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Steve Dittmore, PhD

@stevedittmore.bsky.social
602 followers 258 following 185 posts

Dean & Prof = Univ. of North Florida | Write about college sports (mainly) at Glory Days, my Substack | Author = Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger | 2x Olympics staff | SABR member | linktr.ee/stevedittmore

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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
LeMoyne-Owen College & Univ. of Lynchburg both dropped men's volleyball after just two years of competition. Both schools cited insufficient participation. But was that really the case? What does it suggest about why sports exist on small college campuses? stevedittmore.substack.com/p/citing-ins...
stevedittmore.substack.com
Citing insufficient participation, two colleges drop men's volleyball after just two years
Two small colleges dropped men's volleyball teams two years after starting them. Both schools cited lack of participation as a reason. What does that mean?
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Too many D1 schools should not be D1 schools. Calvin in D3 gets about 4k per game.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Thank you, Eric, for making the time! Great to meet you in person as well. Looking forward to the return of the @threeinningsave.com!
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Ballpark Digest @ballparkdigest.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
This week's BPD newsletter features info on the big Saturday reading for authors Eric Vickrey and Steve Dittmore at the LA Central Library. The topic: Before They Wore Dodger Blue and Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger. Sign up for the free newsletter here: ballparkdigest.com/newsletter-2/
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Eric Vickrey @ericvickrey.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
If you're in LA, come talk ball with @stevedittmore.bsky.social and I this Saturday! #Dodgers
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you enjoy it!
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Excited to head back to the College Sport Research Institute conference at the Univ. of South Carolina this week. I am honored to moderate a panel discussion with Jerry Fisk and Craig Crow Thursday afternoon, examining the present, and future, of NCAA Division III open.substack.com/pub/stevedit...
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Excited to share I will join @ericvickrey.bsky.social @tomhoffarth.bsky.social and Fred Claire for a Dodgers-themed panel discussion and book signing on April 11 at the Los Angeles Public Library. Details at the link! www.stevedittmore.com/forgotten-do...
stevedittmore.com
I will be participating in a Dodgers Author Talk and Book Signing at Los Angeles Public Library, April 11
I am excited to announce I will participate in a Dodgers Author Talk, Panel Discussion, and Book Signing hosted by the Los Angeles Public Library on Saturday, April 11, from 2-3:30 pm PT. I will have....
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Prof Lou Moore @profloumoore.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
“If she was my 17-year-old daughter, I wouldn’t want her within 5,000 miles of Donald Trump.”
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Eric Kelderman @erickelderman.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
www.chronicle.com/article/a-sm...
chronicle.com
A Small University Bet Big on Enrolling Athletes. Now It Will Close.
As Lourdes University, a private institution in Ohio, expanded sports teams, it did bring new students to campus. But overall enrollment continued to decline.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
The NCAA is poised to approve women's flag football as an Emerging Sport for Women this week. Does it matter that Division I schools, especially the power conference institutions, are not adding it? I offer some thoughts on why. stevedittmore.substack.com/p/is-womens-...
stevedittmore.substack.com
Is women's flag football poised to be an NCAA Emerging Sport?
Will it matter that power conference schools are not adding it?
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Spent time examining D-III schools with increasing percentages of athletes on campus. Pfeiffer University and Hiram College provide two different approaches to growing enrollment. One is expanding rosters while the other is aggressively adding sports. stevedittmore.substack.com/p/growing-at...
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
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...
stevedittmore.com
Forgotten Dodger named Best Baseball Nonfiction Book Finalist by The Twin Bill
I am beyond grateful to share that Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger was named one of three finalists for the Best Baseball Nonfiction Book by The Twin Bill, a baseball literary site and podcast....
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
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!
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
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...
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Tim McDermott @thebombshelter.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
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.
The front covers of two books: on the left, "Before They Wore Dodger Blue," by Eric Vickrey, features a picture of Tommy Lasorda wearingthe jersey of the Spokane Indians; on the right, "Jim Gilliam: the Forgotten Dodger," by Steve Dittmore, shows a picture of the young Gilliam in a Brooklyn Dodger uniform.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
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!
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
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...
rockathletics.com
SRU announces women’s flag football as new varsity team - Slippery Rock University Athletics
Slippery Rock will launch a fundraising campaign in 2026 to support adding women's flag football as a varsity sport with competitive play anticipated to begin during
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
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.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Did not have the Dodgers winning with their two runs being scored by Justin Dean and Hyesong Kim. 🤷🏼‍♂️
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Luke Epplin @lukeepplin.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
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...
lepplin.substack.com
The Staging of One of Baseball’s Most Famous Images
The Steve Gromek/Larry Doby Photo Revisited
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
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.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
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.
uwaathletics.com
West Alabama Announces the Addition of Women’s Flag Football - University of West Alabama Athletics
LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Athletic Department announced the addition of Women's Flag Football that will be implemented in the 2026-27 Athletic
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
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-...
stevedittmore.substack.com
What NCAA Division III schools excelled at athletics and academics last year?
Is it time for Division III to revisit its structure?
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
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.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 26/07/2025
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)
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
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...
sportstalkny.com
Talking Baseball with Authors Stephen Dittmore and Marshall Garvey. - WGBB Sports Talk New York
Host Bill Donohue talks baseball with authors Stephen Dittmore and Marshall Garvey.
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David Jesse @reporterdavidj.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
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: david.jesse@chronicle.com
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
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?
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David Jesse @reporterdavidj.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
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 david.jesse@chronicle.com
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Dr. Karen Weaver @drkarenweaver.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
67.8% athletes... 😳.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
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...
sienaheights.edu
Siena Heights University Announces Closure at the Conclusion of the 2025-2026 Academic Year  – Siena Heights University
June 30, 2025, Adrian, Michigan – Siena Heights University, with the full support of the Board of Trustees and General Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, will close at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 academic year.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
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...
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
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...
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
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.
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Matt Brown @mattbrown.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
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...
extrapointsmb.com
Extra Points is hiring a new FULL-TIME Writer! Here are the details
We're looking to expand our operations in a BIG way
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
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...
stevedittmore.substack.com
What Radford University’s sport sponsorship changes might tell us about a post-House world
Are more Olympic sports cuts ahead?
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
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!
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SABR Elysian Fields Chapter @sabrelysian.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
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
Event banner featuring a photo of our guest speaker and meeting details
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
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/...
ucasports.com
UCA TO DISCONTINUE WOMEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM - University of Central Arkansas Athletics
CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas athletics department will no longer offer women's tennis as one of its varsity sports programs, it was announced
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
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...
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Luke Epplin @lukeepplin.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
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-...
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S.L. Price @byslp.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
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...
nytimes.com
They Invented the Game. Will They Be Allowed to Play It in the Olympics?
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
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.
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Matt Brown @mattbrown.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
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.
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
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...
ed.gov
Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
This page provides information on the requirements of the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act for co-educational postsecondary education institutions that participate in a Title IV, federal student fin...
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
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...
athletics.anderson.edu
Important Update from Anderson Athletics
Important Update from Anderson Athletics
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Dr. Karen Weaver @drkarenweaver.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
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...
youtube.com
Presidential Leadership in a Changing College Athletics Landscape-Maryland's President Darryll Pines
YouTube video by Trustees + Presidents: Managing College Athletics
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Steve Dittmore, PhD @stevedittmore.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
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.
open.substack.com
Universities participating in the USDA rural loan program also have a high percentage of athletes
Nearly two-thirds of four-year schools in the loan program exceed 44% athletes
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Deb Ryan @missdebcollege.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
@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.
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