Evening Standard
November 2, 2026
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The Bulletin Board...
“I think everything that's different merits conversation. This business is different than it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago. We have to be talking about change.”
Tim Pernetti
American Commissioner on the prospect of a national Group of Six conference
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American Commissioner Tim Pernetti visited with Pirate Radio TV at last weekend’s Temple-East Carolina football match-up in Greenville, N.C., to discuss conference growth, television windows, a possible national Group of Six model and more. Pernetti’s perspective…
➤ The viewership return of playing weeknight games on ESPN: "We have a commitment of a minimum number of Thursday and Fridays every year. We try to spread them out because scheduling is sometimes challenging, but when you pick the right games, the result is we have had the highest-rated ESPN G6 game this year, five straight weeks. The viewership is there because it's an opportunity for us to shine the light on the American without a lot of competition. Saturdays are tough. There's a million games going on, but Thursdays and Fridays are important. We've even told ESPN we're willing to play more of them if the opportunity for us to do that is there."
➤ Replacing third parties with the league's commercial venture, RISE Ventures: "You see more institutions talking directly to private capital and looking at different ways to model their commercial business at the conference. We wiped third parties out and launched RISE Ventures and started our own commercial vertical. All 15 of our schools are shareholders of that and we're generating more revenue than has ever been generated commercially at the conference."
➤ Exploring a potential national G6 conference model: "Does some consolidation in certain places, like building something bigger like a national G6 conference, do things like that merit some conversation? I think everything that's different merits conversation. This business is different than it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago. We have to be talking about change." (link)
Memphis AD Dr. Ed Scott joined USA Today's College Football Unfiltered podcast to break down the Tigers' positioning in conference realignment, weighing coaching buyouts against roster spending and more. Here are some takeaways…
➤ Would the ACC or Big 12 be a better possible destination for Memphis? "The ACC probably fits better when you look at a heat map of where our alums are. They're mostly on the Eastern Seaboard. We don't really have alums in Manhattan, Kan. or Boulder, Colo. because of where we draw students from. I think there are positives and negatives to both. I want to get in as the athletic director because I believe if we can get that amount of money and play those teams on that platform, it'll do two things right away. Number one, we'll be able to compete with almost anybody in the country. We're getting less than $9M this year in distributions, and we're able to produce at the level we're producing at."
➤ How Power 4 membership and athletic visibility drive enrollment: "There's an enrollment cliff right now in the country. … The easiest way to attract more and high quality students to the University of Memphis will be by the athletic brand leading the way because more people will see us than anyone else. ... Last year, our football program had 10M viewers on TV. The city of Memphis only had 3M visitors. ... If we have 3X the amount of people watching our program than come to the city of Memphis, we have a much better chance of people learning about the university and the city in a positive light through our athletic program than any other endeavor that we do here at the university."
➤ Weighing coaching buyouts against roster spending in the NIL era: "You have less margin for error with coaches now because you notice there's not as many coaches being let go because buyouts matter. Part of the conversation I think ADs are having now is, ‘Okay, I have this coach in place. If it costs me $15M to buy out the coach, am I better positioned as a business to invest that money in my roster or should I spend it to buy out the coach, because either way I still got to invest in my roster?’ So, now you're making calculated business decisions with a new variable, which is NIL and rev share, that a couple years ago we didn't have to make the same calculation." (link)
Michigan has agreed to pay search firm TurnkeyZRG $250K to help locate a replacement for departing AD Warde Manuel, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Boucher and Tony Garcia. The September agreement expands on a previous deal between parties, outlining three installments, $90K upfront, another $85K 30 days after the start of the search and a final $75K either at the 60-day mark or upon hiring, for an ongoing process that officially started on October 1. While the firm will provide candidates, new President C. Cybele Raver and the Board of Regents will make the final selection. According to Boucher and Garcia, the $250K search cost is a relative “drop in the bucket,” adding to a mounting ledger that includes $7M to buy out Manuel, a $12M Jenner and Block culture investigation and more than $30M in NCAA fines. (link)
Missouri augments its partnership with World Wide Technology to have the global technology solutions provider serve as the new jersey patch partner of Mizzou Basketball, while its logo will also appear on Norm Stewart Court at Mizzou Arena. (link)
Nicholls State expands its deal with Thibodaux Regional Health System to feature a co-branded logo patch on uniforms across all 17 Colonels sports. The medical center’s investment also includes comprehensive sports medicine services, athletic training personnel, advanced medical technology and premier athletic facilities that benefit Nicholls student-athletes and the Bayou Region. (link)
Syracuse inks a comprehensive plan with Upstate Medical University to establish SUNY Upstate as its official and exclusive healthcare partner. The agreement will pair a new integrated sports medicine program with a seven-year athletics marketing and sponsorship partnership, creating a unified model for student-athlete healthcare across athletics, and follows a comprehensive assessment by the U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health. (link)
Troy has retained Altius Sports Partners to conduct a comprehensive revenue assessment that will identify opportunities for revenue growth and operational efficiency across ticketing and premium seating; corporate partnerships; food, beverage and hospitality; licensing and merchandise; and development. (link)
Fundraising Features…
➤ Washington State alumnus/WSU Foundation Board of Directors member/CougsFirst! Co-Founder Glenn Osterhout has included a $6.5M gift to WSU in his estate plans, along with a commitment of at least $200K a year for three years to athletics, which will be split between the Cougar Athletic Fund for scholarships and the Football Excellence Fund for institutional revenue sharing. His estate will benefit four named endowments established to support: student-athlete scholarships; the Football Excellence Fund; scholarships for students in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine; and the Carson College of Business Dean’s Excellence Fund. (link)
➤ Princeton has received a philanthropic gift from alumnus Don Grasso to endow the Tigers’ football defensive coordinator position. An official naming of the position will be released at a later date. (link)
➤ Bowling Green has garnered a “significant philanthropic commitment” from University Trustee Paul J. Hooker to support enhancements to Meserve Field. The planned upgrades to the home of Falcon softball include expanded dugouts with dedicated player restrooms and improved drainage surrounding the dugout areas. (link)
➤ Army West Point unveils the 1890 Society, a new philanthropic giving organization supporting all 30 varsity athletics programs. With a planned 2027 launch, the society will offer two membership levels – 1890 Black ($250K payable over five years) and 1890 Gold ($500K payable over five years) – that can be a cumulative total of commitments to any of the following athletic funds: Army A Club; sport-specific team funds; sport-specific team endowments, and/or athletic facility enhancement funds. The school also highlights the Army A Club’s new annual membership levels, starting in 2027: Four-Star ($50K+); Three-Star ($25K); Two-Star ($10K); One-Star ($5K); Colonel ($2,500); Major ($1K); Captain ($500); and Lieutenant ($100). (link)
San Francisco President Salvador Aceves announces the school plans to introduce a new wolf mascot for athletic events, games and campus activities, starting in spring 2027. From his statement, in part: “With new leadership at USF and in Dons Athletics, we believe the time is right to revitalize our image and embrace a new mascot, one that is known for its intelligence, endurance, and ability to work cooperatively in its pack. At the same time, we will proudly remain the University of San Francisco Dons. … We will share more information soon about our new mascot, the wolf.” (link)
People & Places…
➤ Eastern Illinois hires former Western Illinois AD Paul Bubb as Assoc. AD. (link)
➤ U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) was hospitalized Sunday at Johns Hopkins Hospital following a stroke, per CNN’s Allison Main, who notes the 53-year-old experienced “numbness in his arm” on Saturday afternoon before seeking treatment. Murphy’s Chief of Staff Allison Herwitt: “The doctors are encouraged by his progress, he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery.” Having served in the Senate since 2013, Murphy has emerged as a top progressive voice in Congress and recently functioned as a leading opponent of the Protect College Sports Act. (link)
➤ FanDuel is reportedly appointing Christian Genetski, who took over on a temporary basis back in May, as its permanent CEO, effective January 1, 2027, per Front Office Sports’ Ben Horney. (link)
➤ Fastbreak AI promotes VP of Business Development for Professional Sports Jason Smith to CRO. (link)
Coaches Corner…
➤ Saint Peter’s hires former North Carolina Central Softball HC Now-Allah James for the same position with the Peacocks. (link)
➤ Missouri is parting ways with Women’s Soccer HC Stefanie Golan after six seasons at the helm. (link)
➤ Tennessee is moving on from Women’s Soccer HC Joe Kirt after 20 total seasons on staff and five years leading the program. AHC Jonathan Morgan will step in as Interim HC. (link)
➤ VCU Men’s Soccer HC Dave Giffard retires after 17 years leading the Rams’ program. (link)
➤ UConn Men’s Basketball HC Dan Hurley’s new two-year contract extension through 2031-32 will operate under the same terms of the six-year, $50M pact he signed back in May 2024, per Greenwich Time’s David Borges, who notes Hurley will earn $7.65M in 2030-31 and $7.85M in 2031-32, with $1M retention bonuses if he completes each of those seasons. Hurley’s buyout language has been revised from the 2024 deal with the HC owning the Huskies $6M if he departs for another job after this year. That drops to $4M after the 2027-28 season, $3M after 2028-29, $2M after 2029-30 and $1M following the 2030-31 season. If Hurley leaves for an NBA job after this season, he'd be on the hook for $4M. That drops to $3M after 2027-28, $2M after 2028-29, $1M after 2029-30 and zero following the 2030-31 campaign. Among public-school HCs, Hurley is currently the second-highest paid coach in men's college basketball, behind only Kansas’ Bill Self, per a USA Today report. (link)
Morning Edition
November 2, 2026
The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb breaks down the administrative gridlock surrounding Michigan's search for a new AD and reports that incoming President C. Cybele Raver and TurnkeyZRG have yet to establish a shortlist of candidates, despite donor enthusiasm for DePaul SVP of Advancement and Internal Relations Katie Fraumann and Iowa Deputy AD/former Colorado State AD Joe Parker, alongside national speculation regarding Duke AD Nina King and Vanderbilt AD Candice Lee. Because Raver faces several other high-profile university appointments upon taking office in December, the extended search timetable complicates critical offseason decisions for the struggling football program. While Webb expects Football HC Kyle Whittingham to return in 2027 due to donor reluctance to fund a coaching transition. Webb emphasizes that the delayed timeline diminishes the incoming AD’s power over the football roster and staff, noting that "the opportunity to meaningfully influence its immediate future may have already passed by the time that person arrives." Webb adds of Lee and King: “Neither has emerged as a candidate at this stage, but I expect Turnkey will at least look into both as the search develops.” (link)
Florida State has parted ways with Football HC Mike Norvell and named Director of Scouting Rick Stockstill to the interim post. According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, Norvell is owed around $50M, which per numerous sources includes mitigation & offset. (link); According to On3’s Pete Nakos, FSU has retained Parker Executive Search to assist with finding Norvell’s permanent replacement as well as assist the Noles with their open AD chair. (link); Florida State President Richard McCullough said during an interview last night that the two searches will run concurrently with the AD hire process having technically started last Friday. (link) For those interested in leading the program in Tallahassee, make use of the D1.dossier for the opening. (link)
Kansas AD Travis Goff covers lots of ground on the CALS Report, including the Jayhawks’ financial evolution, the ongoing $800M Gateway District stadium project, the campus-wide benefits of college athletics and more. Here’s what you need to know…
➤ On the Gateway District project: "You know, the impact of football success, basketball brand has helped us create record-breaking enrollment that then helps force a need and a justification for two brand new residence halls on that site in that development. Then you have density and then you need some retail and some restaurants and then you have a chance with this brilliant, beautiful, brand new ground-up football stadium … to be more than a stadium and even more than a conference center.”
➤ Navigating the athletic department's budget deficit: "One of the most important learnings for me was … don't talk about a deficit and don't talk about solutions for a deficit or outside vehicles or capital or partnerships unless you've owned some of your own stuff. We did that a couple years ago. We stepped into that expense management exercise. Far more difficult than I could’ve imagined even though I knew it was going to be difficult. We're lighter by 40 people. Those are not fun, as everybody knows, conversations. But that was really important for us to go, ‘Okay, we've done a major part on our end to make us a more lean, efficient organization. … Now we get to chart the path forward.” (link)
We offer our most sincere condolences to the college athletics community following the passing of former AD Doug Woolard, who led departments at South Florida, Saint Louis & Southern Illinois. Doug will be deeply missed. (link)
Appalachian State AD Doug Gillin talks with the North Carolina Sports Network about the football program's impact on university growth, non-conference scheduling philosophy, and the overall evolution of the Sun Belt. Most notably…
➤ On how schedule upgrades drive season ticket sales: "One of the things that we did intentionally was we scheduled well early as soon as I got here. We said how do we get from at that time it was about 3,500 season tickets to 10,500 season tickets today? Well, part of it is we had to schedule opponents that folks wanted to come see. ... And then once our fans get here, you got to put on a show."
➤ On prioritizing brand value and facility investments amid conference realignment discussions: "I believe what we need to do is and I've said this since day one, be relevant. Have the best facilities in the Sun Belt, which we do right now. Top media brand in the Sun Belt over the last three years is App State. So continue to be relevant." (link)
Utah State Deputy AD/CRO Carter Young talks with Buying Sideline’s Kyle Hagan about the Aggies’ approach to premium hospitality, including the launch of new field-level suites slated for 2027. Key takeaways…
➤ On financing the field-level suites: "This is something that with the money we have set aside and things, we think we can pay off kind of in two to three years and stuff while making money really in year one with a pretty aggressive spike to pay these back quickly. ... This was something we knew we could get in relatively quickly and at a cheaper expense than, you know, expanding a stadium by 10K and adding more premium."
➤ "We added 50 new courtside seats for men's basketball for this coming basketball year. Same message I gave to a lot of people is if you want them, this is the year because we've renewed 100% of our courtside seats from last year to this year. So I anticipate us renewing 98% of those every year ... If you want it, you gotta get in now and then you can keep it for 30 years and really experience that joy as a family. But if you wait too long, the opportunities just get harder and harder."
➤ Future facility upgrades: "Our basketball arena is pretty old and stuff that needs a lot of work. So as we look at that, rather than just okay, how do we replace what's there? How do we modernize what's there? ... We have plans for more premium to be coming here in the next six months that we'll announce." (link)
People & Places…
➤ North Texas has tapped Southland Conference Assoc. Commissioner of Communications and Branding James Hill for its Assoc. AD for Athletic Communications role. (link)
➤ ECU Baseball HC Cliff Godwin is back with the program after taking a leave of absence and has resumed regular coaching duties. (link)
Wofford AD Scott Kull weighs in on the proposal for an academic-year soccer model in response to Maryland HC Sasho Cirovski’s argument for it: “In the last 4 champs 16 College Cup berths went to 16 diff programs. That includes Furman, Vermont, Marshall, Denver, Creighton and Saint Louis. Evidence that reaching the nat semis isn't limited to the traditional ACC and Big 10 powers. This is your effort to minimize us.” (link)
In the wake of the Milwaukee Brewers winning the World Series, College.town has published a special report explaining how college athletic departments can replicate the success of low-payroll MLB franchises like the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays by investing in in-house analytics. At a high level…
➤ While a 40-person MLB data department costs roughly $5M annually, universities can build a tailored collegiate front office featuring four full-time analysts and proprietary software for roughly $490K. The report points to a 2025 MIT study on the NBA, which found that adding 0.8 of a data analyst yielded one extra win, generating the equivalent value of $9.6M in player salary.
➤ Furthermore, the report explains how athletic directors can apply professional evaluation models to navigate the financial constraints of the House settlement: "A collegiate athletics department now makes the same calls a baseball front office does: who to pay and how much, whom to develop rather than replace, and whom to let walk away. With the House settlement barely into its second year, many departments are still deciding how to staff around revenue sharing. A program that cannot match its conference's biggest spenders on roster pay may still be able to out-build them on the operation that decides how that money gets spent." (link)
New Mexico has experienced the largest football attendance growth over the last five years at 56.79%. The Lobos are followed by Temple (45.03%), Connecticut (43.18%), Massachusetts (41.24%), Western Michigan (38.63%), Northern Illinois (37.32%), Hawaii (37.12%), Sam Houston State (34.06%), Colorado State (30.45%) and Georgia Tech (28%). Lots more in the College.town FBS Attendance Tracker, which has been updated with data through Week 9. (link)
Nevada sold out 70 VIP deck seats for Thursday evening’s swimming matchup with UNLV at Lombardi Pool, and SwimSwam’s Sean Griffin notes: “At $150 per ticket, the sellout raised $10,500 for the quick dual meet. The team wrote personal letters to each ticket buyer and connected with them during and after the meet, and a complimentary open bar and dinner buffet were served on deck. A VIP hostess, an alum and grad student, walked around to look after guests, while a staff photographer took entrance photos that were emailed to attendees after the event, and guests also received team gear.” (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!) Senior Associate Athletic Director, Championship Resources (University of South Alabama / Mobile, AL): Leads athletics revenue strategy across fundraising, ticketing, corporate partnerships, premium experiences, and events to drive sustainable growth and stakeholder engagement. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Mobile? Click HERE.
(NEW!) Associate Athletic Director, Compliance (La Salle University / Philadelphia, PA): This position is responsible for ensuring strict adherence to NCAA and A10 Conference regulations, and University policies, maintaining the highest standards of compliance across all varsity sports. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Event Management (Monmouth University / West Long Branch, NJ): MU seeks an experienced Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Event Management to oversee athletic facilities, event operations, safety, staffing, and designated sports programs. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Assistant/Associate Director of Athletics for Communications (Hofstra University / Hempstead, NY): Serves as the main contact for the men’s and women’s soccer, wrestling, and baseball programs. Emphasis in the areas of record-keeping, archival maintenance, publications, photography, video, and IT. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Assistant Director of Development (United States Naval Academy / Annapolis, MD): The Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) seeks an enthusiastic, collaborative, and detail-oriented development professional to serve as its next Assistant Director of Development. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Assistant Women's Soccer Coach (Murray State University / Murray, KY): Assist the Head Coach with managing the operations of the team, including teaching, coaching, fund-raising activities; provide leadership and support for the vision and strategies of the Head Coach. More details HERE.
Academics/Student-Athlete Services
Assistant Director for Football Academics, Department of Athletics (R0009219) (Wake Forest University / Winston-Salem, NC): More details HERE.
Athletics Counselor (University of Arizona / Tucson, AZ): More details HERE.
Business/Finance/Human Resources
Director of Business Intelligence (University of Arkansas / Fayetteville, AR): More details HERE.
Customer Success Manager – Collegiate Sports Connect (Collegiate Sports Connect / Remote): More details HERE.
Associate Athletic Director of Business Operations (Yale University / New Haven, CT): More details HERE.
Chief Operating Officer (RefQuest, LLC / Indianapolis, IN): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Indianapolis? Click HERE.
Assistant A.D., Accounting & Finance (University of Central Florida / Orlando, FL): More details HERE.
Associate VP Athletics Retail Ops (University of South Florida / Tampa, FL): More details HERE.
Coaching/Operations/Recruiting
Assistant Women's Soccer Coach (Fresno State / Fresno, CA): More details HERE.
Physical Education Instructor/North Platte Community College Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Head Coach (Mid-Plains Community College / North Platte, NE): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to North Platte? Click HERE.
Head Coach (Merrimack College / North Andover, MA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to North Andover? Click HERE.
Assistant Track & Field Coach (University of Maine / Orono, ME): More details HERE.
Assistant Athletics Coach, Women's Soccer (Babson College / Wellesley, MA): More details HERE.
Communications/Marketing/Digital/Social
Associate AD, Marketing, Fan Experience & Engagement (University of Wyoming / Laramie, WY): More details HERE.
Director of Marketing and Fan Experience (Tennessee Technological University / Cookeville, TN): More details HERE.
Athletic Creative Services - Graduate Assistant (Creighton University / Omaha, NE): More details HERE.
Associate Director of Athletics Communications (Baylor University / Waco, TX): More details HERE.
Compliance/Legal/NIL
Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance and Eligibility (Kent State University / Kent, OH): More details HERE.
Development/Fundraising/Alumni Relations
Assistant Director - Annual Giving (Purdue University / West Lafayette, IN): More details HERE.
Major Gift Officer - Athletics (Temple University / Philadelphia, PA): More details HERE.
Senior Athletic Development Officer (James Madison University / Harrisonburg, VA): More details HERE.
Assistant Director of Development, Athletics (Marquette University / Milwaukee, WI): More details HERE.
Executive & Senior Leadership
Director of Athletics (University of Alabama at Birmingham / Birmingham, AL): More details HERE. The D1.dossier for this position is available HERE. What would it cost to move to Birmingham? Click HERE.
Director of Athletics (Susquehanna University / Selinsgrove, PA): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Selinsgrove? Click HERE.
Chief Operating Officer (RefQuest, LLC / Indianapolis, IN): More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Indianapolis? Click HERE.
Facilities/Event Operations/Equipment
Associate Commissioner for Basketball (American Conference / Irving, TX): More details HERE.
Lead Athletic Fields Groundsworker (San Diego State University / San Diego, CA): More details HERE.
Associate Commissioner, Sports Administration and Championships/Men’s Basketball (Mountain West Conference / Las Vegas, NV): More details HERE.
Assistant Director, Athletic Facilities and Operations (La Salle University / Philadelphia, PA): More details HERE.
Director, Sports Turf/Grounds (Georgia Southern University / Statesboro, GA): More details HERE.
Assistant Director of Athletics, Recreation (Brown University / Providence, RI): More details HERE.
General Administration
Health/Wellness/Performance/Training
Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Nutrition (Iowa State University / Ames, IA): More details HERE.
Resident Athletic Trainer - Track & Field and Cross Country (Virginia Tech / Blacksburg, VA): More details HERE.
Athletic Trainer - Tennis and Acrobatics and Tumbling (Baylor University / Waco, TX): More details HERE.
Associate RDN (Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist) (University of Nebraska / Lincoln, NE): More details HERE.
Athletics Counselor (University of Arizona / Tucson, AZ): More details HERE.
Sponsorships/Corporate Relations
Ticket Sales/Ticket Operations
Assistant Athletic Director, Revenue Generation (Kent State University / Kent, OH): More details HERE.
Associate Athletics Director, Ticket Operations (Villanova University / Villanova, PA): More details HERE.