The Bold Type

The Bold Type, with Commissioner Dan Butterly - June 29, 2026

Good morning!  

When did it become the week before the Fourth of July? Where is the summer going? 

Wishing a very Happy 250th Birthday to these United States of America. As we celebrate two and a half centuries, let us embrace all that is inspiring about this great experiment and honor those who helped build and refine our nation. 

In the week ahead, I look forward to less virtual meetings, although the meetings this week will be just as important.  Last week included a full slate of NCAA committee meetings, beginning with Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee meetings last Monday, followed by historic NCAA Cabinet meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, and additional basketball oversight committee meetings on Thursday. Add in continued advocacy work around the Protect College Sports Act, staff initiatives, and efforts to protect The Big West brand, and was a fast-moving week of legislation, legal strategy, national governance and continued engagement with our outstanding Big West staff. 

If you are a Disney movie or character fan, Friday was a special day: 6-26-26. Stitch from Lilo & Stitch was also known as Experiment 626, and Friday he got an extra boost with the year being 2026. With that, the song of the day comes from the movie: “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride.” 

Let’s get to The Bold Type! 



 

   WELCOME TO THE BIG WEST IN 2027-28!   

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The Big West will have eight affiliate members participating in at least one of league’s 19 sponsored sports beginning in the 2027-28 season. As part of the expanded membership structure after strategically expanding its Olympic sport membership, the conference will welcome Air Force in men’s water polo, Fresno State in women’s water polo, Grand Canyon in beach volleyball, San Diego State in women’s water polo and San José State in beach volleyball and men’s and women’s water polo, just announced this morning!  

With Hawai’i, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara also continuing on in some sports as well, we are excited to continue expanding meaning Olympic championship pathways with institutions who bring outstanding Division I programs, competitive excellence and a shared commitment to the student-athlete experience. Read more >>> 


 

   A BIG WEST YEAR OF ACCOLADES AND CONGRATULATIONS   

The 2025-26 academic year was one of tremendous achievement for The Big West, with success that stretched across every season, every championship platform and every measure of student-athlete excellence. From national postseason victories and multiple-bid NCAA Championship fields, to a men’s volleyball national championship, 61 All-Americans, hundreds of academic honorees and Big West student-athletes and alumni representing their countries on the world stage, this year reflected the full strength and depth of our conference. Our communications staff — Chief Communications Officer Jessica Lantz, Director of Communications Kaiber Takamiya and Director of Communications Quentin Rodriguez —  developed an outstanding year-in-review highlighting these accomplishments, and I encourage you to take a few minutes to read and celebrate what Big West student-athletes, coaches and programs achieved in 2025-26 with just a few more academic awards and accolades yet to be announced in the coming days. Read more >>> 


 

   CONGRATULATIONS!   

  • To the nine outstanding student-athletes who were named recipients of The Big West's annual Service & Leadership Award for the 2025-26 academic year! The honorees have distinguished themselves through meaningful service, impactful leadership, and academic achievement while making lasting contributions to their campuses and communities. Read more >>>  
  • To UC Santa Barbara junior right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora who was named to two more All-America teams!  Read more >>> 
  • To UC Davis baseball student-athlete Rowen Barnes who was named to the 2026 Academic All-America Baseball First Team for NCAA Division I, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC), on Tuesday. Read more >>> 
  • To the 46 student-athletes representing seven Big West member-institutions who were honored as members of the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2026 Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Teams!  Read more >>> 
  • To former Big West marketing assistant Richard Duran, who was named the Director of Athletics at Northern Arizona University!  Read more >>> 




   THE BIG WEST SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT: SACRAMENTO STATE   
See the complete Big West School Spotlight series here >>> 

California’s capital university, Sacramento State provides world-class, affordable education in the political, cultural, and economic heart of the Golden State. Sacramento State is a recognized leader in education, innovation, and engagement, dedicated to the belief that there are no limits to the student body's potential for excellence and success.  

The vibrant and diverse community is united by a shared intellectual curiosity, commitment to improving the world, and passion for redefining the possible. Sacramento State is a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution and is recognized by the California State Assembly as a Black Serving Institution.  

Transitioning from the Big Sky Conference, the Hornets will compete in The Big West in 16 sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field and women’s volleyball. Prior to 2026-27, Sacramento State was competing as a current affiliate in men's soccer and beach volleyball with prior affiliate membership in men's golf and baseball also dotting the history books. Read more >>> | Watch the video >>>



 

   LEARFIELD DIRECTORS CUP FINAL DIVISION I STANDINGS   (LINK)

Congratulations to the 9 of 11 Big West programs that placed in the final 2025-26 Learfield Directors Cup Final Division I standings! 

81          Cal Poly 

92          Hawai’i 

106       Long Beach State 

144       UC San Diego 

146       UC Irvine 

160       UC Santa Barbara 

165       UC Davis 

206       Cal State Fullerton 

297       UC Riverside 

  

Future Big West members California Baptist (114), Utah Valley (171) and Sacramento State (254) were also ranked in the final standings! 


 

   CONSIDER HELPING A FORMER STUDENT-ATHLETE   

Our thoughts are with Roadrunner water polo alum Lauren Smith, née Paulson, whose husband, Jeromy, was one of eight people lost in the B-52 crash last week. Please consider supporting Lauren and her children as they endure this unimaginable loss. Learn more & donate here >>> 

  
 

   NCAA DIVISION I CABINET MEETINGS KEY TAKEAWAYS   

Legislative Actions. 

  1. NCAA Division I Proposal No. 2026-44 – Athletics Eligibility – Age-Based Eligibility Model. The NCAA Division I Cabinet adopted Proposal No. 2026-44 as emergency legislation to specify that a student-athlete is limited to a five-year period of eligibility for practice and competition beginning at the start of the academic year immediately after the student-athlete’s 19th birthday or the student-athlete’s initial enrollment at any collegiate institution (e.g., any two-year or four-year collegiate institution), whichever occurs first.  

The proposal is effective immediately for current student-athletes with eligibility remaining and future student-athletes. 

  

Academic Year Following 19th Birthday - September 1. The cabinet determined that an individual who turns 19 years old on or after September 1 has until the start of the subsequent academic year to initially begin college as a full-time student to maintain access to up to five years of eligibility. 

  

Exceptions to the age-based eligibility model. The age-based eligibility model has three exceptions that could delay the start of or pause a student-athlete’s five-year period of eligibility. Specifically, the exceptions apply to official religious missions, pregnancy and active-duty military service and preclude the student-athlete from participating in organized competition. The NCAA Eligibility Center will be responsible for administering the application of these exceptions. It was noted that an official religious mission is defined in the legislation as one that is established by the religious organization of which the individual is a member and that results in the individual being unable to attend a collegiate institution during the period of the mission. 

  

The pregnancy exception will apply to any condition related to pregnancy (e.g., miscarriage, postpartum depression) that renders a student-athlete unable to practice or compete. The exception will require contemporaneous medical documentation that is provided by a physician or other, in the case of a psychological or mental illness, an individual (e.g., psychiatrist, psychologist) who is qualified and licensed to diagnose and treat the particular illness. 

  

Pre-enrollment professional participation. The cabinet discussed next steps for the review of pre-enrollment professional participation legislation and supports the establishment of consistent and objective standards. The cabinet will discuss potential legislative concepts during future meetings. 

  

Application of the age-based eligibility model to midyear enrollees. The cabinet reviewed issues related to the eligibility of student-athletes who initially enroll midyear. The cabinet will continue to discuss issues related to midyear enrollees during its upcoming meetings. 

  

  1. Proposal No. 2026-27 – Playing and Practice Seasons – Men’s Soccer – Redistribution of Men’s Soccer Playing Season Model. The Division I Cabinet remanded Proposal No. 2026-27 to the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Oversight Committee for further review. The cabinet acknowledged the Men’s Soccer Oversight Committee’s efforts to modernize the sport’s calendar in a way that supports the growth of the sport as well as the historical support by men’s soccer student-athletes. However, the cabinet charged the oversight committee to provide clarification of the impact of the redistributed playing season model in certain areas. Specifically, the cabinet requested additional clarity on the impact of midyear enrollees on the redistributed playing season, and how broad institutional scheduling flexibility will impact championship selection criteria, particularly for institutions who limit regular season competition to one term. Additionally, the cabinet requests more information on the model’s impact on institutional media agreements.  

  

  1. Proposal No. 2025-39 – Infractions Program – Public Disclosure – Immediate Need Exception. The cabinet amended Proposal No. 2025-39 to specify that an institution will be provided notice before the NCAA national office publicly shares information about a pending infractions case to prevent harm to the integrity of contests, the well-being of student-athletes or to address a potential ongoing violation. In addition, the proposal was amended to specify the such information shall not identify a current or former student-athlete by name. The cabinet adopted the proposal, as amended. The proposal is effective immediately. 

  

  1. June 2026 Legislative Cycle and Expedited Proposals. Actions taken on other proposals in the June 2026 legislative cycle and proposals considered as expedited legislation primarily focused on various practice and playing seasons, recruiting and eligibility questions for various specific sports and levels.  

  

  1. Proposal No. 2026-45 – Governance Structure and Committees – Updated Division I Legislative Processes. As recommended by the NCAA Division I Legislative Processes Subgroup, the cabinet introduced Proposal No. 2026-45 into the October 2026 legislative cycle to establish a legislative process that supports the goals of the new Division I governance structure. 

Rationale: The NCAA Division I Decision-Making Working Group referred to the Division I Cabinet the development of the legislative processes necessary to support the new Division I governance structure. The new structure necessitated a review of the governance pilot processes that had been in place since the 2023-24 academic year. The enhancements in this proposal maintain several components of the pilot process, while incorporating elements intended to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advocacy Committee, NCAA Division I Athletics and Eligibility Committee, NCAA Division I Membership Committee and the NCAA Division I sports oversight committees.  

Effective date: Immediate, starting with the January 2027 legislative cycle. 

  

  1. Proposal No. 2026-46 – Governance Structure and Committees – National Collegiate Championship sports committees’ composition. The cabinet introduced Proposal No. 2026-46 into the October 2026 legislative cycle to amend National Collegiate Championship sports committees’ composition. 

Rationale: The Division I Decision-Making Working Group referred to the Division I Cabinet the review of the composition and areas of authority of National Collegiate Championship sports committees in the new Division I governance structure. A cross-divisional review of National Collegiate Championship sports committees found changes to the committees’ composition would be beneficial in the new Division I governance structure. 

Effective date: Immediate. 

  

Key Nonlegislative Items: 

  1. Policies related to the use of commercial trademarks and logos in NCAA Championship competition. The cabinet received an update on the use of trademarks or logos on student-athletes’ uniforms and apparel during NCAA Championships. The cabinet continues to emphasize the importance of establishing a flexible policy for the use of trademarks or logos on student-athletes’ uniforms and apparel during NCAA Championships and will continue to discuss the policies at its next meeting. 

  

  1. Division I and Football Bowl Subdivision Reclassification Decisions. The cabinet approved active Division I membership and FBS membership status for institutions that successfully completed the applicable reclassification process, as recommended by the NCAA Division I Membership Committee and NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee. 

  

  1. Review of communications with student-athletes before the opening of the notification of transfer windows. The cabinet reviewed a concept that would permit institutions to discuss opportunities with “contactable” student-athletes and their authorized representatives during a defined window immediately before a notification of transfer window opens. The cabinet will continue to discuss the concept at future meetings. 

  

 
  
   MEDIA REPORTS ON THE BIG WEST, NCAA AND LEGAL MATTERS   

  • The NCAA Division I Cabinet remanded a proposal to transition men's soccer into a two-semester model due to pushback from 20 conferences over academic and championship scheduling concerns. Meanwhile, administrators approved multiple structural football adjustments, officially standardizing the FBS regular season to a 14-week window that permits 12 games and ends the week following Thanksgiving beginning in the fall of 2027. The committee also passed postseason modifications designed to broaden bowl access, allowing transitioning FCS programs to participate in bowl games starting in 2026 while removing the Academic Progress Rate as the determining factor for the selection order of 5-7 alternate teams that maintain a 930 baseline score. To address ongoing roster management complaints, the cabinet advanced concurrent discussions to regulate agent fees through an enhanced registry system and establish a pre-portal engagement window to combat tampering. (link) 
  • Sportico’s Michael McCann analyzes how the NCAA's five-year eligibility model strengthens the association's antitrust defenses by legally anchoring athletic participation to traditional degree-seeking timelines. The framework provides courts with a mechanism to protect the unique character of college sports against athletes attempting to operate as professionals. McCann notes that without the antitrust shield of a collective bargaining agreement, the NCAA remains vulnerable to athletes seeking to play for extended periods to maximize NIL compensation, and the updated structure legally distinguishes collegiate eligibility limits from professional sports parameters, establishing a boundary to survive judicial scrutiny. Still, McCann points out that while the policy bolsters the association's courtroom positioning, the underlying lack of a recognized players union preserves legal exposure: "The NCAA is now on firmer legal ground with eligibility rules and should continue to win most, perhaps even all, of the eligibility lawsuits. But so long as the rules aren’t bargained with a union and so long as member schools undermine their own association, the litigation risk won’t go away." (link) 
  • The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) has approved the commissioning of a Cardiac Advisory Group charged with reviewing and making recommendations to update the 2016 NCAA Cardiac Care Best Practices document. CSMAS is expected to approve the advisory's group’s charter, which will include the list of organizations and membership representatives to be included in the work, at its September meeting with the new doc potentially available for the 2028-29 academic year. Additionally, the committee approved Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport as the inaugural topic for an NCAA Injury Surveillance Program sub study, allowing schools to contribute additional data, including enhanced clinical detail and injury context. The committee also added STUNT to the Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist as a contact/collision sport requiring medical personnel with training in the diagnosis, treatment and initial management of acute concussion to be present at all NCAA competitions and available during all NCAA practices. (link)   
  • The West Virginia Board of Governors doubled the mandatory Mountaineer Athletics Advantage Fee for the upcoming academic year, raising the cost to students from $125 to $250. The fee will reportedly help to support revenue sharing and, according to WV Sports Nation’s John Boggess, WVU is leaving the door open for future fee evaluations as the rev-share cap increases. University officials explicitly tied the athletic funding mandate to broader institutional health in an official Q&A, explaining why direct student investments remain necessary to drive future campus growth: "Strong athletics is now mission-critical in increasing enrollment, enhancing our institutional reputation and brand identity, and amplifying momentum on the national stage." (link) 
  • An investigation by The Wall Street Journal’s Katherine Long, Caitlin Ostroff, Neil Mehta and Brenna T. Smith uncovered dozens of mostly college-age creators Polymarket paid to film themselves making fake trades and sometimes scoring fake wins in an effort to draw users to its unregulated platform. As part of the plan, Polymarket flooded social media with genuine-looking videos, however, in reality, the prediction market “built near-perfect copies of its website, then instructed creators to make simulated trades on those dummy sites and hide that they were being paid by Polymarket.” Though the New York-based company has been banned from offering its primary crypto platform in the U.S. since 2022, the social-media creators were paid specifically to target U.S. users, who can still access the site with a virtual private network. In a statement, Polymarket said it was “committed to maintaining accurate, fair, and transparent markets. We are part of a rapidly growing industry and are constantly evaluating ways to improve how we’re engaging and earning the trust of our audience.” The company also plans to conduct a comprehensive audit of active promotional content. More. (link)  
  • Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins has denied House plaintiff attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and Steve Berman’s challenge of the College Sports Commission over associated entities, per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, who posits the ruling marks a ‘big win for the NCAA.” As a result, MMRs and sponsors will remain associated entities and are subject to scrutiny through the clearinghouse. Kessler tells Dellenger they will appeal the ruling to Judge Claudia Wilken. (link, link) 
  • College Sports Commission CEO Bryan Seeley responds to today’s ruling on associated entities. “This ruling affirms that the CSC has been correctly applying the language of the settlement as written. Our enforcement of the rules has been, and will continue to be, fact-based and consistent with the settlement that Plaintiffs’ lawyers negotiated and was agreed to by all parties.” (link) 
  • Discussions over raising the revenue-sharing cap are accelerating, per Ross Dellenger, who writing for On3 posits that if the Protect College Sports Act becomes law, the cap would need to be increased to align with the legislation because some schools are providing $20-40M in above-the-cap compensation through third-party endorsement and commercial deals they’ve arranged through associated entities. The legislation would include in the current $21.3M cap all of the above-the-cap cash, which would mean mass student-athlete compensation cuts. Even if the bill doesn’t become law, many industry leaders say the cap will require an adjustment based on the fact that millions in above-the-cap spending are trapped under review within the College Sports Commission. Raising the cap isn’t easy, however, as it can only be accomplished if each of the power leagues (including the Pac-12) and the NCAA agree to such a move. Dellenger adds: “This is what makes it so difficult to reach an agreement. The market in the Big Ten and SEC, on average, is likely $15-20M higher. Many in the SEC and Big Ten believe that a $60M cap is about right.” One SEC AD quipped: “I’d take that right now.” More. (link) 
  • Ohio State AD Ross Bjork believes the Buckeyes will be the first college athletics program to have a $500M budget, telling The Athletic’s Cameron Teague Robinson: “It’s going to happen. It could happen three years from now, two years from now, five years from now, but we will have a $500M athletic budget at some point in time very soon. We have that capability.” More from Bjork… (link) (link, link)  
  • The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) will add seven schools comprising 12 programs to its indoor track & field membership, starting with the 2026-27 campaign. Included are the men’s & women’s track & field teams from Boise State, Colorado State, Sacramento State, Utah State and Utah Valley, as well as the women’s teams from San Diego State and UCSB. With the additions, the league’s 31 combined T&F teams – 19 women’s and 12 men’s – mark the most for the MPSF since 2020 (35 teams). (link) 
  • The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is adding STUNT as the league’s 17th intercollegiate Olympic sport, starting with the 2027 campaign. (link)  
  • The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation announces the return of the men’s & women’s swimming & diving teams from CSU Bakersfield, Seattle, UC San Diego, UCSB and Denver, as well as the women’s squad from San Diego, to its membership, starting with the 2026-27 season. The additions grant the MPSF a record 24 S&D teams – 16 women’s and eight men’s – with the previous high occurring back during the 2011-12 campaign, which featured 19 teams. (link) 




   QUOTE OF THE DAY   

"We get a chance to teach the athletes more than just how to play the game. We teach them how to study, how to live and how to make choices."- Credited to Bill Walton 


 

   LET'S CLOSE IT OUT   

The fiscal year is coming to a close, and July 1 begins a new chapter for The Big West. 

I encourage you to follow The Big West website and social media channels this week as we officially welcome three new member institutions and continue positioning the conference for the future. Our external relations staff has done a tremendous amount of creative and strategic work to prepare for this moment, and I am excited for our membership, student-athletes, coaches and fans to see that work come to life. 

As we close one year and begin the next, I remain grateful for the people across our conference who continue to move The Big West forward with purpose, creativity and belief in what we can become. 

  

Continue to Be Bold! 

Dan