FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[WarhawkDad]

Crazy story.  Hoffner was wronged and didn't deserve the overzealous prosecution.  The arbitrator corrected that wrong but I do feel bad for the players for being caught in the middle of this.  Egg on the University's face for not bring the staff, administrators, and players together before this went down.  Yikes.

I agree. I do wonder though if Emma's suspicion is true and there is more to the story. I wonder if part of the "more" is that the university DID bring the team together and the message they sent resulted in this action.  My life experience tells me that getting 100% unanimity (whether a vote, an opinion, or an action) with 100 or more people requires significant coordination and/or pressure.  And my other thought is that many of these kids are on scholarship. If the university were NOT behind it, would there not be significant risk in refusing to do spring practice under terms of their scholarship?

Regardless of the "more to the story", this is a loose/loose issue.   Thomas Wolfe wrote a book called "You Can Never Go Home Again", maybe Hoffner should have recognized that regardless of the arbitrator's award that going back to Mankato would be extremely awkward and difficult.  He should have used the negotiator's award as leverage to negotiate a settlement and let the student athletes, institution, and community (as well as his family and himself) move on.

Frankly to me this is a sign of a person with a tremendous ego, that is rather self-centered and I have never met the man.    If you are concerned about the administrators that made the decision in the first place....if Hoffner would have negotiated a settlement, I believe strongly that the financial settlement would have caused the powers at be to address them as well.   

Now, Hoffner has subjected everyone to have the uncertainty, press, disruption etc.....lived all over again.   Lastly, his family will be the ones who suffer the most.

Just my $.02....and please understand I wish everyone involved the best and hope for a speedy and considerate resolution, but it never needed to go where it is in the first place.    Two wrongs don't make a right.

WHD

[bulk19]

Here's an update from yesterday; I just saw it today, after my post last night...
Team to unite behind Hoffner; the players wanted to be heard in this matter....

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/04/17/minnesota-state-players-to-unite-behind-hoffner/7830529/

[Pat Coleman]

I believe Hoffner just wanted to get a shot at coaching at a high level in Division II again. Minot State was not that place and I'm sure most schools wouldn't touch him at this point. This gives him a chance to prove himself for a couple of years and then move on if necessary.

[KitchenSink]

Not a football issue, but an FYI for WIAC followers:

Superior looks to move to UMAC in all but Hockey

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/statecolleges/uw-superior-moves-to-leave-wiac-for-minnesota-conference-b99252592z1-256049331.html

[02 Warhawk]

Not a football issue, but an FYI for WIAC followers:

Superior looks to move to UMAC in all but Hockey

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/statecolleges/uw-superior-moves-to-leave-wiac-for-minnesota-conference-b99252592z1-256049331.html

Sucks for the WIAC (especially baseball), but it makes sense for them.

[palum]

Not a football issue, but an FYI for WIAC followers:

Superior looks to move to UMAC in all but Hockey

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/statecolleges/uw-superior-moves-to-leave-wiac-for-minnesota-conference-b99252592z1-256049331.html

Sucks for the WIAC (especially baseball), but it makes sense for them.

Would Parkside ever consider joining the WIAC I know at DII they would have to give up scholarships but I think for some of the same reasons Superior is considering the UMAC would fit for Parkside joining the WIAC.  Take the scholarship money and start a football team & join the WIAC.  But remember P-ville has claim to UWP   

[Just Bill]

Previous UWRF coach breaks rules. Current UWRF coach must attend rules seminar. NCAA logic, everyone!

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2014/04/river-falls-gets-probation-for-violations

[02 Warhawk]

Interesting stuff. Looks like UWRF allowed O'Grady to hand out aid/scholarship packages when he wasn't allowed to.

Seems to me like a lack of understanding the NCAA guidelines, rather than knowingly cheating the system.

[Pat Coleman]

Only one active student-athlete seems to have benefited from it. If you read the NCAA's 15-page report it looks as if UWRF attempted to do this the right way but it wasn't properly monitored or managed by the financial aid folks.

That is not unusual in D-III. I believe there are many schools where the FA office simply doesn't know there are rules about this sort of thing.

[cubs]

UW Oshkosh will not have a single non-conference game against a D3 opponent next season.  They will be playing a pair of NAIA schools and D1-AA/FCS  South Dakota State.

http://www.uwoshkoshtitans.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20140423n4658e

[02 Warhawk]

UW Oshkosh will not have a single non-conference game against a D3 opponent next season.  They will be playing a pair of NAIA schools and D1-AA/FCS  South Dakota State.

http://www.uwoshkoshtitans.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20140423n4658e

UWW might be heading down that path as well...

[MasterJedi]

UW Oshkosh will not have a single non-conference game against a D3 opponent next season.  They will be playing a pair of NAIA schools and D1-AA/FCS  South Dakota State.

http://www.uwoshkoshtitans.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20140423n4658e

UWW might be heading down that path as well...

Well I hope it's not against a Division I FCS school. Oshkosh is about to get rocked in that game. If anything go against Division II, at least there's a chance there.

[AO]

UW Oshkosh will not have a single non-conference game against a D3 opponent next season.  They will be playing a pair of NAIA schools and D1-AA/FCS  South Dakota State.

http://www.uwoshkoshtitans.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20140423n4658e

UWW might be heading down that path as well...

Well I hope it's not against a Division I FCS school. Oshkosh is about to get rocked in that game. If anything go against Division II, at least there's a chance there.

There wouldn't be very many non-conference games played if coaches were only willing to schedule games where they had a good chance to win.

[Pat Coleman]

UW Oshkosh will not have a single non-conference game against a D3 opponent next season.  They will be playing a pair of NAIA schools and D1-AA/FCS  South Dakota State.

http://www.uwoshkoshtitans.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20140423n4658e

UWW might be heading down that path as well...

What we know about Whitewater's schedule to date:
http://www.d3football.com/teams/UW-Whitewater/2014/index

[bleedpurple]

UW Oshkosh will not have a single non-conference game against a D3 opponent next season.  They will be playing a pair of NAIA schools and D1-AA/FCS  South Dakota State.

http://www.uwoshkoshtitans.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/20140423n4658e

UWW might be heading down that path as well...

What we know about Whitewater's schedule to date:
http://www.d3football.com/teams/UW-Whitewater/2014/index

Three home games so far. We need to remember this if UW-W ends up playing a lower level NAIA team or something for their fourth home game.  Playing a bad team REALLY IS "better than nothing" when "nothing" is genuinely the most likely alternative.