FB: American Rivers Conference

[DriftlessDuhawk]

Regarding a non-NCAA playoff game with another conference I agree the MIAC was the obvious choice. I am curious as to the reason for the blanket policy of no other post season games. I think that would have been fun.

This policy does seem rather foolish as all these bowls do is provide one of your conference's teams one last chance to compete and offer the conference additional exposure. Both of which I would think would seem to be good things.

[Pat Coleman]

Wartburg (and Turbo Clasen) and the ARC in general get a lot of attention in this week's podcast:
https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2023/08/29/atn-podcast-331-lets-get-this-party-started/

Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
ad infinitum

That was what the ESPN broadcast of the national semifinals sounded like to us.

[doolittledog]

The Culver's Isthmus Bowl is played with representatives from the CCIW and WIAC
The Cousins Subs Lakefront Bowl  is played with representatives from the MWC and the NACC

A - Is it possible to convince the MIAC to reconsider and begin a bowl game series against the ARC?
B - What other conference could the ARC look to for a bowl game?
C - Where might this game be played?
D - Have any sponsors admitted to any interest in such a game?
E - Possible sponsors for this bowl game? Wells Fargo, Hy-Vee, Casey's, Kwik Star, Kum & Go (gets my vote), MidAmerican Energy.  Any others?

[MediaGuy]

The Culver's Isthmus Bowl is played with representatives from the CCIW and WIAC
The Cousins Subs Lakefront Bowl  is played with representatives from the MWC and the NACC

A - Is it possible to convince the MIAC to reconsider and begin a bowl game series against the ARC?
B - What other conference could the ARC look to for a bowl game?
C - Where might this game be played?
D - Have any sponsors admitted to any interest in such a game?
E - Possible sponsors for this bowl game? Wells Fargo, Hy-Vee, Casey's, Kwik Star, Kum & Go (gets my vote), MidAmerican Energy.  Any others?

I would love to see a series of bowls put on at the UNI-Dome.  Ideally you could do a NAIA and D3 Bowl games on an extended weekend in December.  I know the high school playoffs bring big money into the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area so they have the infrastructure and experience to put on a few games.  I know the Lost Island Amusement park/Water park are really looking for publicity so maybe a free ticket to the park with a ticket stub would be a fun promotion.  I don't know what bowl games are available for NAIA but there are plenty of teams in a 3 state area that could participate.  Or maybe a cross division game where the 2 best teams in Iowa that don't make their respective playoffs could play.  I know the coaches are all trying to get another week of practice with their teams...that's really the only reason they do foreign trips.

[HansenRatings]

The Culver's Isthmus Bowl is played with representatives from the CCIW and WIAC
The Cousins Subs Lakefront Bowl  is played with representatives from the MWC and the NACC

A - Is it possible to convince the MIAC to reconsider and begin a bowl game series against the ARC?
B - What other conference could the ARC look to for a bowl game?
C - Where might this game be played?
D - Have any sponsors admitted to any interest in such a game?
E - Possible sponsors for this bowl game? Wells Fargo, Hy-Vee, Casey's, Kwik Star, Kum & Go (gets my vote), MidAmerican Energy.  Any others?

A. Doubtful.

B. I think a tie-in with another rep from the WIAC/CCIW would be the best option. There had been discussions between the conference and the CCIW for a scheduling agreement a few years ago. I think this was before the CCIW added WashU or the IIAC added NWU, but the two conferences see each other as peers in some sense. The UMAC is the only other conference with a realistic geographic footprint.

C. There are some REAL nice HS stadiums around the DSM suburbs. The first Isthmus Bowl was at Verona HS in WI, which had a brand new stadium, partially funded by Epic (the medical records company) and the locals I talked to before the game said "it's an amazing field. It looks like a college campus," but the average stadium we (I coach at Waukee) play at is nicer. Southeast Polk has a brand new stadium. Waukee Northwest. Ankeny Centennial (the one at the high school, not the one they actually play at by the junior high). Valley. Valley might be the best option, because the stadium isn't in high school property, which precludes most venues from hosting a typical tailgate, if you catch my drift. The UNI Dome is out, because it would prevent them from hosting a playoff game themselves. Maybe the Blue Oval at Drake or the new DSM public school field, too. Lotta great options if stakeholders agreed to it.

D. I believe the Isthmus Bowl guy had some feelers out, but without commitments from conferences, it was all just hypotheticals.

E. If (big if) Minnesota got into the act, Dairy Queen and Cub Foods are the first two that come to mind. MidAmerican has sponsored that big "RecPlex" in West Des Moines, so they might actually be a realistic option.

[DBQ1965]

For selfish reasons, I would like to see an ARC - MIAA postseason match-up.  The problem is distance, especially with Lake Michigan in the way. 

[DriftlessDuhawk]

The Culver's Isthmus Bowl is played with representatives from the CCIW and WIAC
The Cousins Subs Lakefront Bowl  is played with representatives from the MWC and the NACC

A - Is it possible to convince the MIAC to reconsider and begin a bowl game series against the ARC?
B - What other conference could the ARC look to for a bowl game?
C - Where might this game be played?
D - Have any sponsors admitted to any interest in such a game?
E - Possible sponsors for this bowl game? Wells Fargo, Hy-Vee, Casey's, Kwik Star, Kum & Go (gets my vote), MidAmerican Energy.  Any others?

I would love to see a series of bowls put on at the UNI-Dome.  Ideally you could do a NAIA and D3 Bowl games on an extended weekend in December.  I know the high school playoffs bring big money into the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area so they have the infrastructure and experience to put on a few games.  I know the Lost Island Amusement park/Water park are really looking for publicity so maybe a free ticket to the park with a ticket stub would be a fun promotion.  I don't know what bowl games are available for NAIA but there are plenty of teams in a 3 state area that could participate.  Or maybe a cross division game where the 2 best teams in Iowa that don't make their respective playoffs could play.  I know the coaches are all trying to get another week of practice with their teams...that's really the only reason they do foreign trips.

I think the idea of the best Iowa D3 team vs the best Iowa NAIA team would be great though I am not sure of the logistics of this whatesoever.

[bleedpurple]

Wartburg (and Turbo Clasen) and the ARC in general get a lot of attention in this week's podcast:
https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2023/08/29/atn-podcast-331-lets-get-this-party-started/

Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
Turbo
ad infinitum

That was what the ESPN broadcast of the national semifinals sounded like to us.

Agreed!  100%

[HansenRatings]

I think the idea of the best Iowa D3 team vs the best Iowa NAIA team would be great though I am not sure of the logistics of this whatesoever.

I've considered/fantasized about this as well (I've fantasized about it more in the wrestling context - Wartburg/Grand View would be an outstanding meet). I think it's more of a conference/institutional philosophical issue than a logistical one that would prevent this from happening. (Although I have no clue whatsoever if the NAIA allows bowl games.)

[Schipper Strong]

Good luck to all the ARC teams today in their games. Everyone stay healthy and bring home the wins. Best of luck to my Dutch against a St Olaf team returning 20 starters. How is that even possible? Good luck to Hunter Hoffman getting his starting QB debut this week. Saw him as 4th string last year in limited varsity action, but he got more JV time and evidently put in the off season work. Will likely be a carousel of QBS getting time. Looking forward to seeing how the freshmen develop as well. Will the next Blaine Hawkins please step up.

[sjujohnnie]

Are the GPAC (NAIA conference) teams like Morningside & Northwestern better than any of the teams in Iowa representing Division III? Last season Wartburg was the strongest in Division III, but Northwestern won the NAIA national championship & Morningside had been largely uncontested for years until Northwestern improved. I would love to see the top NAIA teams join Division III so we could see the matchups. Opinions on outcomes of those hypothetical matchups?

[Schipper Strong]

Central wins at St Olaf 34-24. They went up 34-10 with like 3 minutes left. Credit the Oles with not giving up. Nice play by sophomore Quarterbacks Hoffman and Glover. They will only get better. Offense had 500 yds with 300 coming on the ground. Good start against a team with 20 returning starters.

[Schipper Strong]

Are the GPAC (NAIA conference) teams like Morningside & Northwestern better than any of the teams in Iowa representing Division III? Last season Wartburg was the strongest in Division III, but Northwestern won the NAIA national championship & Morningside had been largely uncontested for years until Northwestern improved. I would love to see the top NAIA teams join Division III so we could see the matchups. Opinions on outcomes of those hypothetical matchups?

It is hard to say how those schools compare as none of the ARC schools tend to schedule NAIA non conference opponents. For the top teams it hurts playoff chances and I don't think the lower tier teams schedule them either. Decades ago Central and Northwestern played each other the first game of the season for several years. We are RCA sister schools. I am not sure if we have played them since 1974. Northwestern won the NAIA championship in 1973 and we beat them 27-0 at home in the 1974 opener. We went on to win the NCAA title that year. We quit playing each other after that as it would knock one or the other of us out of contention for the playoffs.

[Schipper Strong]

Well Wartburg looks like they might be decent this year.  Hunter Clasen with 6 TDS? Central better step up their game.

[sjujohnnie]

It was 42-35 with under 9 minutes to go in the game & less than two minutes later Wartburg was up 55-35.