Humbled to share that Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger was named a finalist for the Best Baseball Nonfiction Book by The Twin Bill. I was on Episode 45 of the Twin Bill Baseball Book podcast which dropped June 23. Check out the site if you are a baseball fan. www.stevedittmore.com/forgotten-do...

Self-promotion alert! Happy to send a signed copy of @forgottendodger to anyone searching for the perfect holiday gift 😉. Please send me a message! Thank you!

University of Lynchburg is seeking to reduce a deficit and increase revenue. One strategy is, wait for it, adding a women's wrestling team. Adding sports is NOT the solution to a financial deficit. www.wvtf.org/news/2025-12...

Mail call from August Publications! Baseball books from @ericvickrey.bsky.social (his new tome, "Before They Wore Dodger Blue," covers the Dodgers' 1968 draft class, along with the man who managed them in AAA Spokane), along with a biography of Jim Gilliam by @stevedittmore.bsky.social.

I have read this. It details how, beginning in the minor leagues, Tommy Lasorda motivated a group of eager, young, and talented players who would reverse the downward trend the Dodger franchise experienced in the late 1960s. Dozens of interviews make this a fun read!

Slippery Rock announced it will begin women's flag football in 2027-28. "It will be supported by a fundraising campaign set to launch in early 2026." If an enrollment-driven school does not have the financial resources to begin a sport, why is it adding the sport? rockathletics.com/news/2025/11...

October 11, 1978 - 47 years ago today - was Jim Gilliam's funeral. It was the morning of Game Two of the Yankees-Dodgers World Series. Here is how I describe the scene in @forgottendodger.bsky.social and images of the funeral program I own. Rev. Jesse Jackson delivered the eulogy.

Did not have the Dodgers winning with their two runs being scored by Justin Dean and Hyesong Kim. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Seventy-seven years today, one of baseball's most iconic photos was taken. It features Steve Gromek and Larry Doby embracing after the Cleveland Indians' Game 4 win in the 1948 World Series. But what if the photo had been staged? Here's my newsletter on that: lepplin.substack.com/p/the-stagin...

At 10:55 pm in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 8, 1978 (47 years ago today), Jim Gilliam passed away. His death warranted front page coverage in the next day's Los Angeles Times. His funeral would be three days later, on the morning of Game Two of the Yankees-Dodgers World Series.

This news release is misleading. It claims 43 NCAA D1 schools "carry" women's flag football implies 43 schools have it as a varsity sport. That is simply not the case. By my count, only 4 D1 schools have announced varsity programs - Alabama State, Mount St. Mary's, LIU, and North Alabama.

As DIII ADs acknowledge publicly changing dynamics within college sport could increase calls for a Division IV, differences among existing DIII members grows. Slightly more than 10% of DIII excel in academics and athletics, core missions of the division. stevedittmore.substack.com/p/what-ncaa-...

I spent 14 years at the University of Arkansas - it shaped my academic career. The Mullins Library was integral part of my experience. The interlibrary loan librarians provided amazing support during the writing of @forgottendodger.bsky.social. Hoping for the safety of everyone on campus.

Hey @ericstephen.bsky.social ... three guesses seems pretty good, eh? Just discovered this BTW and I could not be more nerded out! SB Nation in-5 July 26, 2025 ❌❌✅⬛⬛ (3/5)

Had a great conversation with Bill Donohue of WGBB on Long Island this past Sunday night about Jim Gilliam. You can listen at link or on your favorite podcast app. Bonus is that you also get to hear Marshall Garvey discuss his book about the 1985 World Series. www.sportstalkny.com/episode/base...

Looking for someone with expertise in required legal corporation filings universities have to make. Who should I reach out to? DM me or email me: [email protected]

Via D1.Ticker, Central Arkansas athletics opts out of House settlement, citing its role in campus enrollment. First such acknowledgment I have seen from a D1 program. Have I missed others?

Are you currently, or have you been, an appointed board member at a public university? If so, I'd like to talk to you for a story. Please DM me or email me at [email protected]

67.8% athletes... 😳.

Unfortunate news concerning Siena Heights University and its impending closure. Per 2023-24 EADA, school had 1,075 undergraduates, 729 athletes (67.8%). In 2022-23, the school reported 1,095 undergraduates, 684 athletes (62.5%). www.sienaheights.edu/siena-height...

For the morning crowd... I was noticing an under the radar trend recently. Division I athletic departments are choosing to compete in track OR field, but not both. Is this a post-House cost-cutting measure? stevedittmore.substack.com/p/division-i...

I was noticing an under the radar trend recently. Division I athletic departments are choosing to compete in track OR field, but not both. Is this a post-House cost-cutting measure? stevedittmore.substack.com/p/division-i...

This is surreal... I am honored to participate in this weekend's Salute to the Negro Leagues through a book signing at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. Thank you Bob Kendrick for the opportunity. Please connect if you will be at this weekend's events or Dodgers-Royals games.

hey guess what EXTRA POINTS IS NOW HIRING A NEW, FULL-TIME WRITER Help us cover Money In College Sports....from NIL to Private Capital and more. Details and application info here: www.extrapointsmb.com/p/extra-poin...

Another Division I program (Louisiana-Monroe) announced it was dropping women's tennis. Of 135 DI programs discontinued since March 20, 38 (28%!) have been tennis programs. I wrote about the changing economics of sponsoring tennis a couple weeks back. stevedittmore.substack.com/p/what-radfo...

100% this! Cassidy scanned a box of papers for me during COVID so I could research @forgottendodger.bsky.social. Looking forward to learning more from this event!

Part 2 of our Researchers’ Series brings Cassidy Lent to Elysian Fields! Join in as the library director at the Baseball Hall of Fame talks about the Giamatti Research Center and how to utilize its resources, either in person or virtually. All are welcome! Register here: tinyurl.com/CLentResearch

Resharing this morning’s post with the news the Central Arkansas discontinued women’s tennis today. Cc: @mattbrown.bsky.social @daniellibit.bsky.social @drkarenweaver.bsky.social @tvparrot.bsky.social ucasports.com/news/2025/6/...

Radford University essentially traded men's and women's tennis for men's track and women's flag football. I attempt to explain this, and wonder whether more similar Olympic sports cuts are ahead in a post-House world. stevedittmore.substack.com/p/what-radfo...

All right, listen up: "Moses and the Doctor" is now available for pre-order. It's got Dr. J, Moses Malone, the ABA, playground basketball, Philly, Houston, Bird and Magic, and much more. It comes out on February 10, 2026. Let's go. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moses-and-...

Thrilled to see an adaptation from my new book, "The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse," appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine. The photos are incredible: www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/m...

What Matt said... The EADA is not perfect but it is something, and it is a way to understand spending in intercollegiate athletics, across public and private, DI to DII to DIII to NAIA.

Is the EADA data set perfect? Far from it! It has significant problems, in my humble opinion. But is it used by a TON of people, from researchers to university presidents to journalists to conference commissioners to lawmakers? Sure is! And without it, women athletes will suffer.

The Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education still has not published EADA data for the 2023-24 academic year. This data is required from all postsecondary institutions that receive Title IV funding and sponsor intercollegiate athletics. www.ed.gov/laws-and-pol...

Anderson University (IN) announced it would discontinue men's & women's lacrosse yesterday. Per the 22-23 EADA report, Anderson had 425 athletes and and 1,028 students (41.3%). Its rosters this year had 19 (men's) & 17 (women's). athletics.anderson.edu/general/2024...

A behind-the-scenes conversation with a Big Ten President on all of the changes in college athletics. Univ of Maryland's Darryll Pines joins the podcast with great perspective and advice for University leaders in this environment of accelerating change. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX0L...

In the wake of Limestone University's unfortunate situation, I wondered how many schools in the USDA rural loan program also had high percentages of athletes. Nearly two-thirds of four-year schools have greater than 44 percent athletes. A majority of these schools are in the Southeast.

@stevedittmore.bsky.social is doing fascinating work on the relationship between % of athletes on a campus & likelihood the institution will fail. I highly recommend his substack. This piece correlates the % of schools in the USDA rural loan program & those with greater than 44% of student-athletes.

In the wake of Limestone University's unfortunate situation, I wondered how many schools in the USDA rural loan program also had high percentages of athletes. Nearly two-thirds of four-year schools have greater than 44 percent athletes. A majority of these schools are in the Southeast.

Dusty Baker told me, Gilliam "would tell me about Jackie all the time... We all followed Jackie." Jim Gilliam and Jackie Robinson were roommates in 1953. Gilliam was a pall bearer at Jackie's funeral. Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

OTD in 1953, @forgottendodger.bsky.social made his MLB debut, going 1-for-5 against PIT. Two weeks later, The Sporting News framed a full-page story around whether Gilliam could hit enough to stay in the lineup. It was a typical narrative for TSN. www.stevedittmore.com/forgotten-do...

I had the most amazing conversation today with Father Malachi Van Tassell, President of St. Francis University, to discuss their pivotal decision to leave Division I and join Division III. Bottom line-if you are clear about your institution's mission at this moment, embrace the opportunity to act.

For the morning crowd…

Rather than face headwinds and logistics of staying in D1, Saint Francis University opted to transition to D3. What additional schools might also be considering a similar move? stevedittmore.substack.com/p/saint-fran...

Rebooting this in light of today's news from Saint Francis.

Like a lot of small private schools, Wittenberg University has seen significant enrollment declines the past few years. At the same time, the school's percent of athletes is up almost 25%. Is the school a cautionary tale of using sports as an enrollment strategy? open.substack.com/pub/stevedit...

The Department of Defense deemed a story about baseball hero and civil rights leader Jackie Robinson's time in the Army as "DEI" and deleted it.

There are several DI schools that profile as DIII schools based on enrollment, geography, etc. e.g., St. Bonaventure, Mount St. Mary's, St. Francis (PA), Canisius, Gardner-Webb, Queens, Evansville, Wagner. Not saying any of these schools are ones Matt is hearing, but all have high % of athletes.

Six weeks ago, Kean announced new programs in men's and women's wrestling. Yesterday, the school essentially finished its recruiting by merging with NJCU. Result is a net two fewer wrestling programs. keanathletics.com/news/2025/1/...

Wittenberg reinstates men's & women's tennis after discontinuing both six months ago. "The reinstatement was made possible through ... a group of alumni who have pledged their support to fund the program." Similar attempts at other universities have failed. wittenbergtigers.com/sports/mten/...