Interested in advertising a department opening in NAIA.ticker? Post your department-wide openings on the industry's leading jobs board, CollegeSports.jobs for inclusion in any of our College.town publications, where tens of thousands of administrators and coaches get news and updates about the industry. Want unlimited job-postings for one year? Inquire with [email protected].

NAIA Jobs powered by CollegeSports.jobs... New opportunities at South Carolina (DI), below. CollegeSports.jobs continues to be the No. 1 jobs site in college athletics. Any job posted on CS.j gets distributed via College.town publications, including NAIA.ticker (3,900+ subscribers) and Coaches.wire (30,000+ subscribers). Post HERE to maximize the reach of your job openings, while enjoying the most affordable posting price offered in the industry. More bang, less bucks.

IU Columbus AD Zach McClellan will step down at the end of the spring semester. “It’s been an honor to build this department from the ground up alongside incredible student-athletes, coaches, staff, and community partners. Watching the program grow and seeing our athletes compete and develop has been the most rewarding part of the role. Grateful for everyone who believed in what we were building. Excited for what’s next.” (link)

Here are the qualifiers for this year’s Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships that will take place in Vancouver, WA. (link, link)

This weekend, Indiana Wesleyan opened its $30M I AM THIRD Arena. The facility includes a 2,300-seat arena with five suites and 250 additional premium seats that are sold out for this season, weight room, recovery room, locker rooms, practice court and more. With part of the arena previously serving as a decommissioned dorm, IWU hopes to convert the remaining former dorm space into a 50-room hotel for visiting teams and families. AD Jon Young: “Space is a premium, and having more space to do the things we do has been super helpful. What used to be Luckey gymnasium is still Luckey, but we’ll be able to turn that into a more volleyball-centric arena now, so instead of sharing some of these spaces, they’ll get a space that’s their own … it just allows a little more space and opportunity to pursue excellence athletically. … Everything from the strategic naming of the arena, to the discipleship that takes place in the locker rooms and the team rooms, to even the pursuit of excellence on the floor and in the practice area, all of those tell a story.” Photos included. (link)

Our Lady of the Lake will add football starting next fall, as an unnamed donor has committed to cover the program’s startup costs. AD Tom Norris tells the San Antonio Express-News’ Greg Luca: “There’s certainly going to be naysayers of, ‘Well, hold on, this has been in the news, that’s been in the news, why are we doing this?’ And we’re certainly ready for those questions. We hope that we can build a product with this football program that maybe those people who aren’t excited now can become excited a year from now, and can get on board and support our program.” Norris hopes to have a job offer to the Saints’ first HC by mid-December as OLLU is still evaluating where to play its home games in 2027. The program is projected to be financially self-sufficient in year one with a first-year roster goal of around 100. Norris on future plans: “Part of the big-picture, master plan would be to have everybody on campus. Obviously, that comes down to dollars and cents, but I think this announcement is going to give us an opportunity to get out in the community and seek some external dollars to be able to do some of those bigger-picture projects.” (link)

With Congressional members returning to Capitol Hill, a jammed “lame-duck” calendar could crowd out House consideration of the Protect College Sports Act, per CNBC’s Justin Papp and Garrett Downs. After successfully passing the Senate back in September, the bipartisan measure faces widespread opposition among House Democrats who now have little incentive to compromise following the party’s success in the midterm elections. College athletics stakeholders monitoring the lower chamber’s progress on the bill must view its potential against immediate, must-pass legislative logjams, including a December 11 government shutdown deadline, the debt ceiling bumping up against its $41.1T cap, an energy construction permitting fight and a $1T National Defense Authorization Act that’s now potentially entangled with impeachment proceedings against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Congressional leadership, particularly on the Republican side, is also likely to have difficulty with lawmaker attendance after dozens of members lost their seats and will struggle to whip members into line, especially those who do not have another election to run. (link)

New York Yankees President/President’s Roundtable on Fixing College Sports Vice Chair Randy Levine dispatches a letter to House members urging the legislative body to take action to pass the Protect College Sports Act. From the missive, in part: “We just had a seismic midterm election. The result was clear: the American people want Congress to act to help make their lives better and more affordable. They want results, not words. Well, the first test is now upon you.” More…

The NAIA recently released a research brief from ROA on football roster size and retention. In FY25, the average NAIA football program had a roster size of 126, with an average net return of $1.73M and a 57.9% retention rate, down slightly from FY24. From FY21 to FY25, the ideal roster size was between 120 and 149 student-athletes, which produced an average retention rate of 61.47% and an average net return of $1.77M. For programs with more than 150 student-athletes, average net return jumped to $2.66M, while retention fell to 58.74%. For those with under 119 student-athletes, retention and average net return fell to 59.59% and $1.41M, respectively. “This speaks to the complexity of the relationship between roster size and retention. Smaller roster sizes may contribute to both decreased retention rates and a smaller net return. Larger roster sizes could bring about a higher net return, but could also contribute to a decreased retention rate. As such, there is no definitive ‘correct’ answer. Roster size is a significant consideration, but there are NAIA institutions that have smaller or larger than ‘ideal’ roster sizes and still boast retention rates that are above average.” (link)

Bethany’s (KS) Coach Ted Kessinger Family Stadium is set to receive around $2.1M in upgrades, per President Laura Crawley, after McPherson County voters approved a $21M bond earlier this fall. The stadium will get a new turf surface and track as the Swedes share the facility with Smoky Valley Public Schools. (link)

People & Places…
➤ Cumberlands Assoc. AD for Game Operations and Corporate/Community Engagement Christie Brewers has moved to a new role as the university’s Director of Alumni Engagement. (link)
➤ Mount Mary will hire Beloit (NCAA DIII) SID Sarah Hintz as its new Cross Country HC/SID. (link)

La Sierra has offered an undisclosed number of faculty voluntary terminations as the university faces a $20M deficit and an accreditation warning from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Per SPECTRUM’s Lia Kriszinger: “The board has designed a window for administration to eliminate the deficit between 2029 and 2033 and [President Christon Arthur] is focused on making the cuts necessary so this school year’s enrollment this year does not add to the deficit.” Arthur notes that while enrollment is down 1% year-over-year, there are a number of bright spots for LSU, including ranking first among regional universities in the west in social mobility and raising over $500K towards its $2M endowment goal so far. (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!) 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.

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.

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.