FB: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

[Gray Fox]

Bethany Lutheran did a study on adding football at one point, could they be an option?

https://blcvikings.com/news/2017/8/21/general-update-on-football-study-at-bethany.aspx

Maybe in normal times.  But just getting the basics down will be a challenge for the budget planners.

[Baldini]

Martin Luther College has added a high quality commit with Carson Oestreich from Pierce, Nebraska. A member of the state runner-ups who rushed for 230 yards and 5 TD's in the semi final game. Had an offer from NAIA Morningside, but chose MLC instead.

https://twitter.com/CarsonOestreich/status/1225579980920442880

A few more MLC commits.

Cole Broekhuizen (DL) 6'0" 245lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

Cole anchored the Seminary offensive and defensive line and was a finalist for Saginaw-area Defensive player of the year, he will play at Martin Luther College in the 2020 season.


Nick Wieser  (LB/DL) 5'8"  245lbs - Luther

Max Nordlie (QB)  5'11"  170lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

Reagan Moore (RB/OLB)  5'11"185lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

Brett Timmerman (ATL)  5'11"170lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

[Captain_Joe08]

Martin Luther College has added a high quality commit with Carson Oestreich from Pierce, Nebraska. A member of the state runner-ups who rushed for 230 yards and 5 TD's in the semi final game. Had an offer from NAIA Morningside, but chose MLC instead.

https://twitter.com/CarsonOestreich/status/1225579980920442880

A few more MLC commits.

Cole Broekhuizen (DL) 6'0" 245lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

Cole anchored the Seminary offensive and defensive line and was a finalist for Saginaw-area Defensive player of the year, he will play at Martin Luther College in the 2020 season.


Nick Wieser  (LB/DL) 5'8"  245lbs - Luther

Max Nordlie (QB)  5'11"  170lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

Reagan Moore (RB/OLB)  5'11"185lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

Brett Timmerman (ATL)  5'11"170lbs - Michigan Lutheran Seminary

Very much a WELS centric group here. Kinda intrigued for the  matchup against my alma mater (WLC) this season.

[Baldini]

First ever matchup between MLC and WLC and should be a very good, evenly matched game. The game this year is in Milwaukee and the 2021 game will be in New Ulm. The Warriors hold a 2-0 advantage in men's basketball and the volleyball teams split their 2017 and 2018 matches. It seems like it should be a more natural matchup in most sports for the schools, but the two schools seldom cross paths. Hoping this game actually gets played. 

[Baldini]

I don't know if this was posted anywhere else, but I found it interesting.

https://footballscoop.com/news/the-highest-earning-division-iii-football-programs-are/

[Gray Fox]

I don't know if this was posted anywhere else, but I found it interesting.

https://footballscoop.com/news/the-highest-earning-division-iii-football-programs-are/

George Fox recently restarted football after several years.
Occidental had to cut a season short because of lack of players.  A special effort was undertaken to fund the program.
I'm sure these figures reflect these activities rather than ongoing gate receipts.

[Baldini]

The UMAC has released some information.

https://umacathletics.com/news/2020/7/13/general-covid-update.aspx

'No changes were made at this time to UMAC football schedules allowing up to two non-conference contests. Football will continue to be monitored and consistently reassessed as the season draws closer'.

[Baldini]

Can stick a fork in the UMAC football season also.

https://umacathletics.com/news/2020/7/29/general-umac-releases-update-for-fall-2020.aspx

[Baldini]

Seems to be some pushback beginning about cancelling seasons, this is from the Northwestern Website.

Despite the UMAC's decision to eliminate conference competition for high-risk sports this fall, the University of Northwestern plans to pursue non-conference competition for volleyball, football and soccer this fall. Schedules are currently being created and will be posted on www.unweagles.com as soon as they are available. All winter sports (m/w basketball and indoor track and field) have not been effected by these changes and are scheduled to occur as usual at this time.

https://unweagles.com/news/2020/7/30/general-umac-announces-fall-schedule-changes-unw-to-pursue-non-conference-competition.aspx

A number of other schools have not taken down their schedules and may well be following a similar path.

The common theme seems to be to kick the can down the road to the spring, but most all of these AD's know that logistically that just will not happen for them. I do believe there will be some games in the UMAC and ARC this fall, just hard to tell how many at this moment.

[Baldini]

The sad thing here is that Martin Luther College has a generational player for their program and he may not get to play his SR. season.

https://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/2020/07/joshuah-kren/

[Baldini]

The UMAC has released a spring football schedule.

From the UMAC site,

UMAC football member institutions plan to compete under a modified divisional model with a four-game regular season schedule over a six-week period with a tentative final championship crossover weekend. The "North" division will feature College of St. Scholastica, Crown College, Martin Luther College, University of Minnesota Morris and University of Northwestern with all teams participating in a single-round robin schedule with two home and two away games each. The "South" division includes Greenville University, Iowa Wesleyan University and Westminster College with all three teams participating in a double-round robin schedule with one home and one away game against each divisional member.

The regular season football schedule is slated to begin the weekend of March 26-27 and conclude April30-May 1. The conference tentatively plans to host a final weekend at a neutral site, should institutional policies allow, where the top three seeds from each division would compete against each other while the No. 4 and No.5 seeds from the "North" division would compete. The No. 1 North vs. No. 1 South game would determine the conference champion. If the championship weekend games cannot be played, a champion would be named for each division.

Link to the schedule.

https://umacathletics.com/calendar.aspx?path=football&start=1/1/2021&end=5/31/2021

[Inkblot]

Finlandia is joining the UMAC for football: https://umacathletics.com/news/2020/9/30/umac-adds-finlandia-as-associate-football-member-for-2021-season.aspx

[Baldini]

Finlandia is joining the UMAC for football: https://umacathletics.com/news/2020/9/30/umac-adds-finlandia-as-associate-football-member-for-2021-season.aspx

Those will be some mighty long road trips for Greenville and Westminster to Finlandia and Finlandia back the other way.

[hickory_cornhusker]

Finlandia is joining the UMAC for football: https://umacathletics.com/news/2020/9/30/umac-adds-finlandia-as-associate-football-member-for-2021-season.aspx

Those will be some mighty long road trips for Greenville and Westminster to Finlandia and Finlandia back the other way.

While Greenville and Westminster are longer road trips than anything they have now in the MIAA, UNW-St Paul and Crown are shorter than any current road trip with Martin Luther and UM-Morris in line with current MIAA trips.

[Baldini]

Greenville - Finlandia is 654 miles.
Westminster - Finlandia is 755 miles.