FB: American Rivers Conference

[Outside the Crate]

Interesting developments in the MIAC, with St. Scholastica replacing the departing Univ of St. Thomas as a member institution.  Further, Macalester is returning to the MIAC as a football member, which is causing the conference to adopt a divisional model.  I can't help mentioning that both St. Scholastica and Macalester have had weak football teams compared with most of the rest of the MIAC.  St. Scholastica has met the MIAC champion several times in the playoffs, and they inevitably lose by 50 points.

[Pat Coleman]

The MIAC only has 10 football members -- they don't have to go to divisions because of the expansion. They are going to divisions in 2021 in order to protect the bottom teams from having to face St. John's every year.

[doolittledog]

The IIAC had north and south divisions for a few years, I think early 50's.  Dubuque and Loras had such a dislike for each other they were put in different divisions 

Would be interesting if the conference would ever consider expansion to the point they could have divisions. 

[hazzben]

The MIAC only has 10 football members -- they don't have to go to divisions because of the expansion. They are going to divisions in 2021 in order to protect the bottom teams from having to face St. John's every year.

It's to protect the bottom teams from facing all the top teams each year, not just SJU. The bottom four teams will be split into separate divisions. So CSS & Carleton will be playing SJU every single year, but those two will avoid the top teams from the other division most years. And vice versa, MAC and Hamline avoid SJU, but get Bethel and Concordia every year.

It also helps the SOS of the top teams, since they still have the ability to schedule two non-con games (rather than losing one non-con to a weaker MIAC addition) and getting an extra end of season game against a top team from the other division at years end. Still to be seen how it will effect Pool C candidates.

[OzJohnnie]

The MIAC only has 10 football members -- they don't have to go to divisions because of the expansion. They are going to divisions in 2021 in order to protect the bottom teams from having to face St. John's every year.

It's to protect the bottom teams from facing all the top teams each year, not just SJU. The bottom four teams will be split into separate divisions. So CSS & Carleton will be playing SJU every single year, but those two will avoid the top teams from the other division most years. And vice versa, MAC and Hamline avoid SJU, but get Bethel and Concordia every year.

It also helps the SOS of the top teams, since they still have the ability to schedule two non-con games (rather than losing one non-con to a weaker MIAC addition) and getting an extra end of season game against a top team from the other division at years end. Still to be seen how it will effect Pool C candidates.

True.  The feature I like best is that it gives every side a meaningful end-of-season "bowl" game against well-matched competition during the championship week.  While that works well for the SOS of the top sides, it also is good for the bottom sides as the players there get a final game of the season to try their best against an equal team.  In the round-robin format, after the bottom two sides play each other then they only have a season's worth of thrashings to look forward to.  Now they finish on the high of a competitive championship week matchup.  I think it's a good development for the health of the top and bottom of the league.  We'll see if it plays out that way but it looks to me like it can.

[doolittledog]

The MIAC only has 10 football members -- they don't have to go to divisions because of the expansion. They are going to divisions in 2021 in order to protect the bottom teams from having to face St. John's every year.

It's to protect the bottom teams from facing all the top teams each year, not just SJU. The bottom four teams will be split into separate divisions. So CSS & Carleton will be playing SJU every single year, but those two will avoid the top teams from the other division most years. And vice versa, MAC and Hamline avoid SJU, but get Bethel and Concordia every year.

It also helps the SOS of the top teams, since they still have the ability to schedule two non-con games (rather than losing one non-con to a weaker MIAC addition) and getting an extra end of season game against a top team from the other division at years end. Still to be seen how it will effect Pool C candidates.

True.  The feature I like best is that it gives every side a meaningful end-of-season "bowl" game against well-matched competition during the championship week.  While that works well for the SOS of the top sides, it also is good for the bottom sides as the players there get a final game of the season to try their best against an equal team.  In the round-robin format, after the bottom two sides play each other then they only have a season's worth of thrashings to look forward to.  Now they finish on the high of a competitive championship week matchup.  I think it's a good development for the health of the top and bottom of the league.  We'll see if it plays out that way but it looks to me like it can.

I don't want to dig through articles to find the info.  Who hosts these season ending games?  One division hosts one season and the other division the next?  A day long event at the Viking stadium or some other venue? 

[OzJohnnie]

The MIAC only has 10 football members -- they don't have to go to divisions because of the expansion. They are going to divisions in 2021 in order to protect the bottom teams from having to face St. John's every year.

It's to protect the bottom teams from facing all the top teams each year, not just SJU. The bottom four teams will be split into separate divisions. So CSS & Carleton will be playing SJU every single year, but those two will avoid the top teams from the other division most years. And vice versa, MAC and Hamline avoid SJU, but get Bethel and Concordia every year.

It also helps the SOS of the top teams, since they still have the ability to schedule two non-con games (rather than losing one non-con to a weaker MIAC addition) and getting an extra end of season game against a top team from the other division at years end. Still to be seen how it will effect Pool C candidates.

True.  The feature I like best is that it gives every side a meaningful end-of-season "bowl" game against well-matched competition during the championship week.  While that works well for the SOS of the top sides, it also is good for the bottom sides as the players there get a final game of the season to try their best against an equal team.  In the round-robin format, after the bottom two sides play each other then they only have a season's worth of thrashings to look forward to.  Now they finish on the high of a competitive championship week matchup.  I think it's a good development for the health of the top and bottom of the league.  We'll see if it plays out that way but it looks to me like it can.

I don't want to dig through articles to find the info.  Who hosts these season ending games?  One division hosts one season and the other division the next?  A day long event at the Viking stadium or some other venue? 

Yes, flips back and forth. They haven't decided on neutral venues or not yet.

[hazzben]

As Oz said, right now it rotates back and forth.

I think it'd be great to have the games at US Bank stadium. It ensures a neutral site, which is great for a "play in"/"Bowl" type scenario that these games will represent. Also avoids the possibility of say SJU traveling to Bethel and then having to travel back to Bethel again for a rematch for the playin game, if it was the year for Bethel's division to host the games.

The MIAC used to have a Dome series at the end of every season. It was stale for a few reasons. 1. The Metrodome was a dump 2. The games rarely meant anything and were just random matchups with only 1 or 2 teams really in the hunt of a playoff spot. The new setup would ensure that every game has more juice and "something to play for," would ensure a neutral site, and would be an interesting venue for the "Championship Game" with the auto-bid on the line. We'll see if that gets any legs though.

[5 Words or Less]

William Jewel adds M/W wrestling
http://www.nwcaonline.com/william-jewell-to-add-womens-wrestling-reinstate-mens-wrestling/

[5 Words or Less]

NAIA welcomes five D2 colleges
https://www.naia.org/general/2019-20/releases/NewMembers_2020

The NAIA has shown to be a better fit for several NCAA DII and DIII schools. In some cases NAIA members are spending as much as 40% less than their counterparts in the NCAA, while still operating high-caliber athletics programs. 

[5 Words or Less]

NAIA touts affordability
https://www.naia.org/membership/2018-19/releases/20180917alnam

Institutions who have moved from the NAIA to DIII over the last few years have:

• spent an average of 66% more on athletics operations
• increased spending per student-athlete by an average of 40%
• averaged a 16% decrease in enrollment
• fallen in Directors' Cup Rankings

[5 Words or Less]

Perhaps William Jewell's eyeing NAIA

[doolittledog]

William Jewell was a long time NAIA member, that only recently moved to D2.  The NAIA conference they were in had many schools in close proximity to the William Jewell campus. 

When William Penn left the IIAC (before they could be shown the door) they stated moving to the NAIA would be less expensive than running an NCAA program. 

[jknezek]

It's easy to spend less when you need almost no compliance...

[Pat Coleman]

Also, schools such as Thomas More which made the move to get into a more geographically compact conference surely saved on travel.