FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[NewHawk]

Excellent info from screaming Eagles. It will take much more than changing coaches and/ or athletic directors to return to the upper echelon of Wiac football.

Great read from people who know the school.  The WIAC is tough  to compete in no matter what but to have facilities that don't match up to a schools only 2 or 3 hours away makes recruiting really difficult.  Coaching makes all the difference when the players get there but that first impression on recruit visits stick with a player.  From the front office to the locker room, all the recruits coming through want to feel like they are part of a big time program, regardless of division.  If you cant lure the top recruits its hard to win (not to say both teams don't have some great players, because they do.)  Bottom line, the facilities don't make players better but they can help you get better players. 

[02 Warhawk]

Oy! Saturday cannot come soon enough to commence the Oshkosh invasion. Sounds like there's going to be a whole lotta purple in attendance Saturday. Oshkosh fans better make the trip across the river early or else there won't be any place for them to si!t 

For anyone interested, looks like there's a pre-game party for all UWW fans in Oshkosh:

Legends Sports Bar & Grill - 9:30 a.m.
600 N. Main St., Oshkosh, WI, 54901
Approximately two miles from J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium

[voice]

How far has lax fallen? I was surprised. Lax last made the playoffs in 2006, and since then they are 3-6 vs uwec, which last made the playoffs in 2007. Posters who insist that administrative support from the top is essential for significant progress to take place are correct.

Resources are indeed tight at UWL - Dettwiler made less than many high school football coaches in the area.

Former coach Larry Terry led the effort to fundraise and build Veterans Memorial Field.  After him, former AD Josh Whitman led significant fundraising efforts to:
- Partner with the La Crosse Loggers to upgrade Copeland Park and make it the Eagles' baseball home.
- Raise funds to upgrade technology/scoreboards at all athletic facilities
- Announced a brand new gymnastics training and competition facility.  When he left in 2014, so did any plans to complete this project.
- Announced a brand new fieldhouse for UWL athletics.  This was supposed to have begun construction in 2014 but is delayed indefinitely.  https://www.uwlax.edu/fieldhouse/

The common theme here is private funds.  The only project to be completed with university support is the fieldhouse, and that is delayed indefinitely.  The locker/athletic training/meeting rooms for athletes of all sports are in Mitchell Hall and are circa the 1960's.  Athletics has not been a priority for the school's administration for some time, and unless their attitudes change, success on the field will be a challenge for whoever the coach is.  Right now UWL Football has a gorgeous stadium with locker room and support facilities from 40 years ago. 

Coach Terry said as much when he retired in 2011.  The football program does have more resources now (3 full-time coaches vs. 1 previously), however the schools administration has not changed it's tune.

What do Whitewater, Oshkosh and Platteville have in common? A chancellor that understands the importance of having a strong football program. There is no question in my mind that a "football savvy" chancellor has been a huge reason for the Warhawks success over the years. There are some WIAC chancellors that put athletics on the back burner in my mind.

[ScreamingEagles]

How far has lax fallen? I was surprised. Lax last made the playoffs in 2006, and since then they are 3-6 vs uwec, which last made the playoffs in 2007. Posters who insist that administrative support from the top is essential for significant progress to take place are correct.

Resources are indeed tight at UWL - Dettwiler made less than many high school football coaches in the area.

Former coach Larry Terry led the effort to fundraise and build Veterans Memorial Field.  After him, former AD Josh Whitman led significant fundraising efforts to:
- Partner with the La Crosse Loggers to upgrade Copeland Park and make it the Eagles' baseball home.
- Raise funds to upgrade technology/scoreboards at all athletic facilities
- Announced a brand new gymnastics training and competition facility.  When he left in 2014, so did any plans to complete this project.
- Announced a brand new fieldhouse for UWL athletics.  This was supposed to have begun construction in 2014 but is delayed indefinitely.  https://www.uwlax.edu/fieldhouse/

The common theme here is private funds.  The only project to be completed with university support is the fieldhouse, and that is delayed indefinitely.  The locker/athletic training/meeting rooms for athletes of all sports are in Mitchell Hall and are circa the 1960's.  Athletics has not been a priority for the school's administration for some time, and unless their attitudes change, success on the field will be a challenge for whoever the coach is.  Right now UWL Football has a gorgeous stadium with locker room and support facilities from 40 years ago. 

Coach Terry said as much when he retired in 2011.  The football program does have more resources now (3 full-time coaches vs. 1 previously), however the schools administration has not changed it's tune.

What do Whitewater, Oshkosh and Platteville have in common? A chancellor that understands the importance of having a strong football program. There is no question in my mind that a "football savvy" chancellor has been a huge reason for the Warhawks success over the years. There are some WIAC chancellors that put athletics on the back burner in my mind.

UWL is definitely in this situation.  Joe Gow has done a fantastic job with the academic reputation of the school and also from a facilities standpoint.  We have a brand new general academic building, new dorm, new parking structure, and will have brand new Science and Student Union buildings completed over the next few years.  The school itself is doing very well, it is just unfortunate that almost none of those resources have been allocated to athletics. 

http://www.uwlax.edu/profile/jgow/

[OzJohnnie]

Well, you could look at it as market forces. Some schools offer an athletic feel, some offer academics, some low stress. If all schools tried to compete in athletics (or football) then they would be competing on the same institutional value proposition in a very small market (Wisconsin kids going to state universities). Market forces dictate different approaches. Harvard, in the extreme, sucks at football but it doesn't really worry them.

[NewHawk]

Well, you could look at it as market forces. Some schools offer an athletic feel, some offer academics, some low stress. If all schools tried to compete in athletics (or football) then they would be competing on the same institutional value proposition in a very small market (Wisconsin kids going to state universities). Market forces dictate different approaches. Harvard, in the extreme, sucks at football but it doesn't really worry them.

I bothers the alumni that like football. Go to the Harvard-Yale game and tell m if they like losing. For that matter, ask of couple of West Points grads if losing to Navy is no big deal. If you are going to have a team then you need to support it.

[fredfalcon]

I'm amazed at how little talk there is about the Osh/WW game. What little I've seen seems to concede the game to WW. Why? Osh won the first one. They play at  home. They should be favored and should win--unless they believe that their first game was a lucky outcome, and that WW can't be beaten because of previous success. WW looked to be less than a juggernaut when they played RF, even though the score was of blowout proportions. Stats were almost even. WW quarterbacking was very ordinary. Go Titans! A changing of the guard is imminent, and eventually unavoidable.

[emma17]

Wow- Aaron Rodgers and the Pack w an amazing comeback and game winner.
Nicely done.

[Retired Old Rat]

If there was any doubt the Lions are jinxed it has been removed.

[bleedpurple]

I'm amazed at how little talk there is about the Osh/WW game. What little I've seen seems to concede the game to WW. Why? Osh won the first one. They play at  home. They should be favored and should win--unless they believe that their first game was a lucky outcome, and that WW can't be beaten because of previous success. WW looked to be less than a juggernaut when they played RF, even though the score was of blowout proportions. Stats were almost even. WW quarterbacking was very ordinary. Go Titans! A changing of the guard is imminent, and eventually unavoidable.

Exactly. Imminent. No more juggernaut at UW-W. Watch the game and enjoy the demise Fred. UW-W has no shot. Looking forward to reading your comments after the game. 

And thanks for posting your analysis of the Whitewater 42-6 win over River Falls. Not nearly as impressive as last year's 28-25 win at Falls by UW-W's eventual National Champion. And you have a good point in using the Falls game as a measuring stick. The River Falls game is always a red circle game for the folks here at UW-W.

[emma17]

I'm amazed at how little talk there is about the Osh/WW game. What little I've seen seems to concede the game to WW. Why? Osh won the first one. They play at  home. They should be favored and should win--unless they believe that their first game was a lucky outcome, and that WW can't be beaten because of previous success. WW looked to be less than a juggernaut when they played RF, even though the score was of blowout proportions. Stats were almost even. WW quarterbacking was very ordinary. Go Titans! A changing of the guard is imminent, and eventually unavoidable.

I'm sure the Titan players don't feel the first game was a lucky outcome - after all they beat UWW w their third string QB.
As a UWW fan, I'm optimistic because it's logical to think there is a learning curve with new coaches and new skill position players. I know UWW hasn't played a team of UWO's caliber since the offense has taken on a new look, but I'm confident UWW will present UWO w greater challenges than they did in game 1.

[Retired Old Rat]

I'm sure Fred will have only good things to say about UWW after UWO defeats UWW for the second time this year.

[pg04]

A changing of the guard is imminent, and eventually unavoidable.

Someone alert the teams in the OAC.

[emma17]

A changing of the guard is imminent, and eventually unavoidable.

Someone alert the teams in the OAC.

The laws of imminence cease to exist in the OAC.

[Pat Coleman]

And thanks for posting your analysis of the Whitewater 42-6 win over River Falls. Not nearly as impressive as last year's 28-25 win at Falls by UW-W's eventual National Champion. And you have a good point in using the Falls game as a measuring stick. The River Falls game is always a red circle game for the folks here at UW-W.

Why does this need to be so belittling, bp?