FB: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

[Dmags]

  Another tid bit  after personly speaking with Mim Pride (college president), with her telling me it was financial decision, then typing (poking) my coments on here. I  find a article on State Journal Registers web site. With her saying that they will being using up to $150,000 of the money saved from football to invest into there soccer and basketball teams.    With absolutely no disrespect for either boys soccer or basketball.   Their  records are no better than  the football teams.

  ps. As parents we thank you for the offer to go south. In all of the travels this year we didn't meet anybody that wasn't kind and friendly.... (before and after the games).MacMurry is only 45 miles away so, if HE CHOOSE's he would probably transfer there.  If not i guess we will always have great memories ,even without a great record.  I always thought high school football was the purist and  the best, untill we witness'd D 3.
   

[AF4]

Dmags

that sounds like a plan...if your son and othrs decide to keep playing ball...transfer en masse to MacMurray.... it could take them from a good 4-6 team to a conference power.... that would b a good deal for all

good luck to yall...and Lord willing...we will see yall next season

keep the faith

[Pat Coleman]

Endowment numbers were posted on our basketball board last season.

RE: SLIAC Endowment

Principia   $352,695,272
Webster      $55,976,514
Westminster   $46,600,880
Maryville   $36,677,576
Blackburn   $14,694,344
Eureka      $11,948,953
Fontbonne   $11,584,865
Greenville   $10,102,609
MacMurray   $4,462,908

source: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/tools/search.php

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks for the endowment numbers!

Blackburn has "no" endowment (<$12M in 2007) .  We are hearing drops of 20-25% across the board at every college.

Thanks (and prayers) to Coach VanDeZande as he shuts down the program!

May your colleagues look at the job you do this spring and applaud your efforts even more sincerely than a fabulous comeback win in a conference championship!

[dynasty22]

According to a reliable source, Blackburn has already lost 70 students that were to attend in the Fall of 2009...50 of which were incoming football players.

One of my best friends was a captain for the team and we discussed putting a tape together for Oprah in hopes that she could help us out in need from her own state!
What do ya'll think?

[theoneandonly]

dynasty that sounds like a good plan. but blackburn has not lost 50 incoming students. ive seen the numbers. Blackburn actually didnt tell about 90% of their players until they were already checked in, so they couldnt leave.  but 50 incoming football players is obsurd. blackburn hasnt fielded 50 players for about 10 years. and losing 70 students. i highly doubt it, i would say 35 tops. however i heard they are closing the pool and messing with the heat to save money? way to put your students in danger!

[theoneandonly]

oh and dmags, blackburn mens soccer was 9-8 this year, the only team at the school with a winning record, you should look into that, the football field will make a nice soccer field and they deserve it as much as any other team at that school.

[Dmags]

Congrats to the soccer team. Hope they can continue there success. And I'm sure the football field will make a good soccer field.  Who knows maybe they will pay me to cut  down the post. Wouldn't that be ironic. lol 
   
My son , and i'm sure the rest of the players, are being recruited to go elsewhere by multiple school's.      However  I think he is going to stay at blackburn ,because of  Prof. Camp's criminal justice program.
   
Time's are getting tough on some of the school's. And they have to make cut's in there budget. However I think She handled it terribly, by not giving those boy's notice.  VERY UNPROFESIONLY.

  Everything happens for a reason ,and I trust in that.
Good luck to all next season.

[Ralph Turner]

Perhaps it is not too late for Blackburn to permit any student to leave before the semester progresses too far.

[theoneandonly]

i agree that it was done very unprofessionally. VERY! however i never played football or soccer so i cant really defend one or the other. i do know though, that many of those football players were in and still are in the weight room every day trying to get better. and dr. camp is a good guy. i cant and wont blame any of the players that leave though, it was a very shady move by administration.

[theoneandonly]

straight off the conference website.

January 21, 2009
BLACKBURN COLLEGE DROPPING FOOTBALL PROGRAM

ST. LOUIS - The Presidents of the St Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference received notification from their colleague, Dr. Miriam Pride of Blackburn College last week that her institution was ceasing operation of its intercollegiate football program, effective immediately.

"(This decision is) the result of thorough research, thoughtful negotiation and heartfelt compromise," Dr. Pride said.  "(It) redirects our resources to focus on our strengths.  We are committed to continuing the unique fulfilling educational experience of our students."

"The SLIAC is saddened with Blackburn's decision but are completely supportive of President Pride, Dr. (Jeffrey) Aper (Blackburn Provost) and the Board of Trustees; and understand how tough of a decision this must have been as it affects more than the athletics department, current student-athletes and prospective student-athletes but the entire College and Carlinville communities," SLIAC Commissioner William J. Wolper said.

"I praise President Pride, Dr. Aper and the Board for not making cuts but rather re-appropriating for the betterment of the college community. Unfortunately our economy is such that all of our institutions must evaluate their co-curricular activity offerings to ensure the maximum benefit to the institution, student body, alumni and community, and we can only hope those decisions do not result in programming cuts."

As is commonplace with the Conference's operations never ending attempts to strengthen the SLIAC and its athletics offerings, the commissioner and Executive Committee of the Administrative Council have already commenced discussions to fortify SLIAC football.

With seven football playing members, including five "core" Conference members as defined and required by the NCAA, the SLIAC remains positioned for an automatic bid to the NCAA football playoffs beginning with the conclusion of the 2010 season.

The Conference will release a new schedule for the 2009 season in the near future. Changes from the original schedule will be kept to a minimum, but to ensure a Homecoming game for all teams, adjustments are required.

[Dmags]

Heard tonight from an employee of blackburn. That Mim Pride is getting so much of a negative  reaction from "every direction".
  She is now saying they will add JV to basketball, soccer, and baseball.  My Guess is by adding JV to baseball that maybe coach Neil would stay, (since he would be losing a chunk of his pay from being a paid asst. football coach).He would be greatly missed. I Hope she does and I hope it helps those programs.
   So much for it being a fiancial decision.

  Also was told by another one from front office. That no matter what anybody might say, recruitting for next year would of been the biggest  since they have worked there. Guarantying no less than 40 new football players.Also said that most all of the football players are leaving for other schools. This coming from a person that has no conection to sports other than working in administration.
 

[Ralph Turner]

Heard tonight from an employee of blackburn. That Mim Pride is getting so much of a negative  reaction from "every direction".
  She is now saying they will add JV to basketball, soccer, and baseball.  My Guess is by adding JV to baseball that maybe coach Neil would stay, (since he would be losing a chunk of his pay from being a paid asst. football coach).He would be greatly missed. I Hope she does and I hope it helps those programs.
   So much for it being a fiancial decision.

  Also was told by another one from front office. That no matter what anybody might say, recruitting for next year would of been the biggest  since they have worked there. Guarantying no less than 40 new football players.Also said that most all of the football players are leaving for other schools. This coming from a person that has no conection to sports other than working in administration.

This web site has documented some of the benefits of adding football at various schools over the last 10 years.

Blackburn will surely be followed as a "case study" in the circles of finance and enrollment management in higher education.

Did President Pride make the right choice?

[formerd3db]

Heard tonight from an employee of blackburn. That Mim Pride is getting so much of a negative  reaction from "every direction".
  She is now saying they will add JV to basketball, soccer, and baseball.  My Guess is by adding JV to baseball that maybe coach Neil would stay, (since he would be losing a chunk of his pay from being a paid asst. football coach).He would be greatly missed. I Hope she does and I hope it helps those programs.
   So much for it being a fiancial decision.

  Also was told by another one from front office. That no matter what anybody might say, recruitting for next year would of been the biggest  since they have worked there. Guarantying no less than 40 new football players.Also said that most all of the football players are leaving for other schools. This coming from a person that has no conection to sports other than working in administration.

This web site has documented some of the benefits of adding football at various schools over the last 10 years.

Blackburn will surely be followed as a "case study" in the circles of finance and enrollment management in higher education.

Did President Pride make the right choice?

Well, admittedly I am biased, however, IMO, the answer is no.  This smacks of the Swarthemore debacle of the beginning of this decade.  If other schools the size of (or smaller than) Blackburn can field football teams, Blackburn can do it to - there are always ways to manage that and overcome the challenges.  From the info we've been offered, it appears that President Pride had no interest or intent in doing so whatsoever - her plans now seem quite disingenuous.  I agree with the other poster who mentioned that this entire situation was handled very poorly and quite unprofessional - how sad.  And this is from people of higher education and an institution of higher learning?   I wouldn't be surprised if some people would say that President Pride is the female counterpart (well...almost ) to the infamous and misguided Robert Hutchins of the University of Chicago history i.e. 1939.

[IllinoisCoach]

I can speak from a very strong standpoint on President Pride and her views on football.  She does not and never did like football except what it brought to the table in terms of MALE NUMBERS.  That is ALL she cared about!  In 1995 the program had 112 kids in the program at the start and finished with 103 (look it up).  A FULL JV schedule was played that year (6 games) versus schools in a reasonable distance (Millikin, Illinois College, MacMurray twice, Washington U. of St. Louis, and Eureka).  That JV went 4 - 2, losing only to Millikin and Eureka.  The varsity that year had its best year ever beating IC and Mac for the 1st time ever.  After that year Pride did everything she could to undermine the staff and the players.  To those alums still furious over this LADY TZAR's decision ask her this - What happened to her co-hort and neighbor, the financial manager, a couple of years ago? Why did he leave?  Was he fired because of some, oops, FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT as is being talked about EVERYWHERE in Macoupin County?  She and he and his wife were always seen EVERYWHERE in Carlinville and surrounding areas but now, whoa Nelly, he's gone, questions about where did the monies go abound, and no one especially Tzarina Pride will answer any questions other than, well we need to come up with 1.3 million to balance the budget!  Ok, so you remove football and say $200,000 (and thats debateable according to sources) so what else do you cut to get the rest of the 1.3 million?!?!?  Tell me at a college of 600+ where it comes from?!?!?!  And then you say you are going to add monies amounting to close to the same amount of $200K to add JV to other sports?!  Fellas, someone is LYING HERE quite obviously and like former Prez Nixon, someone is covering someone's ASS!  To former Blackburn players I say, MAKE PRIDE ANSWER QUESTIONS!!!  PUSH HER INTO A CORNER!!!  The press release sent out by the conference was conjured up by HER AND THE Blackburn Press Office which she DIRECTLY OVERSEES and MONITORS EVERY RELEASE FROM!!!  EVIL LURKS and someone needs to answer MORE than what has been said.  I speak as a former employee of BC - and I speak as an INFORMED person who has talked with those at the college - THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR GAFF MADE AND SHE IS COVERING UP!  Pursue it!!! HARD!!!