Edition #911
October 27, 2026
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Providence will close at the end of the 2026-27 academic year. The decision comes after a number of changes including restructuring, expense cuts, new enrollment strategies and exploring potential partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. “These actions eased immediate pressures but did not produce a viable long-term operating model.” Providence Ministries President Mary Anne Sladich-Lantz: “The Sisters of Providence founded this University because they saw a need. They believed every person deserved the chance to learn, to serve and to make a difference. Because of this ministry, thousands served in hospitals, classrooms, businesses, and communities throughout Montana and beyond. But times change. The path forward for many small, private universities across the country is uncertain. Financial sustainability is no longer feasible.” (link)
NAIA VP of Championships Austin Bennett joined Victory Sports Network’s Jason Dannelly to discuss the new football postseason selection process and more. Here’s what you need to know…
➤ With the national selection committee comprised of only administrators, Bennett on the role of coaches and the Area Rating Committees: “They play a huge role. The ARCs kick off and that's where the coaches really shine. They're not bound by criteria in the ARC rankings. So that's where you get into if there are injuries or somebody's missed somebody for a couple weeks and maybe had a couple close games that change what the RPI or the Massey and things like that look like; that's where the voice of the coaches is really important. That context of not only sport-related things but also potential injuries or how teams have trended to that point, that's their time to shine. That's where we need them to share that information with the selection committee, with that ARC chair to take back to the selection committee so that they have a full picture when doing the polls next week or ultimately doing the selection of teams on selection day.”
➤ Asked about future football championship sites: “I think that's something we're still working through. We shifted last year to a new model of the national office hosting the championship or being the lead in hosting it. … While we have that model that works, we're always looking for what could be better. So whether that's getting back to a host city, a CVB sports commission hosting it in the city or us continuing to host it, but maybe still in Fort Worth or maybe at a new location, kind of all options are up in the air. The thing I can tell you is we won't go backwards in terms of venue or facility or experience.” (link)
Speaking of the football national selection committee, the first NSC poll was released today, headlined by St. Thomas. College of Idaho, Benedictine (KS), Montana Tech and Morningside round out the top five. Full top 15. (link); You can also find the first football ARC ratings here. (link)
Heart of America Commissioner Nik Rule takes to X to state the league office will vote yes on the five seasons of competition proposal next week. “In today’s college athletics environment, we believe this is common-sense legislation that expands student-athlete opportunity and gives the NAIA a competitive advantage in recruiting. Every member institution and conference has one vote. We’re proud to cast our vote in support.” (link)
Mount Mercy opened its new Busse Football Center this weekend, which includes a new weight room, locker room, coaches’ offices and more. AD Paul Gavin to the AP’s Eric Olson on the addition of football: “There’s no doubt if football is done right, if you stay within budgets and financial constraints and scholarship limitations, it’s a cash cow from a tuition revenue and then from auxiliary income from housing and meal plans, not to mention philanthropy. If you do it right, people will come. If you don’t, you can have the adverse aspect. I don’t want to think about that or have to deal with that.” (link, link)
College of the Ozarks will continue to host the NCCAA DI basketball and volleyball championships through 2029-30. (link)
Front Office Sports and Teamworks released the Teamworks State of AI in Sports 2026 report, revealing a stark disconnect between artificial intelligence adoption and measurable financial returns across the sports ecosystem. While 90% of sports organizations expect their AI usage to increase over the next two to three years and 79% expanded their investments over the past 12 months, only 15% can currently demonstrate clear ROI. The research, which surveyed 164 collegiate and professional organizations, indicates that fragmented, department-level purchasing serves as the primary operational bottleneck. Key findings…
➤ Organizations deploying AI against an organization-wide strategy report clear ROI at a 37% rate, compared to just 2% for those adopting tools one department at a time.
➤ Respondents cited integrating existing systems as their top planned investment (58%), while only 12% plan to replace a core system. Buyers prioritize accuracy (77%) and data security (65%) far above the sophistication of the underlying model (9%) when evaluating new products.
➤ Athletic departments historically purchased separate software platforms for different internal functions, leaving medical data in one system, scouting data in another, and performance metrics in a third. Because artificial intelligence requires unified data to function effectively, this software fragmentation severely limits the technology's ability to generate actionable insights. When an organization consolidates its data into a connected record (one to three systems), AI tools can analyze the complete athlete profile to produce a clear return on investment—defined by the report as measurable financial gains or definitively improved operational decisions—67% of the time. When that data remains scattered across a fragmented record (four or more systems), AI tools fail to connect the dots, causing the ROI success rate to plummet to just one in eight. (link)
Our sincerest condolences go out to the entire Bethel (KS) community, as well as to the family and friends of men’s soccer student-athlete Bader Nassar following his passing. (link)
People & Places…
➤ Dillard President Monique Guillory is one of three finalists for the presidential opening at Skagit Valley (NWAC). (link)
➤ LSU Alexandria taps Women’s Basketball HC Billy Perkins as Interim AD. (link)
➤ Evangel AD/Football HC Chuck Hepola will step down as coach after this season, his 11th leading the Valor, but remain as AD. (link)
➤ Indiana Tech hires high school HC Reggie Tharp as its first Women’s Flag Football HC. (link)
A new study of 5,235 colleges by the Hildreth Institute reveals that institutions in the same geographic markets publish markedly different living-cost estimates, complicating affordability assessments for prospective students, according to Inside Higher Ed's Joshua Bay. Here’s the deal…
➤ The analysis found that approximately half of the evaluated institutions reported allowances for indirect costs were more than 20% above local benchmarks, while higher-tuition and selective colleges frequently estimated miscellaneous expenses well below average rates.
➤ The discrepancies stem from varying institutional methodologies for estimating off-campus housing, food, and transportation, which directly dictate financial aid limits.
➤ Hildreth Institute Managing Director Bahar Akman Imboden emphasized how these inconsistent financial projections directly impact university enrollment and retention: "There is a very legitimate concern there that higher-cost living allowance could make an institution appear less affordable and potentially discourage enrollment. A budget that is too modest can make a college appear more affordable … so a student may enroll, even take out a loan based on this initial picture, only to discover that their actual expenses are beyond their means. If those financial pressures prevent students from completing, then we risk the most troubling kind of outcome of higher education, which is debt without a degree." (link)
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(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.