Good morning to all! I trust you are well and hopefully taking some well-deserved vacation time. After the collective athletic success of The Big West in 2024-25, those student-athletes competed to the highest levels on the field and in the classroom, all the administrators and staff who support them year-round, and the cheering fanbases from each of our member-institutions have truly earned it!
Song of the Day, to celebrate the recent Fourth of July holiday, is “The American Symphony” from Mr. Holland’s Opus. Every time I watch the final scene of this film, I reflect on the incredible teachers and administrators who shaped my life. Thank you to all the educators and professors who share their knowledge and make a lifelong impact.
Let’s get to The Bold Type.
CONGRATULATIONS
- To UC Santa Barbara! For the first time since inception, the UC Santa Barbara has captured the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) All-Sports Trophy, tallying 235.00 total points for the 21 sports that are counted toward the standings. Read more >>>
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To many Big West institutions that finished atop the 2024-25 DI-AAA ADA All-Sports standings in their respective sport:
| Winter Sports |
| Track & Field (Men's Indoor) |
CSUN |
| Spring Sports |
| Baseball |
UC Irvine |
| Golf (Women's) |
Cal State Fullerton |
| Softball |
UC Santa Barbara |
| Track & Field (Men's Outdoor) |
UC Santa Barbara |
Also, congratulations to our newest member California Baptist!
| Fall Sports |
| Cross Country (Men's) |
California Baptist |
- To the 756 Student-Athletes as Spring Academic All-Conference Honorees! Read more >>>
- To NCAA SVP of Policy and Governance Kevin Lennon and VP of Academic and Membership Affairs Dave Schnase who announced their retirements last week.
THE 55TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIG WEST CONCLUDES
As we look back on the stellar 2024-25 campaign across all 21 Big West conference-sponsored sports, see some of the top teams, players and moments from the field of play and beyond. Whether exhibiting Pacific Spirit, practicing Fearless Innovation, participating in Bold Activism, displaying Enduring Integrity or celebrating Boundless Opportunity, The Big West pillars shone bright all season long. Read more >>>
Also, a big THANK YOU to The Big West staff for celebrating 55 moments, achievements or key facts during the 2024-25 “55th Anniversary” celebration! If you missed these posts throughout the year, here is a look back.
Read more >>>
VIDEO FEATURE WITH NEWEST BIG WEST MEMBER SACRAMENTO STATE
For Sacramento State Director of Athletics Mark Orr, this move represents a thrilling opportunity to enhance existing rivalries and forge new ones. Read more >>>
NCAA FEATURED POST TODAY FROM UC IRVINE
“How volleyball helped UC Irvine’s Ofure Iselen step into her confidence”
Journeys. Whether it be starting school or a new hobby, everyone in life goes through them - and the difficulties that come along the way. Read more >>>
HOUSE - NCAA SETTLEMENT UPDATES
Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger reports that in total 319 schools opted into the House settlement. (link)
The NCAA DI Committee on Legislative Relief has issued a blanket waiver for Designated Student-Athletes to enter the transfer portal from July 7 to August 5, per Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, who adds: “There is no limit to how many athletes a school can designate as a DSA. Deadline to submit DSA lists is July 6. However, the DSAs are now free to transfer this summer and ‘must be released from their contract prohibition’ with their existing schools, per documents. A reminder: An athlete is eligible to be placed on a DSA list if he/she (1) would have been removed from the school's 2025-26 roster due to new roster limits; (2) was an eligible member of a team in 2024-25; (3) was recruited & assured by a school of a 2025-26 roster spot.” (link)
MEDIA REPORTS ON NCAA AND LEGAL MATTERS
- NCAA President Charlie Baker’s Q&A with The Wall Street Journal’s Jessica Mendoza. When asked about Title IX’s impact related to the House settlement, Baker points out that “one of the things this settlement does is it gets rid of the limits on scholarships that have been in place historically, which have dramatically underserved a lot of college student-athletes. So I mean, almost I would expect coming out of this, there will be thousands and thousands of women playing college sports who will be scholarshiped in the future who weren't scholarshiped in the past.” (link)
- While some student-athletes received front-loaded payments ahead of July 1, “many are now encountering multi-page agreements drafted by school lawyers, packed with provisions that attempt to lock in control, minimize financial risk, and, in some cases, limit players' rights,” according to CBS’ Chris Hummer, and Kennyhertz Perry attorney Mit Winter remarks: "Since this is new and uncharted territory, they're trying to put in as many things as they can think of and protect that university and see what they get push back on and what they don't.” (link)
- The U.S. Supreme Court has granted review of two cases in Idaho and West Virginia that will focus on states’ ability to ban transgender student-athletes from competing on women’s sports teams. Sportico’s Michael McCann writes: “The two cases present two interrelated legal questions. The first is whether Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in public school programs and activities, permits or prohibits a transgender ban. […] The second question is whether transgender bans comply with the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, which forbids states from treating citizens differently on the basis of impermissible reasons—including whether a citizen is a man or woman. The key issue for the Supreme Court is whether a distinction on the basis of one’s sex at birth for eligibility to play sports is permissible or impermissible.” The Court is expected to hear oral arguments during its next term with a decision likely to come next summer. (link)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
I saw this one on social media last week and had a laugh. Sometimes we just need a little humor with a closing quote.
I hope you were all able to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday with friends and family. Have a great week ahead!
Dan