Edition #910
October 23, 2026
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Yesterday, the NAIA hosted a town hall on the five seasons of competition proposal before the association. Key comments from the Q&A…
➤ Student-athletes transferring from other associations will be evaluated based on the new rules, if approved. Asked about possible guardrails to prevent student-athletes from coming to the NAIA just to use a fifth season, VP of Membership Value and Governance Chesney Sallee: “The decision was made to leave the proposal sort of open, but recognize there will already be some hurdles those students would have to cross to get there and sort of anticipate institutions will make their own decisions related to how they view this and how they want to think about that.”
➤ If NCAA DIII does not approve the age-based eligibility model, Director of Legislative Services Brenda White: “If the student had four years to compete in that association and they exhausted their four years, they cannot come to the NAIA and compete in five.” Of note, the DIII Management Council is recommending the Presidents Council oppose the age-based eligibility proposal.
➤ On the removal of medical hardship waivers, Sallee: “Part of the conversation amongst the [Path Forward] Task Force and then the Council of Presidents was recognizing, okay, if we're going to move to where everyone gets a shot at a fifth season, we also want to sort of cap it there. We don't want to keep maintaining a bunch of these opportunities to keep extending beyond even five seasons into six or so forth with things like the 20% approach. So sort of recognizing we've kind of piecemealed options for students extend seasons. Now we're just going to give sort of that blanket extra season to everybody, but remove these kind of piecemeal approaches.”
➤ Student-athletes who have graduated and have terms of attendance and seasons of competitions available at the start of this academic year would be permitted to return, as long as their terms of attendance allow them to do so.
➤ There will be an opportunity for amendments, similar to regular convention proceedings. Also, the results of the straw poll votes from caucuses between now and November 4 will be available. Full town hall. (link)
Benedictine (KS) AD Charlie Gartenmayer joined Greatness Unleashed to express his support for the five seasons of competition proposal. “We have to remember that our institutions at the NAIA were built for education to take place and not sports driving it. And that's really important here at Benedictine College, only 29% of our student-athletes make up the enrollment here. So that's really, really important that we want them to graduate. But as we take a look at things down the road here at Benedictine, some of our programs are taking four and a half, five years. So it makes logical sense for us.” On the conversations Ravens coaches will need to have with student-athletes: “They're going to have to sit down and in their mind, here's Johnny or Susie, and they might think Johnny or Susie wants to stay, but they need to have those conversations early on so Johnny and Susie can develop their plan if they're going to go on. I mean, the facts are we're not a full scholarship program and so it's going to take some commitment from families if they want that fifth year. So understanding what the needs of the kids are first, not our selfish needs for each one of the programs is going to be paramount.” (link)
Georgia Highlands (NJCAA) AD Nicole Levering sat down with the Educational AD Podcast to discuss the future of Chargers athletics, facilities, sports sponsorship and more. Key takeaways…
➤ The department is exploring a move to the NAIA within the next two years, as the institution is growing with a number of four-year degree programs and a shrinking number of in-state peers. “Not many people know this, but the junior colleges are kind of diminishing in Georgia. There's only three state junior colleges left in Georgia: Georgia Highlands, South Georgia State College and Gordon State College. That's it. There are some technical colleges left that do play in our conference, but they only play the sport of basketball. So right now we're competing against two other teams for baseball and softball, and we have no other volleyball teams in our conference. So we're competing with a hodgepodge of teams from Alabama and Tennessee because we're closer to the Tennessee border. So yeah, our league is just kind of diminishing a little bit and we fit the size and the mold for the NAIA model now that our degree paths have grown and our enrollment is growing and we've been highly competitive in our level as well.”
➤ On sport sponsorship: “In my opinion, we're stabilizing. We've got our six sports because you have to have six sports for NAIA. We're just trying to build healthy checks and balances for every sport so we can still be competitive, get the recruits that we want, but also still provide a good student-athlete experience because that's very important to me as well. We want them to be able to get the food that they want, to have decent travel, not fully fundraising to function 24/7 and just be able to provide good support. So I think right now our goal is to stabilize that across those six sports. I do think if we were to add an additional sport, the next one up to bat would be men's cross country.” (link)
LSU Alexandria broke ground on its new baseball, softball and tennis facilities earlier this week. The project includes a new field house with baseball and softball locker rooms, athletic training space and more, and expanding the tennis complex from four to six courts. Outgoing AD Tyler Unsicker: “The baseball and softball locker rooms were among the first projects we discussed when I arrived at LSUA. Reaching this point is a testament to the dedication of our coaches and student-athletes and to the support of a campus administration committed to providing an outstanding student-athlete experience. The additional tennis courts will also give our nationally ranked program the opportunity to host the conference championship this spring and further elevate that experience.” (link)
The NAIA renews its partnership with Drug Free Sport International to serve as its official drug education and testing services provider through September 2027. (link)
Dakota State inks a naming rights deal for its Esports Arena with Thermo Bond Solutions. (link)
Olivet Nazarene has forfeited its football game against Saint Francis (IN) from earlier this season. (link)
Coaches Corner…
➤ Midway removes the interim tag from Softball HC Brent Aldridge. (link)
➤ Point parts ways with Football HC Nigel Lawrence, per FootballScoop. Assoc. HC Kevin Kelley will serve as Interim HC. (link)
➤ St. Ambrose Men’s Basketball HC Ray Shovlain will retire after this season, his 44th leading the Fighting Bees. (link)
➤ Thomas Baseball HC Tom Fleenor has added responsibilities as Assoc. AD for Facilities and Community Relations. (link)
Rockbeach Training has officially launched, giving ticket offices a place for new sales representatives to practice live phone calls with 175+ AI customers who respond in real voices, in real time, before they ever call a real fan. Rockbeach Training Founder/CEO/former Cincinnati (DI) Deputy AD/CRO Anthony Di Fino: “Make the call before you make the call. In this business, every new rep learns on real fans, because there’s nowhere else to practice. That’s the most expensive call in sports: a poorly trained intern or rep losing a fan. Now there’s somewhere else to practice.” (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)
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Part-Time Assistant Track & Field/Cross Country Coach (University of Pikeville / Pikeville, KY): The University of Pikeville is seeking an innovative professional for the position of Part-time Assistant Track & Field/ Cross Country Coach within the Athletic Department. 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.