FB: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Always tough starting out the season with a big rivalry game. Wish that the ASC and SAA would agree to let us play Millsaps at the end of the season.

That is a hard proposition. The ASC and SAA are not really good at negotiating with each other. In fact a couple SAA coaches tried to get the conferences to agree to a bowl game agreement for the top non-playoff teams, but it was hard to get the presidents in line and agree on big picture stuff. Not giving up hope, though!

If and when both the ASC and SAA both have an odd number of teams, then that might make sense.

[crufootball]

Always tough starting out the season with a big rivalry game. Wish that the ASC and SAA would agree to let us play Millsaps at the end of the season.

That is a hard proposition. The ASC and SAA are not really good at negotiating with each other. In fact a couple SAA coaches tried to get the conferences to agree to a bowl game agreement for the top non-playoff teams, but it was hard to get the presidents in line and agree on big picture stuff. Not giving up hope, though!

If and when both the ASC and SAA both have an odd number of teams, then that might make sense.

Would it make sense? I am just wondering about the location of the game and the fact that it seems that some of the ASC teams don't want to travel very far, especially for a game I would imagine that would have to fund themselves.

[Pat Coleman]

If I were the ASC, I'd be in favor of anything that forces my teams to play a fully Division III schedule. With pre-planning, it can be funded and you only have to travel once in two years for that non-conference game.

[Ralph Turner]

If I were the ASC, I'd be in favor of anything that forces my teams to play a fully Division III schedule. With pre-planning, it can be funded and you only have to travel once in two years for that non-conference game.

Respectfully, does the SAA want this or need this?  It is the NAIA Schools in the 9-team Central States Football League (which plays an 11-game season) that needs the games.

I will take this and run with it.  The 10-team ASC football conference will have one non-conference date. I will look at past history for opponents.

Natural/historic rivalries first:

Belhaven - Millsaps

TLU  - Trinity

McMurry - Austin College

Next closest match-up

ETBU - Hendrix

Louisiana College - Rhodes  (But does Rhodes want this game when they can travel to the north and find opponents whom they might prefer to play?  Huntingdon is another option but it looks like the USA South and the ODAC are linking up.)

Who is left?

Sul Ross anyone?  (Almost closer to the SCIAC than any other non-conference opponent in D3, especially the non-conference game versus Whittier in neutral site El Paso in 2009).

Howard Payne  (Maybe the second non-conference game for Trinity and/or AC)

ETBU  Maybe an alternative for Rhodes (Why doesn't Centenary resume football?) 

Southwestern (They flew to Denison, so they aren't afraid to travel.)

HSU  (Has played Linfield, Willamette, Whitworth and Coe.)

UMHB anyone?

I will bet that the ASC is ready to play Trinity, Austin College, Hendrix and Millsaps anytime they want to play.

Now that the SCAC has given up football, and we don't see any prospects of UDallas, Centenary, Schreiner, or Colorado College resuming football, we may some of the matches that I listed.  (I have said this before, if the SCAC could have added two more football schools, I would have traded a football-playing Concordia Texas to the SCAC for a 10-year contract to play at least two non-conference games between an 8-team ASC and a 7 or 8 team SCAC.)

[albatross]

The SAA probably doesn't want anything in depth like that. If teams are gonna travel, it will only be for:

1. top tier teams that help playoff resumes or
2. games against other "like-minded" institutions in places like CA/WA/Chicago that make for good recruiting pitches.

Hendrix has scrimmaged LC the past two years and has TLU coming up next week and next season in a home-and-home. With Trinity and Austin joining the league I don't think many other SAA schools are on board with going to Texas all the time in addition to one of those games. Hendrix-Berry/Centre are already far enough.

I do think a neutral-site bowl game or even a season kick-off is a workable outcome, though. I just think there is a wariness of the ASC that comes from the SCAC/SAA world and $$$ concerns creating some hurdles. Not to mention a few SAA presidents not wanting to cut too deeply into finals season...

[Ralph Turner]

The SAA probably doesn't want anything in depth like that. If teams are gonna travel, it will only be for:

1. top tier teams that help playoff resumes or
2. games against other "like-minded" institutions in places like CA/WA/Chicago that make for good recruiting pitches.

Hendrix has scrimmaged LC the past two years and has TLU coming up next week and next season in a home-and-home. With Trinity and Austin joining the league I don't think many other SAA schools are on board with going to Texas all the time in addition to one of those games. Hendrix-Berry/Centre are already far enough.

I do think a neutral-site bowl game or even a season kick-off is a workable outcome, though. I just think there is a wariness of the ASC that comes from the SCAC/SAA world and $$$ concerns creating some hurdles. Not to mention a few SAA presidents not wanting to cut too deeply into finals season...

+1!

[umhb2001]

Sul Ross has their game day preview out. It contains a Cru 2 Deep!

https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/sulross.sidearmsports.com/documents/2017/9/5/LobosGameWeekUMHB17.pdf

[cush]

I'm still surprised the saa added the 2 Texas schools as football only, why burden yourself with such travel? Couldn't the asc jump to 12 football members and have an extra game like the D1 conferences? I guess the scac is still looking for 1 more full time member to get to 10 too. What makes the most sense is for the scac and asc to each have 6-8 team football leagues and than a schedule alliance. For that to happen, you could shuffle some schools maybe also send centenary to the saa.

[Ron Boerger]

I'm still surprised the saa added the 2 Texas schools as football only, why burden yourself with such travel? Couldn't the asc jump to 12 football members and have an extra game like the D1 conferences? I guess the scac is still looking for 1 more full time member to get to 10 too.

The SAA schools (with exception of Berry) all used to play Trinity and AC anyway.   With the loss of the two UAA affiliates they were at the minimum for pool A.   You can sell one trip every year as something fun; it's Austin and Trinity that have the travel burden (and $$$) now, but I know the Trinity program sees travel as a plus and wouldn't be surprised if Austin is selling it that way, too.   

[jknezek]

If I had to play in Trinity's "stadium" I would consider any road game a plus... Except maybe Huntingdon, where the visiting team has to do halftime in the buses or trying to find shade since they don't fit in the non-air conditioned locker room.

[Ron Boerger]

Since I've complained about our stadium for decades, I can't object to anything you say.   A few years ago, they kicked off a fundraising campaign for a greatly improved facility, but a change in the presidency seems to have impacted headway.  I've heard the stadium is next up after renovations to the Bell Center (basketball, natatorium, weight and fitness facilities) are complete, but this isn't the first time they've said something like that.

[jknezek]

Kind of interesting, Belhaven to Sul Ross State is usually my go to for ridiculous conference trips in DIII, 900 miles and over 13 hours by Google, which in a bus is probably even longer.

But actually Sewanee to Trinity now takes the cake. 1022 miles, just over 15 hours. The difference is I've heard that Belhaven rode the bus last year, whereas I know Sewanee traditionally has flown on that trip.

I'm going to do the math at some point, but I'm curious who actually travels the most for their conference schedule. Sul Ross or Belhaven seem like no brainers, but there are some serious contenders in the SAA now and even the MIAA's new upcoming member might stake a claim. I know one of the women I work with, her son was recruited by Belhaven. He ruled them out for many reasons, but one of them was simply the amount of time on a bus every other week during football season.

Interesting fact, Savannah GA to Huntingdon Beach CA is about 2400 miles. Sewanee and Trinity just about cover half the country.

[albatross]

But actually Sewanee to Trinity now takes the cake. 1022 miles, just over 15 hours. The difference is I've heard that Belhaven rode the bus last year, whereas I know Sewanee traditionally has flown on that trip.

I'm going to do the math at some point, but I'm curious who actually travels the most for their conference schedule. Sul Ross or Belhaven seem like no brainers, but there are some serious contenders in the SAA now and even the MIAA's new upcoming member might stake a claim. I know one of the women I work with, her son was recruited by Belhaven. He ruled them out for many reasons, but one of them was simply the amount of time on a bus every other week during football season.

Interesting fact, Savannah GA to Huntingdon Beach CA is about 2400 miles. Sewanee and Trinity just about cover half the country.

My junior year at Hendrix was absolutely brutal. Somehow, in the year we won the conference title, we made it through a season of bus trips to:

1. Austin College (5.5 hours one way, 680 mi. total)
2. Centre College (9 hours, 1040 mi.)
3. Berry College (8.5 hours, 1020 mi.)
4. University of Chicago (10 hours, 1290 mi.)
5. Sewanee (7.5 hours, 975 mi.)

[jknezek]

My junior year at Hendrix was absolutely brutal. Somehow, in the year we won the conference title, we made it through a season of bus trips to:

1. Austin College (5.5 hours one way, 680 mi. total)
2. Centre College (9 hours, 1040 mi.)
3. Berry College (8.5 hours, 1020 mi.)
4. University of Chicago (10 hours, 1290 mi.)
5. Sewanee (7.5 hours, 975 mi.)

Yeah. Those are awful. The SAA is just a massively spread out conference. I wish it wasn't. I'll pretty much never advocate for W&L to leave the ODAC because the travel situation is so good for the student athletes, but mission and values wise I'd much rather they be in the SAA. With the SAA travel though, it makes no sense.

[hasanova]

But actually Sewanee to Trinity now takes the cake. 1022 miles, just over 15 hours. The difference is I've heard that Belhaven rode the bus last year, whereas I know Sewanee traditionally has flown on that trip.

I'm going to do the math at some point, but I'm curious who actually travels the most for their conference schedule. Sul Ross or Belhaven seem like no brainers, but there are some serious contenders in the SAA now and even the MIAA's new upcoming member might stake a claim. I know one of the women I work with, her son was recruited by Belhaven. He ruled them out for many reasons, but one of them was simply the amount of time on a bus every other week during football season.

Interesting fact, Savannah GA to Huntingdon Beach CA is about 2400 miles. Sewanee and Trinity just about cover half the country.

My junior year at Hendrix was absolutely brutal. Somehow, in the year we won the conference title, we made it through a season of bus trips to:

1. Austin College (5.5 hours one way, 680 mi. total)
2. Centre College (9 hours, 1040 mi.)
3. Berry College (8.5 hours, 1020 mi.)
4. University of Chicago (10 hours, 1290 mi.)
5. Sewanee (7.5 hours, 975 mi.)

May I assume the times are one-way and the distances are round trip?  Otherwise, that's one super-charged bus!