Friday roundup: Ferrum to D2, New Paltz joining a new conference, two new head coach hirings
We’ve reached the end of the week, and the D1 Women’s Final Four tips off tonight! But first, some recent news on the D3 front….
Ferrum College, currently in the 15-member ODAC, announced just a few hours ago that it will leave Division III following the 2024-25 athletic year. Starting in 2025-26, Ferrum will be a D2 institution, playing in Conference Carolinas. It will be quite a change for the college, who joined D-III in 1984.
“By transitioning to Division 2, Ferrum College aligns itself with a conference whose motto of body, mind and soul aligns with Ferrum College's beliefs and values. At the heart of this historic shift lies our commitment to excellence – on and off the athletic fields, to student success, and to inclusive growth. Building upon our rich heritage and values, we embark on a journey of evolution and adaptation, guided by the relentless pursuit of excellence." said President Mirta Martin in a press release Friday morning.
There is some precedent for a move like this, as Sul Ross State has made a similar move from D3 to D2, citing a better travel situation along with, and this is the big one, the ability to offer athletic scholarships. While plenty of debates are had on the D2 scholarship model, and the financial benefits of scholarship-level D2 as compared to non-athletic scholarship D3 sports, having athletic aid available is often a big aspect of the jump from D3 to D2, though that was not directly stated in the press release.
"It also offers Ferrum College the opportunity to open new avenues for growth and success on and off the field in a values-based culture," said Martin. "This transformative initiative encompasses several key components, each designed to propel Ferrum College to new heights of distinction, service and impact. Central to our mission is the holistic development and well-being of every student."
Ferrum women’s basketball comes off a 10-16 season in 2023-24 that included a 7-11 record in the ODAC.
» Below is the timeline that was provided in the release for D2 transition
PROJECTED TIMELINE OF TRANSITION FROM NCAA DIVISION III TO NCAA DIVISION III
March 2024 - Board of Trustees Approves Proposal to seek membership in Division II
April 2024 - Potential Invite to join Conference Carolinas
February 2025 - Application to NCAA
Summer 2025 - Official Approval from NCAA into DII
Fall 2025 - Begin DII competition in CC
July 2027 - permanent membership into CC
» To read the full press release, click here.
Speaking of conference changes, SUNY New Paltz will have a new conference home starting in 2026-27. What conference will that be? We don’t know yet. New Paltz announced in a press release on Wednesday that the institution is in the process of leaving the SUNYAC, and “seeking a new home conference for Hawks varsity sports”, but gave no indication of what conference that will be. It will be a two-year process and for that span of time, New Paltz will compete as usual in the SUNYAC.
The assumption is that New Paltz unofficially already has another conference home lined up, but I haven’t yet confirmed that. The Skyline Conference would make plenty of sense, considering it was noted in the release that “a major component of this plan will be to reduce away-game travel time for varsity teams.” With the longest trip from New Paltz being around 2.5 hours in the Skyline, that is the best situation for New Paltz in the scope of limited travel. That, along with the fact that the Liberty League is not likely to take a state school and wouldn’t help the travel situation, pretty much crosses that option off the list.
Time will tell as to where New Paltz ends up, but it could be especially interesting from a women’s basketball standpoint. This is a program that has put together five straight 20+ win seasons, including a 25-4 campaign this past year that saw the Hawks take down Christopher Newport on a neutral court. They’ve found plenty of success on the court in the SUNYAC, and would be a huge addition to the Skyline if that is the move that ends up happening.
» Check out the full press release on that announcement here.
When it comes to coaching changes, we’ve had two recent head coach hirings in the last few days.
» Norwich University (GNAC) named Ute Otley head coach on Wednesday, as she takes the reins of the program after an incredible run of success at the high school level. Since 2011-12, she led Vermont’s Champlain Valley Union High School to eight state titles and from 2012-16, her squad set a state record with 96 consecutive victories.
By all indications, this is a slam dunk hire for Norwich. She coached four Vermont Gatorade Players of the Year since 2013, and clearly knows how to win. Recruiting is always an interesting element of these hires, but as I said with the Buena Vista hire (also a very successful HS coach), Otley has plenty of connections across the state at the prep level that should aid in finding talent and building a roster. High school coaching experience can be very valuable in these types of situations.
Norwich returns Haley Brewster (19.6 PPG in ‘23-’24) and Maren McGinn (16.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG in ‘23-’24) for this upcoming season. There is definitely work to be done to improve on the 8-16 record from a year ago, but keep an eye on this program next season in the GNAC.
» Heidelberg (OAC) announced yesterday that Erin Eaton will be promoted to head coach after spending this past season as the top assistant on the coaching staff. Following Rachel Mease’s departure at the end of the season, Eaton stepped into the interim head coach role, and this marks her third head coaching job after previously spending time leading the programs at Muskingum and Pitt-Greensburg.
Heidelberg went 4-21 overall and 1-17 in the OAC in 2023-24.
» Additionally, in terms of job openings, an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator position has opened up at UW-Platteville. Great opportunity there in the WIAC on an excellent coaching staff.
That’ll wrap this up! Enjoy the Final Fours this weekend and stay tuned for more offseason coverage to come here. As always, be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already (it’s free to do so) and if you know of someone who would enjoy this newsletter, please don’t hesitate to share this with them.