FB: American Rivers Conference

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There you go again, back to discussing institutional finances.  Carleton and St. Olaf aren't exactly hurting.  Their endowments are $894M and $530M, while Hamline's is a "modest" $84M.  I'd argue that St. Olaf institutional endowment has ballooned during it's most recent tenure with the MIAC (they were members of the Midwest Conference 1952-74). While I can buy the argument that fewer prospective high school players would want to join a program that gets monkey-stomped every year and that could possibly lead to lower enrollment and alumni benevolence, I don't think using a megaphone to settle differences helps the public's image of College's that want to boot St. Thomas.

... and speaking of ballooning, how do so called Liberal Academic Institutions justify half billion dollar endowments while still charging tuition of $44K to $50K per year.  But that's a whole 'nother conversation that deals with macroeconomics, moral justice and national priorities. 

The fact is that St. Thomas may be very good in football and do well in other sports, that ought not be the tail that wags the dog.

Sincerely yours,
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I agree to disagree

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Fine.  I'm off to clean the garage.  Gotta keep momma happy.

Sincerely yours,
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NCAA ought consider Hazzben's proposal:

Triple post ... cuz we need to keep our page numbers up now that we'll soon be losing all the Tommie posters. 

Outside the box solution ... Limit Coaching staff sizes.

If you limited the number of FT coaches on a staff that could provide some of the parity schools are looking for (I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit). Without digging, I'm guessing UST has a substantially more man hours to throw at film, practice, recruiting, etc. than Hamline or Augsburg. Not to mention non-coaching admin support.

If Team A has 10 FT coaches and Team B has 4, the difference can be huge. Team B fills out their staff with part time, typically in season only help. Guys who usually can only devote 25 or so hours a week to coaching (still a massive commitment considering they have FT jobs).

In season:
Team A has 800 man hours to allot to film, in season recruiting, coaching, scouting, admin, etc. (Assuming 80 hours per week for coaches in season)
Team B has 470 man hours. And over half their staff is doing this as a second job.

330 man hour advantage per week. And so you end up with behind the back 2 pt conversions, cuz coaches 9 and 10 had to do something on Friday at 2 pm.

Off Season:
Team A has 500 man hours to allot to recruiting, spring football, strength & conditioning, admin, etc.
Team B has 200 man hours to allot.

300 man hour advantage per week.

Team A is better to begin with. So they are more attractive to the best players. They also have more 300 extra man hours every week to devote to recruiting better players and finding gems no one else is aware of nationally. Then once those better players get to campus, they have 330 extra man hours every week of the season to coach up and develop that superior talent.

In all honesty, I don't love this solution. But it's better than kicking UST out and better than artificially limiting roster sizes. But got to make these participation trophy loving presidents happy somehow!!

President Anderson can give me a call for consulting help whenever he's ready. 

[doolittledog]

These 5WOL/5WOM posts deserve multiple thumbs up

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Ummm ... that's a singular thumb

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Shhh ... he's a UD grad and may not know the difference. 

It's also another reason why the MIAC wouldn't want to oust the Tommies.  If a mistake like that was posted on the MIAC board the Johnnies would be howling for a week.  They'd work it into their ice fishing stories, discussions about Aussie slang, diatribes on Caruso and jokes about hockey.  Without the Tommies, the MIAC becomes a just a cold WIAC.

... but what about our Irishman's proposition?  Should the ARC reach out to St. Thomas should they be cast adrift?

Sincerely yours,
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Ouch, that was pretty sharp

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The thumb comment was a joke dummy.  Now if I was referring to a Wartburg grad ...

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Nope.  Tommies don't wrestle.

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That's it??!!  Just because St. Thomas doesn't wrestle is why they ought not be invited into the ARC?  What about NWU - they started a wrestling program just to joint the ARC.  St. Thomas participates in every other activity and would add another swim/dive team to compete with the handful of other arc teams that have swim/dive programs.  They could also serve as a catalyst for other ARC schools to expand into hockey to recruit more students just as UD has delved into LaCrosse, Wartburg in Womens wrestling, Simpson in trap shooting and Coe in Triathlon.

Sincerely yours,
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Swami doesn't like purple hue

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Great, another voice!  You're not even a US citizen so you don't get to vote. 

I've got to get back out to the garage and uncluttered my head.  But let me say this, The ARC ought welcome a program with the solid national reputation and credentials of a St. Thomas.  They bring intangibles to any conference and ARC would be lucky to have them join. 

It's also my opinion that St. Thomas should not want to join the ARC because it would be far more lucrative for them to go D1.  I can think of several D1 conferences that would salivate over having another member in a major metropolitan area.

Sincerely yours,
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[sportsknight]

Long time, long time.

The St. Thomas discussion (even if it kind of reads like 5WOL is having an internal argument) is a relevant one. On the heels of Iowa Wesleyan's closure, I'm hearing that a pair of ARC schools are also in some perilous financial straits.

[OzJohnnie]