FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

Great deal for Shawn. 

[BoBo]

This one might be interesting...the new AD at UWM has Football on his radar. It might be years in the making, if at all. I'm not holding my breath, though!! Does anyone think it's actually possible in this day and age for the Panthers to return to the gridiron?  Including no place to play, how many millions of dollars would it cost to start up a program?

[KitchenSink]

There is no way UWM will have a football team.  No facility and Title IX.  And virtually nobody cares.

I've umpired on Aaron Field in Milwaukee, where UWM plays its home baseball games (it's used for hgh school games, too).  That makes it the one and only Div I field in the state.  It's a cow pasture - lumpy, weedy grass, rusty fences, gates that are hanging and uncloseable, bleachers that you couldn't pay me to sit on.  And nobody cares.

And basketball at UWM?  "Let's build a nice new on-campus facility"  pssst .... nobody really cares about that .... 1,500 per game .....

[BoBo]

And basketball at UWM?  "Let's build a nice new on-campus facility"  pssst .... nobody really cares about that .... 1,500 per game .....

Cut 'em some slack K'Sink.  From my math, they averaged 4,153 (according to the box score reported #'s) in home attendance this year including over 10,000 for the third Butler game in their league championship game...that average might increase a bit if they had an acceptable on-campus facility...but I understand your point!! 

[02 Warhawk]

I bet the WIAC won't be all for a UWM football program. Recruits that might normally go to the WIAC may instead accept a scholarship to play at UWM. This might disrupt the Milwaukee pipeline just a little.

Not that I'm complaining, the WIAC has greatly benefitted from a lower competitive recruiting field compared to many other states over the years.

[badgerwarhawk]

From 1913 to 1963 Milwaukee was a football member of the WIAC.  They do have a club program at this time and as recently as a couple of years ago have played our varsity reserves. 

[KitchenSink]

And basketball at UWM?  "Let's build a nice new on-campus facility"  pssst .... nobody really cares about that .... 1,500 per game .....

Cut 'em some slack K'Sink.  From my math, they averaged 4,153 (according to the box score reported #'s) in home attendance this year including over 10,000 for the third Butler game in their league championship game...that average might increase a bit if they had an acceptable on-campus facility...but I understand your point!! 

My job gives me inside info on UWM attendance.  Don't beleive everything you see in newspaper box scores ....  Escpecially when you understand how many tickets are freebies .....

[BoBo]

From 1913 to 1963 Milwaukee was a football member of the WIAC.  They do have a club program at this time and as recently as a couple of years ago have played our varsity reserves. 

Obviously, they wouldn't return to the WIAC. In a perfect world, and UWM re-starts football, where do they fit? The Horizon doesn't sponsor football. Would they have to be a scholarship program? While La Crosse had to scrape $$$ to continue playing baseball, unless UWM has a wealth sugar daddy throwing a bunch of cash their way, how could the state provide what is needed to begin? Who could they play? Where do they play? Many obstacles to overcome.

[Warhawk 96]

There is no way UWM will have a football team.  No facility and Title IX.  And virtually nobody cares.

I've umpired on Aaron Field in Milwaukee, where UWM plays its home baseball games (it's used for hgh school games, too).  That makes it the one and only Div I field in the state.  It's a cow pasture - lumpy, weedy grass, rusty fences, gates that are hanging and uncloseable, bleachers that you couldn't pay me to sit on.  And nobody cares.

And basketball at UWM?  "Let's build a nice new on-campus facility"  pssst .... nobody really cares about that .... 1,500 per game .....

I live about 45 minutes from UWM. If they fielded a football team I'd go and watch them and I think other people would as well. It would be nice to be able to drive less than an hour to watch a quality college football game (Madison is at a minimum, 4 hours on the road round trip).

[Just Bill]

I don't think football at UWM is going to happen anytime in the next 10 years, but if it did, their natural conference affiliation would be the Pioneer Football League:

http://www.pioneer-football.org/

It's a non-scholarship FCS league. Valparaiso, Drake, Dayton, Butler, Moorehead State would be the closest schools. At the moment there's 10 teams, but they are expanding to 12 in 2013. It would make sense because they could have their Division I affiliation without having to offer scholarships.

[BoBo]

^ That's kind of a far-reaching conference - from the east bank of the Hudson near Poughkeepsie, NY to San Diego. What would all those selective private schools (except 7,900 student Morehead State) do with a 30,000 student public? It would seem to be an odd fit - one that I seriously doubt they would ever entertain the notion of wooing to join them.  Pretty weak in terms of quality football, too!!

[02 Warhawk]

The Missouri Valley Conference (FCS) might be a good fit for them...if they can get the funding for scholarships.

UWM will be geographically right in the middle of the conference

[Just Bill]

^ That's kind of a far-reaching conference - from the east bank of the Hudson near Poughkeepsie, NY to San Diego. What would all those selective private schools (except 7,900 student Morehead State) do with a 30,000 student public? It would seem to be an odd fit - one that I seriously doubt they would ever entertain the notion of wooing to join them.  Pretty weak in terms of quality football, too!!

Well of course it's weak, but I didn't really think a new UWM squad would jump right into the FCS rankings. It's non-scholarship so the quality isn't really a lot different than D-III, but being non-scholarship at least initially would be a faster path to actually having a team. I think selling a non-scholarship football team to the state legislature would be a lot easier then selling a scholarship team.

I would assume that since the conference is expanding to 12 members they will be splitting into divisions which will reduce the travel greatly. It makes sense too, in that UWM would have some common Horizon League members.

True that the PFL might not want them, but it's all hypothetical and I honestly I don't think this is ever going to happen anyway, so what's the difference?

I agree that the MVFC would fit well too, but that's going to much harder conference to be competitive in and as you said, you've got to find the scholarship money.

[Raider 68]

How did Spring drills go for the WIAC teams?

[bulk19]

How did Spring drills go for the WIAC teams?

UWL is running their's this week M-Th, until May 5. Joel Dettwiler, the new head coach, is getting is first real look at what he's got, and said on TV that he's had some input from other notables, too...
http://www.wxow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14441846

He said he's been picking Coach Harring's brain a bit, and was impressed that he had binders full of data - stats, times, lift totals, etc., - from each Indians/Eagles roster...  Coach also said he bought Harring's house, too!