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To my alma mater, with thanks

At the NCAA After the Game former student-athlete networking events, attendees write notes of thanks to the people and the programs who shaped their college athletics experience. Read a sampling of these notes penned to coaches, administrators and alma maters around the country.

Distress Signal

With the aid of the academy’s mental health services, Navy runner discovers her inner strength

St. Cloud State’s memorable championship: a stop in jail and hockey sticks for snow shovels

Roads started closing as they entered southwest Minnesota. So the bus turned down county roads and plowed through a deep snowdrift in an effort to reach an open road.

From Russia to Penn State, there was no foiling Olga Kalinovskaya’s plan

Olga Kalinovskaya earned her first NCAA individual national championship in 1993 and repeated as national champion three more times through 1996. In 1995, Penn State began a run of six consecutive national team titles.

National SAAC Day of Action

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For the past several years, the NCAA Divisions I, II and III Student-Athlete Advisory Committees have joined to promote awareness on issues surrounding sexual violence on college campuses. This year, the NCAA Board of Governors Student-Athlete Engagement Committee would like to increase awareness of the issue by conducting a two-day social media campaign April 17-18 in conjunction with the National SAACs’ Day of Action.

20 Heart-Pounding, Victory-Clinching, Unforgettable Finishes

A look beyond March Madness for the best NCAA championship buzzer-beaters.

Home-court advantage: Daemen coach hits 100 wins in every NCAA division, all in same city

Daemen men’s basketball coach Mike MacDonald has had an uncommon coaching journey, coaching at three colleges, in three NCAA divisions, over a span of 31 years— all while living in the same community.

2 committee chairs go to the mat for wrestling

Jackie Paquette, associate athletics director for student support and community engagement at UIndy, oversees the sport on her campus and is chair of the Division II Wrestling Committee. Karen Langston, senior associate athletics director for external affairs and capital projects at California State University, Bakersfield, oversees it on her campus, too, and is chair of the Division I Wrestling Committee.

In chase for record, Northeastern State’s Maddie Boyd keeps swinging

She was painfully close to ending her college career as she had dreamed, her name etched in the record book, her diploma in hand. But in those moments, she questioned whether those dreams were still attainable. Her priorities were forced to shift; it was time to focus on a new little girl.

Westfield State swimmer uses CPR training to breathe life for her dad

My dad didn’t respond to me, and as I got closer, I realized he was sitting in the chair convulsing. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Dad, Dad, are you OK?” Still no response.

Northwestern’s Jim Phillips honored as a champion of inclusion

Northwestern’s Athletics Director Jim Phillips is being recognized by the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee as a Champion of Diversity and Inclusion.

MSU Texas wins 2019 DII Award of Excellence

MSU Texas won the 2019 Division II Award of Excellence for 24 Strong Week, an initiative that drove community engagement by each MSU Texas athletics team in honor of late football player Robert Grays.

Division III adopts new football preseason format

After nearly two years of debate, the Division III football preseason has been reshaped to better accommodate the elimination of two-a-day practices.

Council adopts Final Four family travel proposal

The NCAA will continue to pay for families of student-athletes to travel to the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours. The Division I Council made permanent Wednesday a pilot program that began with the 2015 Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships and had been extended through an annual waiver.

NCAA schools’ investments yield returns for Olympians

Every year the U.S. Olympic Committee supports America’s future medalists, but the organization is also open about the fact that it doesn’t work alone.

The Hope-Calvin rivalry, rooted in a 150-year-old church division, keeps western Michigan talking

Hope and Calvin colleges are conference opponents located just 30 miles from each other in western Michigan, so their long-standing rivalry is no surprise.

Sensory-inclusive experiences open college sports to more fans

Pyrotechnics, loud music and light shows allure many fans on game day. But for some, the added effects can be overwhelming.

D.C. nonprofit trains college athletes to teach local youth about health and HIV prevention

The Grassroot Project arms college athletes with the knowledge and skills they need to teach local youth about HIV prevention, nutrition and physical health education.

Passion for the Pool

After an eight-year break from school, a Millersville swimmer returns to finish what she started.

Women’s Lacrosse Rules Committee honored with coaches association award

Accolades rarely come when coaches and athletics administrators volunteer to serve on NCAA playing rules committees.

Washington State strikes up the band for its adversary after Washington’s bus accident

I have a confession: I’m a die-hard Washington Huskies fan. I have been since elementary school in central Washington, where I grew up watching Cary Conklin play quarterback for my future high school and then for the Huskies.

Sports mentoring program is training women leaders from around the world

Sarah Hillyer has a global vision that keeps her on the move. In any given year, you may find her in China or Ecuador or Iran leading initiatives designed to empower women through sports.

New DI conference commissioner has stood up for what she believes in

The coaching change Gloria Nevarez went through as a player left a lasting impression after seeing some teammates get run off her Massachusetts squad.

‘The Best Ever’ — Maybe Forever

Florida phenom Tracy Caulkins dominated all four strokes during her college swimming career and left the NCAA record book in her wake.

State of Our Sports

This year, 494,992 student-athletes will compete in 24 sports on 19,745 teams, vying for 90 NCAA championship titles across three divisions. A deep dive into that data and conversations with the sports’ leaders show where our sports have been — and where they’re going.