McMurry would definately be a good call, but Mumme probably wants his hands on some scholarship type kids in Texas. When they brought him in, you knew they were serious about sports. I can't wait to see how they do.

You're right about LC/MC/Huntingdon, as they're not the same type of "academic" schools. Regionally, though, it would make for some good matchups with the teams that just left the SCAC. As for a Texas league, who wouldn't want to see Trinity, UMHB, and UMHS in the same conference? That would be awesome.

I'm a huge SCAC supporter, and I'm sad to see it come to this. I wish the schools could find another way, but alas, it is what it is. The SCAC as it's been has been a lot of fun, and very exciting in recent years. I hope all of the schools find their own balance, and continue to demonstrate success on AND off the field. It's a shame that some don't seem to want to necessarily do both.

Quote from: Ron Boerger on June 14, 2011, 10:43:07 PM

Quote from: HelloGoodbye on June 14, 2011, 07:28:03 PM

Admitting a student-athlete on the basis of athletic potential over academic qualifications - and let's face it, that is your basic premise, window dressing aside - is a pretty basic violation of NCAA Division III policy, is it not?  Especially since those student-athletes would probably also need substantial financial aid to pay the piper, and granting aid disproportionately to student-athletes for whatever reason IS a huge no-no that the NCAA will seek out and has been paying more attention to as of late.   

Folks, if you're not in the SCAC, you're free to call it a "geographic mess," but the fact of the matter is it worked quite well for a couple of decades until it choked on its own success (too many teams, too far apart).   Whether a new SCAC can rise from the ashes to retain its geographic independence is a matter still very much in the balance, but that is the direction that has been announced.   

No one said based on athletic potential, so let's be very clear about that. A students' potential might include athletics, but is not BASED on athletics. Would a school be out of line to accept a exceptional drama student into the theater program, even if their GPA wasn't on par with the schools average? No, they would (should) look at what else the student offers.
If the schools want the balance they teach their students, then they'll see the advantage in students who WILL contribute to their school in things beyond the USAtoday rankings. D3 is about the COMPLETE student, correct? Further, absolutely NO ONE mentioned granting a student unfair acceptance because of athletics. The point, though, is that these schools are looking at numbers...not the person. That's lazy, not elite. I don't care if its art, athletics, academics, or anything else like that... ELITE schools will find the very best blend. Window dress that statement however you'd like... I believe all students should have a chance. The attitudes of these institutions in this matter, reflect their feelings on these types of "average" students, in general. This isn't the first time someone is saying these things on these boards.

"If you're not in the SCAC..." What makes someone "in" the SCAC? And what makes someone more in the SCAC? Have you played in it, or dealt with the week in and week out travel, while doing homework? Did you participate in loading/unloading of equipment after you bus arrived at 3am, from several of these trips? Did you do school work on buses coming back 12+ hours back and forth from games, and on the plane ride back from CC? You know anyone who struggled with school in season, because of the full weekends of travel, and teachers who didn't like athletes which in turn made their lives harder? Are you really implying that anyone in this room is less "in" the SCAC than another? It's a blog... it's here for opinion... it's here for FANS to exchange ideas. My thinking the SCAC is a mess is my opinion, and one I can support... I've been there.

My comment about the ASC/SCAC "trading" schools put academics aside. It was purely from a "this would be cool for football" moment. The Texas schools should have a league, and have the rest bring over/in schools like MC/LC/Huntingdon... D3 not losing UNO or Cent. Those are all regional teams to the former SCAC "east."

Quote from: Ralph Turner on June 14, 2011, 12:01:57 PM
The AQ is driving all of this.  A school either admits that they want access to a national championship or they focus on an athletic program that is glorified "intramurals".

Why can't they do both? (The rest of this is only indirectly related to the quote)

Isn't the point of D3 athletics, to demonstrate the meaning of STUDENT-athlete? What is wrong with accepting students who don't fit the schools scholastic, economic, and (bbking might argue ethnic) portfolio. Would these presidents not agree that the mission of D3 athletics to mold men and women of BALANCE? Where is the balance within these institutions? Are they concerned that they're not able to educate students with average high school scores? I could write an entire blog on reasons students can perform much higher than their high school scores suggest, if given the right guidance and motivation.

What better way could and institution demonstrate superiority, then to find young men who have potential, and help them tap that potential? Wouldn't taking an average (academic) high school student athlete, and turning him into an all-conference... even an all-conference academic team player,  be the true definition of what D3 athletics is all about? If this is purely about academics, these institutions are in need of a "cup check" to see if there's anything still there.

From a football standpoint, this might have been a great move. If these schools weren't serious about football and athletics, it'd be Trinity's conference for another decade. The SCAC was boring until Millsaps flipped it on its' head. Any true football fan loved that... a REAL rivalry that meant something... mid-season games with playoff feel... not one team stomping the rest of the conference into the mud.

From a geographic stand-point, the conference has always been a mess. It would've been nice if the ASC and SCAC could've "traded" a few schools. CC was the beginning of the end.