Boasting the highest retention rate of all NCAA Division I conferences, the institutions of the Patriot League recruit Student-Athletes that embrace the challenge of managing athletics in a highly academic environment. Led by Jennifer Heppel, the League consistently makes an effort to make its presence felt nationally while refusing to veer too far from its core values. Heppel took some time out of her schedule to contribute to this edition of ADU's Commissioner's Corner.

At the very least, there needs to be a redefining of what constitutes substantial academic assistance. This redefinition should be in terms of how much assistance need be given in an individual case and, more so, in recognizing a systemic failure as constituting substantial assistance without regard to the proofs as to the extent of assistance in individual cases.

For athletics, the athletic director is the equivalent of the college dean. But when the “front porch” of the campus misfires, it can inflict much more serious and lasting damage on a university than a scandal in the English Department or Medical School. That means that a president also must have an active outside-athletics eye on athletics. Enter the Faculty Athletic Representative.

In Part II of his 1.Q, Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione shares perspective on how his job has changed given budget increases in college athletics over the years.

If you and/or your head coaches see the graduate transfer landscape as problematic, what are some realistic solutions given current voting dynamics and implementation challenges?

We're in the midst of another season of Football Head Coaching changes. Every Head Coach around the nation says they are "totally committed" to student-athlete academic success. What does that really mean for a new Head Coach & his/her staff within their first 90 days at a new institution? What should the coaching staff & the academic staff be establishing right out of the gates?