Edition #13
October 13, 2026
Van Wagner is a leading sports advertising and entertainment agency, with global expertise in live events, sponsorship sales, multimedia rights and aerial advertising. Van Wagner creates, advises and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands and properties. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the NCAA, MLB, NBA, and international soccer, as well as collegiate multimedia rights and in-venue content production at the world’s biggest sporting events. For more information, visit www.vanwagner.com.
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North Iowa Area AD Ryan Flickinger lays out the goals for the $500K Let’s Light ‘Em Up campaign, with soccer facility upgrades already complete, work in new baseball and softball turf fields in progress and the Trojans now focused on raising money for lights and a potential new indoor fieldhouse. Notable comments from Flickinger…
➤ On using athletic facilities as an institutional enrollment pipeline: “There's an enrollment piece that I think is also really important. One of the best things we can do is simply get young people onto our campus. Maybe a kid comes here at 12 years old for a baseball tournament and comes back a few years later for a high school game. Now they know NIACC. Their parents know NIACC and they've been on our campus and hopefully had a great experience. That student may never play college athletics and that's okay. When it comes time to choose a college, NIACC is now a place that they know and have already had a connection with us. That's why I believe athletics can be a front door to NIACC.”
➤ Recruiting and retention: “When a recruit comes to NIACC and sees new facilities, turf fields, lights, improved spaces and continued investment happening across athletics and across the campus, it sends a message. It shows them that NIACC is serious about athletics and that we're moving forward. Recruiting is only one part of it. Retention is just as important. We want our student-athletes to come here, have a great experience, and we want them to stay at NIACC and graduate. At the two-year level, you're constantly recruiting, but you're also constantly working to retain the students that you already have. The better experience we can provide academically, athletically, and socially, the better chance we have of keeping student-athletes here and helping them reach their goals.” (link)
Candidates for the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) board are campaigning on a platform to reinstate football programs across the district, which were eliminated in 2018 due to rising costs as football accounted for roughly 20% of the district's athletics budget and over 50% of its athletic insurance costs. Axios Phoenix’s Jeremy Duda reports the Change4Maricopa three-person candidate slate has proposed a preliminary financial model involving a $2-per-credit-hour student life and athletics fee starting in 2027 ($60 per year for a full-time student) indexed to inflation in subsequent years, with up to 60% of revenues going to football which would launch in 2029. Candidate John Crow tells Axios that the fee is “a proof of concept, not the plan,” and that it needs to be combined with sponsorships, donations and restored state funding. The proposal projects $2.2M in annual FY29 dollars to run all four programs, with a $240K contingency built in, that would include six coaches per program, a $56K annual travel budget per team and more. Opponents and MCCCD Board Chair Linda Thor contend that any return of the sport would necessitate tuition or tax increases, with Thor noting the board wasn't involved in the 2018 decision to eliminate football and likely wouldn't decide whether to reinstate it. (link, link - full plan, link - financial model)
The Boston Globe’s Avery Hill profiles the addition of women’s flag football at Roxbury, which began last season thanks in part to a $5K NJCAA Foundation grant. The new sport is part of President Jonathan Jefferson’s goal to triple the size of the athletic department, with a specific focus on women’s sports, as the female-to-male ratio at Roxbury is nearly 2:1. AD Albert Hayle: “This was a big part of [Jefferson’s] passion and dream, getting women’s flag football as a part of our athletic program just because of where the sport is going. It’s at the forefront right now for women’s sport because of the opportunity it’s creating, the platform it’s opening up for young women.” More from Jefferson: “Everything that we do, from academics to athletics, is oriented around opening doors for our students, who may not otherwise have those. And women’s flag football is another expression of that commitment… This is a big deal for us. RCC used to be an athletic powerhouse, and we would like to regain that status.” (link)
Paradise Valley partners with Influxer to expand student-athlete NIL opportunities. (link)
People & Places…
➤ Dallas College Richland names Lone Star College–University Park President Virginia Fraire as its fifth president, effective November 2. (link)
➤ Delgado Chancellor Larissa Littleton-Steib is one of three finalists for the presidential opening at Southern (NCAA DI). (link)
Coaches Corner…
➤ Jacksonville College Men’s and Women’s Tennis HC Louis Remondet has departed for the same dual HC role at Emmanuel (GA) (NCAA DII). (link)
➤ Lehigh Carbon Softball HC Jenn Shellhammer departs to become Lehigh (NCAA DI) Softball’s coaching advisor. (link)
➤ Volunteer State has placed Softball HC Christian Lynn on probation and administrative leave without pay through October 23 following his recent arrest and guilty plea on a DUI charge. (link)
The National College Attainment Network’s annual Affordability Gap survey found that 42% of 570 public community colleges were affordable in 2023-24, the most recent year with complete data, with the average affordability gap totaling $1,228. The gap grew larger than in previous years, despite FY24 including a $500 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award. Notable: “In 2023-24, food prices remained high following a spike in 2022, and housing prices, especially rent, also continued to rise. During that academic year, living expenses made up a larger share of the cost of attendance than tuition and fees, on average. Because NCAN’s model accounts for the full cost of attendance, these trends are accounted for in the analysis. … NCAN’s analysis of Pell funding suggests that if the maximum award had been indexed to inflation since the 2023-24 academic year, it would be about $8,100 today.” Across the country, seven states did not have a single public B.A.-granting school where aid, family contribution and earnings covered the cost of attendance and in just 15 states, the average school was financially within reach for students. Full report. (link)
From yesterday’s CFO.ticker: How are leaders implementing AI?
➤ Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds says his league is deploying narrow, highly specific agents into existing workflows: “The companies that get this right over the next three years won’t be the ones with the largest AI budgets. They’ll be the ones that treat each deployment the way a race team treats a new component: tested under pressure, judged on whether it makes the car faster and ripped out if it doesn’t.”
➤ Financial performance platform Prophix CEO Alok Ajmera expects AI to drive increased capacity, as opposed to decreased headcount, with the company seeing 3.5 times higher engineering output over two yers with the help of AI tools. Further, Ajmera estimates current AI tools save employees four to eight hours a week—yielding a 10% to 20% productivity improvement—though adoption remains limited to low-risk tasks.
➤ While Boston Consulting Group projects staff could be cut in half with the adoption of AI-first finance functions, executives still are hesitant, pointing to a lack of auditability and accuracy concerns. Finance software company Esker CFO Scott McDermott explained that while tools like Anthropic's Claude can assist with straightforward data modeling, complex financial choices still require human oversight: “Those decisions often require context, judgment, and a deep understanding of company strategy, competitive dynamics, and management priorities that do not fully reside in enterprise systems.” More. (link)
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(Posted from most recent over the last 30 days)
(NEW!) Lead Dining Service Cook (University of Puget Sound / Tacoma, WA): The Lead Dining Services Cook position serves as a culinary professional specializing in batch cooking. This role involves preparing large volumes of entrees, sides, and sauces, for the Diner. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Dining Service Supervisor (University of Puget Sound / Tacoma, WA): The Dining and Event Services (DES) Supervisor is responsible for the safe, efficient, and guest-focused day-to-day operations of The Diner. More details HERE.
(NEW!) Controller (University of Puget Sound / Tacoma, WA): The Controller is responsible for guiding, coordinating and monitoring the accounting, tax, treasury management and financial reporting for the university. More details HERE.
(NEW!) 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.
Internal Operations/Facilities and Event Management Graduate Assistant (Fort Hays State University / Hays, KS): Fort Hays State University seeks a graduate assistant for internal operations and event facility management for the athletic department. (DII) More details HERE.
Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Head Coach (Chatham University / Pittsburgh, PA): The Head Coach is responsible for overseeing assistant coaches, student support staff, and student-athletes. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Pittsburgh? Click HERE.
RIT University Advancement Associate Director (Rochester Institute of Technology / Rochester, NY): The Associate Director builds & advances the prospect pipeline in support of university priorities, with a dedicated focus on Athletics, Parents and Sentinel Society. More details HERE.
Assistant Director, Athletic Facilities, Equipment & Operations (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – RPI / Troy, NY): Oversees athletic facility operations, staffing, scheduling and maintenance; coordinates ROTC and events; and manages athletic equipment inventory, budgeting, ordering, issuance, laundry, and repairs. More details HERE.
Women's Lacrosse Head Coach (Whittier College / Whittier, CA): The Athletics Department at Whittier College is seeking a women's lacrosse head coach. More details HERE. What would it cost to move to Whittier? Click HERE.
Assistant Softball Coach (Quincy University / Quincy, IL): Quincy University, an NCAA Division II institution and member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, invites applications for the position of Assistant Softball Coach. More details HERE.
Associate Athletic Trainer (Spalding University / Louisville, KY): Associate Athletic Trainer - maintain and coordinate a comprehensive sports medicine program, under the leadership of the Head Athletic Trainer. More details HERE.
Assistant Athletic Trainer (Spalding University / Louisville, KY): The full-time Assistant Athletic Trainer will maintain and coordinate a comprehensive sports medicine program for Spalding University athletics under the leadership of the Head Athletic Trainer. More details HERE.
Coordinator of Internal Operations (Kutztown University of Pennsylvania / Kutztown, PA): The Coordinator for Internal Operations, Athletics position is a full-time 10-month position within the Department of Athletics. More details HERE.
Aquatics and Facilities Coordinator (Black Hills State University / Spearfish, SD): This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated professional who enjoys leadership, event operations, facility management, and collaboration in a dynamic collegiate athletics environment. More details HERE.
Faculty | Athletic Training/Kinesiology (University of Mary / Bismarck, ND): The Assistant Professor is responsible for teaching assigned courses, advising students, advising research projects, maintaining/obtaining contemporary expertise, and other duties as assigned. More details HERE.
Deputy Director of Athletics, Title IX Coordinator (California State University – San Marcos / San Marcos, CA): Come join an amazing NCAA DII institution competing in the CCAA conference who values the student-athlete experience, academics, athletics, and the holistic development of our student-athletes. More details HERE.
Assistant Director Athletic Communication (Saint Francis University / Loretto, PA): Saint Francis University, a Division III member of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, invites applications for a full time Assistant Director, Athletic Communications. More details HERE.
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach (Augustana College – Illinois / Rock Island, IL): Augustana College is seeking a dynamic, energetic and knowledgeable Assistant Men's Basketball Coach to join the staff of one the most historically strong programs in the NCAA D3 ranks. More details 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.
Live Video Production Coordinator (Black Hills State University / Spearfish, SD): Join an energetic team to enhance fan engagement and student-athlete experience through exceptional game-day productions and digital storytelling. More details HERE.
Assistant Athletic Trainer (Lindsey Wilson University / Columbia, KY): Lindsey Wilson University is searching for an Assistant Athletic Trainer. More details HERE.
Director of Sports Performance (University of North Georgia / Dahlonega, GA): The director will lead a high-performance environment that supports the development, health and success of all UNG student-athletes. More details 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.
Assistant Athletic Trainer (University of Texas at Dallas / Richardson, TX): UT Dallas seeks two experienced and energetic athletic trainers who provide education, assessment, treatment and prevention services for athletic-related injuries and illnesses to student-athletes. More details HERE.
Athletic Event & Facility Operations Specialist (Fort Hays State University / Hays, KS): The Athletic Events and Facilities Specialist assists with maintaining & preparing facilities to ensure a safe, clean, & professional environment for student-athletes, staff, & spectators. More details HERE.
Part-Time Assistant Swim Coach (Pennwest - California / California, PA): The assistant coach, in collaboration with the Head Swim Coach assists in the direction and administration of the program in a manner that reflects the athletics' department program goals. More details HERE.