http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/07/reform_and_restructuring.html This fall, in the name of academic reform, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Gordon Gee restructured his school's athletic department, leaving Athletic Director Todd Turner out of its daily operations. In this interview, Turner discusses the evolving nature of presidential politics at the NCAA Division I level—and why he and the Commodores' top brass parted ways. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/07/growing_the_womens_game.html By Kenny Berkowitz: Athletic Management takes a look at grassroots marketing efforts that have provided attendance boosts for a handful of NCAA Division I women’s basketball programs. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/06/cleared_for_takeoff.html By Nate Dougherty: Are your basketball coaches planning to take their teams abroad? Chances are the thought has at least crossed their minds. This travel primer discusses scheduling and logistical considerations that administrators should be aware of when helping coaches plan trips abroad. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/06/news_from_the_courts.html A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Title IX’s three-prong compliance test took its second step backward in May, when a three-judge U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision that dismissed the case. The panel was split 2 to 1. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/06/fighting_for_control.html By Dennis Read The relationship between sports teams and the media has long been a complicated one. Daily coverage from newspapers, television, and radio drives interest in games while rights fees fuel most sporting organizations' financial engines. Media outlets would find a lot of dead air and blanks pages on their hands were it not for the games played by athletes at the high school, college and professional levels. But a recent addition to this equation has challenged existing rules, causing both sides to re-examine their place in this ongoing dance. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/06/can_turf_fields_pose_health_ri_1.html By Dennis Read Athletic directors are used to watching contests played on their schools' fields. Now some are seeing battles being fought over them. Recent reports of high lead levels in a few synthetic turf fields have roused critics with concerns about the technology’s safety. However, industry leaders strongly stand behind the safety of their products, countering that there is no evidence linking synthetic turf to illness or environmental damage. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/06/nacda_honors_ads_of_the_year_1.html By R.J. Anderson As the 2008 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention wrapped up on June 9, the organization announced the 29 winners of the AstroTurf Athletic Director of the Year Award (ADOY). Please join Athletic Management in congratulating all of the deserving recipients. And the winners are ... http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/06/debating_an_early_offer_1.html By Christa Cardone and Dan Cardone Contributor Dan Cardone, Athletic Director at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., and his daughter Christa Cardone, a recent graduate from the University of Kentucky, share their thoughts on a recent decision made by Kentucky Head Mens' Basketball Coach Billy Gillespie to offer a scholarship to an eighth grader. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/06/qa_with_martin_ryan.html Kennebunk (Maine) High School After almost 40 years in education, Martin Ryan, CMAA, Director of Athletics at Kennebunk (Maine) High School, is getting ready for a leisurely retirement in 2009. He certainly deserves it. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/05/putting_safety_first.html By Jay Hammes Violence erupting at a high school sporting event is every athletic director’s worst nightmare. Jay Hammes, Athletic Director at William Horlick High School in Racine, Wis., shares tips for making events safer and more secure. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/05/qa_with_dave_hart.html On Dec. 31, Dave Hart Jr. stepped down as Athletic Director at Florida State University after 13 years at the school. Six months afterward, Hart will receive the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ highest honor—the James J. Corbett Award. The formal presentation will be made during a June 10 dinner at the NACDA Annual Convention in Dallas. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/05/pick_one_and_stick_with_it_1.html By Nate Dougherty In many places, the three-sport high school athlete is an endangered species. Whether it's fall baseball, indoor soccer in the winter, or summer volleyball leagues, more young athletes are being pressured into choosing one sport to play year round. This becomes especially important when college scholarships are on the line and student-athletes are more or less forced to pick one sport just to keep up with competitors. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/05/leaving_campus.html By Nate Dougherty You may not have heard, but Rutgers University football dealt the University of Notre Dame a loss this spring. It wasn’t exactly on the football field, however. The two schools had been in discussion for a six game home-and-home series, and Notre Dame proposed for Rutgers to give up its home games to play in the yet-to-be-named new NFL stadium for the Jets and Giants. But Rutgers, which is in the process of expanding its current 41,500-seat stadium, didn’t like the idea of moving home games an hour north and ended the talks. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/05/eye_on_academics.html By Nate Dougherty For many schools, the news wasn’t good when the NCAA released Academic Progress Reports last week. But the APR is not the kind of report card schools can just hide from their parents to make the problem go away—the NCAA has slapped 218 teams with penalties ranging from warnings to reduced scholarships and recruiting and practice time. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/04/ncaa_diii_stands_pat_issues_re.html By Michael Vienna In March, the NCAA officially ended its discussion of creating a division or subdivision to address the growth of Division III, instead recommending a more broad-based approach in responding to the Association's continuing growth. Michael Vienna, Athletic Director at Salisbury University, shares his take on the discussion, including some ideas for moving forward. http://www.athleticmanagement.com/2008/04/qa_with_joy_solomen.html Rowan University : After graduating in 1969 from Glassboro State College, where she captained the field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse teams, Joy Solomen taught basketball in the Philippines, toured Asia as an assistant coach for a U.S. women’s all-star basketball team, and spent five years as Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Biola University, where her teams consistently finished near the top of the conference standings.