Following is a summary of Double-A Zone news from the week of November 3-7.

•  “We must seize the momentum of President-elect Obama’s historic example to work with renewed vigilance toward increasing opportunities for minorities and women in the intercollegiate athletics community,” wrote NCAA blogger Marta Lawrence. While many great strides have been made, college athletics has yet to adequately reflect the diversity and racial landscape of the higher education community as a whole. What can be done to increase opportunities for minorities and women? Join the discussion.

• During the election, the Double-A Zone periodically mentioned parallels between athletics and politics. The candidates shared their own observations about the impact athletics has on their lives earlier this week during half-time of Monday Night Football. What impact have athletics had on your life?

• Double-A Zone contributor Howard Smith attended the Notre Dame football game last weekend, and he is very, very grateful for the NCAA’s overtime rules. According to Smith, the NFL is missing the boat on an exciting approach to tie-breakers. What do you think about the overtime rule?

• Here’s a scary statistic: The antibiotic-resistant strain of the common staph bacteria is now responsible for more deaths in the United States than AIDS, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The risk that student-athletes will develop a staph infection is very real and universities must work to mitigate the danger. What is your university doing to protect student-athletes?