This blog is set up for the HHP 126, HHP 157, HHP 420, and HHP 428 courses along with other Sports Students as a way to communicate with fellow classmates and faculty members
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Knight Commission<perko@knightcommission.org> Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2025 at 11:57 AM Subject: Register for May 20 Knight Commission meeting with NCAA President Charlie Baker To: <mcandrse@wvstateu.edu>
Division I college sports is experiencing the most significant changes in its history. A discussion with NCAA President Charlie Baker will highlight key priorities for implementing a new Division I model with continued focus on college athlete success and well-being.
SESSION 2 | 11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET
The Future of Collegiate Olympic Sports in a New Era for Division I
Experts will discuss the current role of collegiate sports in the Olympic sports ecosystem and explore potential policy changes, different competitive structures, and/or new incentives to encourage universities to continue to offer broad-based sports opportunities. The session will also examine how changes to Division I scholarships and potential significant increases in direct athlete financial benefits in select sports might impact collegiate Olympic sports.
PANELISTS
Bubba Cunningham, Board of Directors, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee; Director of Athletics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Jaime Gordon, CEO, American Volleyball Coaches Association
Rocky Harris, Chief of Sport & Athlete Services, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Victoria Jackson, Sports Historian and Clinical Associate Professor of History, Arizona State University
LSU hands huge raise, extension to general manager Austin Thomas
We now have what feels like Exhibit 17 of the market rate being established for the general manager position within major college football, and it's in the neighborhood of $1 million a year.
The latest to net a massive raise is LSU's Austin Thomas. According to Wilson Alexander of the Baton Rouge Advocate, Thomas is set to receive an extension of an unspecified length that will double his salary from $425,000 a year to $850,000.
Alabama reset the market in bringing Courtney Morgan from Washington at $825,000 a year (he's now making $850,000), and sources told FootballScoop in January that USC gave Chad Bowden a multi-year deal worth more than $1 million annually to leave Notre Dame. Jim Nagy got a 3-year deal starting at $750,000 and topping out at $950,000 in 2027 to leave the Senior Bowl for Oklahoma. And North Carolina's Michael Lombardi is believed to be the highest-paid general manager in college football, after getting $1.5 million to leave his media gigs.
LSU football general manager Austin Thomas is getting a new contract a year into his original deal, pending board approval.
His salary will average $850K over the next three years. He previously made $425K per year, but LSU gave him a raise after the work he did on the roster. pic.twitter.com/X3iTM69Y5r
Thomas, who's official title is senior associate AD for football administration, was among the first in college football to work full-time in talent acquisition and roster management. In fact, he was the first college football staffer to hold the title of general manager, way back in the pre-portal and NIL times of 2016.
A 2008 Lipscomb graduate, he broke in as a defensive quality control coach under Lane Kiffin at Tennessee in 2009, then joined him at USC as assistant director of player personnel. He joined LSU's staff in 2012, and was named by prior winners as FootballScoop's Player Personnel Director of the Year in 2015. He spent 2018-19 as the associate AD for football personnel at Texas A&M, 2020 as the senior associate AD for football at Baylor, and 2021-23 as the football chief of staff and sport administrator at Ole Miss. Thomas returned to LSU in 2024.
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A view outside the Minnesota State Capitol building in Minneapolis, Minn. Without state funding increases, public colleges may have to make significant price increases. Stephen Maturen via Getty Images
Dive Brief:
Minnesota's public colleges could institute substantial tuition spikes in the next academic year, after state officials have so far failed to meet funding requests.
College officials' latest projections estimate students could see price increases ranging from 4% to 9.9% to offset budget gaps, according to a presentation at a Minnesota State system board of trustees meeting this week.Most colleges and universities are modeling an increase of 8%.
Those proposed increases come as analysis from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve showed enrollment in public Minnesota colleges increased substantially in the 2024-25 academic year — up 12% at two-year institutions and 4% at four-year institutions.
Dive Insight:
Leaders at public institutions in Minnesota are having to grapple with state funding that will likely remain flat while inflation continues lifting costs for college operations.
Minnesota State Board of Trustees, which oversees 33 institutions, requested $465 million in new funding in the state budget covering fiscal 2026 and 2027.
But so far, state executive and House budget proposals include no funding increases for the system, said Bill Maki, vice chancellor of finance and facilities for the Minnesota State system, during Tuesday's presentation.He noted that the state Senate offered additional funding but only a fraction of what was asked for — $100 million.
The muted proposals from the state — which is facing its own fiscal shortfalls —would leave colleges on their own in filling budget gaps created by increasing costs and financial needs, such as maintenance backlogs.
Modest tuition increases would still leave substantial structural deficits, Maki noted. A system-wide tuition increase of 3.5% would still leave a $65.1 million budget shortfall in fiscal 2026. Even a 9% tuition hike would mean a $23.8 million gap.
"Regardless of what level of tuition increase may be approved by the board, every one of our colleges and universities is going to have to implement budget reallocations and reductions in order to cover inflationary costs," Maki said.
Complicating things, as the chancellor pointed out, is that institutions have to set tuition rates before they fully know their costs for the year.
To date, the Minnesota State system has remained relatively strong financially. The system's operating revenues increased in fiscal years 2024 and 2023, according to its latest financial statement. It ended fiscal 2024 with total revenues of $2.3 billion and a surplus of $108.9 million.
Helping the system's finances is the support it has received from the state. In 2024-25, tuition accounted for about 30% of the Minnesota State system's revenue, compared to 42% made up by state appropriations.
Minnesota's enrollment growth brought the state just short of its pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to the Minneapolis Fed's analysis.
The state's enrollment upticks in 2024 and 2023 also break a decade of decline in Minnesota and many of its neighboring states.
In explaining the state's enrollment growth, the Fed's analysis pointed in part to Minnesota's recently implemented North Star Promise. The program offers free tuition to students whose families make under $80,000 — a boon to enrollment and educational access but not necessarily to colleges' coffers.
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Athletic Directors 411<athleticdirectors@industry411.com> Date: Mon, Apr 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM Subject: Is Strength Training Safe for Kids? Athletic Directors Need to Know To: <mcandrse@wvstateu.edu>
New insights on safety, myths, and why ADs shouldn't sideline strength training.
More parents are choosing to opt their kids out of weight training programs. But what's really behind their hesitation? This article breaks down the fears — and the facts — you need to know.
With direct pay, NIL regulation, and increased benefits, some say college sports are going pro. But what does that mean for academic integrity and the student-first model? This piece explores the shifting identity of collegiate athletics.
The House settlement opens the floodgates for new athlete payments — but for international students, there's a legal minefield ahead. "Royalty income" may not hold up under tax or immigration scrutiny. Here's what every AD needs to know now.
Portland State's data-backed response to female athlete underemployment could be a model for the nation. Partnering with Her Competitive Advantage, they're offering meaningful career prep and industry connections. It's a move every athletic director should be watching closely.
Once a background role, the college football GM has become one of the most powerful positions in athletics. From NIL negotiations to transfer portal mastery, today's GMs are shaping the future of programs — and making headlines doing it. Is your department keeping up?
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Send us your content at athleticdirectors@industry411.com, and let us know if it's a new piece or been previously published elsewhere.
The rise of mental health awareness in sports has brought powerful change — but much work remains. From preemptive check-ins to destigmatized care, ADs are now key players in redefining athlete wellness. This piece outlines the next step in that evolution.
Since Safer Sidelines first published, over 100 new safety policies have been introduced, yet sudden deaths continue. From brain trauma to cardiac arrest, the risks remain real. This story offers both hope and a sobering reminder of what's at stake.
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