University Athletic Association

[ExTartanPlayer]

I was under the impression that the UAA would still exist and award a football title. I though the schos had essentially taken a role of "dual conference membership" where they would compete for the UAA title as well as the PAC/SAA titles.

[DagarmanSpartan]

OK, now I get it.

CWRU will play CMU as one of eight PAC games, and will still play Chicago and Wash-U as non-PAC opponents each season.

This schedule will allow CWRU to play all three UAA games annually and compete for conference titles in both the PAC and the UAA during a single, ten game season.

This list of future schedules from the Spartans' athletic page illustrates:

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/future_jv

Based on that, I guess I'll now have to actively post on TWO D3 football message boards.



I guess the only thing that I don't like about this arrangement is how all of our old rivalries with local schools like Oberlin and JCU will come to an end.  There's simply no available space on the calendar.  But ultimately, I suppose that the advantages of being in an "automatic qualifier" conference while simultaneously being in another conference (the only one of its kind) that features 100% AAU school membership outweigh the disadvantages.

[ADL70]

"Something's lost and something's gained in living every day"

OAC and now NCAC teams only have one ooc game.  It's too bad to lose the NCAC opponents.  While JCU was an old rival, the two teams have only met twice in the last twenty-five years.  CWRU will be renewing rivalries with four teams that were in the PAC when Case, Western Reserve, and CWRU were PAC members.

Nice thing about the 2014-17 scheds are the off week is week two.

As far as posting goes, there have only been two posts on the PAC board in 2013.

I'd like to see CWRU join PAC as affiliate in baseball as well.


I

[ExTartanPlayer]

That is a correct description, Dagarman.

As ADL noted, the PAC board is basically dead, even moreso than the UAA board (which consists of, what, five Case fans & me, with an occasional appearance from a WashU fan).  Bob Gregg posts there in support of W & J, and SaintsFAN used to post there representing Thomas More, and that's about it...there used to be a couple others (a Bethany parent, I think), but I think they moved on once their kids graduated.

ADL also correctly pointed out that the loss of those rivalries isn't that big of a blow...it'd be nice for CWRU to play Oberlin or Wooster, sure, but you'll pick up some new ones in the PAC.  The PAC is generally "okay" although W & J has really dropped a level from their peak in the early 2000's.  During my time, we played a bunch of the mediocre PAC schools (3-1 vs. Grove City, 4-0 vs. Bethany, 1-1 vs. Thiel, and 1-0 vs. Westminster) but since I graduated, with the NCAC making up the bulk of our nonconference games, the only PAC school we've played in the regular season is Grove City.

If recent trends hold, I would expect CMU and CWRU both to be in the upper half of the conference most years, and possibly in contention with Waynesburg, Thomas More, and W & J for the conference title in especially good seasons.  CMU did beat Grove City 23-20 in the opener last year, and GCC finished 5-3 in the PAC; CMU then also played PAC co-champion Waynesburg in an ECAC bowl game and lost 28-24.  Both games were competitive, and that suggests to me that CMU would likely have fallen somewhere in the upper half of the league, although they probably wouldn't have won the league title.

[sigma one]

ExTartanPlayer:  when CMU was healthy early in the 2012 season, they were special to watch.   The strong combination of QB, RBs, and deep WR made the offense troublesome. By the time they came to Wabash, their attack had begun to atrophy due to injuries. Still,The Wabash fans were impressed.   Once Wabash got rolling the game tilted quickly, but even in that game the Tartans sustained some early injuries that blunted their offense. 
     I'm guessing that with their full lineup they would have given the Top of the PAC trouble.   

[DagarmanSpartan]

Gang,

I just noticed that apparently, neither the UAA, nor the PAC, have Twitter accounts/updates (or at least, none showed up when I did a Search for them).

That seems like an easy way to help get the word out about both conferences.

The PAC's absence is especially surprising, given that they are on Facebook.

Why not other social media?

[Pat Coleman]

Gang,

I just noticed that apparently, neither the UAA, nor the PAC, have Twitter accounts/updates (or at least, none showed up when I did a Search for them).

That seems like an easy way to help get the word out about both conferences.

The PAC's absence is especially surprising, given that they are on Facebook.

Why not other social media?

The PAC is on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/PACSports

[SpartanMom_2016]

My son got a mention in the preview CWRU put out today!

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/20130723rnhoiy

[Pat Coleman]

Sorry, and here is the PAC's official Twitter feed. The other is their sports broadcast "network" feed.
https://twitter.com/PAC_Athletics

[DagarmanSpartan]

Thanks Pat!

I appreciate that!

Now if only the UAA could also be on Twitter!

[ADL70]

My son got a mention in the preview CWRU put out today!

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/20130723rnhoiy

Reading between the lines, looks like lots of opportunities for LBs.

[SpartanMom_2016]

That is exactly what my son thinks.  He is excited to compete for a starting spot.  He put on 20 good, solid pounds over the past year and he has been working out all summer.

[casefldad]

Congrats to Jake Abbot on making the OhioCollegeFootball.com preseason 1st team.....
Looking forward to an exciting year.  It should be highly competitive.

[ADL70]

Starts in 10-12 days.

Scrimmage with BW 8/31

[ExTartanPlayer]

My son got a mention in the preview CWRU put out today!

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/20130723rnhoiy

Reading between the lines, looks like lots of opportunities for LBs.

Indeed.  I got that impression speaking to Coach Debeljak as well - he is very excited to see how the competition plays out on defense.

SpartanMom, it's very exciting to see your son's name in print, no?  Congratulations and best of luck to your son in his battle for a starting position.  I know it's been said a few times around the D3boards by other parents, but the years will go by too fast; if he gets a job, go to every game that you can.  My parents came to every home game my junior & senior year (once my younger brother graduated HS and I had locked down a full-time starting position) and 8/10 away games over that time frame as well.  We picked a good time, too, that was the best stretch CMU's had in the last decade!  Your son is there in what should be a very exciting and competitive season for the UAA.

If possible, I'll be at every CMU home game this year (there are only four), with the possible exception of a weekend I'm doing one of my races.  I will make it a point to be in town for the CMU-Case game, partly because I think it might decide the UAA title, partly because it would be nice to meet some of you folks I've been exchanging messages with over the years.

On a personal note: I'm not sure if I posted this here last week, but I've just recently completed my Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health and will be starting this fall as a biostatistician/epidemiologist working for Magee Women's Research Institute (branch of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), with a faculty appointment at Pitt - I may also lecture for the statistics department on the side.  So I expect to remain in Pittsburgh for some time.  Never visited Pittsburgh until I was 17 years old, now I've grown to love the place.  Although I will NEVER become a Steelers fan.  Eagles fan for life.