Good morning to all after a week that had me in Portland, site of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds, where Hawai‘i competed on Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, I found myself at the airport heading home on Friday — reminded that March can bring both the highest highs and the toughest endings.
It has been one of those weeks in college athletics where the scoreboard, the landscape and even careers all seem to shift at once. More on that in a moment.
Music this week provided by Survivor: “Man Against the World”.
Let’s get to The Bold Type.
CONGRATULATIONS
Even on a week that carries some emotion, there is still so much to celebrate across The Big West.
- To Jim Donovan Vice President of Athletics at Cal State Fullerton, who announced on Thursday he will retire on July 31! Congratulations, Jim, and job well done. Read more >>>
- To Rocko Deluca, Director of Athletics at UC Davis, for being named a NACDA Athletic Director of the Year! Read more >>>
- To our five women’s swimming & diving student-athletes who competed at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta, representing UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and Hawai’i! Read more about how each of them did: Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
- To our five postseason basketball participants who represented The Big West: Hawai’i men, UC San Diego women, UC Irvine men and women and UC Davis women. We celebrate the great seasons for each program who closed their year last week.
- To the five student-athletes from The Big West men’s basketball teams that have been selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2026 Division I All-Pacific District Teams, as voted by NABC member-coaches across the Division I landscape! Read more >>>
- Hawai‘i center Isaac Johnson was a first-team selection.
- Second-team honors went to CSUN guard Josiah Davis, UC Irvine forward Kyle Evans, CSUN guard Larry Hughes II and Cal Poly guard/forward Hamad Mousa.
- And to our amazing Players of the Week!
- Baseball (LINK)
- Field Player - J.C. Allen, UC San Diego
- Pitcher - Jason Gerfers, Long Beach State
- Softball (LINK)
- Field Player - Nina Sepulveda, Long Beach State
- Pitcher - Isabella Alonso, Long Beach State
- Freshman - Cedes Saldana, Cal State Bakersfield
- Men’s Volleyball (LINK)
- Offense - Kristian Titriyski, Hawai‘i
- Defense - Joe Wallace, UC Santa Barbara
- Setter - Tread Rosenthal, Hawai‘i
- Freshman - Andrej Jokanovic, UC Irvine
- Beach Volleyball - Ella Connor & Erin Inskeep, Cal Poly (LINK)
- Track & Field (LINK)
- Men’s Track - Liam Miller, Cal Poly
- Men’s Field - VJ Vanderlipe, Long Beach State
- Women’s Track - Allyson Abandonato, UC San Diego
- Women’s Field - Feyi Olukanni, UC San Diego
- Women’s Tennis - Lily Pradkin, UC Santa Barbara (LINK)
- Men’s Tennis -Max Fardanesh, UC Irvine (LINK)
- Women’s Water Polo - Elisa Portillo, Long Beach State (LINK)
GREAT NEWS FROM THE CREDIT UNION 1 BIG WEST BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
While we are just over a week removed from the championships, we are still compiling additional post-championship information, but I wanted to share some of the early good news from Henderson.
The Big West saw a 23% increase in viewership on ESPN! Read more >>>
The championships saw attendance growth again in 2026:
24.5% increase in the women’s and men’s basketball championship session!
15.4% increase in overall women’s championship attendance!
9.9% increase in overall men’s championship attendance!
BORN REMOTE. BUILT TO LAST. THE BIG WEST
An article on The Big West conference office ran this week in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletics Administration magazine this week. Read more >>> It is a well-written article developed by conference staff focused on the successful transition to a remote office environment, complete with a full “Brady Bunch” style photo of your amazing conference office staff. Enjoy!
BIG WEST SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
The Big West Softball Championship returns to Anderson Family Field on the campus of Cal State Fullerton May 6-9, 2026. Tickets for the six-team event are on sale now! Read more >>>
All-session tickets, priced at $77, provide access to all four days of the double-elimination event. Senior (55+) and youth (12 & under) all-session tickets are $65. Children under three are free. For additional details or to purchase tickets, click HERE.
BIG WEST BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
All-Session tickets for the 2026 Big West Baseball Championship are on sale now. The top five teams in The Big West converge on Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark on the campus of UC Irvine May 20-24. Read more >>>
All-Session tickets for all days of competition are $125 for reserved seating and $75 for general admission. For more information, or to purchase tickets to the event, click HERE.
FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: MOMENTUM BUILDING IN WASHINGTON
Last week, I participated in a lobbying initiative briefing regarding ongoing federal legislative efforts related to college athletics. While much of the discussion remains fluid, there are several notable developments worth sharing .
The most immediate focus remains the proposed SCORE Act, which continues to be delayed as members of the U.S. House of Representatives continue to work through the legislation. Congressional leadership has reportedly reached a working agreement with members of the House Freedom Caucus that previously stalled the bill late last year. While the revised legislation has not yet been publicly released, indications are that the changes are relatively modest and largely designed to secure political support rather than fundamentally alter the bill’s structure.
Among the potential updates being discussed are provisions related to transfer timing, additional transparency requirements surrounding NIL compensation, and broader disclosures regarding student-athlete financial arrangements. There have also been discussions around language addressing coaching compensation and buyouts, although those items are expected to be included as “sense of Congress” statements rather than binding law.
Meanwhile, developments in the U.S. Senate also appear to be moving in a positive direction. While bipartisan negotiations continue between Senators Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, and Chris Coons, the primary unresolved issue remains whether student-athletes should be classified as employees. This question continues to be the central sticking point in Senate negotiations.
One encouraging development is that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has now formally entered the discussion and issued a national request for information to colleges, conferences, and other stakeholders. This signals that federal lawmakers are actively examining the broader implications of student-athlete compensation, academic experience, and long-term eligibility protections.
The White House also remains engaged in the process. While executive action remains a possibility, administration officials emphasized that federal legislation — not executive orders — remains the preferred path because it would provide long-term stability for college athletics.
It seems as though for a few years we have been saying the coming weeks could prove pivotal for college athletics. With both Congress and the White House engaged, the possibility of a national framework governing NIL and student-athlete protections is closer than it has been at any point in the past several years.
NCAA DIVISION I CABINET SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE
Also last week, I participated in a meeting of the NCAA Division I Cabinet Subcommittee, where several important topics related to the future of Division I governance and student-athlete eligibility were discussed. While no formal action was taken during the meeting, the conversation highlighted several key policy areas that are expected to receive further consideration in the coming weeks.
One major topic involved the review of pre-enrollment athletics eligibility rules, which are currently being evaluated by the NCAA Academics and Eligibility Committee. The goal of this review is to modernize eligibility policies for prospective student-athletes to better reflect the rapidly evolving college athletics landscape. Among the areas under discussion are potential changes with the intent of providing greater clarity for prospective student-athletes, their families, and institutions.
Another significant area of discussion involved pre-enrollment participation with professional teams, a topic that has become increasingly complex as international and professional development pathways continue to expand. Current NCAA legislation allows prospective student-athletes to participate with professional teams prior to enrollment so long as they do not receive compensation beyond actual and necessary expenses. The committee is exploring whether additional transparency measures — such as identifying certain professional leagues where compensation exceeds those limits — may be necessary to provide clearer guidance to institutions during the recruiting process.
The subcommittee also discussed delayed enrollment exceptions, particularly those involving participation in national or international competitions such as Olympic or national team events. NCAA staff indicated that some recent interpretations of these exceptions may have created unintended flexibility, and the committee is evaluating whether those provisions should be tightened to better align with the original legislative intent.
Finally, the group continued its discussion regarding transfer activity occurring outside of the NCAA transfer notification process, sometimes referred to as “ghost transfers.” While there was broad agreement on the need to address the issue, members emphasized the importance of carefully considering implementation details, potential unintended consequences, and legal considerations before finalizing any policy changes.
These discussions reflect the broader effort underway within NCAA governance to adapt Division I rules to an evolving collegiate athletics environment. Additional feedback from sport oversight committees, student-athlete representatives, and other stakeholders will continue to inform these conversations as the Cabinet prepares for further deliberation in April.
MEDIA REPORTS ON BIG WEST, NCAA AND LEGAL MATTERS
- The newly formed College General Managers Association (CGMA) announced its launch as a national non-profit organization composed of NCAA General Managers from institutions across the country. Per the release, “The CGMA was established to provide a unified platform for college GMs to have continued education opportunities, share experiences, best practices and insights as the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve - particularly in the areas of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and revenue sharing.” More. (link)
- A comprehensive look at the D1 athletic training landscape from Collegiate Sports Connect reveals an entry-level equilibrium where median salaries for early-career professionals (1-3 years) remain remarkably consistent, ranging tightly between $48k and $53k across all subdivisions. The market begins to differentiate significantly in the 10-15 year bracket, where the "Power 4 Premium" emerges with a $70,000 median and a ceiling that can skyrocket past $300K. Notably, D1-AAA institutions remain highly competitive in the middle tiers, often matching or exceeding the median pay found in the Group of 6 and FCS. For senior veterans with 15+ years of experience, the pay ceiling varies widely by level, with maximum salaries peaking between $144k and $255k. Lots more. (link)
- Blue Strike Sports has started research and testing for the Do Good Do Well Sustainable-Business Plan for Collegiate Athletics aimed at amplifying nine revenue opportunities for NCAA athletic directors and campuses. As part of the effort, the company launched a national survey to assess evolving behavioral and market preferences of college sports fans, brands, students and community stakeholders and will integrate those findings into new research that helps build out a sustainable-business framework to be pilot tested by major college sports programs in Fall 2026. Further testing and learning will begin this summer with several universities pilot testing and updating research over the 2026-2027 academic year. Blue Strike will assist these pilot campuses in growing their marketable assets, refining stakeholder outreach, leveraging an array of campus opportunities and assessing revenue flows. (link)
- SEC Commissioner Sankey shares fan fatigue over the issues plaguing college athletics, comparing the current state of the industry to the midway point of a marathon. Sankey: “I’ve run a lot of marathons and every time you show up to start a marathon, there’s a lot of excitement and anxiety, and then you get in the middle, and the middle is messy. And so where do I stand? We’re in the middle of historic change, and it’s going to be messy. It’s going to be uncomfortable. I think I’ve said enough times that it’s never going to be the way that it was, but it doesn't have to be the way that it is.” (link)
- The NCAA has unveiled its “The Now Era” campaign video, reflecting the progressing landscape of college sports and the ways the association has continued to increase its support of student-athletes. The new video calls attention to support system enhancements for student-athletes, including: growing scholarships, now totaling more than $4B annually; establishing Division I core guarantees with scholarship protections, health care coverage and mental health services; revenue-sharing benefits in addition to scholarships; modernizing rules allowing athletes to benefit from their NIL; and committing to multimillion-dollar investments in women's sports, including the DI Women's Basketball Championship and other women's championships, highlighted by the debut of the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships this year and championships in acrobatics and tumbling and stunt next year. NCAA VP of Communications Gina Lehe: “We're excited to convey the spirit of college sports through animation and offer fans a fresh visual experience. This approach allows us to celebrate the emotion and excitement of college sports in a way that's both creatively bold and aligned with today's environment." (link)
- A deeper dive into the NCAA's 2024-25 consolidated financial statements reveals how the governing body is restructuring its assets and risk management strategies amidst a turbulent industry landscape. While overall investments decreased to $605.1M, the association significantly boosted its cash on hand to $435.8M and grew its association-wide operating reserve to $265.2M. A notable shift occurred on the expense ledger, where total distributions to Division I members dropped from $676.1M last year down to $586.7M, even as the association prepares for a massive revenue pipeline that projects $1.21B in total contract revenues for 2026. Beyond the traditional balance sheet, the audit highlights a heavy emphasis on mitigating future liabilities through dedicated captive insurance subsidiaries, which currently hold $142M in accrued liabilities after managing $32M in incurred claims this past year. To explain the specific utility of this expanded safety net—which reorganizes the 1910 Collective LLC under the newly formed Collegiate Core LLC—the financial notes detailed the structural purpose of the specific entities: "1910 was formed as an alternative risk financing platform and issues Director and Officer and Event Cancellation/Loss of Revenue insurance policies. S-A Insurance was formed as an alternative risk financing platform for student-athletes and post-eligibility health insurance for all three NCAA divisions." (link)
- The Wisconsin Senate narrowly approved legislation allocating taxpayer funds to cover athletic facility debt service while formally codifying NIL regulations, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's John Steppe and Jesse Opoien. The bill, which now heads to Gov. Tony Evers' desk, would provide $14.6M to UW-Madison alongside $200K each for UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay, while also introducing a public records exemption—which has been scrutinized by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association—designed to protect competitive financial strategies. Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh previously warned that the department would face severe revenue and expense decisions without state intervention as it prepares for the impending $20.5M revenue-sharing cap and an additional $10M to $20M in supplemental football costs. (link)
- Republican House leaders are working to alter the SCORE Act in an attempt to win over GOP members who opposed an earlier version of the measure, resulting in the entire package being pulled from the floor back in December. According to Politico’s Calen Razor and Mia McCarthy, among the items on a list of revisions under discussion are “organizational changes to the NCAA as well as changes to how athletes are allowed to transfer between schools and how coaches are paid. They’re also discussing instituting requirements for new disclosures on money generated by school athletic programs.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is serving as the point person in GOP leadership spearheading the talks with the goal of bringing an updated version of the legislation to the floor in mid-April. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL): “I’m hearing good things. We’re making progress.” However, some Republicans say they haven’t yet heard from leaders on what revisions are being explored, with at least one, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), signaling the measure will never receive his support. Donalds: “I don’t think we should be doing this at all.” (link)
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee plans to hold its expected college sports hearing next Thursday, per Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, who notes “the committee, chaired by Bill Cassidy (R-LA), holds some jurisdiction over a college sports bill, mostly related to employment. … There is belief that, eventually, a college sports hearing will happen in the [Sen. Ted Cruz - R-TX]-led Senate Commerce as well - the main committee with jurisdiction.” (link)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I hate to lose more than I love to win.” – Credited to Jimmy Connors
As we close this week, I will admit — this one carried a bit more emotion than most.
Tough NCAA Tournament losses, a program transition, and the retirement of a respected colleague are all reminders that this profession is about far more than wins and losses.
It is about people, relationships, and the impact we have along the way.
That is what makes The Big West special — and that is what continues to move us forward.
Thank you for the continued leadership and commitment to our student-athletes on all of our campuses.
Dan