Edition #916
November 13, 2026
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In national news, 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)
NAIA President/CEO Jim Carr joined NAIAFBALL to discuss the association’s move to five seasons of competition. In addition to the Council of Presidents deciding to wait three years before changing rules around countable aid, Carr states the COP will also wait three years from the effective date in 2027-28 before evaluating any changes to scholarship limits. As for who will bear the responsibility for evaluating remaining eligibility for NCAA transfers: “I'm glad that at least for that initial transfer, we're taking that on. … The saying that, well, if the decision's wrong, at least it's wrong for all of our schools. The student is going to be eligible or not eligible at all of our schools. If we make a mistake here or there, then at least it applies across the board. But our eligibility center does a great job and our accuracy is like 99.9%. So I know they'll get most of these right, but it really wouldn't be fair, maybe it's a better way to say it, to put all the onus on our schools to have to figure all that out.” (link)
Montana Tech AD Matt Stepan sat down with Wide Left Sports to dive into the potential addition of wrestling following Providence’s closure announcement, the Orediggers’ success and more. Key takeaways…
➤ On wrestling: “Are we in a position where we may be able to help a number of these student-athletes? And wrestling could provide that opportunity. To be totally honest, Mitch, if not for what's happening there, we're looking at this over a two to three-year potential opportunity, but given what they're going through, that's what's caused us to look at a potential expedited timeline on this and to publicly explore this opportunity to see if it fits, to see if it's feasible. … It's got to be more than that we just want to. We want to provide opportunities. We want to help a number of affected student-athletes. We want to answer the call that Montana's asking for more wrestling, but it's got to be more than wanting to. It's got to make sense. And so this time period that we have in front of us will be focused on. Will it work? Is it feasible? Will it work beyond the initial excitement and the initial level of support? Is it sustainable at the university level for the long term? And is it a long-term positive impact?”
➤ Recruiting priorities: “Objective number one is to win Montana. Win Butte, win Montana in the recruiting. We feel like our objective is to be the first choice for Montana student-athletes that may not be pursuing Division I. … What we can say and will always be our number one recruiting tool is you will get a top-tier education at Montana Tech at an affordable price with opportunities once you graduate that you just don't see at a typical university. That's always going to be number one. … Our history has shown that a coach that tries to get around our academic rigor doesn't last very long and it's not a recipe for sustained success. And so that's our ace in the hole and it always will be.”
➤ Keys to maintaining success: “We have a really, really solid collection of head coaches across the board right now that we've been fortunately able to hang onto through this success. And that stability has fostered that environment you need to have sustained success. … We've worked hard to be an asset to our campus and to our community. And the last piece is Butte will support in a big way. If you're doing things the right way and you're playing with toughness, it's not even about the wins and losses. If you're doing right in the community and you're playing with that grit and toughness that the Mining City was born on, they'll get behind you.” (link)
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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…
➤ Campbell: “We continue to work with leadership and members on both sides of the aisle. Our focus is on making sure that everybody understands how and why the bill works. We acknowledge that it is not perfect, and it never will be, but it is an outstanding, bipartisan solution that will provide stability to the college sports system, and will protect vulnerable schools, and vulnerable sports, namely women’s and olympic programs.”
Head coaching salaries at 10 women’s flag football programs across all three NCAA divisions average roughly $72.5K; range from $18.5K at SUNY Geneseo (NCAA DIII) to $155K at Cal Poly (NCAA DI); and have position terms generally spanning from one to five years, per Front Office Sports’ Ellyn Briggs. Nebraska (NCAA DI) HC/former Ottawa (KS) HC Liz Sowers earns $115K annually, with up to $20K in postseason bonuses, and AHC Katie Sowers $72.5K, making it the only sampled program to have a full-time AHC, performance incentives and outside endorsement allowances. Other highlighted DI salaries include $83K at Binghamton and $65K at Iona; DII compensation sits at $65K at Purdue Northwest and $52K at Henderson State; and DIII pay spans $70.3K–$73K at Whittier, $43K–$50K at Marietta and $42.8K–$49K at Hollins. Huskers Associate AD of Financial Reporting Jami Hagedorn, who oversees the program’s budget and bypassed tackle football candidates in favor of coaches with flag backgrounds, noted growing interest from peer institutions: “I’ve had a handful of Power Four schools reach out to me and ask questions. They want to know what our startup costs were, what the big expenses were … we kind of are the market right now.” (link)
The push of the football calendar into week zero is continuing to compound heat risks for athletic departments, according to The Midwest Newsroom's Nicole Grundmeier. As eight states saw their warmest September ever, the heat impacted a number of games. North Carolina (NCAA DI) Asst. Professor Jessica Murfree: “I stand on top of this hill or this soapbox all the time: The heat policies that exist in college athletics are largely suggestions, and it takes responsible adults to monitor and enforce them.” Missouri Climate Center Director Zachary Leasor believes the push for change will come: “Is there a need to push the season back? I don’t think those conversations are being seriously had right now. But yeah, I could see that in 10 to 20 years.” Washburn (NCAA DII) Head Athletic Trainer Kristan Todd on what changes may be needed: “We are seeing warmer temperatures throughout fall, and we need to think about, ‘Why do we need to have a noon start time? Why do we need to have a 1 p.m. start time?’” (link)
Van Wagner launches RELAY, a new digital platform for official athletics websites and mobile apps that combines content management and AI tools to help staff work more efficiently, tell their stories and deliver a digital experience reflecting each institution’s brand. RELAY will be led by Syracuse (NCAA DI) SVP/Chief Digital Officer Jeff Rubin, who will serve as RELAY Chief Strategic Advisor. (link)
Spring Arbor is adding men’s wrestling and women’s flag football starting in 2027-28. (link)
Coaches Corner…
➤ Arkansas Baptist promotes Asst. AD/Football Asst. HC Ashdone Bailey to HC. (link)
➤ Peru State selects Cottey Bowling HC Linda Himes for the same position with the Bobcats. (link)
Southwestern Christian has been hit with a show-cause order from the Higher Learning Commission because the institution does not meet four core components, related to board governance, program review, resource base and stability and planning for quality improvement, and five assumed practices for accreditation. SWCU also met another five core components with concern. The institution remains accredited. (link)
The Higher Learning Commission also placed Southwestern on notice over financial concerns. While the college does remain accredited, “The Institution possesses limited liquidity, having little operating cash available, while also having an ongoing operating deficit of approximately $2.16 million and an accumulated unrestricted deficit of approximately $12.05 million, with debt and interest obligations increasing the financial pressure on the Institution.” (link)
Interested in advertising a department opening in NAIA.ticker? Click here to submit your position. Post your department-wide openings with CollegeSports.jobs, where thousands of administrators coaches get news and updates about the world of college sports.
(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)
(NEW!) Head Coach, Soccer (Wesleyan College (Georgia) / Macon, GA): Wesleyan College seeks a Head Coach to lead its NAIA women’s soccer program: recruit, coach, and mentor student-athletes, ensure compliance, and build a competitive, student-centered culture. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Macon? Click HERE.
(NEW!) Graduate Assistant for Athletic Operations (Morningside University / Sioux City, IA): Morningside University seeks an energetic, organized, and service-oriented graduate student to serve as the Graduate Assistant for Athletic Operations. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Director of Athletics and Chair of the Department of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (Williams College / Williamstown, MA): Williams seeks a visionary leader to strategically guide athletics and physical education, balancing competitive excellence with its commitment to transformative liberal arts education. (DIII) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Williamstown? Click HERE.
(NEW!) Head Men's Soccer Coach (University of Illinois Springfield / Springfield, IL): Lead a storied men's soccer program built on student-athlete development. Step into a highly visible role central to UIS history and Springfield's passionate soccer community, competing in the GLVC. (DII) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Springfield? Click HERE.
(NEW!) Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach (Bethany College / Lindsborg, KS): Seeking a dynamic Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach to lead our NAIA sports program. This role oversees all phases of a safe, competitive, and enthusiastic program. We will have a new track soon! More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Lindsborg? Click HERE.
Director of the Letterman's Association (University of South Carolina / Columbia, SC): Lead efforts to reconnect former student-athletes, grow membership, and expand Letterwinner fundraising at a premier institution in a vibrant SEC college town. (DI) More details HERE.
Head Women's Wrestling Coach (McPherson College / McPherson, KS): Help establish a new women’s wrestling tradition in a community that values relationships, academic excellence, innovation, service, and the growth of every student-athlete. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to McPherson? Click HERE.
Head Competitive Dance Coach (Morningside University / Sioux City, IA): Morningside University Head Competitive Dance Coach More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Sioux City? Click HERE.
Athletic Trainer (Southwestern College / Winfield, KS): Southwestern College is currently seeking applicants for a full-time athletic trainer. The position will cover both soccer teams / JV basketball / & baseball with very limited travel. More details HERE.
Director of Athletic Training (University of Pikeville / Pikeville, KY): The University of Pikeville is seeking an energetic individual for the Director of Athletic Training. This position performs the sports medicine duties for the university's 26 athletic programs. More details HERE.
Assistant Athletic Trainer (University of Pikeville / Pikeville, KY): University of Pikeville (UPIKE), the Leading University in Central Appalachia is actively seeking candidates for an Assistant Athletic Trainer in the Athletics Department. More details HERE.
Head Women's Volleyball Coach (Waynesburg University / Waynesburg, PA): The head coach is responsible for, but not limited to, recruiting quality student athletes, retaining a full roster, practice organization, staff hiring/development, game scheduling, budget oversight. (DIII) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Waynesburg? Click HERE.
Head Men's Soccer Coach (Waldorf University / Forest City, IA): Waldorf University (NAIA, GPAC) in Forest City, IA seeks a Head Men's Soccer Coach to lead all phases of the program, recruit student-athletes and mentor players. Full-time. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Forest City? Click HERE.
Assistant Athletic Trainer (Waldorf University / Forest City, IA): Waldorf University seeks a full-time Assistant Athletic Trainer to provide athletic training services for 20+ NAIA varsity teams in Forest City, IA. Preferred start early January 2027. More details HERE.
Director of Athletics (University of Alabama at Birmingham / Birmingham, AL): UAB seeks an experienced athletics leader to drive competitive success, financial growth, compliance, and student-athlete development through strategic leadership. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Birmingham? Click HERE.
Director of Athletics (Susquehanna University / Selinsgrove, PA): Susquehanna University invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of director of athletics. (DIII) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Selinsgrove? Click HERE.
Associate Commissioner, Sports Administration and Championships/Men’s Basketball (Mountain West Conference / Las Vegas, NV): The Associate Commissioner will serve the Conference and its member institutions to oversee and lead all aspects of the Conference’s men’s basketball enterprise. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Las Vegas? Click HERE.
Executive Associate Athletic Director/Director of Athletic Development (Fairfield University / Fairfield, CT): Seeking a dynamic, accomplished, and highly motivated Executive Associate Athletic Director/Director of Athletic Development to lead its athletic fundraising program. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Fairfield? Click HERE.
Senior Associate Commissioner for Institutional Services (Mid-American Conference / Cleveland, OH): The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and strategic leader to serve as Senior Associate Commissioner for Institutional Services. (DI) More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Cleveland? Click HERE.
Men's Assistant Volleyball Coach (Georgetown College / Georgetown, KY): Part-time assistant coach role assisting with recruiting, training, scouting, instructing and coaching. More details HERE.
Head Coach for Men's & Women's Tennis (Indiana Wesleyan University / Marion, IN): The Head Coach is responsible for the men's and women's tennis budget, strategic planning, courts and facilities, policies, compliance, scholarships, promotion and leadership of the team. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Marion? Click HERE.