College Sports Insider With Jack Ford

Name, image and likeness is a hot topic around college sports. With the 2020 NCAA Convention beginning next week, Jack Ford sits down with Vice President of Academic and Membership Affairs Dave Schnase, Vice President of Division II Terri Steeb Gronau and Vice President of Division III Dan Dutcher to discuss what they’re hearing from member schools and student-athletes about the current status of NIL and the process moving forward.

As the NCAA has released a slew of new guidelines regarding mental health, concussion and catastrophic injury, among other vital topics, small schools with limited resources are doing all they can to keep pace. A Division III athletics director with an athletic training background discusses how schools like hers are adapting to the ever-evolving health and safety environment and articulates the challenges she and her peers are facing. Jack Ford with Stevie Baker-Watson, DePauw associate vice president for campus wellness and director of athletics and recreational sports.

In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court abruptly scuttled the federal law that prohibited sports wagering. An article in the Summer 2019 issue of Champion magazine chronicled what the NCAA and its schools have done to adapt to legal betting’s expanding playing field and mitigate innumerable new risks. Jack Ford with Brian Burnsed, NCAA Champion magazine associate editor.

Five years ago, the NCAA established its After the Game program, designed to equip college athletes with the tools they need to transition to life after college sports. How has it fared since its inception? The program’s architect highlights early successes and what’s next. Jack Ford with Monica Miller, NCAA associate director of strategic and former student-athlete outreach.

In response to sweeping changes recommended by the Commission on College Basketball, the NCAA this year implemented summer basketball recruiting academies. They took place in late July at four regional sites, where coaches were afforded the opportunity to watch players go through drills and compete. How did the first iteration of these camps play out? Jack Ford with Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball.

In 1999, a former multisport college athlete became the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She wrote a book about the experience and is now a Division III college president. A look inside her fascinating journey. Jack Ford with Tori Murden McClure, Spalding president.

No scholarships. Small fan bases. Long hours at practice and in the library. Why do Division III student-athletes do it? And what do they gain from the experience? A four-year Division III athlete offers her perspective. Jack Ford with Maddie Burns, Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee chair and former Randolph-Macon student and soccer player.

Tensions in Division I may elicit headlines, but the NCAA encompasses more than just the largest schools that draw the spotlight. Division III schools, typically smaller and with thinner athletics budgets, navigate an entirely different set of issues. The man who long has been at the helm offers perspective on all things Division III. Jack Ford with Dan Dutcher, NCAA vice president of Division III.

While NCAA enforcement staffers are charged with investigating potential violations, they share information and collaborate with NCAA members as much as possible through the course of an investigation. How does that process take shape? And what has changed in the wake of the Commission on College Basketball’s recommendation to handle the most complex cases differently? Jack Ford with Jon Duncan, NCAA vice president of enforcement.

Video replay, used in 17 of the NCAA’s 24 sports, promotes fairness but disrupts competition. As technology grows sharper but some schools struggle to keep pace, how far will college sports go in pursuit of perfectly officiated games? A Champion magazine reporter tackled that question in a feature story in the Spring 2019 issue. Jack Ford with Greg Johnson, Champion magazine associate editor.

A handful of college football players have come out to their teammates and coaches. It’s an announcement typically beset by apprehension — but often met with acceptance. One Division I football player shares his story. Jack Ford with Xavier Colvin, former student-athlete on Butler’s football team.

Former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar abused hundreds of young gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment. Maggie Nichols was one of them and was the first to report his improprieties to USA Gymnastics. Now a star at Oklahoma, Nichols publicly identified herself as one of his victims last year in hopes of helping others who have faced similar trauma. Jack Ford with Nichols, the 2019 NCAA Inspiration Award winner.

Last year, an NCAA dialogue about LGBTQ inclusion and religion found an unlikely host: Brigham Young University. An NCAA Champion magazine reporter traveled to the campus to learn why athletics leaders and student-athletes met at a school at the heart of the struggle to find Common Ground. Jack Ford with Rachel Stark-Mason, NCAA Champion magazine associate editor.

Athletics are integral to the experience at America’s military academies. Retired Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen understands that better than most. The former Army West Point football player leaned on the discipline he honed there throughout a decorated military career, which ended with his retirement last year. Jack Ford with Caslen, former Army West Point superintendent and 2019 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award winner.

While the men’s tournament has long held mass appeal, the women’s event also has risen to prominence. Marked by thrilling finishes and the emergence of new stalwart programs, the Division I women’s basketball tournament has generated growing enthusiasm in recent years. But what is transpiring off the court as the event continues to evolve? Jack Ford with Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball.

From Selection Sunday until the championship game’s final whistle, the Division I men’s basketball tournament captivates a nation as few other sporting events can. But what has to take place behind the scenes to pull off such a multifaceted event every year? The man who oversees the tournament explains. Jack Ford with Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball.

Keturah Orji amassed eight individual national championships during her time as a triple jumper and long jumper at Georgia. She finished fourth in the triple jump in the 2016 Olympics. Yet she still made time to establish an after-school mentoring program for middle school girls. The 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year and 2019 Today’s Top 10 winner reflects on her achievements and what’s to come. Jack Ford with Orji, a former Georgia student-athlete.

From the targeting penalty to permitting fair catches on kickoffs, college football’s rules have undergone some significant changes in recent years for the sake of safety. While some have been embraced, others have caused consternation among teams and fans alike. A look at the process involved in crafting these rule changes and ongoing conversations to further refine them. Jack Ford with Ray Anderson, Arizona State vice president for university athletics.

As inclusion officers become increasingly common throughout college athletics, what is their role? Why are athletics departments devoting resources to this sort of expertise, and how is that reshaping college sports? A longtime inclusion executive reflects on the burgeoning field. Jack Ford with Katrice Albert, NCAA executive vice president of inclusion and human resources.

Conference commissioners at major Division I conferences routinely generate headlines, but there are more than 100 conferences in the NCAA, each with its own commissioner and staff. What are their roles? How do these lesser-known conferences influence college sports? A Division III conference executive shares her perspective on how the role has evolved — and where it’s going. Jack Ford with Heather Benning, Midwest Conference executive director.