FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[D306]

Great to see Tri-State expanding, great for the school and the league.
They certainly have a lot of momentuem in the school.
I expect TSU will be moving up another Notch in the MIAA next year.

I think the MIAA will be very competitive next year, not sure there is a clear favorite at this point.
My wish always remains the same, have a MIAA playoff win for whom ever represents the conference.
Conference has to get a playoff win, I think more out of conference big name teams and tough pre-league play is key.
Not sure if the conference will ever get back to the point of being a real playoff powerhouse.

What does a University have to do to get to the level of play required?
That is the question I throw out for a topic.

[OC_SID]

Looks chilly.

If you want to talk about chilly, take a look at the webcam at our new facility.

http://www.olivetcollege.edu/construction/events_center/live_image.htm

The construction crew has been putting the roof on the building this week.

[formerd3db]

Indeed, the new facilities being built at Olivet and Tri-State (Trine) will be a great addition to their campuses and athletic programs.  With TSU getting the new artificial turf for its fb field, joining Olivet, Adrian and Alma, I think its time that Hope, Albion and Kazoo seriously think about those options.  Anyway, thanks for providing us with the updates...and like Pat said, yes, it sure does look chilly out there.  I'm glad I'm not one of the construction workers having to work out in such cold conditions!

[Mugsy]

Wheaton has filled a 2nd slot in their non-conference schedule for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.  They will be playing Albion again after a 2 year break.

So they now have UW-Platteville and Albion on the schedule for 2010 and 2011, with one more slot to fill.

Looking forward to competing against Albion once again starting in 2010.

[Stinger]

Indeed, the new facilities being built at Olivet and Tri-State (Trine) will be a great addition to their campuses and athletic programs.  With TSU getting the new artificial turf for its fb field, joining Olivet, Adrian and Alma, I think its time that Hope, Albion and Kazoo seriously think about those options.  Anyway, thanks for providing us with the updates...and like Pat said, yes, it sure does look chilly out there.  I'm glad I'm not one of the construction workers having to work out in such cold conditions!

I know that Albion has been taking a serious look at field turf.  However, there has to be a justification for the cost and use of more than one sport for the field.  I know that soccer coaches are not big fans of playing on that playing surface. 

[formerd3db]

Indeed, the new facilities being built at Olivet and Tri-State (Trine) will be a great addition to their campuses and athletic programs.  With TSU getting the new artificial turf for its fb field, joining Olivet, Adrian and Alma, I think its time that Hope, Albion and Kazoo seriously think about those options.  Anyway, thanks for providing us with the updates...and like Pat said, yes, it sure does look chilly out there.  I'm glad I'm not one of the construction workers having to work out in such cold conditions!

I know that Albion has been taking a serious look at field turf.  However, there has to be a justification for the cost and use of more than one sport for the field.  I know that soccer coaches are not big fans of playing on that playing surface. 

Stinger:

I know what you mean.  I believe it is the same at Hope regarding the soccer players (at least some of them), although I am aware that soccer players at Wheaton like their new style turf.  On the other hand, the football stadium at Hope is an entirely different situation.  Due to the fact that Holland stadium is just not used by Hope but by Holland h.s. (b the area high schools as well, the city will seriously have to further looking into installing the turf at some point in the future IMO (many of the other outlying high schools in the area do).  There has been rumored talk that Hope might eventually purchase the stadium from the city - they've always had a great working relationship.

In addition, the lacrosse team likes the new style turf as well (BTW, Hope's lacrosse team will be playing in Holland Munincipal Stadium for a home game against DII Ferris State University on April 2nd).

Bottom line is:  do schools like Albion and Hope (and in the VERY long term Kazoo) in reality have to "keep up with the Jones's" with regard to new style turf for recruiting student-athletes?  Obviously the other MIAA schools have chosen to do so (have to for survival in one sense) not only in fb, but bb and other sports.  The MIAA colleges have had to upgrade their aging facilities in all aspects, not just sport and we have seen some fine results of that of recent as you know.

[formerd3db]

Additional comment:

As to the cost, Albion can certainly afford it.  Their stadium complex and structure is all set as compared to many other DIII schools who have had the expensive additional cost of renovating their entire stadiums (i.e. new locker room facilities, restrooms, training room, concession stands, home stadium seating, vistors stand, etc., etc.).  All Albion would have to do is put in the field - and that cost for the field is usually aroung $555,000 (well less than $800,000 or 1 million+ that it usually costs in those other type of situations).  I am not, however, saying that the 1/2 million is not inexpensive because, for sure, that is a lot of $.  Yet, Albion has good backing and IMO, could easily raise the $ and do it, if they choose to do so in the future.   Besides, I think it would look very classy there, with the old historical stadium walls and the newer renovations they've done to Morely Fraser Field at S-S Stadium.  Of course, as we've discussed before, they do need to renovate and enlarge the press box and that would add to the cost of just installing the field, thereby being more than the 1/2 mil I mentioned!

[sac]

Holland High may use the stadium for football...........but its up for debate as whether they actually play football. 



Article here in Lansing says Olivet is looking to hire Holt High School's head coach in some sort of capacity.  Doesn't go into any more specifics than that, but I thought it was interesting.  Holt's had two outstanding years in a row.

Didn't see it mentioned here but Lividotti (sp?) was named the athletics director at Olivet last week.  He'll mantain both the AD and Head Football coaches roll.

[formerd3db]

Indeed, the Olivet appointment and potential hire of Holt's coach were announced earlier this week.  I was going to post that here, although thought that perhaps one of our board's Olivet posters would do so.  Holt's coach has had some excellent teams in the past few years, particularly the last two as you mention.  It would be a loss for them, however, a good gain for Olivet.  He could still live in the Holt/Lansing area without disrupting his family as the commute to Olivet is not that far.   As you mention sac, Olivet's announcement did not specifiy what coaching role he would assume and there has not been any mention of any of the current fb assistants leaving (at least not that I have heard).

So it will be interesting to see what happens.

[miaafbfan]

In "keeping up with the Jones's," it appears Alma may be making some much needed improvements as well. 

http://www.alma.edu/news/releases/archives/2008/02/04/facilities

These won't directly affect football, but other programs, especially basketball and volleyball, look to get a boost.

[formerd3db]

It's about time Alma decided to upgrade those facilities.  While the current ones are nice, in reality they are basically like very nice high school facilities (I'm talking about the basketball arena).  Even at the DIII level, in this current and competitive era, upgrading and "keeping up with the Jones's" is important in bringing good numbers of student-athletes to one's school.  Having a "state-of-the art" area with the new style permanent seating, Big Ten-NBA style hanging scoreboards is fine, not only helps with those aspects but also is even more appropriate if it is going to be used for other events at the college and even for events in the surrounding community/city for the general public and many small colleges that have such great working relationships with their towns.  Besides, a new area at Alma should help with their basketball recruiting I would think.   BTW, they really need to step up and proceed with Phase II of their baseball stadium (of which Phase I was done several years ago, but put on hold by the administration) and also they are in need a nice complimentary softball facility for their great softball program (now that Hope has the class facilities of the league for those sports).

In addition, while we're on this topic, on the way for an "out-of-town" business trip today, I took the opportunity to stop by the Olivet campus which was on my way and viewed the progress of their new athletic facilites i.e. Phase II of the Cutler Athletic Complex.  Very nice addition to the Main Cutler entrance of the athletic building and new football stadium.  A nice "traditional" touch with wrought iron fencing, a block entrance with iron arch over it with lettering for the complex name has been added to connect the building and the stadium i.e. at the new ticket entrance.

All they need to do now once this current portion is completed is to finish Phase III, which my understanding is upgrading the baseball and softball facilities adjacent to the arena and football stadium.  Very nice and needed improvements to Olivet's facilities.
 

[HOF]

In talking with a recent recruit that visited Adrian.  One of the coaches at Adrian that is recruiting this student athlete said that Adrian has made a move to upgrade their non-league schedule.  He mentioned that Adrian is playing Capital for the next two years.  He also mentioned that Adrian is working on completing deals with Wheaton and Wisconsin Whitewater.  If true, wow!!!!  Big upgrade from Bluffton and Heidelberg.  Any truth to this??

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

Adrian does have Capital added to the schedule, that was done a while back and is a definite upgrade over heidlberg etc.  I am a bit out of the loop but I havent really heard of adding Whitewater or Wheaton.  Adrian had the opportunity two years ago i believe to pick up one of the UW schools for its open date and passed it up.  Time will tell, but it would be a good move to test themselves against some top level talent.

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

Just got done looking at the 2008 and 2009 schedules for Adrian.  Capital is added, they play Adrian on Sept 6th in 2008 and Sept 5th in 2009.  Adrian has also added Lake Erie, not to familiar with them but Adrian plays at Lake Erie on the 27th of September in 08 and plays them at home on the 26th of September in 2009.  Schedules posted below.

2008 Schedule

Date   Opponent   Time
6-Sep   At Capital   1:30 PM
13-Sep   DEFIANCE   7:00 PM
9/20/2008 Aquaintance Day    BLUFFTON   1:00 PM
27-Sep   At Lake Erie   1:00 PM
4-Oct   KALAMAZOO (HC)   7:00 PM
11-Oct   OPEN   
18-Oct   at Albion   2:00 PM
25-Oct   HOPE (Parents/Family)   1:00 PM
1-Nov   at Alma   1:00 PM
11/8/2008 Aquiantance Day   TRI-STATE   1:00 PM
15-Nov   at Olivet   6:00 PM


2009 Schedule

Date   Opponent   Time
5-Sep   CAPITAL   6:00 PM
12-Sep   At Defiance    1:00 PM
19-Sep   At Bluffton   1:00 PM
26-Sep   LAKE ERIE (HC)   7:00 PM
3-Oct   at Kalamazoo   1:00 PM
10-Oct   OPEN   
17-Oct   ALBION (Parents/Family)   7:00 PM
24-Oct   at Hope    2:00 PM
31-Oct   ALMA   1:00 PM
7-Nov   at Tri-State   12:30 PM
14-Nov   OLIVET   6:00 PM

[HOF]

ADAWG:  Thanks!  I think this was more like 2010 and what not.  Dig into your connections at Adrian and find out.   Don't disappoint...you are always in the loop, I'm sure 

How about all these late season coaching moves in DIII???  Marietta loses it head coach yesterday?  St. Olaf?  The business I guess.

Anybody tell me what happened at Olivet with Shaw being removed from AD and Livo returning??  OC_SID post on the basketball room, maybe he'll advise us more over here.  They are the defending MIAA Champs!   Now the head coach goes Barry Alvarez on us.