Jared Welsh Named Head Men's Soccer Coach at Regent

QuoteAfter a nationwide search, the Regent University Athletic Department has announced that Jared Welsh has been named the Royals' new Head Men's Soccer Coach.  In addition, Welsh will also assume the role of Assistant Director of Compliance.

"We are beyond excited to add Jared Welsh to our Regent coaching staff as our next head men's soccer coach", said Director of Athletics Michael W. Allen.  "Jared brings a wealth of knowledge and experience; specifically, NCAA Division I and NCAA Division III. His passion and personality will no doubt help not just our men's soccer program, but our entire department as we transition to D3 this fall and our official membership in the C2C. Please join me in welcoming him and his family to Virginia Beach and the Royals family". 

Coach Welsh joins Regent University after serving as the Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Widener University, where he was the program's lead assistant and recruiting coordinator. During his time at Widener, he played a key role in recruiting, video analysis and opponent scouting, and contributed to daily training and program operations. His efforts helped the Pride compile a 22-11-6 record, earn multiple playoff berths, make a MAC Championship appearance, and assist in the development of the program's first All-American, Sean Fatiga.

Prior to Widener, Coach Welsh served as Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Eastern University, where he oversaw recruitment, assisted with first-team training, and managed the program's development squad.

Coach Welsh began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Northern Colorado, contributing to one of the program's most successful regular seasons while helping the Bears achieve an 8-1 conference record.

At the club level, Coach Welsh has coached within elite environments, including Fort Collins Soccer Association and Penn Fusion Soccer Academy.

Coach Welsh holds a master's degree in Sports Coaching from the University of Northern Colorado and a B.S. in Business Management from St. John Fisher University. He also holds a USSF National "C" License. Coach Welsh also played for the St. John Fisher University Men's Soccer team.

Quote from: IC798891 on Today at 01:43:24 PM

Quote from: Kuiper on Yesterday at 08:28:36 PMIt may be that we are speaking past each other on this point.  I'll say it this way:  Assume I generally give $100 to the school's annual fund for athletics and my team fund.  Since my disposable income hasn't increased, I'm not upping my athletic department or team fund gift to $200 this year because you've started a streaming fund.  I'm just reallocating some or all of my $100 gift to that fund, which means the athletic department or team falls short on funding what they usually get with my $100.  The only way that doesn't happen is if I up my gift or some new people give.  There are some funding campaigns that bring out new donors or bigger donations, but they may think streaming isn't one of them.

I think the analogy I'd use is, if you want food delivered, and your restaurant offers delivery but has a delivery charge, why are you going on the Door Dash App to pay their service fee?

That's fair, but I think a different point.  My guess is Rochester lost as many casual fans with its own paywall as FloSports does, but Rochester did get the money from its parents and dedicated fans/alums rather than sharing it with a third party.  Someone with connections to that school might have insight as to whether this is better or worse for them net of costs.  My point you were responding to was about whether schools would be hesitant to fundraise for it, not whether they should charge a fee for it and provide the service itself.  I think those have two different looks to alums and two different potential consequences for the university.  There were plenty of people on this board unhappy with Rochester for charging a fee.

I'll post some roster analyses/season previews as they become available and I have time.

Chicago

Uncharacteristically weak season for Chicago, finishing 7-8-3 (2-2-3 in the UAA) and missing the NCAA tournament after starting the season 5-1.  They lose a lot of key parts, including the last key contributing links to their NCAA title run in 2022.  They still have significant talent, but the question is whether Philip Kroft can properly take advantage of that talent so they can get back to the consistency of the last decade or so.

Transfers: 

Charlie Wagner is a D3 transfer from Colorado College who had eligibility because he missed his freshman year due to injury.  A 6'2" midfielder/defender and 2-time All-SCAC selection in his two years of action at Colorado College, he played 37 games and started 34 of them over the last two years (although he went out with an injury early in the NCAA game against Pacific Lutheran and missed the second round game against CMS).  Given his high-level experience, including in the NCAA tournament, he could be an impact player for the Maroons if he's healthy.  He certainly shouldn't have trouble adjusting to the UAA travel schedule after playing with Colorado College.

Louis Bock is a D1 transfer from Coastal Carolina who is originally from Luxembourg.  A 6'6" defender who played 33 games, starting 15, during his time there.  He was named Male Scholar Athlete of the Year at Coastal Carolina in 2023-2024, so I'm not surprised he graduated early and decided to spend his last year of eligibility at Chicago getting a Master's in Finance.  You never know how much D1 transfers are going to be focused on soccer when they come to DIII for a grad degree, but he certainly will add a size dimension for the Chicago defense.

Recruits:

D Eli Weene (6'1") - Los Angeles, CA, LA Breakers ECNL
F Giovanni Casselli (6'3") - London, England, City of London HS
D Vaughn DeRath (5'10") - Okemos, MI, Michigan Wolves MLS Next (formerly Columbus Crew Academy)
M William Stewart (5'10") - Atlanta, GA, Southern SA MLS Next
M Drake Wenger (5'6") - Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Armada MLS Next (formerly Orlando City Academy)

Key departures:

They lose leading scorer Danny Mendoza, but he only had 7 goals and 4 of them were scored very early in the season in blowouts against Kalamazoo and North Central.  Biggest losses are most of the last contributors to the national championship run, including Lyndon Hu, who was a fixture in the midfield the last 4 years, starting 79 of 84 games in which he played, including during Chicago's national championship run.  He was second in the team in minutes played last year behind GK Dhirpal Shah, who also graduated.  Other key '22'ers departing include Jack Leuker, who was another key fixture on defense and, like Hu, started 79 of 84 games he played over 4 years and was UAA defensive player of the year in 2023 and midfielder Robbie Pino, who departs after finishing a disappointing grad year that was cut short by injury.   

I don't usually highlight assistant coach hires, but this is just unusual enough to bear mention. 

Kevin Doyle Named Colorado College Assistant Coach

QuoteColorado College men's soccer head coach Scott Palguta announced on Thursday the hiring of Kevin Doyle as the new assistant coach.

"I am thrilled to welcome Coach Doyle to the CC soccer family," Palguta said.  "Kevin is a coach I have admired and respected for a very long time.  He has found success at every stop on his impressive coaching journey, and he will bring instant credibility to our team.  Coach Doyle shares my values and vision for our soccer program, and I am excited to work closely with him as we lead and mentor our student-athletes."

Doyle brings nearly three decades of collegiate coaching experience, including the past 10 seasons at the Air Force Academy, where he served as associate head coach before being elevated to interim head coach for the 2024 season.

QuoteDoyle also spent two seasons at Grand Canyon University, leading the Lopes to a WAC championship and NCAA tournament appearance in 2018.

His coaching resume also includes stints at Virginia Tech, Creighton, Penn State, William & Mary and Mercer. At Creighton, he helped guide the Blue Jays to six NCAA Tournament appearances.

There are DI coaches who find their way to DIII, especially in their later years, but he was just the interim HC of CC's neighboring DI program last season and has spent his entire career in DI.  It was a very tough season for Doyle at Air Force though.  He had to take over for the long-time HC and they went 1-15-1 in a season where 8 of his players were suspended in what sounds like a hazing scandal.

Quote from: IC798891 on Yesterday at 07:57:18 PM

Quote from: Kuiper on Yesterday at 04:44:28 PMOn the first point, my point was simply that athletics donors have limited funds and athletics has broader institutional needs.

I feel like I must not be explaining myself when I ask this question. I'm going to try one last time, with apologies to everyone, because maybe there is something *I'm* missing in the answers. I'm not always the sharpest tool in the drawer

If a college is saying "Hey, we need money to defray the rising athletics streaming costs that we provide to our supporters"

And if that college's supporters are saying "We're willing to give money for the ability to watch the college's athletic streams"

It seems the shortest distance between the two points is just: Supporters give their money to the school, earmarked for this specific purpose.

Why are we inviting a third party in at all?

It may be that we are speaking past each other on this point.  I'll say it this way:  Assume I generally give $100 to the school's annual fund for athletics and my team fund.  Since my disposable income hasn't increased, I'm not upping my athletic department or team fund gift to $200 this year because you've started a streaming fund.  I'm just reallocating some or all of my $100 gift to that fund, which means the athletic department or team falls short on funding what they usually get with my $100.  The only way that doesn't happen is if I up my gift or some new people give.  There are some funding campaigns that bring out new donors or bigger donations, but they may think streaming isn't one of them.

Quote from: IC798891 on Yesterday at 03:45:57 PMExcellent post by Kuiper, one part I want to clarify is the fundraising aspect of it, since I've mentioned it a lot.

You're not necessarily asking people all scattershot to kick in some cash.

You're identifying the rising costs of providing these broadcasts as an institutional need, setting up something that can be contributed to, and identifying people that may contribute to it, based on various factors.

To give an example, Ithaca's Park School of Communications often has students earn opportunities to travel somewhere for professional development or have their work featured somewhere. Those trips cost money. So the school created a dedicated fund, called the "Special Opportunities for Students Fund". And every year, their annual Giving Day pitch includes a call out to that.

That's the same model you could use, to get the $30,000 for your sports broadcast costs, or sports information costs, or whatever this FloSports money is.

You say, "Hey, costs of providing these broadcasts have increased, we'd love to be able to provide them for free so we can showcase our student-athletes — and broadcasters — to as many people as possible and share in our [Team Nickname] pride. Just like we've done for so many former great athletes and broadcasters over the years. Would you be willing to contribute to this fund to make that a possibility?"

Maybe it wouldn't work! Not all my ideas do! But I think FloSports is being presented as the only possible solution to the legitimate problem of budget issues.

After all, isn't the whole point that these die-hard fans/parents/alumni are in fact, willing to pay? Why do we need FloSports to be the one getting the money? Rather than allow their constituents to give money to an outside entity, why don't schools encourage that money to go into an endowed fund that can grow that contribution over years, decades?

That's how you establish relationships.

And we may think that it's not some big deal if some casual fan doesn't watch your games. But you never know what connection causes people to feel connected to your institution. The biggest individual gift in the history of Ithaca College came from an individual who had zero ties to IC and in fact, never once set foot on campus in his life. He simply ran into an IC professor in Greece, starting talking about student films, and he decided to give money to help fund them. And endowment was established, it led to the biggest individual gift in school history, and it still gives the school significant money every year.

On the first point, my point was simply that athletics donors have limited funds and athletics has broader institutional needs.  If you identify streaming as an institutional need, the worry might be that traditional donors would simply shift from funds needed for other priorities, rather than increase their donations or start giving when they did not before.  There are some things that move people to give more/or for the first time - retirement of a beloved coach, building a new facility, etc - but I don't know if streaming is one of them.  Maybe parents would do that, but the worry would be they just compensate by reducing their contributions to the team fund for trips/uniforms/equipment/asst coaches etc.  Again, I don't know if schools even tried to do fundraising and fell short, but I'm guessing this is the way the administration is thinking. 

Totally agree on your second point about donations coming from unexpected sources.  At schools I've been associated with, some big gifts came from non-alums.  Most often, though, they were restricted gifts for things like you mentioned.  Unless they were locals who lived near campus, they are giving for one specific thing your school did that interested or excited them.  Nevertheless, you have to have to have some kind of contact for them to find you and become interested in you and sports can provide that entree.  That's why schools like the TV ads during sporting events touting all the things they do on campus besides sports.  Of course, there can be a darkside of streaming live events, like a school's coach behaving boorishly on the sidelines and creating a negative impression of a school, but I'm guessing the potential positive outweighs the negative.

Since people are mentioning it, I thought it would make sense to re-post the link to the article from Ryan Scott of D3hoops.com, which discussed this issue in February of 2024 right after the NEWMAC joined the Landmark as the two DIII conferences with FloSports deals.

Some of the data and concerns may be out of date by this point, but the way that administrators are slicing the data and thinking about the concerns is probably the same today.  As someone noted in calling it one-sided, you have to take some of the quotes and presentation of data with a grain of salt.  Administrators from schools in FloSports conferences are generally trying to make the decision look good, while administrators from schools that were at that point outside the FloSports world are offering explanations why they aren't going that direction.  Even more telling, some of the latter are now in conferences that have joined Flo, so I imagine they are changing their tune (see, e.g., the quotes from the Case Western administrator).  Nevertheless, I think the article is worth a read.

A few takeaways (quotes are from Scott's article) and points of my own:

1.  Money for the tech and people to run the broadcasts was (is?) one incentive for doing a Flo Sports deal 

Schools do all of the streaming work themselves - cameras, sound, announcers etc - whether they do a Flo Sports deal or not.  Schools with money and strong support from the school do it well and their schools look good.  Schools without money do it poorly, if at all, and their schools look second (or third) rate.  Administrators don't like that. 

QuoteThere's a general consensus that broadcasts need to improve — for enrollment, for constituent relations, for the ability to monetize them — and that means more work for athletic department staff. This is the first key factor.

One selling point is that the Flo Sports deal will allow schools to spend more on the technology for cameras, pay the people who make the broadcast run smoothly etc

Quote"Broadcasts rely on people, more than just technology," adds Lycoming Associate AD for Communications Joe Guistina. "When you commit to broadcasting three events at once, as often happens on a Saturday, you need three laptops to run production, often multiple cameras at each event. You might spend, at minimum $20,000 just for basic equipment, but you need people to run all of that equipment. In the most basic two-camera system you need 4-5 people to run a broadcast for each event."

"That [FloSports deal] has helped a lot," says Guistina. "No one likes to pay for something that was free, but a lot of the initial shock has faded away already. We've been able to buy two new cameras, lots of cords and smaller equipment, pay the play-by-play people more, and I've been able to give my [part-time] assistant a raise."

So, when people complain that $30K is a drop in the bucket, I think some schools and athletic departments may look at it as the growing cost of streaming and tech upgrades and this being one way to pay for it.

2.  Tech was (is?) also a barrier to doing the Flo Sports deal

People are more forgiving for the awful quality of the broadcast when it's free.  When it costs something, they expect more.

QuoteGuistina confirmed that FloSports has not required much additional work on his part, but with a paid subscription comes the pressure to improve performance — after all, everyone wants the presentation to be the best it can be.

That was at least one argument in the NACC for not doing the Flo Sports deal, at least at that point.

QuoteThe inherent pressure for a specific level of broadcast is what's kept some conferences from accepting a broadcast deal. The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, comprised largely of small private schools in Wisconsin and Illinois, decided against going with FloSports, at least at this juncture.

"I was in favor of the idea," says NACC Commissioner Jeff Ligney. "The level of investment we would have had to make right away — in cameras, equipment, and especially training — was prohibitive.

The WIAC claims to have had a similar problem

Quotewhile the WIAC is wildly popular, given the size of the institutions and their place within local communities across Wisconsin, the level of and investment in broadcasting varies nearly as widely across the membership.

"We've had the WIAC Network for a year now," notes Harris. "There were some very basic standards the first year and those will increase gradually. We're putting ourselves in a position where we can consider all options."

My guess is that FloSports' "quality requirements" are pretty minimal and restricted to things like the technical specifications of the video so that it can be hosted on Flo's platform without too much degradation in quality. 

I tend to think that when the stream goes down or other problems develop, that is more often a local site problem than a Flo Sports problem, but the irony of this as a reason not to do the Flo Sports deal is that viewers are more likely to blame Flo than the school, which inadvertently means that schools that take the Flo money and don't spend it on upgrades are getting away with delivering a crappy product and diverting the blame to Flo.

3.  "Exposure" is a vague concept and there's a lot of different ways to think about that

The question when it comes to viewership data is who, when, and how long

The WIAC, which admittedly has larger enrollments than most DIII schools, feels like they have very robust viewership in the 40 minute or more crowd, which isn't a whole game, but is probably a half or close to it in many sports.

Quote"Last year we had 450,000 unique views of 40 minutes or more for our events and we're on pace to top 500,000 this year," reports WIAC Commissioner Danielle Harris.

Landmark sources report drops in viewers after they signed on with Flo

QuoteNo one I've encountered will report raw viewership numbers and the Landmark does not openly share them, but anecdotally, a school can generally expect a 60-70% drop off in total views moving from free to subscription viewing. Boldvich reports "a number close to that range," although for sports outside of football and basketball, where there is less interest outside the immediate fan base, "it's a lot closer to 50%," rather than 60%. Other league sources confirm the same.

They are comfortable with that, however, because one of the main areas for exposure - prospective athletic recruits - which is the heart of enrollment at many small DIII schools, was less a concern for them.  They negotiated for free viewing after the Flo exclusive access period and they don't think recruits necessarily watch in real time.

QuoteThe Landmark has also negotiated the rights to have free on-demand replays of all their events after 72 hours of FloSports exclusive access, and schools get up to 120 seconds of free highlights for use and distribution on local and social media.

"I'm not sure how many recruits are watching games live anyway," Boldvich posits. "We are paying extra to keep our Landmark Network operational to give people as much access as they want after the fact."

The national viewers, by contrast, may have been the people who only watched for short periods and just for the score or to watch for a play or two.  I guess that's exposure, but I'm not really sure how meaningful that exposure is for the school.

Quote"So many of our free views were just someone tuning in for a play or two, to check the score," says Boldvich.

The initial reports were that Landmark's viewers dropped, but the full game viewers remained constant:

Quote"With the subscription model almost all of our viewers are watching the entire game and the number of people watching entire games haven't decreased all that much."

My guess is those full game viewers are the parents, alums, dedicated fans of the schools.  If the recruits are watching the non-live footage, then you're really only left with fans of other schools who might be watching future opponents or because the outcome might affect their schools' relative positions in the standings etc.  Not sure if that exposure is what administrators are seeking.

Having said that, for many of these schools, just having familiarity with their name is meaningful and I presume that people who drop in and out of a broadcast can help spread the word or can notice the beautiful facility etc and that can leave a favorable impression.  On the other hand, if someone watching track or wrestling on the Flo network sees an ad for a game involving your school, that probably provides some brand exposure too.

In any event, the entire article is worth your time and most of the issues it addresses remain relevant today.

A couple of points of my own:

4.  Fundraising is the unknown variable in all of this

Many people suggest that they would rather pay the school directly and not Flo or that the school could fundraise rather than charge.  Couple of reactions:

a) Paying the school directly puts a target on your chest.  Ask Rochester.  People who don't want to pay for things they have had for free typically don't feel differently depending upon who is charging (unless it's the little girl down the street selling lemonade).  Joining as part of a conference defers some of those complaints.  I'm sure every school is telling some alum that they went along because others were pushing it.  Only in the SCAC were there holdouts and a couple of those schools left the conference and one holdout already gave in (Texas Lutheran).

b) My guess is the concern in fundraising is that there are a limited number of dollars and donors will shift funds, rather than non-donors becoming donors.  It's also hard to budget a regular operating expense with soft dollars.

5.  I think the students is the craziest part.

My guess is very few students sign up for Flo, so why force them to pay?  The optics are really bad.

Quote from: Kuiper on February 14, 2025, 05:49:51 PMWhat should you do and when?

1.   Watch games

This isn't a rule, by any means, but my advice is to start by watching D3 college soccer games (or really any level of college soccer) as early as possible, but definitely by fall of freshman or, at the latest, fall of sophomore year.  Taking your kid to watch a local game in person is a great way to get a sense of the atmosphere and the game-day environment and facilities, as well as to see what different campuses look like.  In addition, most D3 schools livestream their games for free on their website and many other levels air games on networks like ESPN+, FloSports (a few D3 conferences only stream on Flo) that you can watch if you are a subscriber.  Watching a game is a great way initially to get a sense of the different levels, and later to get a sense of different playing/coaching styles and quality within each level.  Too many kids insist they want to play college soccer, or they are only willing to play D1, without ever having watched a game, which is kind of crazy when you think about it. 

I think I might need to amend this first post to point out that you may want to subscribe to FloSports once you are far enough along in the recruiting process that you are getting serious about potentially considering D3 schools.  With 9 conferences now locked into exclusive contracts with FloSports, and possibly more in the works, there are starting to be some economies of scale for signing up and getting access to a lot of the games.  You can do it for a couple of months (it looks like it's currently $19.99/month for the monthly plan on FloCollege) and cancel after that.  I know no one wants to pay for something that is often a YouTube stream and that used to be available without cost, but given all the money you will end up paying for college visits, ID camps, highlight reels (if you don't do them yourself), recruiting services etc, the price is a drop in the bucket to make sure you have all the information you need about the possible options out there.

And I would really advise against ruling out a school just because it is part of a conference that has a FloSports contract.  First, by the time your kid enrolls, your chosen school/conference may be part of FloSports anyway (or FloSports will go out of business and everything will be back to the way it was).  Second, this is way too big and consequential a decision to penny pinch on the FloSports subscription.  College is really expensive and I get trying to reduce costs whenever possible, but this won't be the marginal cost for you.  There are tons of hidden nickle and dime college fees that are way higher than FloSports.  At least a FloSports subscription would be optional.  It's annoying, but it won't be the most annoying thing the college your son selects does by a long shot.

Quote from: Kuiper on December 13, 2024, 05:47:35 PMMontclair State going DII in soccer - sort of

I haven't seen this kind of merger before, but the changing landscape demands new ideas.  Bloomfield College, a historically black college in NJ, merged into Montclair State over the summer, while retaining a separate identity as Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.  From an athletics perspective, the problem is Bloomfield has DII sports and Montclair State has DIII.  Plus, they have a lot of duplicate teams.  So, now they have announced that they are doing both in a few sports and closing others and increasing club sports.

The interesting twist to this is Bloomfield's soccer team was 1-12-2 in DII last season.  I wonder if a Bloomfield player could shift over to Montclair State's roster in the offseason (and potentially upgrade the quality of their team).  Would it require a transfer?

QuoteMontclair State University is pursuing a bold new vision for collegiate athletics designed to strengthen its commitment to student-athlete wellbeing and expand opportunities for participation while responding to emerging trends and opportunities. 

This includes the incorporation of Bloomfield College of Montclair State University as part of a unified athletics and recreation program. Preserving the athletic traditions of New Jersey's only four-year Predominantly Black Institution was a priority in the design process.

The newly merged Athletic and Recreation Department will aim to foster a campuswide healthy lifestyle by providing comprehensive tools, programs, and activities throughout the year, ensuring all students have opportunities to engage and thrive.

Montclair will sponsor 21 intercollegiate athletics programs at the NCAA Division II and Division III level and increase recreational and club sports opportunities, offering what the University sees as a national model of a dynamic response to the changing landscape of college athletics. Subject to NCAA approval, the new approach will become effective for the fall 2025 semester.

QuoteFour Bloomfield programs – men's and women's basketball, men's soccer and softball – will continue to compete at the NCAA Division II level, with Bloomfield maintaining affiliate membership in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

The remaining Bloomfield sports, baseball and women's volleyball, will transition to club status to ensure more access to all students to participate in the sports at a competitive level.

"Preserving Bloomfield College's athletics program solidifies our commitment to honoring its rich history and unique identity," says Montclair Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life Dawn Meza Soufleris. "We are dedicated to upholding the mission of Bloomfield College and ensuring that students continue to have access to transformative opportunities both on and off the field.

Expanding Access to Athletics Opportunities

The new model will also significantly expand opportunities for all students to participate in club sports and recreation programs to help foster a collaborative, student-centered athletic environment and cross-campus participation.

In addition to the new club programs, the University will also seek to develop additional club and recreational programs based on student need and demand.

Bloomfield's successful ESports program will also remain a cornerstone of the Bloomfield experience, and Montclair will make additional investments into the program for future expansion to respond to growing student demand.

Student-athletes in all discontinued programs will have an opportunity to try out for existing NCAA teams or to participate in expanded club sports. The University will also review their individual situations to ensure they receive all financial aid for which they qualify.

To update the end result of the Montclair acquisition of Bloomfield college, it now appears that Bloomfield is cutting women's volleyball and baseball and moving the rest of its athletic department from DII to USCCA for 2025-2026

https://bcbearsathletics.com/news/2025/7/15/general-bloomfield-college-of-montclair-state-university-athletics-to-transition-to-uscaa-affiliation.aspx

QuoteServing as the latest development in Montclair State University's vision for the future of athletics and recreation in higher education, Bloomfield College of Montclair State University will transition four of its intercollegiate athletics programs from NCAA Division II to the United States Collegiate Athletics Association (USCAA) for the 2025-2026 academic year.
 
Bloomfield's men's and women's basketball, men's soccer and softball teams will move to the USCAA, which creates national competition for small colleges of similar size to develop the minds, bodies and spirits of student-athletes.
 
Bloomfield's USCAA sports will be scholarship eligible, continuing the institution's sports tradition as part of Montclair's reimagined athletics and recreation model designed to create more opportunities for competition at all levels.
 
"This transition represents a significant step forward for our athletic program, allowing us to better align with our mission and values," says Deputy Director of Athletics Sheila Wooten. "Our student-athletes will benefit from increased opportunities for competition and growth, and we are excited to build new rivalries and traditions within the USCAA. We believe this change will enhance the overall experience for our athletes, coaches, and fans. We look forward to this new chapter in our athletic journey."
 
The Bears will compete in the North American Conference for Intercollegiate Athletics (NACIA) against schools including Bryant and Stratton College (Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, Ohio and Rochester campuses), Berkeley College, Five Towns College and Villa Maria College.
 
Bloomfield's women's volleyball and baseball programs will be discontinued. All Bloomfield students interested in playing these sports will have the opportunity to try out for Montclair State University NCAA Division III programs or participate in club sports offerings.
 
"This move allows us to preserve and reimagine Bloomfield's athletics legacy in a way that reflects both our commitment to student opportunity and our responsibility to sustainability," says Montclair Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life Dawn Soufleris. "Competing in the USCAA ensures that our student-athletes continue to grow, thrive, and represent Bloomfield College of Montclair State University with pride. We're excited about this next chapter and the new pathways it opens for athletic excellence and engagement."

The third conference to announce today (after ODAC and NWC). There may be more.  I half expect the NCAA to announce that it's going to sign with Flo for the D3 men's soccer tournament at this point.  It will be interesting to see if the NCAC holds out with the OAC joining.

OAC signs exclusive media rights deal with Flo Sports

QuoteFloSportsand the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing nine universities to the FloCollegeplatform. Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 1,000 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership further reinforces FloSports' commitment to Division III athletics - adding a ninth Division III conference to the portfolio - and the 18th NCAA conference to FloCollege in the fall. 

The Ohio Athletic Conference is the nation's third-oldest collegiate athletic conference, founded in 1902. The conference consists of nine members: Baldwin Wallace University, Capital University, Heidelberg University, Marietta College, University of Mount Union, Muskingum University, Ohio Northern University, Otterbein University and Wilmington College. 

"This partnership with FloSports is an exciting opportunity for the Ohio Athletic Conference," said Bethany Dannelly, Commissioner of the OAC. "FloSports has demonstrated a strong commitment to Division III athletics, and we are proud to team up with a national leader in digital sports media to elevate the visibility of our institutions, our teams, and most importantly, our student-athletes. This partnership also enhances how fans experience OAC athletics and reinforces our commitment to providing a high-quality, student-centered experience."

FloCollege will deliver live and on-demand coverage for the OAC full sports calendar across 23 sports. Beyond live competition, FloSports will also invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of OAC student-athletes and institutions. The OAC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Michael Levy, FloSports SVP of Global Rights & Acquisition, added, "The OAC is one of the most storied conferences in Division III with a tremendous history in athletics. We're excited to elevate exposure for its schools and athletes, while investing in their ability to produce high-quality events."

By my count, there are 9 D3 conferences signed on with Flo Sports:

Landmark
NEWMAC
SCIAC
SCAC
LEC
ODAC
OAC
NWC
UAA

I think that's 93 schools (92 if Austin College is still a holdout in the SCAC), which is getting close to accounting for one-quarter of all D3 schools.  It's even closer if affiliate schools are included on those deals with respect to their games played in those conferences, such as the football affiliates in the ODAC.  Given the regional diversity of the conferences, the chances that a school from a non-Flo Sports conference will play at least one or two non-conference games at a school whose stream is contractually paywalled are also growing significantly.

A fourth Flo Sports announcement - the (DII) Great Midwest Athletic Conference

QuoteFloSports and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing 13 universities to the FloCollege platform. Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 1,450 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership further reinforces FloSports' commitment to Division II athletics - adding an eighth Division II conference to the portfolio - and the 18th NCAA conference to FloCollege in the Fall.

The Great Midwest Athletic Conference is a NCAA Division II athletic conference with member institutions located in Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. The conference sponsors 26 conference championship sport offerings serving more than 7,000 student athletes.

Current full member institutions include Ashland University (OH), Cedarville University (OH), University of Findlay (OH), Hillsdale College (MI), Kentucky Wesleyan College (KY), Lake Erie College (OH), Malone University (OH), Northwood University (MI), Ohio Dominican University (OH), Thomas More (KY), Tiffin University (OH), Ursuline College (OH), Walsh University (OH),

"Partnering with FloSports marks a significant milestone for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and reflects the collective efforts of our member institutions to produce compelling digital content that has driven demand for wider distribution," said Great Midwest Commissioner Tom Daeger. "We're excited to collaborate with FloSports and their talented team starting in 2025-26 to further elevate the broadcasts our members and the league produce. The revenue generated from this media rights agreement will enable the conference to enhance the championship events for our student-athletes and help member schools improve their production capabilities."
 
FloCollege will deliver live and on-demand coverage for the G-MAC full sports calendar covering more than 20 sports. Beyond live competition, FloSports will also invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of G-MAC student-athletes and institutions.

Michael Levy, FloSports SVP of Global Rights & Acquisition, added, "The Great Midwest is a powerful DII conference with an attractive footprint in the middle of the U.S. We think its addition to FloCollege will enhance the FloCollege offering, while providing a national platform and robust support across the FloSports network to the conference." FloSports has committed to investing more than $50 Million to support the FloCollege platform and contribute to rights fees, production, content, product technology, and marketing. The direct investment in conference rights helps member institutions apply funding towards their own broadcast and production capabilities to further enhance the quality of coverage across all sports, ensuring parity and inclusivity.

The third conference to announce today (after ODAC and NWC). There may be more.  I half expect the NCAA to announce that it's going to sign with Flo for the D3 men's soccer tournament at this point.

OAC signs exclusive media rights deal with Flo Sports

QuoteFloSportsand the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing nine universities to the FloCollegeplatform. Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 1,000 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership further reinforces FloSports' commitment to Division III athletics - adding a ninth Division III conference to the portfolio - and the 18th NCAA conference to FloCollege in the fall. 

The Ohio Athletic Conference is the nation's third-oldest collegiate athletic conference, founded in 1902. The conference consists of nine members: Baldwin Wallace University, Capital University, Heidelberg University, Marietta College, University of Mount Union, Muskingum University, Ohio Northern University, Otterbein University and Wilmington College. 

"This partnership with FloSports is an exciting opportunity for the Ohio Athletic Conference," said Bethany Dannelly, Commissioner of the OAC. "FloSports has demonstrated a strong commitment to Division III athletics, and we are proud to team up with a national leader in digital sports media to elevate the visibility of our institutions, our teams, and most importantly, our student-athletes. This partnership also enhances how fans experience OAC athletics and reinforces our commitment to providing a high-quality, student-centered experience."

FloCollege will deliver live and on-demand coverage for the OAC full sports calendar across 23 sports. Beyond live competition, FloSports will also invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of OAC student-athletes and institutions. The OAC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Michael Levy, FloSports SVP of Global Rights & Acquisition, added, "The OAC is one of the most storied conferences in Division III with a tremendous history in athletics. We're excited to elevate exposure for its schools and athletes, while investing in their ability to produce high-quality events."

Another Flo Sports conference announcement in Region X - the Northwest Conference.  The only Region X conference without one at the moment is the ASC and they play so many non-conference games against other Region X conference teams that their parents/alums may have to subscribe anyway if they want to see half their games.

Flo Sports and Northwest Conference announce an exclusive media rights deal

QuoteFloSports and the Northwest Conference have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing all nine colleges and universities to the FloCollege platform.

Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 800 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership further reinforces FloSports commitment to Division III athletics - adding a ninth conference to the portfolio, bringing the total to 18 conferences across all NCAA levels in the fall. 

"Partnering with FloSports marks an exciting step forward for the Northwest Conference as we expand our reach and elevate the visibility of our student-athletes," said NWC Commissioner Shana Levine. "This collaboration allows us to share compelling stories that reflect our core values of academic centrality, unity, and competitive excellence – while ensuring the NWC is well-prepared for the ever-evolving landscape of college athletics."

FloCollege will deliver live and on-demand coverage for the NWC full sports calendar across 12 different sports. Beyond live competition, FloSports will also invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of NWC student-athletes and institutions. The NWC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Michael Levy, FloSports SVP of Global Rights & Acquisition, added, "The NWC represents a diverse grouping of institutions in the Pacific Northwest that will benefit from exposure on a national platform like FloCollege. We're excited to elevate exposure for these schools and their athletes, while investing in their ability to produce high-quality events."

Another Flo Sports conference announcement - the Northwest Conference.  The only Region X conference without one at the moment is the ASC and they play so many non-conference games against other Region X conference teams that their parents/alums may end up subscribing anyway.

Flo Sports and Northwest Conference announce an exclusive media rights deal

QuoteFloSports and the Northwest Conference have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing all nine colleges and universities to the FloCollege platform.

Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 800 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership further reinforces FloSports commitment to Division III athletics - adding a ninth conference to the portfolio, bringing the total to 18 conferences across all NCAA levels in the fall. 

"Partnering with FloSports marks an exciting step forward for the Northwest Conference as we expand our reach and elevate the visibility of our student-athletes," said NWC Commissioner Shana Levine. "This collaboration allows us to share compelling stories that reflect our core values of academic centrality, unity, and competitive excellence – while ensuring the NWC is well-prepared for the ever-evolving landscape of college athletics."

FloCollege will deliver live and on-demand coverage for the NWC full sports calendar across 12 different sports. Beyond live competition, FloSports will also invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of NWC student-athletes and institutions. The NWC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Michael Levy, FloSports SVP of Global Rights & Acquisition, added, "The NWC represents a diverse grouping of institutions in the Pacific Northwest that will benefit from exposure on a national platform like FloCollege. We're excited to elevate exposure for these schools and their athletes, while investing in their ability to produce high-quality events."