue, elevate Rice nationally, and navigate college athletics’ evolving landscape. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Houston? Click HERE. The D1.dossier for this position can be found HERE.
Senior Vice President - Men's Basketball (Atlantic Coast Conference / Charlotte, NC): Senior leader for ACC Men’s Basketball, driving competitive success, national profile, championship experience and commercial value while overseeing scheduling, officiating and key partnerships. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Charlotte? Click HERE.
Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications (Lawrence University / Appleton, WI): This position plays a key role in elevating the visibility of Lawrence Athletics through strategic media relations, digital content creation, live streaming management, and statistical services. (DIII) More details HERE.
Live Video Production Coordinator (Black Hills State University / Spearfish, SD): Join an energetic team to enhance fan engagement and student-athlete experience through exceptional game-day productions and digital storytelling. More details HERE.
Athletics Business Associate (University of Illinois Springfield / Springfield, IL): Lead the business and HR operations for athletics, including providing insight into budgets, policies and staff hiring. Serves on senior staff. Has opportunity for athletics administration duties. More details HERE.
Athletic Trainer (University of Kansas / Lawrence, KS): Kansas Team Health and University of Kansas Athletics are seeking qualified candidates to work as part of a medical model and collaborative team while providing care for our Track & Field Program. (DI) More details HERE.
Commissioner (Southern Conference / Spartanburg, SC): Reporting to the Council of Presidents, the Commissioner serves as the Conference's chief executive officer, providing strategic, administrative, and external leadership for member institutions. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Spartanburg? Click HERE.
Associate Athletic Trainer Instructor – Department of Kinesiology (St. Edward's University / Austin, TX): The Associate Athletic Trainer position will work in conjunction with the Head Athletic Trainer to coordinate the care of student-athletes on a day-to-day basis. More details HERE.
Assistant Athletic Trainer (St. Edward's University / Austin, TX): The Athletic Trainer position will work in conjunction with the Head Athletic Trainer to coordinate the care of student athletes on a day-to-day basis. More details HERE.
Director of Sports Performance (University of North Georgia / Dahlonega, GA): . The director will lead a high-performance environment that supports the development, health and success of all UNG student-athletes. More details HERE.
Athletic Event & Facility Operations Specialist (Fort Hays State University / Hays, KS): The Athletic Events and Facilities Specialist assists with maintaining & preparing facilities to ensure a safe, clean, & professional environment for student-athletes, staff, & spectators. More details HERE.
Part-Time Assistant Swim Coach (Pennwest - California / California, PA): The assistant coach, in collaboration with the Head Swim Coach assists in the direction and administration of the program in a manner that reflects the athletics’ department program goals. More details HERE.
Assistant Athletic Trainer (University of Texas at Dallas / Richardson, TX): UT Dallas seeks two experienced and energetic athletic trainers who provide education, assessment, treatment and prevention services for athletic-related injuries and illnesses to student-athletes. More details HERE.
Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications (Southeastern Conference / Birmingham, AL): The Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications will provide strategic leadership for the Southeastern Conference’s communication efforts. (DI) More details HERE.