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“College Sports Is In Crisis Right Now”
Senator said he's not interested in saving the NCAA
Steve Ulrich
January 13, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
January 13, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH
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Headlines
🏛️ Senator Says Congress Must Intervene to Save College Sports
⭐️ 3- and 4-Star Men’s Recruits
⚡️ Lightning Round
📜 Lists: Winningest Active Coaches
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1. “College Sports Is In Crisis Right Now”
by Dan Murphy, ESPN
“College sports officials spent the past four years seeking federal legislation to block student-athletes from gaining employee status and letting the NCAA impose limits on how much money schools and boosters may give to their athletes. With Republicans taking control of Capitol Hill this month, the odds of the NCAA getting its wish are better than ever.
The new Republican leader of the influential Senate Commerce Committee told ESPN that one of his "major priorities" this session is to pass a law to help the NCAA regulate the booming market for college athletes without running afoul of federal antitrust restrictions. A bipartisan group of senators is drafting a measure to help prevent a split among NCAA schools.”
» Situational Awareness. “Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he's not interested in saving the NCAA. Instead, he said he wants to give college sports the legal runway they need to save themselves. "College sports is in crisis right now," Cruz said. "If Congress doesn't act, we risk seeing devastation."“
» The Big Picture. “Many in college sports believe that an unregulated market will inevitably push the small group of schools that generate most of the industry's revenue to sever ties with the rest of their Division I peers. A split could create less interesting matchups for fans and jeopardize the ability of smaller schools to keep funding sports at their current levels. Cruz said he wants to give the NCAA the tools it needs to stop that from happening.”
» Reality Check. “As the threat of a big split in college sports looms, senators from both parties now agree that some imperfect action may be better than doing nothing at all. The House settlement, named after principal class-action plaintiff and former Arizona State swimmer Grant House, significantly increases the number of resources -- money and scholarship packages -- athletic departments will pass on to their students. Those changes have helped push politicians on both sides of the aisle to act.”
2. Three- and Four-Star Men’s Recruits
According to Inside Lacrosse’s recruiting database, these are the 3- and 4-star recruits earmarked for Division III men’s programs next season.
Amherst. Dutch Lohnes (LSM, St. Albans ****); Kaden Fenno (FO, Episcopal School TX); Oliver Pritchard (LSM, Taft School); Gus Singh (D, Loyola).
Babson. Nick Marsh (A, Mira Costa); Christian Peterman (FO, La Salle College); Reid Vandenberg (M, IMG Academy); Chase Wise (M, Governors Academy).
Bates. Henry McCann (A, Montclair Kimberley).
Bowdoin. Jack Frischmann (M, Phillips Andover); Owen Majit (A, Corona Del Mar).
Christopher Newport. Connor Pinto (GK, Paul VI).
Colby. Joey Hagerty (M, Wilton); Jacob Thibodeau (A, Choate).
Colorado College. Grayson Goldin (M, Rumson Fair Haven).
Connecticut College. Hugh Gates (A, St. Ignatius).
Denison. Christian Lee (M, St. Ignatius).
Franklin & Marshall. Henry Griffith (GK, Manhasset).
Gettysburg. Boden Anderson (M, St. Ignatius).
Middlebury. Giacomo Chapman (M, St. Ignatius).
MIT. Theo Perkins (M, Brunswick School).
RIT. Max Luker (D, Hudson); Freddy Webster (GK, St. Ignatius).
Salisbury. Ryan Keating (M, Marple Newtown).
Skidmore. William Swezey (D, Northfield Mt. Hermon).
St. Lawrence. JP Charpentier (M, Groton School); George Persinger (GK, Darien).
Stevenson. Trent Mettler (D, Quince Orchard).
Swarthmore. Dylan Ah Now (M, Hotchkiss).
Trinity. Henry Hladick (A, New Canaan); Peter Hopkins (D, Loyola Blakefield); Austin Kitces (GK, St. John’s Prep); Bear Soper (M, IMG Academy).
Tufts. Cam Prior (M, Staples ****); Jules Capone (D, Conard); Carter Fears (FO, Wesleyan School); PJ Haskell (FO, Wesleyan School); Sam Juhnke (GK, Montverde School); Mason Theis (M, Westminster School).
Vassar. Danny Holt (FO, Brother Rice).
Washington and Lee. Zachary Rosenberg (GK, St. Thomas Aquinas); James Timmins (M, The Gunnery).
Wesleyan. Griffyn Flood (M, Greenwich Country Day); Brian Reilly (M, Chaminade).
Williams. Colin Decker (GK, Haverford School); Teddy Stonestreet (LSM, Belmont Hill School).
York. Ryan Hudson (FO, Mount Saint Joseph).
3. Lightning Round ⚡️
🔴 Denison University congratulates alumna Laura Peace Campbell '01 on her induction into the Greater Baltimore Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame. A four-year letter winner and three-time All-American, she remains the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and school record-holder for career goals scored (237) and Denison record-holder for career points (296). Her excellence on the field earned her numerous accolades, including NCAC Player of the Year in 2000, NCAC Newcomer of the Year in 1998, and selection to the NCAC 20th Anniversary Team.
🟢 Babson College head men's lacrosse coach Rocky Batty announced the hiring of Ryan Burke as a full-time assistant coach.
🔵 A 2025 midfielder, Archbishop Spalding’s Taylor Thorne recently announced her decision to play for the Coast Guard Bears, making her the first Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) player of the year to commit to a college lacrosse program.
4. Lists: Winningest Active Coaches
 Jim Berkman, Salisbury |  Sharon Pfluger, TCNJ |
Who are the winningest active coaches in NCAA Division III? Who might join the elite 300-win club this season?
Wins by Active Coaches (M)
source: NCAA | Wins by Active Coaches (W)
source: NCAA |
5. America’s Lonely Habit
“The time we spend alone has been steadily rising over the last few decades and shows no signs of turning around.
In The Atlantic's latest cover story, "The Anti-Social Century," Derek Thompson illuminates America's loneliness epidemic.
The big thought: Loneliness is no longer a temporary problem in America. Staying home and being alone has become a way of life.
Some eye-popping stats:
Americans' time spent socializing in person dropped 20% between 2003 and 2023, per the American Time Use Survey. Among people younger than 25, it plummeted more than 35%.
In that same time, the share of U.S. adults having dinner or drinks with friends on a given night has declined 30%. And the National Restaurant Association says that 74% of 2023 restaurant traffic came from takeout and delivery.
A typical teen spends 270 minutes on weekdays and 380 minutes on weekends looking at a phone screen, according to Digital Parenthood Initiative. That's about 30% of the time they're awake.”
» Go Deeper
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