Caught up with this board, finally. The financial issues are affecting smaller public schools as well if tax revenues don't meet expectations. It takes some bold management to deal with the financial issues head on, and a smart president would try to grow or start a program that other colleges have ended in the hopes of tuition dollars and fundraising.

The biggest headache is dealing with the DEI and international student issues. Colleges can't hide from them, because a few outspoken alumni can cause big trouble by going to their favored outlets.

BTW - Simon Fraser is 'exploring' departing the NCAA to rejoin their instituions in Canada. I don't think this will have an effect on D3, per se, except some SFU recruits may be ripe for picking for some D3 schools.

Hey, I'm not dead!

Basically, knee issues, new position at work (awesome opportunity but have to herd a lot of prospects and development officers into place), CWU football going to the D2 playoffs, and going through recovery. (11 months sober).

But the idea that Wabash has lost interest in football is insane. The Wabash fandom is still strong out there. Just a new mix of people who don't post.

OK, back to the grind.

I was surprised (well, maybe I shouldn't have been) that there was an arguement on the cliff from an elite research university alum, which aside from federal research grants and perhaps international students, may not be as affected as others.

I do know that the UW system had to fill some big holes in its budget for all of the schools. The state had to close a $16 billion budget shortfall and higher ed took a brunt. Western Washington lost $8 million, which is a lot for a small public. They also cut the state college grant eligibility to 60% of the median income. Also, a lot of the burder for the annual raises for higher ed employees has been moved to the institutions and not the state. UW and Wazoo also faced pretty significant cuts from them.

At CWU - we lost our highly ranked varsity rugby programs, and a lot of cuts came from student activites, publications, and clubs.

We've lost 3,000 students from 2019 to 2023, and in the 2024 academic year lost another 300. Trends are hopefully up but we built and budgeted on an 11,000+ student body and back in 2019, and now....

Sonoma State, D2 in California,  gutted several academic programs and dropped athletics, period, starting next Academic year.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sonoma-state-budget-cuts-layoffs-20049685.php

Enrollment had plummeted and they have had major leadership issues.

Some athletes will need a home for sure.

"Among the parents I'm talking about are those that aren't necessarily religious but are very uncomfortable with the direction most colleges have gone in promoting an anti-religion or political narrative in unison. There is an opportunity for schools that swim against that trend. Most are currently religion-based but that's not a requirement."

Having worked in higher ed, this is a canard that has caught on with the loudmouths and parents who can't fathom anyone would hold different values and beliefs. Usually it's just one or two classes or professors that get the attention and people generalize that the math or physics departments are indoctrinating student. And some teach actual history instead of spoon-fed patriotic pablum.

"I don't disagree, I just don't think it's that large of a market overall. Keep an eye on The New College outside Tampa FL. That will be a test case, though it's public."

The New College has been a disaster - in terms of student and faculty retention - and it's curriculum is less than rigorous now. I saw a guest columnist who is a current New College believer and he touted ROI. College isn't about ROI - it's about learning. Period.

The guy who convinced DeSantis about New College is a huckster and grifter who lives in Washington State (!). Evergreen State College (Go Geoducks!) is about as far away from New College's current trajectory as you can get, and after a trying time is back on its feet with increasing enrollment and good financial positions.

I think most students want a diverse learning environment because you can't always stay in your little bubbles.

It depends on the state school, and the mission. At Central Washington, where I work at, in-state tuition is $7,231 (that includes border counties in Idaho and Oregon) - tuition for the WUE (Western Undergrad Exchange Program for those pursuing their first degree - which includes Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Northern Marianas) is $10,847.

Pure out of state tuition is $25,340.

Fees are $2,186 and room and board is $16,480.

We try to get first generation and the underserved population as students. So we reach out to the farm worker and immigrant community, the less affluent suburbs, and the small towns around the state as much as the moneyed areas over in Seattle. That definitely isn't the mission at the University of Washington, or even Washington State (where they seem to play with apples more than anything)!

Can't wait for the Hiram / Oberlin pillow fight!

I don't think there's any way they overlook Witt.

There are a lot of many D3 schools with higher enrollment, and no real athletics presence nationally. Examples are Hunter and John Jay.

I think the only thing stopping Oberlin from dropping football may be John Heisman's legacy.

They also have a legacy with Cass Jackson as one of the first African American head coaches outside of the HBCU's. He's also the last coach to finish .500 or over (9-9 in 1973 and 1974)

From 1990 through 2000 - they won three games. THREE! In 11 seasons. That may be the nadir.

Oberlin is probably still a better watch on Sunday than the Browns...

I guess having a quarterfinal level playoff team can rouse up the Dannies' supporters!

Could the Platteville announcers be any more Wisconsin-y?

I don't know how to really comment without getting political, but Wittenberg having to cancel an entire week of activities, along with the other activities in Springfield, is a sad fallout from an unfounded rumor.

I hope it's not a trend. But I'm not going to be pollyanna about it.

I had Marietta at #3. I thought that was an impressive result.