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​The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights due to a “communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers,” per Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. (link) 

The Metro will add Stonehill from the NEC as its 14th full member starting in 2027-28. Commissioner Travis Tellitocci: “With an outstanding campus, the excitement surrounding the development of Bogan Arena, and a clear vision for the future, Stonehill has demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in its Division I athletics program and is an institution on the rise. Our Council of Presidents has been intentional in identifying institutions that are committed to investing in athletics and positioning themselves for long-term success. We believe Stonehill has the leadership, resources, and vision to compete for championships in the Metro Conference. Its institutional mission and values align well with those of our membership, and its addition further strengthens our presence in New England.” ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the move. (link)

Protect College Sports Act advocates are mounting a final lame-duck push in an attempt to get the legislation through the House before a new Congress is sworn in next January, per Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich, who notes the bill faces steep hurdles after the Democrats' midterm sweep. To keep the legislation alive, both New York Yankees President/President’s Roundtable on Fixing College Sports Vice Chair Randy Levine and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee sent letters to House members this week urging action, while Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair Cody Campbell’s Saving College Sports non-profit continued running its multimillion-dollar college football ad campaign alongside direct Capitol Hill outreach. More…

Here’s more on Washington’s 10-year, $70M deal with Columbia Bank for naming rights to Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium, per On Montlake’s Christian Caple…

The Illinois Board of Trustees has approved a resolution authorizing athletics to take initial steps toward the establishment of a new, University-Related Organization commercial enterprise designed to generate additional revenue and strengthen the department's long-term financial position. Once established, the new entity would provide a dedicated structure through which Fighting Illini Athletics could pursue and manage commercial activities. The proposed enterprise would be wholly owned by and operate under university oversight with athletics retaining responsibility for athletics governance; academics; fundraising; compliance; student-athlete welfare; and all coaching and personnel decisions. AD Josh Whitman: “To sustain our momentum and continue pursuing our ambitious goals, we must be willing to think differently, embrace innovation, and identify new ways to generate the resources necessary to support our student-athletes and programs. This action is an important first step in that process. Our objective is straightforward: to create new revenue opportunities that will directly benefit Fighting Illini student-athletes and teams, while remaining true to the values and traditions that have defined Illinois Athletics for generations.” (link)

​James Madison inks a contract extension with AD Matt Roan through June 30, 2031, under the new title of VP/AD. President James Schmidt: “Matt is one of the most forward-thinking AD's in the nation and continues to position JMU well in so many aspects, from revenue sharing to alignment of priorities, and of course our move to join the American Conference in the near future. The Vice President title recognizes the critical role he plays as a member of the President's Cabinet. I appreciate the collaborative approach he brings to the table to ensure that Athletics is a healthy component to the overall vitality of the university.” (link)

CollegeAD has the details of new Cal State Bakersfield AD Andy Fiske’s contract that runs from October 26, 2026, through August 31, 2031. He will earn a base salary of $300K with the opportunity to receive up to an additional $20K annually in CSUB Foundation-funded supplemental compensation from meeting performance-based incentives that include: $2K for a league title or NCAA Tournament bid [maximum of six teams]; $4K for all teams finishing above the NCAA APR threshold and for the student-athlete graduation rate exceeding the university average; and $5K for each national championship. Should Fiske leave before his contract expires to take another AD position within six months after his departure, he would owe the school $50K for each remaining year on his deal. Should he exit within the first two years for any reason, he would be required to reimburse the school for the full amount of his $25K relocation payment. (link) 

New Mexico State announces that White Sands Federal Credit Union has officially acquired the naming rights to the Pan American Center through a 10-year, $13M deal, running through the 2035-36 academic year. Per the agreement, the home of Aggie men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball will now be known as White Sands Federal Credit Union Arena at the Pan American Center. (link) 

Maryland has received a $1.2M commitment from alums Michael and Cynthia Headman to establish the Terrapin Teaching and Coaching Pathway Endowed Student Support Fund, which provides aid for student-athletes enrolled in College of Education teacher education programs in the form of stipends during student-teaching placement; travel; conferences; internships; and extracurricular activities, among other expenses. (link)

Providence unveils the Shark Tank Club, an exclusive group of Friar supporters who commit a minimum of $1M over five years to support rev sharing and men's basketball initiatives. (link)  

Colorado launches its “Elevate Colorado” fundraising initiative designed to provide facility improvements and other support for 12 women's and Olympic sports programs. Through donor support, the Buffs plan to add a new permanent grandstand and digital video board at Prentup Field to create an improved home-field advantage for the soccer and lacrosse teams. In addition, the lacrosse program will get a new locker room at Prentup and the men's and women's golf programs will receive a dedicated practice area built at their home course, Colorado National Golf Club. Elevate Colorado will also provide support for the excellence funds of seven additional programs: tennis; volleyball; women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; and men's and women's track & field. The initiative has a targeted goal of more than $10M with facility project construction slated to begin as soon as funds have been raised. (link)  

​Deals, Deals, Deals…
➤ North Dakota State inks a sponsorship deal to place Applied Digital’s branding on the back bumper of every Bison football helmet as well as on the Scheels Center court for all men’s and women’s basketball home games. (link)
➤ Georgia Southern partners with Scout to process revenue share and per diem payments to their student-athletes. (link)
➤ Sanders Grossman Law has been named the title sponsor of this season’s Puerto Rico Bowl, per FBSchedules.com, which notes the December 22 match-up will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 1:30 p.m. ET. (link)

More People & Places…
➤ Sodexo Live promotes Belinda Oakley to CEO of Global Business, expanding on her three-year role overseeing the company’s North America division as North America CEO. The move follows CEO Nathalie Bellon-Szabo’s elevation to Chairwoman of Sodexo’s Global Board of Directors, which is subject to approval at a shareholders meeting on December 16. (link)
➤ The six-team Professional Softball League names former Olympian/current ESPN softball analyst Michele Smith as its new Commissioner, heading into its second year, per D1Softball’s Justin McLeod. (link)

Coaches Corner: Gridiron…
➤ NC State officially hires NFL veteran/Wolfpack alum Phillip Rivers as its next Football HC. Rivers will earn $3.25M in the first of his five-year deal, that will increase by $100K annually. Should NCSU part with Rivers, he would be owed his salary at the time of termination through the remainder of the deal, per Extra Points’ Matt Brown. (link, link)
➤ UCLA Football HC Bob Chesney is reportedly close to signing an extension to his current five-year, $33.75M deal to stay put in Westwood, per The Athletic’s Ira Gorawara and Bruce Feldman. (link)

Coaches Corner: Non-Gridiron…
➤ Eastern Kentucky extends Women's Basketball HC Greg Todd through the 2030 season. (link)
➤ Idaho State Women’s Soccer HC Dustin Downey steps down to pursue another opportunity. (link)
➤ USC parts ways with Women’s Volleyball HC Brad Keller after almost seven full seasons leading the program. AHC Megan Moenoa will step in to lead the Trojans for the remainder of the 2026 campaign. (link)
➤ UTSA has “mutually parted ways” with Men’s Basketball HC Austin Claunch, per ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, who notes Acting HC Nick Bowman will serve as Interim HC for the remainder of the 2026-27 season. Claunch had been suspended since October following an arrest for suspicion of DWI. (link)

​Outgoing Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark is set to become CEO of Milan Sports & Entertainment, a new Italian holding company formed by Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital, Sportico's Justin Birnbaum reports. Yormark received a multiyear contract with equity to lead commercial operations across AC Milan, a proposed tennis venue, and a potential NBA Europe franchise. Valued at $1.66B after growing revenue from $299M in 2022 to $463M during the 2024-25 campaign, AC Milan serves as the centerpiece of the portfolio and is backed by a 20-year, $725M naming-rights deal for Generali Stadium alongside a reported 10-year, $560M kit partnership with Adidas. Yormark: "My career has really been about building brands, businesses and platforms, and whether it was at Brooklyn [Sports & Entertainment] or the Big 12, I’ve always thought about the property I’ve worked for living at the intersection of sports, entertainment and culture. I think this opportunity presents a very similar dynamic, but being able to do it on a global stage, which truly excites me." (link)

Modelo is the first official beer of the NCAA, “securing exclusive category rights across more than 90 men's and women's college championships and a year-round platform to connect with fans,” per a release shared by Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer. The release adds: “The partnership places Modelo at the center of one of the country's most powerful 21+ fan communities through national retail programming, championship experiences, local-market activations and exclusive NCAA partner media integrations. March Madness will anchor the platform, with Modelo increasing its college basketball investment by 65% year over year and debuting its first advertising campaign created specifically for the tournaments.” (link - Fischer, link - full release)

Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger shares House plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler's reaction to the SEC's proposed cap policy: "If either one of them (SEC and Big Ten) goes through with this, we will see them in court." (link)

“I hate that bill. I’m just telling you, I don’t like it. I’m not a fan of it” is how Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds described his position on the Protect College Sports Act. The Florida Phoenix’s Christine Sexton reports Donalds “said college sports are in the ‘toddler phase of NIL right now.’ As he continued — only half jokingly adding that he was ‘really going to get in trouble now’ — Donalds said the collapse of some conferences and realignment of others may reflect a faulty business model.” Donalds added: “I am a market-based system person. I believe in free markets, and so if somebody has the talent and ability to leverage their name, to go to make money, good.” (link)

American Commissioner Tim Pernetti has embraced Thursday night football broadcasts on ESPN, capitalizing on a scheduling window that the ACC and Big 12 abandoned to avoid competing with the NFL, according to SBJ's Austin Karp, who notes ESPN host Matt Barrie recently anchored "SportsCenter on Campus" from Tampa ahead of last night’s matchup between South Florida and Memphis, providing the conference with exclusive national exposure that university presidents have dubbed the "greatest free commercial of all-time." Barrie gave Pernetti credit for understanding the value of being the “only show in town” for college football on Thursdays: “It’s a great showcase for all of his schools on a national TV setting. Some of the other bigger conferences were scared of the NFL on Thursdays. I maintain that the college audience is completely separate from the NFL audience. I don’t think it’s one and the same. And so when the ACC and the Big 12 kind of ran away from Thursdays, Pernetti ran in, and it’s paying dividends for his league, because all of his biggest brands are getting the whole day to themselves.” (link)

​Clemson AD Graham Neff is reportedly leading a search to construct a centralized athletics front office including outside finance and roster-management hires with the football program preparing to spend $40M on its 2027 roster, up from $25M-$30M in 2026 and $8M in 2024, per Tiger Illustrated’s Larry Williams. More…

Florida State President Richard McCullough intends to empower newly hired AD Jeff Purinton with complete autonomy over the department while simultaneously seeking a dedicated CRO, according to Warchant's Ira Schoffel. Doing so would mark a philosophical shift from the tenure of former AD Michael Alford, who operated with less authority as McCullough and Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins guided major decisions. McCullough: "I don’t want to be [running] the athletics operation. I really don’t. I got a whole university, $3.2B budget to run. I want a CEO that’s going to run [athletics] — that tells me bad news is on the horizon and tells me what I need to do to support him to be successful in every sport." (link)

UNLV Football HC Dan Mullen believes the Group of 6 teams deserve a second automatic qualifier to the College Football Playoff and has proposed a "mini-Playoff" where the four highest-ranked champions across The American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Pac-12 compete in a doubleheader on the weekend of the Army-Navy game for those two AQs. Mullen pitched the standalone weekend event as a lucrative broadcasting opportunity for networks looking for live inventory, noting: "We could find someone between CBS, FOX, The CW. I’m sure somebody would like some college football. NBC? Everybody’s showing it right now. Amazon might like it. You don’t know. All of a sudden, whoever wins those games get an extra bid." (link)

Oregon State re-signed star wide receiver Jesse Legree and quarterback Braden Atkinson to 2027 revenue-sharing contracts during a midseason idle week, retaining two breakout freshmen despite fielding an overall roster budget of just $4M, according to The Athletic's Justin Williams, who points out the duo could have potentially commanded up to $6M combined in the transfer portal. To keep the players in Corvallis at a hometown discount, Williams notes Beavers HC JaMarcus Shephard mobilized program donors to build a 2027 roster budget expected to more than double this year's figure. Shephard on the importance of establishing proof of concept for future recruiting and retention cycles: "Signing those two guys back, it impacts not only the other guys on our roster, but future players. Obviously these guys love it here. Why wouldn’t you want to go join us?" (link)

​Army West Point earlier this week unveiled their football uniforms for the upcoming game against Navy. Now, Navy has answered with vigor. Behold the Midshipmen’s Naval Special Warfare-inspired look. Awesome. (link)

Tennessee’s solution to resolve severe third-level concourse congestion at 105-year-old Neyland Stadium – where walkways measured just 10 feet across in some areas – was simply to “make new space.” Here’s more…

The American has approved a proposal to be sent to ABCA “for further discussion that would allow NCAA baseball teams to shift Opening Day to Thursday instead of Friday,” per D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers, who adds: “The proposal notes weather challenges that are persistent on Opening Weekend.” (link)

Columbia Women’s Basketball HC Megan Griffith returned Thursday from a three-game suspension following an external review of her conduct, prompting 15 former players to publicly call for further institutional action, according to The Athletic's Rebecca Tauber. While the university allowed Griffith to continue coaching practice during her suspension, a spokesperson confirmed she is receiving additional mentoring and oversight. Griffith addressed the situation prior to returning to the sideline against Michigan: "I fully respect the process of the University review and take complete responsibility for everything that happens in the program, including the times my conduct fell short. As the Head Coach and a former student-athlete at Columbia University, there is nothing more important to me than the success and well-being of my players." (link)

NC State athletic officials failed to report warnings of inappropriate physical contact involving former sports medicine director Robert M. Murphy Jr. to the university's Title IX office for several years, according to ESPN's Xuan Thai, who reports a 2019 memo drafted by former Senior Assoc. AD Raymond Harrison and addressed to former AD Debbie Yow documenting concerns over Murphy's massage techniques and locker room behavior remained unaddressed for three years. Documents from a 2022 Title IX investigation indicate former Deputy AD Michael Lipitz received complaints regarding Murphy as early as 2014 or 2015, while former Men’s Soccer HC Kelly Findley also warned administrators about boundary-crossing relationships. Murphy resigned in 2022 and currently faces a 32-count criminal indictment for the alleged sexual abuse of 14 athletes and is the subject of an appealed civil lawsuit filed by 31 former players. (link)

Interested in advertising a job opening in D1.ticker on CollegeSports.jobs? Submit your position here. Jobs from the past 10 days are listed below.

(NEW!) Associate VP & Chief Business Operations & Strategy Officer (Ohio State University / Columbus, OH): The Chief Business Operations & Strategy Officer (CBSO) serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and oversees all business operations and athletics enterprise strategy. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Columbus? Click HERE.

(NEW!) Head Women's Soccer Coach (University of Utah / Salt Lake City, UT): The University of Utah Women’s Soccer program is seeking a Head Coach to lead all aspects of the program. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Salt Lake City? Click HERE.

(NEW!) Assistant Men's & Women's Tennis Coach (St. Bonaventure University / St. Bonaventure University, NY): Responsible for assisting with the management of an NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs; assists with conditioning, practices, recruiting, and travel arrangements More details HERE.

(NEW!) IT Technical Analyst 2 (University of New Mexico / Albuquerque, NM): The University of New Mexico Information Technologies seeks a Technical Analyst 2 dedicated to UNM Athletics operations support as part the Campus Outreach & Engagement IT Team. More details HERE.

Student-Athlete Development Coordinator (West Virginia University / Morgantown, WV): More details HERE.

Graduate Assistant-Football Academics (Western Kentucky University / Bowling Green, KY): More details HERE.

Director of Cohort-Based Learning: Athletics (Johns Hopkins University / Baltimore, MD): More details HERE.

Athletics Accounting Specialist I/II (Florida Gulf Coast University / Fort Myers, FL): More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director for Financial Planning & Analysis (University of Maryland / College Park, MD): More details HERE.

Assistant Director/Coordinator of Business Operations & Payables (University of Arkansas / Fayetteville, AR): More details HERE.

Manager of Athletic Finance and Administration (University of Louisiana / Lafayette, LA): More details HERE.

Manager, Data & Analytics (University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): More details HERE.

Athletics Business Analyst (Brown University / Providence, RI): More details HERE.

Head Men's Soccer Coach (University of Illinois Springfield / Springfield, IL): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Springfield? Click HERE.

Manager, Game Operations (University of Texas – Austin / Austin, TX): More details HERE.

Assistant Athletics Coach, Baseball (Babson College / Wellesley, MA): More details HERE.

Head Coach of Soccer (Charleston Southern University / North Charleston, SC): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to North Charleston? Click HERE.

Head Women's Volleyball Coach (Waynesburg University / Waynesburg, PA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Waynesburg? Click HERE.

Assistant Coach Volleyball (Florida International University / Miami, FL): More details HERE.

Senior Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs (California State University – Sacramento / Sacramento, CA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Sacramento? Click HERE.

Director, Content Development (Conference USA / Dallas, TX): More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Marketing and Revenue Generation (University of Louisiana / Lafayette, LA): More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Marketing and Fan Engagement (University of Northern Colorado / Greeley, CO): More details HERE.

Director of Broadcast Services (Charleston Southern University / North Charleston, SC): More details HERE.

Director of Graphic Design (Rice University / Houston, TX): More details HERE.

Assistant Director, Marketing and Videoboard Operations (University of Miami / Coral Gables, FL): More details HERE.

Assistant Director for Athletic Communications (Charleston Southern University / North Charleston, SC): More details HERE.

Assistant Creative Director (University of Kentucky / Lexington, KY): More details HERE.

Creative Content Director Associate (University of Kentucky / Lexington, KY): More details HERE.

Lead Broadcast Engineer (University of Georgia / Athens, GA): More details HERE.

Producer of Broadcast Services (Rice University / Houston, TX): More details HERE.

Coordinator, Digital Media (Ohio State University / Columbus, OH): More details HERE.

Director, Revenue Marketing (University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): More details HERE.

Manager, Data & Analytics (University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): More details HERE.

Fan Engagement and Ticketing Coordinator (Colgate University / Hamilton, NY): More details HERE.

There are no openings in this field at this time.

Chief Executive Officer - Chanticleer Athletic Foundation (Coastal Carolina University / Conway, SC): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Conway? Click HERE.

Associate Athletic Director for Major Gifts (University of North Carolina at Charlotte / Charlotte, NC): More details HERE.

Assistant Athletic Director for Advancement (University of North Carolina Asheville / Asheville, NC): More details HERE.

Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Director of Pirate Club (East Carolina University / Greenville, NC): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Greenville? Click HERE.

Senior Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs (California State University – Sacramento / Sacramento, CA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Sacramento? Click HERE.

Director of the Letterman’s Association (University of South Carolina / Columbia, SC): More details HERE.

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Development and Athletic Partnerships (University of South Carolina – Upstate / Spartanburg, SC): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Spartanburg? Click HERE.

Senior Director of Development, Athletics (Campbell University / Buies Creek, NC): More details HERE.

Director, Revenue Generation (Learfield / Morgantown, WV): More details HERE.

Director of Athletic Development (Creighton University / Omaha, NE): More details HERE.

Director of Athletics and Chair of the Department of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (Williams College / Williamstown, MA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Williamstown? Click HERE.

Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Director of Pirate Club (East Carolina University / Greenville, NC): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Greenville? Click HERE.

Senior Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs (California State University – Sacramento / Sacramento, CA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Sacramento? Click HERE.

Director of Athletics (Sam Houston State University / Huntsville, TX): More details HERE. The D1.dossier for this position is available HERE. What would it cost to move to Huntsville? Click HERE.

Associate Commissioner - Sport Administration (Coastal Athletic Association / Richmond, VA): More details HERE.

Assistant AD, Equipment Operations (Long Beach State University / Long Beach, CA): More details HERE.

Manager of Athletics Facilities and Equipment (Loyola University Maryland / Baltimore, MD): More details HERE.

There are no openings in this field at this time.

Assistant Athletics Trainer - Softball (Western Kentucky University / Bowling Green, KY): More details HERE.

Assistant Strength Coach (Florida International University / Miami, FL): More details HERE.

Associate Director, Strength & Conditioning / Olympic Sports (Virginia Tech / Blacksburg, VA): More details HERE.

Sports Performance Intern (Virginia Commonwealth University / Richmond, VA): More details HERE.

Athletic Trainer Intern Men's & Women's Basketball, Volleyball & Rifle (University of Kentucky / Lexington, KY): More details HERE.

Athletic Trainer Intern Cheer & Men's & Women's Tennis (University of Kentucky / Lexington, KY): More details HERE.

Athletic Trainer Intern Men's & Women's Soccer & Men's Tennis (University of Kentucky / Lexington, KY): More details HERE.

Athletic Trainer Intern Football (University of Kentucky / Lexington, KY): More details HERE.

Sport Psychologist (University of North Carolina at Charlotte / Charlotte, NC): More details HERE.

Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning (Bowling Green State University / Bowling Green, OH): More details HERE.

Senior Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs (California State University – Sacramento / Sacramento, CA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Sacramento? Click HERE.

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Development and Athletic Partnerships (University of South Carolina – Upstate / Spartanburg, SC): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Spartanburg? Click HERE.

Manager, Athletic Ticket Sales and Operations (La Salle University / Philadelphia, PA): More details HERE.

Senior Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs (California State University – Sacramento / Sacramento, CA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Sacramento? Click HERE.

Assistant Director, Ticket Operations (University of Arizona / Tucson, AZ): More details HERE.

Director, Ticket Services (University of North Texas / Denton, TX): More details HERE.

Senior Director, Ticket Sales (University of Florida / Gainesville, FL): More details HERE.

Fan Engagement and Ticketing Coordinator (Colgate University / Hamilton, NY): More details HERE.