Good morning! 

  

Last week brought forth significant changes for the future of NCAA DI athletics, so given the significant length of this publication today, I am going to start with a song to get you motivated to read the details, and a bit of a wake up this morning – “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC.  

  

Crank up the volume and let’s jump right into The Bold Type.  

 

   CONGRATULATIONS   

• To Maya Chocano, women’s basketball student-athlete at UC Riverside, who was appointed as a member of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee! 
• To Long Beach State men’s volleyball head coach Alan Knipe who will be inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame! Read more >>> 
• In men’s tennis to Azuma Visaya of Hawai‘i and UC Santa Barbara pair of Conrad Brown and Miguel Avendano who topped The Big West Fall Event to earn bids to the ITA Conference Masters in November! Read more >>> 
• In women’s tennis to Long Beach State’s Pamela Badillo and UC Santa Barbara’s Raphaelle Leroux and My-Anh Holmes who won The Big West Fall Event to earn bids to the ITA Conference Masters in November! Read more >>> 
• To Cal State Fullerton women’s soccer for receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll! 
• To ALL SIX men's water polo programs listed in the latest CWPA varsity poll!! 
  • No. 6 UC San Diego
  • No. 9 UC Davis
  • No. t-10 Long Beach State 
  • No. 12 UC Santa Barbara
  • No. 19 UC Irvine 
  • Receiving votes Cal State Fullerton
• To our amazing PLAYERS OF THE WEEK! 
  • Women's Soccer - Camryn Cruz, Cal State Fullerton (offensive); Riley Liebsack, CSUN (defensive); Ameera White, Long Beach State (freshman) 
  • Men's Soccer - Buba Fofanah, UC Santa Barbara (offensive); Zenden Hart, Cal State Bakersfield (defensive); Owen Beninga, UC Santa Barbara (freshman) 
  • Women's Volleyball - Logan King, Long Beach State (offensive); Ximena Cordero Barr, UC Davis (defensive); Mia Starr, UC Davis (setter); Logan King, Long Beach State (freshman) 
  • Cross Country - Zachary Parker, UC Santa Barbara (men); Lucy Milliner, Hawai‘i (women) 
  • Men's Swimming & Diving - Brendan Ryan, Seattle U 
  • Women's Swimming & Diving - Samantha Banos, UC Santa Barbara 
  • Men's Water Polo - Brock Zamanian, UC Santa Barbara 

 

   STORIES OF OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES  

Tatiana Cornejo has been running for as long as she can remember. In fact, she started competing as a runner when she was just six years old. And in all those years, Cornejo has never once stopped loving it. 

The Cal Poly cross country and track & field athlete has accomplished a great deal thus far as a collegian and proud Hispanic during Heritage Month in October. 

Read more of Tatiana’s story here >>> 

 

   GET READY FOR THE 2025-26 BASKETBALL SEASON!   

The 2025-26 Big West Men’s Basketball Preview presented by Credit Union 1 will air on Field of 68’s X and YouTube channels from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. PT this Friday, October 17. Jeff Goodman and Richie Schueler will preview all 11 programs. 

The 2025-26 Big West Women’s Basketball Preview presented by Jersey Mike’s will follow from 2-5 p.m. PT. Tracy Warren and Tammy Blackburn will provide viewers with an inside look at the upcoming season. Please tune in LIVE on YouTube here! 

Before you watch the full day of coverage on Friday, keep an eye on BigWest.org for the preseason polls and teams that will be announced on Thursday. 

 

   BIG WEST WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL ON ESPNU  

For the second straight season, the women’s volleyball match between historical powers Hawai’i and Long Beach State will be broadcast to a national television audience. The match will see a 6 o’clock first serve from Walter Pyramid this Friday, Oct. 15, with the game airing on ESPNU. Watch here >>> 

 

   FALL CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS    

Tickets for the 2025 Big West Men’s Water Polo Championship are on sale now. The top 6 teams meet at the Anteater Aquatics Complex on the campus of UC Irvine from Nov. 21-23. Secure your seats to the limited-capacity event today! Read more >>> 

   
 

   NCAA MEETINGS LAST WEEK   

After a week of competition, honors, and new initiatives, the focus now turns to the national landscape—where NCAA Division I governance continues to evolve rapidly. 

Last week had me in Indianapolis for NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, joint Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee/MBOC and NCAA Division I Cabinet meetings.  The meetings provided an opportunity for the new governance structure to get oriented to new processes and procedures, as well as start the new legislative process for NCAA Division I athletics.  

As I am serving the DI-Basketball Centric conferences and The Big West on the DI Cabinet (formerly known as the Administrative Committee), I want to provide context on the release of information from the meetings.  

The Cabinet’s decisions this week aim to align recruiting timelines and address instability in the transfer portal, beginning with football. 

1. Football – Winter Notification of Transfer Window, Date for Written Offers, Apply Contact Prohibition to Signed Settlement Related Benefits Agreement and Update FBS Recruiting Calendar. The NCAA Division I Cabinet adopted emergency legislation to change the notification of transfer window for football to January 2-16, to change the first permissible date to send written offers of athletics aid and/or settlement related benefits agreements from August 1 to November 15 of a prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school, to apply the contact prohibition once a prospective student-athlete signs either an athletics aid or settlement related benefit agreement (whichever agreement is signed first) and, in FBS only, modify the recruiting calendar to make the month of December a dead period.  
   
   The emergency legislation also includes a change to the head coach departure exception to the notification of transfer window in football. The new exception is for head coaching changes that affect a student-athlete’s opportunity to use the standard January 2-16 transfer window by providing football student-athletes with a 15 consecutive-day window if a new head coach is hired after January 2. The 15 consecutive-day window begins five days after the new head coach is hired or is publicly announced, whichever occurs first. Additionally, if a new head coach is not hired or announced within 30 calendar days following a head coach departure, a 15 consecutive-day window will become available on the 31st day after former head coach departs, provided the 31st day occurs after January 2. The opportunity for this 15-day window exception to apply remains until June 30. 
   
   All changes are effective immediately.  

DAN NOTE:  Based on Cabinet discussions, I expect the basketball oversight committees to have discussions on shortening the transfer portal window with strong consideration of the transfer portal window beginning after the national championship games, concluding by May 1.  The oversight committees have not yet had these discussions, however. 

2. Sports Other Than Football – Apply Contact Prohibition to Signed Settlement Related Benefits Agreement. The cabinet adopted emergency legislation, effective immediately, to extend the contact prohibition application recommended by the Division I Football Oversight Committees to all sports, including aligning all ancillary recruiting applications that are currently tied to when a prospective student-athlete signs an athletics aid agreement. For example, recruiting provisions that are currently lifted or set aside once a prospective student-athlete signs an athletics aid agreement (e.g., publicity after commitment) will similarly be adjusted once a prospective student-athlete signs a settlement related benefits agreement with an institution that offers its student-athletes these type of direct payments, benefits and/or expenses. 

3. Elimination of the Prohibition on Wagering on Professional Sports. The cabinet adopted NCAA Division I Proposal No. 2025-20, which deregulates the prohibition on wagering on professional sports. Prior to adoption, the cabinet amended the proposal’s effective date to apply to sports wagering activities that occur on or after November 1, 2025, contingent on the proposal being adopted by all three divisions.  (LINK) 

DAN NOTE: This was not unanimous in its approval, and I read yesterday a member of the DI Cabinet admitted he voted against this proposal, as did I.  We had lengthy discussion on this topic, and I believe those that voted on the majority side were sold on statements from the student-athletes that allowing this restriction to be lifted will allow for student-athletes to come forth and admit they have a gambling problem without being penalized.  It will be incumbent upon institutions, not just athletic departments, to best educate their student-athletes on the potential impacts of sports gambling.  

4. Men’s Basketball – Prospective Student-Athlete Definition – Tryouts and Sports Camps and Clinics. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee adopted, and the cabinet took no action on Proposal No. 2025-19, which is now considered adopted and final. The proposal changes the definition of a prospective student-athlete in men’s basketball to an individual who has begun classes for the ninth grade. The proposal is effective immediately. 

5. Use of Commercial Trademarks or Logos on Uniforms, Apparel and Equipment. The cabinet introduced legislation into the January 2026 legislative cycle to modify legislation regarding the use of commercial and nonprofit trademarks or logos on student-athletes’ uniforms, apparel and equipment for all non-NCAA championship competition, including pre- and post-game activities. The use of noncommercial logos (e.g., conference logo) that are currently allowed would remain permissible. 

To assist with further refinement to its proposed legislative changes, the cabinet charged sport-specific playing rules committees and subcommittees with reviewing: 

• Placement of commercial or nonprofit logos on student-athletes’ uniforms, apparel and equipment for all non-NCAA championship competition including pre- and post-game activities. 
• Use of commercial and nonprofit logos on playing surfaces for all non-NCAA championship competition; and 
• Use of commercial and nonprofit logos on officials' uniforms during non-NCAA championship competition. 

Additionally, the cabinet charged the NCAA staff with reviewing applicable NCAA championship administration policies and sponsorship contracts on the use of commercial trademarks and logos for NCAA championship competition. 

Initial information on the referrals will be reviewed during the cabinet’s next meeting. 

DAN NOTE: Each sport rules subcommittee will propose the location of patches on uniforms for each sport.  The guidelines provided for subcommittee consideration would be to allow two commercial logos on each uniform, with patches no larger than 4”.  The manufacturers logo (NIKE, adidas, etc.) would not count as one of the two logos.  The conference logo would not count as one of the two commercial patches.  This proposal has multiple layers of review before potential action.  If approved, the effective date would be August 1, 2026.  

The playing rules subcommittees will also review new opportunities for the use of commercial logos on fields and courts, with specific locations and sizes to be discussed.  

Lastly, the NCAA will look at the potential of allowing for one logo to be placed on game officials uniforms.  If allowed, each conference would need to determine whether they would want to implement this type of exposure. 

Informational Items.

1. Update on 2025-26 Division I Legislative Processes – April Cycle. The cabinet added a fourth legislative cycle to the Division I 2025-26 legislative year that will conclude with the cabinet’s April 14-15, 2026, meeting. The NCAA staff will prepare and communicate the deadlines associated with the new April cycle, including proposal introduction, in the near future.  

DAN NOTE: This was specifically requested by me in my role as chair of the Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee.  The original NCAA legislative cycle did not provide an April legislative cycle, meaning the next opportunity any legislation could be proposed would be in January, but not acted upon until late June 2026.  Adding the April window allows for legislation to be introduced in January and voted upon in April.  As both basketball oversight committees are looking at nearly a dozen legislative items that have been put on hold by the Office of Legal Affairs for their review, this would have prohibited our legislation from being considered for the 2026-27 basketball season.  As the new governance system has been promoted to be more nimble, the Cabinet voted unanimously to add this legislative window.   

2. Strategic Approach to Notification of Transfer Windows. The cabinet discussed the strategic approach to managing potential changes to the notification of transfer windows in all sports. The cabinet acknowledged the importance of minimizing disruptions to a student-athlete’s academic responsibilities (e.g., final examinations) and NCAA championship experience. The cabinet will continue to monitor and provide guidance as sport oversight committees consider changes to notification of transfer windows. 

3. NCAA Division I Decision-Making Working Group Referrals. The cabinet initially discussed the referrals made by the Decision-Making Working Group in its final report, including whether any standardized nomination and appointment processes for conferences and subdivisions should be developed and initial impressions of the legislative processes and meeting cadence needed to support the new governance structure.  

As the dynamic in NCAA DI athletics will continue to change, communication is important.  

 
 

   MEDIA REPORTS ON NCAA AND LEGAL MATTERS   

• Cal State Bakersfield President Vernon B. Harper Jr. announced the formation of a president's commission on intercollegiate athletics to help guide the program through what he acknowledged has been a "bumpy" period. Harper Jr.: "We know it's been bumpy. Last two weeks. We wanted the dust. I wanted the dust to settle before I had these types of conversations to encourage our fans, to encourage our alumni, and always know that the runner spirit is always rising. Clearly, the last two weeks have made me sort of accelerate my thoughts around it and ensure that we have the right population of individuals membership on it, but it's really about setting the athletics with the program in the direction to be – have the success that it's had in the past." Harper Jr. will not serve on the commission. (link) 
• In remarks during today’s ACC Tipoff, Commissioner Jim Phillips explained why the conference is in favor of the SCORE Act & noted there is “language in the SCORE Act about degree completion, and it's beyond just completion after their eligibility is over. It's come back to school. If you haven't finished, for whatever reason, come back to school. We're going to pay for that. Medical care post-eligibility, which we have not had, right? Some schools have done it, but not across the board. This is across Division I. … If we don't get the SCORE Act or something very similar to the SCORE Act, I'm just stating there is trouble for college sports at a time when we're trying to modernize it and we're trying to settle it down. So we need to continue to push forward on that. (link) 
• The 32-team postseason National Invitation Volleyball Championship is up in the air for this year as the event says it will spend the next couple of weeks gauging interest for another tourney. A decision is expected by the end of October. (link) 
• Merrimack AD Joe Foley steps into the role with a clear mandate: raise millions to upgrade facilities and grow the Warriors’ brand as the school continues its DI ascent. After a campus tour with President Christopher Hopey, Foley admits: “We both realized, ‘Wow, we’ve got some work to do on the facilities front.’” (link) 
• Navigate Founder AJ Maestas and VP of Consulting Charles Rolston sit down to discuss the Big Ten’s potential $2B private equity deal, and Maestas points out that this is a “great time of disruption. Never waste a crisis. What an opportunity to basically invest your way into the future given some significant costs these universities are facing. On the downside, I would say that's probably one of the motivators, right? They are scared. How are they going to meet this House vs. NCAA settlement among all the other things that are going on? Full podcast. (link) 
• The Big Ten is considering an investment from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), according to Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich, who reports: “At this point, the Big Ten has put together a proposal for member schools outlining what private capital investment would look like and what investors are in contention—something university presidents would have to approve.” A source adds that up to four firms could invest in the league, and Christovich notes: “Three private-equity firms are in contention, the source said: Apollo Global Management (which just launched a sports-focused fund), Sixth Street Partners, and Ares Management. … The proposal may include CalPERS investing in the Big Ten as a co-investment alongside any or all of the aforementioned PE firms. (In such a deal, CalPERS would invest in the Big Ten entity alongside a PE firm for a minority stake and less control and lower fees.) Pension funds, including CalPERS, have participated in more co-investments recently. It also has a relationship with at least two of the funds courting the Big Ten: In 2024, CalPERS listed investments in Apollo and Ares funds. Or CalPERS could invest directly into the Big Ten on its own. If any such deal goes through, it would create an interesting dynamic for CalPERS: Some employees of UCLA, one of the Big Ten’s members, are eligible for reciprocity agreement with CalPERS for their retirement funds (they can move their retirement funds from those offered by the UC system to those offered by CalPERS). CalPERS declined to comment for this story.” (link) 
• The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has issued a denial that it is in contention to invest in the Big Ten, according to Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich, who first reported on the story. (link) 
• Big Ten Chief Medical Officer Jim Borchers sits down with SBJ’s Ben Portnoy and discusses how NIL and revenue sharing are changing the way athletic trainers operate. Borchers explains that the profession “used to be very relationship-driven. You went to your institution. You felt like you were going to be taken care of there. Now, very much, we see in professional sports, that relationship is transactional, and the medical staffs are seen as an agent for the institutions. Now agents and other representatives are having medical opinions much more often from outside influences, which makes the job more difficult. Having to deal with those things is new to college athletics, and introducing a lot of new situations that otherwise, before weren’t nearly as prevalent.” Borchers also adds: “Where are institutions going to go when someone claims that they have a doctor somewhere, that they have a medical condition and they can’t participate and they won’t and there’s a disagreement with the institution’s medical staff? There’re ways to handle that when you’re in an employment agreement, but that’s not where we are in college athletics.” More. (link) 
• The College Sports Commission has launched its anonymous tipline in partnership with RealResponse. CSC CEO Bryan Seeley: “This anonymous tipline provides an essential tool for identifying potential rules violations, gathering additional information and ultimately enforcing these new rules. We’re committed to robust enforcement of the rules while protecting those who come forward with useful information.” (link) 
• Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger provides the exact language of the commercial logo proposal to permit schools to outfit player jerseys with sponsorship patches, noting it “also includes the potential for logos on officials' uniforms as well. A key note: ‘all non-NCAA championship competition’ only.” Full proposal language. (link)  
• The Division I Administrative Committee adopts a proposal permitting student-athletes and athletics department staff to bet on professional sports. The rule change must be approved by all three NCAA divisions with Division II and III expected to consider the proposal during their respective October meetings. If approved, the rule would then go into effect on Nov. 1. The NCAA’s prohibition on collegiate sports betting, and sharing information about college competitions with other bettors, remains in place with the committee also noting the action is not an endorsement of sports betting, particularly for student-athletes. The rule change was also supported by the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which requested that the change come with continued and enhanced education and support for college athletes to prevent problem gambling among student-athletes. (link) 
• The DI Administrative Committee has also introduced a proposal that would modify rules for commercial logos on student-athletes' equipment, uniforms and apparel for non-NCAA championship competition. Under existing rules, the only commercial logo permitted on student-athletes' equipment or apparel during regular-season games is the logo of the equipment or apparel manufacturer. If the proposal is adopted, schools could place two additional commercial logos on uniforms and pregame/postgame apparel during non-NCAA championship competition. Furthermore, one additional commercial logo would be permitted on equipment used by student-athletes. The committee directed the playing rules committees and subcommittees to review the proposal and make sport-specific recommendations on national standards for placement of commercial logos. A final proposal is expected to be considered for a final vote in January. If adopted in January, rules changes for apparel and equipment would be effective August 1. The Administrative Committee also renamed itself and will be known to move forward as the Division I Cabinet. (link) 

 

   QUOTE OF THE DAY   
“Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”  Credited to George S. Patton 

 

   LET'S CLOSE IT OUT   

The thunder across college athletics this week reminds us that every storm brings new clarity. As The Big West continues to navigate change, our foundation—student-athletes, integrity, and opportunity—remains strong. 

Good luck with your challenges today.  Please say hello and thank you to the athletic trainers, game managers and sports information/communications staffs, as the work they do every day is for the betterment of your favorite programs and student-athletes.  

  

Have a great week! 

Dan