Overworked, Underpaid & Leaving in Droves: Why you need to show some Love for your SID!
In this edition, I will unveil the rapidly changing Top 8s, look at some crucial games, and tell you which team has a chance to crash the dance… but first, it is time to talk about a major problem developing in the NCAA!
If you read the headline, you know I am talking about Sports Information Directors. They are most commonly referred to as SIDs, even if the office has been changed to Athletic Communications. Try pronouncing ACD as a singular word and get a response - but I digress. Typically, if you work in the SID office you deal with every head coach in your department in some form or another. The job usually carries with it an 80-hour work week and many late nights. As schools see financial gain in adding sports, often they don’t see a need to hire additional support in the SID office. It wasn’t too long ago there would be one Athletic Trainer for an entire department, but while athletic training staffs have expanded for the benefit of the student-athlete (and deservedly so), the budgets for SIDs have not always been expanded in the same way.
It doesn’t take long to see athletics programs have increased personnel to help the mental health of student-athletes, but what about the mental health of the employees? I talked to several SIDs about the crisis and was told there is actually a committee of SIDs looking into the problem.
As usual, the Musings has ideas to rectify the situation. We need to develop the future, and the way isn’t to say, “We have this job where you're going to work 80 hours a week and you’re going to get paid less than minimum wage.”
Athletic departments MUST do their part. If you have 20 sports, you need three FULL-TIME people in the office. If one is solely responsible for the website and social media - so be it, but whatever the case, there need to be more people hired!
Sometimes people tell me, “The hiring pool isn’t big.” If an SID has $20,000 to spend on student workers, the pool just became a lot deeper! It is up to the individual SID to bring in the help available on campus and cultivate the future.
Imagine a head coach having no assistants and having to coach two games at the same time! That is what SIDs have to deal with ALL THE TIME!
So the next time you see your SID, maybe introduce yourself, say “Thank You,” and ask them, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
This week we start at #1 and work our way down the WBB East Region Top 8!
TMAC’s Elite 8 - WBB
#1) Assumption (19-3) ↔
#2) Jefferson (20-3) ⬆2
#3) Le Moyne (17-5) ↔
#4) Southern New Hampshire (15-5) ⬇2
#5) St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5) ↔
#6) New Haven (13-7) NR
#7) Bentley (13-8) ⬇2
#8) American International (13-7)* ↔
OUT: #7 Southern Connecticut
Teams with At-Large hopes: Holy Family, SCSU, Chestnut Hill
*AIC is 13-7, despite having an overall 14-9 record. The loss at the University of Vermont is against a Division I team and does not qualify for criteria purposes. The two games in Puerto Rico count towards the minimum contests played, but they are not used in the criteria either. This is actually very good news and boosts the Yellow Jackets.
Game of the Week: #1 Assumption @ #3 Le Moyne: Tuesday 5:30 pm
Last season at about this time, the Dolphins appeared ready to make a claim as regional host, faced off against SNHU and the two teams ended up being ships passing in the night. SNHU hosted, while the green and gold just hung on to gain an at-large entry. This year, there isn’t a team in the region on a better streak than the seven straight Ws for Mary Grimes and company.
Assumption would still be on the one-line with a loss, however, it would make the top four very compact.
Games of Note:
#5 St. Thomas Aquinas @ Mercy: Wednesday, 5 pm: The Musings will be courtside for what will be a battle for first in the ECC. Mercy (8-3 ECC) is one full game behind and in third place, but the Mavericks clipped STAC (9-2 ECC) in the first meeting. Mercy doesn’t have at-large possibilities, but the group can finish in first and that is a huge advantage. The #1-Seed carries with it the conference tournament hosting responsibilities (Semi-final/Championship Rounds) and a first-round bye. Daemen is sandwiched between these two schools at 9-3. After this game, both Daemen and STAC won’t play for nine days (versus each other in Buffalo). Considering Daemen is only playing 22 out of a possible 28 games, and the Spartans also one shy of the max thanks to a Saint Rose cancellation, it boggles the mind why these two schools aren’t playing a third time. Factoring, how stringent the committee has been when it comes to not playing enough games, it is very confusing why Daemen wasn’t aggressive in scheduling another game or two. A win for Mercy sweeps the season-series, would mean that all three schools have destiny in their own hands as far as the regular season title is concerned and could result in the Wildcats ending the evening in first!
#6 New Haven @ Chestnut Hill: Thursday, 6 pm: A couple of weeks ago I thought this could be a bracket-buster game, but now it looks like one that could either breathe new life into seemingly vanquished at-large chances of Chestnut Hill (15-7), or give New Haven into another quality road win. UNH sports the region’s other 7-game winning streak. If it wasn’t for losses to Bloomsburg and Georgian Court, the Griffins would be in the at-large picture already thanks to a very strong non-conference schedule. The Chargers have very little margin for error.
#3 Le Moyne @ #8 American International: Saturday 1:30 pm: No matter what happens on Tuesday, this is a letdown game for the Dolphins and it is a matchup that AIC won in Syracuse. It’s totally possible that Le Moyne wins versus #1 and falls by double figures here. That’s the Northeast 10! The Yellow Jackets could use a quality win as Holy Family lurks.
#6 New Haven @ #1 Assumption: Saturday, 1:30 pm: If UNH loses Thursday, this game picks up meaning. If the Chargers win Thursday, they are playing with house money. If Assumption has a 2-0 week, wrestling away the right to host the regional would be next to impossible.
#9 Holy Family @ Dominican: Saturday, 3 pm: The DU Chargers have had a disappointing season. Clearly, they can compete with the best in the region, but the group also can lose to anyone. Holy Family is similar but sports a slightly better resume. If HFU wants to claim the #8-line, defeating a team outside the top 10 would be a pretty good start!
As we switch to the men’s side, the bottom of the bracket was reorganized!
TMAC’s Top 8- MBB
#1) Bentley (17-3) ↔
#2) Saint Anselm (15-6) ↔
#3) Southern New Hampshire (14-7) ⬆2
#4) New Haven (14-7) ⬇1
#5) Dominican (17-5)* ⬇1
#6) St. Thomas Aquinas (20-3) ⬆2
#7) Le Moyne (13-11) NR
#8) Pace (16-8) NR
*Games against Cheyney do not count as far as ranking purposes.
Out: #7 Franklin Pierce, #8 Southern Connecticut
So you’re saying there’s a chance… of an at-large: Post, SCSU, Pierce.
Well, that was a messy week! The Spartans keep winning, and solidify themselves in the tourney! Seven-eleven isn’t convenient at all! Here’s the reasoning on what separates the teams. Le Moyne defeated Pace twice, while Pace split with SCSU and won at Franklin Pierce. Post won a neutral game versus SCSU and despite a devastating loss at the team formerly known as the Nyack Purple Pride this week, keep an eye on the Eagles. They are probably one regular-season loss away from having to win the CACC Tournament!
Bentley is one triumph away from attaining LOCK status. The Falcons are the odd-on favorite to host for a second consecutive season.
Team to watch this week: Franklin Pierce
#3 SNHU @ FPU: Tuesday, 7:30 PM:
#2 Saint Anselm @ FPU: Saturday, 3:30 pm
If you have games against teams in the top eight, it is easy to get into the regional mix. I have Pierce #11 this week and that means the group would be best served winning both. The Ravens have five games remaining and all are against the top 10. If David Chadbourne’s contingent can go 4-1 over that stretch, it would be hard to imagine the group being outside the top 8. Currently, they only sport two wins against the top 10, however, all of that could change very soon!
I am not the only one providing projections. Check out Inkblot on twitter for what they have to say about the men’s and women’s regional rankings in just about every sport for Division II! Give them a sub, and a follow!
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This was written by Tim McCaffrey, to write to him, try t.p.mccaffrey@gmail.com, he returns every e-mail!