Together We Transform Thursday – April 3, 2025
Welcome to the New Division I
Like me, every Division I administrator and coach has had April 7 circled on the calendar for several months.
The final hearing in the proposed House settlement will take place on Monday in the California courtroom of Judge Claudia Wilken, and the hope is that she will give her approval to formally usher in a complete overhaul of NCAA rules as we have known them.
If Judge Wilken approves the terms of the settlement, which all indications are that she will, it will mean that as of July 1 all Division I schools – for the first time ever – will be able to directly share revenue with student-athletes. In addition, roster limits for each team will be imposed while the cap on the number of scholarships is eliminated.
Each Division I school is being given the choice to "opt in" to the terms of the settlement. Those who don't will continue to operate under the current rules including adherence to current scholarship limits and the restriction on direct payments to student-athletes.
Stony Brook, along with the entire membership of the full-member CAA, made the decision to opt in because it provides the greatest level of flexibility as we adapt to the new landscape. The reality is that these changes represent the new Division I, and it is vital that we are a part of it.
My role as a member of the NCAA Division I Council has provided valuable insight that I have been able to bring back to campus. This is a watershed moment for us, and we plan to seize the opportunity with full force.
As you might imagine, we have been preparing for several months and have full campus support to begin providing additional resources for student-athletes. Our ability to compete, especially in football and basketball, is dependent upon it. This will certainly place additional pressure on us to raise more money, but I'm excited about the challenge and believe that we can thrive in the new environment.
Stay tuned because it is about to get very interesting…
Giving Day Success
Thank you to everyone who made a gift last week during our annual Giving Day. It was a tremendous success for our department as more than 574 unique donors came together to help raise more than $500,000. Read more about the record-setting day here.
This demonstration of support and trust in our program is not only heartwarming, it will serve as a springboard to greater achievements ahead – especially considering the new Division I framework.
We will be addressing many areas of need over the next few weeks and months, including the long-awaited start to the first phase of our renovations to Joe Nathan Field and University Field.
Thank you for your continued support. Let's keep the fundraising momentum rolling!
Women's Lacrosse Maintains Historic Run
Our women's lacrosse team dominated William & Mary 20-3 on Sunday to continue its historic streak of victories against conference opponents, which now stands at 82. To put into perspective how incredible that number is, consider this: I started at Stony Brook in July of 2014 and have yet to see us lose a game against a conference opponent.
Joe Spallina's squad was led last week by a trio of Seawolves who swept the CAA weekly awards, including Defensive Player of the Week Avery Hines, Offensive Player of the Week Charlotte Wilmoth and Co-Rookie of the Week Julia Fusco.
Congratulations to Avery for recording her 100th career caused turnover in a 20-5 win over Vermont. She became the fifth player in program history to achieve the milestone.
Come out and cheer on the team Friday night at 6 p.m. as the Seawolves seek their 83rd straight win over a conference foe as Monmouth makes the trip to LaValle Stadium. We will also celebrate our eight seniors, so be sure to arrive early. The ceremony will begin at 5:25 p.m.
Men's Lacrosse Takes Down No. 12 Fairfield
Fairfield entered Saturday's game against our men's lacrosse team at LaValle Stadium as the last remaining undefeated team in Division I. They left with their first loss of the season as our guys came away with a hard-fought 17-16 win.
I'm so proud of our team for staying the course after beginning CAA play with two tough overtime losses to Hofstra (double OT) and Towson. Anthony Gilardi has a very young squad that has bought in to the culture of our program, and the results finally bore fruit last weekend.
Jamison MacLachlan was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week after his 20-save performance against Fairfield while Kian McCoy earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors.
CAA play continues Saturday at Delaware before the team returns home to take on Monmouth on April 12.
Opportunity Weekend for the Seawolves!
Beyond men's and women's lacrosse, several other teams are in action this weekend. Baseball and softball continue CAA play while track and tennis are looking to continue building toward championship season!
- Softball will bring its five-game CAA winning streak into this weekend's series against North Carolina A&T as the Aggies make the trip to Long Island. Game one of the three-game set is scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m. at University Field.
- Baseball is on the road at North Carolina A&T for a three-game series starting tomorrow. Nico Azpilcueta has homered in six of his last seven games.
- Tennis will welcome Towson for a match that will take place in Oceanside due to construction on campus that has impacted our courts. The team is coming off a 4-0 win over Sacred Heart on Wednesday.
- Track and Field will participate in the Colonial Relays hosted by William & Mary tomorrow and Saturday.
There is so much more going on behind the scenes, including the development of our new strategic plan that will serve as our guide to the future of Stony Brook Athletics. Thank you for your loyalty and support!
Keep believing!
Shawn
Shawn
