FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

LOL you are very right about that, or the MIAA goes a calling to Hillsdale to ask them to come back to the MIAA.

That, I can assure you will never happen.

Honestly if Olivet did leave the MIAA would be in quite a pickle.  There aren't any D3 independants around and to my knowledge none of the NAIA's have applied for NCAA membership.  I've heard a couple rumors that 2 or 3 Michigan NAIA's have explored the possibility, but none play football.  So they'd have to start from scratch.

Seems like the options would be

1)  Convince Calvin to explore their manhood and discontinue their medievel study hall philosophy.

2)  Invite Finladia to start a football program and become a part-time member ala Wisc-Lutheran and endure playing in 12 feet of snow in late October (not likely to happen, the Finlandia part, the snow part happens.)

3)  An NAIA program in Michigan jumps to D3 and starts a football program.  Seems the most logical

4)  Very far fetched but combine with another conference for football, leaving the current MIAA as a division and have a championship game

5)  punt

[formerd3db]

In further follow-up discussion: 

1)  It has been discussed on here quite extensively in the past, and from our sources (including the "powers that be", Calvin will never add football to their athletic programs, at least not in our lifetimes.  Strange as it may seem, nor do I understand that line of reasoning nor believe in it, unfortunately, that's just the way it is.

2) I agree with you - no way Hillsdale will return to the MIAA and DIII.  They've done decent in DII in the GLIAC and are more than comfortable staying there.  They have a unique situation as compared to the the other DII universities in that league.

3) I also agree that the most logical aspect would be for one of the Michigan NAIA schools to go NCAA DIII and establish a football program.  It can be done and probably much more easier than some people may think, including the $.  IMO, most logical choices would be Spring Arbor or Aquinas or perhaps even Concordia (Ann Arbor).  Not sure a school like Lawrence Tech would be interested in bringing back football; U of Detroit would be great, but they are DI so that is not a possibility.  Finlandia, while that might be great, highly doubtful.  Now, on the other hand, a real crazy idea would be for Grand Rapids Community College to become a 4 year institution - they already have a football team - but, some might question the academia qualifications in comparing these to the other MIAA schools.  If Nazareth College was still around, the Moles would have been a potential idea, but they would have had to start a football program (can you imagine the jokes about the mascots in rivalries with our MIAA schools with that one? ).

What about Taylor (IN) NAIA?  Other NAIA schools down that way (St. Francis, etc) seem to be comfortable in that mode.

Final wild idea - anyone for bringing back Benton Harbor College's football team from the turn of the century? (oh that is basically still in existance as Lake Michigan College )

4) Although the MIAA has brough in non-Michigan colleges in the past decade and 1/2, no way would they merge with another conference - I just don't see that ever happening.  They would somehow go to great lengths I believe to get some type of deal like an affiliate if possible as they did before and/or work like crazy to convince some school to start a program (if that's even possible).  If they were not able to accomplish either of those, then I think they would just go the route of Pool C and try to take the chances (IMO, obviously not what we would prefer and we might never see the playoffs the way we've been playing in recent years ).

Bottom line is for all this "Olivet leaving rumor" to be unfounded, which I think (and hope) it is.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Hey, how about EMU for the MIAA?

Barring a miracle, one of these days they ARE gonna get the boot from div1A for lack of attendance.

[sac]

Hey, how about EMU for the MIAA?

Barring a miracle, one of these days they ARE gonna get the boot from div1A for lack of attendance.

Michigan Normal (now EMU) was a member of the MIAA from 1892-1926.  They overlapped with Michigan State (then Agricultural) 1888-1907.

I don't believe Hope ever played EMU in football, they had a few games with Western State Normal (WMU), and Mt Pleasant Normal (CMU) in the teens and 20's.

[formerd3db]

Hey, how about EMU for the MIAA?

Barring a miracle, one of these days they ARE gonna get the boot from div1A for lack of attendance.

I know you were just joking, Ypsi.  I would just add, however, that EMU would have to be a FCS (formerdly DIAA) independent or join another FCS/D1AA conference like the Pioneer League for football since they would still be D1 in all other sports.  I don't see them dropping football, but if they do get the boot for lack of attendance, they'll have to do one of those other options.  I do think, though, that if EMU got the boot, most of the other MAC schools should as well because they don't always get the required 17,000 per game either.  Heck, the MAC Championship game this past Friday two nights ago between a very good (albeit previously unbeaten) Ball State team and Buffalo only drew just over 12,000 people.  IMO, MAC teams should really be in the FCS classification.

[formerd3db]

Hey, how about EMU for the MIAA?

Barring a miracle, one of these days they ARE gonna get the boot from div1A for lack of attendance.

Michigan Normal (now EMU) was a member of the MIAA from 1892-1926.  They overlapped with Michigan State (then Agricultural) 1888-1907.

I don't believe Hope ever played EMU in football, they had a few games with Western State Normal (WMU), and Mt Pleasant Normal (CMU) in the teens and 20's.

sac:

Hope has indeed played Eastern Michigan in football.  EMU was originally known as Ypsilanti Normal School and/or Michigan Normal School as you mentioned.  Hope played EMU in the following years:

1935, 1937, 1941, 1946-1955, 1957 and 1958.

The 1935 game as a 7-7 tie. Hope's record against EMU is 5-7-2.

Besides, EMU, WMU and CMU, of other current DI football schools, Hope has also played Bowling Green (1930, a 19-0 loss), Eastern Illinois (1962, 1963, both wins 26-7 and 15-6 respectively).  They've also played Wayne State, Northern Michigan, and U of Detroit (which dropped football in the early 1960's).

[GrizPride]

As a new poster, Id like to congratulate the Trine Thunder on a great season!  They were an excellent team this year and I was glad I was able to compete against them earlier this year!

[Uncle Rico]

GrizPride...

Congrats on a super season this year.  Big wins against Otterbein and North Central.  As a Trine Thunder fan, it is too bad our teams could not have met again in the playoffs!  We both caught a Wheaton team that caught fire at just the right time, it seems.   

[GrizPride]

GrizPride...

Congrats on a super season this year.  Big wins against Otterbein and North Central.  As a Trine Thunder fan, it is too bad our teams could not have met again in the playoffs!  We both caught a Wheaton team that caught fire at just the right time, it seems.   

Thanks Uncle Rico, Wheaton has just caught some serious fire havent they?  Yes,  I was really hoping to get another shot at Trine up at Angola, but oh well.  Both of us had some great seasons this year.  Good luck to Trine next year! 

[Uncle Rico]

Congratulations to Coach Matt Land of Trine, selected as the North Regions Coach of the Year by D3.Com, and Courtney Pearson, who is a 1st team LB! 

 

[formerd3db]

Okay you guys, return from your "posting hiatus" and make some predictions.  While I would like to see Wheaton pull the upset, I think that it will most likely result in the Stagg Bowl this year having the same two teams as last year i.e. Mount Union vs. UWis-Whitwater.  What say 'ye?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Since 90+% of the D3 world does NOT want MUC-UWW, Episode IV, and since I'll root for Wheaton but don't much cotton to their chances, I'm going for MUC-UMHB in the Stagg.

Which would work out well, since that was my d3.football pickems, and I'm currently in a multi-way tie for 38th (out of 11 hundred-something).  Maybe I can finish in the top 20!

[D306]

Ypsi

You are right I would like to have 2 new contestants in the Championship game.

That said I will say it will be a repeat. MUC vs. UW

I would like to see Wheaton win VS. MUC how many years have they hit the roadblock known as MUC.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ypsi

You are right I would like to have 2 new contestants in the Championship game.

That said I will say it will be a repeat. MUC vs. UW

I would like to see Wheaton win VS. MUC how many years have they hit the roadblock known as MUC.

In the modern playoffs, Wheaton is 9-0 against everyone else, 0-5 in Alliance.

[formerd3db]

As most everyone expected, Mount Union and UW-W will return to the Stagg Bowl again this year.  Quite incredible that this will be the fourth year in a row.  While both teams are excellent, I sense that Mount Union will regain the top spot and win yet another national football championship.  Then again, as always, we never know what might happen and we might just be surprised. 

Speaking of championship NCAA football, it must be very frustrating for NW Missouri State who just lost for the fourth straight year in the NCAA DII National Championship game this afternoon.  While Univ of Minn-Duluth deserved the win the game, one can sense how the NWMS players must feel about being "the Buffalo Bills of DII".  Unfortunately, that's just the way it goes sometimes.  And who would have thought that Grand Valley would lose in the playoffs this year also?...

FCS semi-finals going on this afternoon Richmond @ Northern Iowa in the UNI-Dome (ouch, that old style turf there needs to be replaced for sure); and I thought perhaps Delaware won the other game, but not sure at the moment - I could be wrong. 

Anyone making the trip to the Stagg Bowl next weekend?  If you've never been, you have missed a great experience.