FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[ACRULZ]

Congrats to Adrian baseball!  Big win over Emory University who was ranked #5 in the country!  HOF, just a missunderstanding on my part, I do agree on your points regarding winning.  Building a new stadium is not a factor that will cause you to win right away.  I think that the prez down at Adrian does not realize how competitive the MIAA is in other traditional sports.  He is a W & J guy.

[D306]

OK it's been a little slow here on the MIAA board.

So open question?
Is there anyone from the MIAA getting any looks in the NFL combines or real chance via walk on?

MIAA teams are busy with off season conditioning, I see some of the schools have posted 08 Rosters as of Feb. dates.
I noticed some names missing from some teams. Is there some guys that have transferred or are not planning on playing in 08?

lets get the off season and spring practice comments rolling.

Does Albion get back in the upper level of MIAA?

Adrian does all the talk of pressure and expectations lead to wins, or stagnate the program?

Alma I hear talk of a big name DII QB tranferring in Yes / NO ?

Tri-State/Trine do they continue to perform and improve like last 2 years or is the next step a little harder ? New stadium I hear as well.

Hope, does the defense pick up as the offense seems to be solid and a force that last few years?

Kazoo, is the new coaching staff getting the support required to bring Kazoo back to a force? Any talk of Stadium upgrades? The Alumni have money and typically are successful time to put the "arm" on them.

Some are repeat issues sorry just firing up ideas

[sac]

Right now Trine's football field would make a great dirt bike track.

[D306]

Man I forgot to put Olivet in there and they were only the league champs

Sorry

Olivet so what is the situaction with coach added from Holt?
Is graduation hitting them hard, they seem to have some momentuem right now with Faciluties upgrades as well

[D306]

SAC

will stadium be ready for the Season?

[formerd3db]

I can't imagine that Trine's stadium won't be ready for this upcoming season.  Even though it is a "mess" right now as SAC mentions, they started construction right after the season and it should be done.  At least that's what the "game plan" is as far as the original construction schedule was it is my understanding goes.  If Olivet and Adrian can both get their new stadiums constructed in the same time frame like they did, no reason that Trine won't either, barring some extensive streaks of horrendous weather causing delays (or a construction strike! ). 

Olivet's construction to their new arena next to the football stadium is moving right along.

I have not heard any specific info on fb recruiting from the various MIAA campuses as yet - haven't had a chance to chat with coaches I know.  I do know, however, as you say, that the players are gearing up for spring workouts.  I'm sure we'll all hear some news in the near future from the various campuses.

As far as Smith going to Olivet, I talked with some people I know from Holt and they mentioned that he has been considering a "move/change" for the past 3-4 years, so in one sense, it wasn't much of a surprise.  However, I will again mention that, I will be surprised if/when Livedotti steps down that Kubiak wouln't get the position ahead of Smith, since Kubiak is an alumnus unless he (Big K) doesn't want it.

BTW, I hope that we can get some additional MIAA posters to join all of us on this board for this fall.  We need and welcome more from some of the other schools - Kazoo, Alma and even Olivet as we lost a couple from the latters that participated before.  So let's encourage people.

Hey DAWG; what's the latest update on your job/move situation?

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

formerd3db:

No real word from Florida so I don't know what if anything is going to happen there.  I have had some interviews lately with companies in what I would call more of a sales capacity but I'm pretty sure thats not something that interests me so I will see what happens with that.  I have a possible job prospect lined up here in the Adrian area which would be preferable so we will see what happens with that.

[LetItRain]

The joke around campus at Trine/Tri-State is that they are building a new motocross track where the football field used to be.  However, they moved a lot of dirt this week and I've been told by my son that they're working on the field until late in the evening to try to get it done ASAP.  The goal was to have the lacrosse team playing on the new field this spring but I don't know if that's going to happen. 

I haven't seen any construction on the new football support building (just to the left of the field if you're looking at the webcam), but they still say they're planning to have it open for the 2008 season.

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

LetItRain:

Moving the dirt is a huge part of getting that field done.  When we were getting the new field at Adrian one of the most time consuming parts was getting the ground leveled.  Once they do that they can start filling and what not which is a much quicker process.  As for the support building I would imagine it will be semi ready for the 2008 season.  With any building of that magnitude just like the locker room complex at Adrian when you rush to finish some corners will likely get cut that will need to be gone back on during and after the season to fix and finish out.  There were several little problem's at Adrian despite the building having the apperance of being finished as far as I recall it wasn't cleared for occupancy until after the season with the team never even using the new locker room until the very last game.  The field will be one thing, the building will just be icing on the cake.

[miaafbfan]

I hadn't heard about any DII transfer to Alma, but I'm not really in the loop.  Sounds similar to Josh Brehm a few years back.  A repeat of that scenario would be just fine!  Not that Alma needs a new QB.  Last year MacGrady did very well.  Some say even better than Brehm initially.

[formerd3db]

MacGrady is an excellent QB and a great young man.  He had off-season shoulder surgery to his non-throwing shoulder which he injured during mid-season, but should be back fine when the season starts.  I forgot, but where did Brehm transfer from?  I thought he started out at Alma, but like you, I'm not in the loop there  

[formerd3db]

DAWG:

Good to hear from you.  Sorry the situation in Florida hasn't panned out yet, but we'll keep pulling for you for either something there or here in Michigan in Adrian as you mention.  Keep us posted.

BTW, have you heard anything about Adrian's recruiting so far?

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

formerd3db:

No specifics, I havent really asked about those.  But I hear they are bringing in a good deal of talent, enough that some returning starters may need to be worried.  The stadium and facilities are still a huge boost in the recruiting area and I imagine will remain so until someone tops them.

[D306]

From what I am told the DII QB transferring to Alma is Josh Rouhan he was at Wayne State and was recruited, got injuried, he is at Alma for the Winter Semester already.
Alma already has a good young QB so this could be interesting, I wonder is MacGrady not fully recovered.

I do not know, if these are confirmed facts, just a discussion I had with a co-worker whose son played at Alma several years ago.

I agree with the comments that the new stadium at Adrian is a great recruiting tool.

Albion may have some player movement the Defense has a wealth of quality underclassmen and Juniors in the 08 season. This should be a strength for the next couple years as they recieved considerable playing time last year.
The Academic rating of the MIAA, Albion and Kazoo in particular is gaining attention in the Detroit area, the MIAA should have a good influx of Metro Detroit talent. If the interest I see is indication.

[formerd3db]

D306:

Here are some of my random, general thoughts on the topic you discuss.

That is good regarding the MIAA academic reputation becoming more noted in the Detroit area.  Albion has always recruited well from those areas (particularly in years back when Joranko and Frazier were at the helms).  Olivet used to get quite a few players from the Detroit suburbs - problem was for them at the time that much of the recruiting classes only stayed around there for a couple of years and the rebuilding process was not helpful to the program.  However, that has changed obviously in recent years as Olivet has made the commitment in upgrading their football and other athletic facilities as we've discussed often.  They have seemed to recruit more of the outling mid-Mich areas (greater Lansing) in recent years, but perhaps a return to the Detroit suburban schools may happen for them.

Same with Kazoo - perhaps with the new coaching staff and if that administration jumps on board and makes some commitments to upgrading the facilities and the program, with the awareness of the academics, perhaps they'll draw more from the Detroit area.

It would be neat to see some of that for Hope as well, although traditionally, they've usually obtained most of their players from the west side of the state, NY/NJ with the RCA connection, northern MI (Traverse City), some Lansing areas for awhile) and occasional player(s) from Flint or eastern part of the state.

Adrian drawing from Detroit and southern MI (occasionally from greater Flint area) and heavily toward Toledo.

I know that Alma has tried to recruit more in the Detroit area in the past and while they do get a good number of players from that way (many from alumni connections), it has not been the "hot bed school" for players to go to.

I suspect that Trine will continue to draw heavily from IN, although southwest MI may be a bigger draw with their new facilities taking shape (and since Kazoo has not yet got to that latter situation).