FB: American Rivers Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Nine schools isn't nearly enough to go divisions, folks.

[Outside the Crate]

The NAIA is quite strong, and I don't anticipate its demise anytime soon.  Further, while NAIA colleges offer athletic scholarships this is unlikely to create extra financial pressure on the institutions from what is true for D3 colleges.  Gift aid is gift aid, no matter what you call it.  NAIA presidents all seem to say that D3 colleges are fully competitive with them on gift aid.  So, this is also to say that NWU will not save anything by joining a non-scholarship division of NCAA.

College presidents are often quite status conscious.  Candidly, there were no tears shed by IAICU presidents when William Penn, Iowa Wesleyan and Upper Iowa moved out of the IAICU.  NWU is being welcomed because of their quality and all the things they bring to the table that are consistent with the other members.  That's also why, in my view, none of the other current members will leave unless there is some kind of major realignment involving some really top flight colleges.  That doesn't seem to be in the cards.

[hazzben]

In my opinion, this move, while a little hard to understand, adds the Lincoln media market to the IIAC, but also sets a president for adding the Souix City and Des Moines media markets, which would effectively double the eyes and ears who get exposed to the IIAC, which can only help student recruitment. Which is the primary goal for all college administration offices.

I doubt this has much at all to do with media markets. This isn't all that analogous to Big 5 realignment, where conferences are interested in eyeballs for TV money.

The IIAC already has the Des Moines market, for whatever that's worth to a D3 conference. As for adding Lincoln...umm, there is only one football team in Lincoln, at least as far as the media and fans are concerned. The level of obsession with Nebraska completely drowns out everything else.

All that said, I think NWU is a really good addition for the IIAC. Good school with good athletics dept.

[MediaGuy]

In my opinion, this move, while a little hard to understand, adds the Lincoln media market to the IIAC, but also sets a president for adding the Souix City and Des Moines media markets, which would effectively double the eyes and ears who get exposed to the IIAC, which can only help student recruitment. Which is the primary goal for all college administration offices.

I doubt this has much at all to do with media markets. This isn't all that analogous to Big 5 realignment, where conferences are interested in eyeballs for TV money.

The IIAC already has the Des Moines market, for whatever that's worth to a D3 conference. As for adding Lincoln...umm, there is only one football team in Lincoln, at least as far as the media and fans are concerned. The level of obsession with Nebraska completely drowns out everything else.

All that said, I think NWU is a really good addition for the IIAC. Good school with good athletics dept.

Let me clarify, the Division 3 landscape doesn't even compete on a commercial level with FCS, or FBS Divisions when in comes to TV money or merchandising.  So when I talk about the importance of a "media market", I mean news coverage about the schools and their events.  What is most important to small schools is exposing the public (potential students and their families) to the small school atmosphere, facilities and academic programs.  Which will help with the long term recruitment for the entire student body, and help raise endowment funds.  News/Media coverage is one of the most powerful tools to help raise awareness to the D3/small school atmosphere.  I think that is why so many schools are competing to host national championships and regional events. While the hotel/hospitality businesses who support their local D3 schools do profit from a school hosting an event, there is also great value to the school what gets the opportunity to showcase their facilities and programs to more people. Not just the entire D3 community who already knows about small colleges, but also to a high school student or their families who might not have considered any small schools in their college choices. 

As for already having the Des Moines Media coverage, if you watch the local nightly news in Des Moines, there is far more reporting centered on Drake, or Grand View, than on Central or Simpson.  Media outlets always cover from the tower out, meaning they report on events happening in their hometown first, before covering events from the surrounding area.  Adding Grand View would put the IIAC and their member institutions on the nightly news far more often than they are currently.  If I was the conference commissioner, or a president of an IIAC school, Grand View would be the "Golden Egg" when it comes to any future expansion.

[hazzben]

^^ Makes sense. I think it probably applies much more to Grand View, though, than it does NWU. The center of Lincoln's tower (and universe) is Memorial Stadium, rightly or wrongly, I'm not sure anything else is even a blip on their radar screen.

That said, NWU is still a good addition for lots of other reasons.

[doolittledog]

Article from Radio Iowa
http://www.radioiowa.com/2015/07/21/iowa-conference-adding-a-nebraska-school/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RadioIowaNews+%28Radio+Iowa+News%29

From the article...

Iowa Conference Commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen says the league began to seriously consider expansion after Cornell College left in 2012 to join the Midwest Conference. "This was a time when we all felt most comfortable with a serious discussion about adding a school," Yrigoyen says.

Yrigoyen says the league will work to alleviate the additional travel that will come with the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan. He says they will work on the scheduling and financial aspects of adding them to the conference. Yrigoyen says the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan is part of an overall strategic plan for the conference that could include a name change. "Clearly the name of the conference will be on the horizon. Sometimes these strategic plans come with a branding or rebranding element, and we will probably discuss that as well," Yrigoyen says

[DBQ1965]

Nine schools isn't nearly enough to go divisions, folks.

I was thinking of some years down the line when 12 schools or more could make up two divisions ... recognizing that two, six team divisions create  some interesting scheduling challenges.

[OzJohnnie]

NWU to take the IIAC 2016 Football Championship.  You heard it here first. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

NWU to take the IIAC 2015 Football Championship.  You heard it here first. 

That WOULD be big news - since they don't join until 2016.

[OzJohnnie]

I have no idea what you're talking about and I can't believe you edited the quote to make me look bad.  Disgusting behavior.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I have no idea what you're talking about and I can't believe you edited the quote to make me look bad.  Disgusting behavior.

I edited nothing.  The quote is exactly what you posted.

You said they would win in 2015; I noted they wouldn't join until 2016.

Perhaps 'Disgusting behavior' has a different meaning in the southern hemisphere?

[I see now that I quoted you before you changed 2015 to 2016 - I've also been 'victimized' by quick responses before I made a correction - sorry, this is all a misunderstanding.  I like that a correction can be made with no indication that it is a correction (about two minutes, I think), but it can also result in confusion!]

[OzJohnnie]

Sorry, mate.  That was completely tongue in cheek.  I changed it after you busted me and dishonestly tried to claim the opposite.  You've been spending too much time in the Internet wars and need to hang out on the MIAC boards a little more where almost nothing is said seriously and even less is said intelligently.

[MediaGuy]

Seeing how we're having a little fun with each other, this just dawned on me when I read this news release on the NWU Athletics page

Nebraska Wesleyan Adds Wrestling to Athletics Program
http://nwusports.com/news/2015/7/13/GEN_0713154918.aspx

One line kind of sticks out
"A search for a head coach is currently underway with competition scheduled to begin with the 2016-17 winter sports season."

Sounds like a tough road...start a college wrestling team at a school that hasn't had the sport since 1982, recruit athletes from a prominently football/baseball state, and wrestle a conference schedule that includes the national champ/runner-up in 16 of the last 19 years, along with 3-4 teams that could legitimately vie for the conference championship in any wrestling conference in the country.

I would love an opportunity to be the head coach of any team at the collegiate level, but I think I would rather be the NWU's 2nd wrestling coach since 1982...not the 1st...

But in all seriousness, I think they are a great fit and I'm excited to welcome them into the conference.

[AO]

I have no idea what you're talking about and I can't believe you edited the quote to make me look bad.  Disgusting behavior.

I edited nothing.  The quote is exactly what you posted.

You said they would win in 2015; I noted they wouldn't join until 2016.

Perhaps 'Disgusting behavior' has a different meaning in the southern hemisphere?

[I see now that I quoted you before you changed 2015 to 2016 - I've also been 'victimized' by quick responses before I made a correction - sorry, this is all a misunderstanding.  I like that a correction can be made with no indication that it is a correction (about two minutes, I think), but it can also result in confusion!]

[Mr. Ypsi]

Touche'.

But 15-yard penalty for piling on!