FB: American Southwest Conference

[Chess4Me]

Here's a better link to the USA website for the World Championship of American Football:

http://www.usafootball.com/

The other one takes you to the Japan site, or so it seems.

[Bill McCabe]

Thanks for the link.  Seems strange that the US has not played in this before.  I hope the players have a wonderful experience.

[KennethK]

Hardin Simmons may have the toughest pre-conference schedule in the land, opening with LaCrosse and Linfield.   That was an impressive win against Linfield last year and ended up having playoff implications.  How do you like your chances this year up in Oregon?

[crufootball]

How much does everyone think that the 10 extra days of full contact practice and then games will help TLU and Howard Payne come fall?

[Ralph Turner]

How much does everyone think that the 10 extra days of full contact practice and then games will help TLU and Howard Payne come fall?

Enough that every ASC team should be doing it every 3 years as allowed by the NCAA!

You could almost set up a rotation with Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua in Chihuahua, Mexico.

[Bill McCabe]

10 extra practices and a game before 22,000 should be a huge boost to TLU.  I'm with Ralph, all of the ASC schools should try to take advantage of this.  Playing against an opponent is much better than a spring game.  Congratulations to TLU.  I hope this carries over to next season.

[Josh Bowerman]

Strictly speaking with a personal opinion, here...

While I agree with Ralph and Bill from a purely acadmeic perspective--study abroad is IMO one of the "musts" any student can participate in--the game, I think, is really a dollars and cents issue. 

I believe HSU and UMHB, for example, have made the decision that it's better for their respective programs to play outside of the ASC during the regular season--ergo we see games against the WIAC schools, Linfield, Christopher Newport, Willamette, etcetera for those squads.  These schools seem to have made the decision that these games are a better use of their budgetary allocations than is a spring game abroad.

Now, on the other hand, when I was at Bucknell, our men's and women's hoops teams travelled abroad to play in these types of arranged games every other year.  But we had a much larger athletics budget there than does the typical DIII school.

So in a perfect world, it would be great to see both.  From a playoff selection perspective, though, I think the in-region, non-conference games against quality opponents are pretty darned valuable for our DIII schools, too.

Just throwing that out as food for thought.   

[Bill McCabe]

Josh, I wonder if TLU's expenses were covered.  22,000 should generate a few dollars.  Playing this game doesn't impact their fall schedule does it?

[Ralph Turner]

I went to msn.mappoint.com and determined that Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Estados Unidos de Mexico is only about 220 miles on the other side of Sul Ross.  Shortest distance... TLU to Chihuahua ...  613 miles, 11 hours 53 minutes.

That road trip is almost as easy as going to Clinton, MS ...  562 miles, 10 hours 16 minutes.

[Pat Coleman]

It doesn't impact their permissible 10 games, no.

[Bill McCabe]

Pat,  how many teams per year play in these out of country games?

[Pat Coleman]

Probably 8-12 in any given year, I would say.

[CruAlum39]

I think this is a huge advantage before the start of the next season for any team that participates in an outside oppurtunity such as this.  As a coach, I know that any coach would kill to get an extra 10 practices.  It gives you so much more time to input your offensive and defensive scheme.  It is almost like a spring training in itself.  You are able to input your package either offensively or defensively and whenever you come back the kids have a good understanding.  Now you are able to work on execution, which as we all know, is what ultimately matters in the game setting.


The only real downside I see to this scenario is possible injury, but that is always an unforseen issue WHENEVER you put on the pads.

[imad3fanatic]

 Posted on the WIAC board today!

Here is the top 25 according to Lindys preseason.


1. Raiders
2. Mary Hardin Baylor
3. Wisconsin Whitewater
4. Trinity (Texas)
5. Wesley
6. Hardin-Simmons
7. St Johns
8. Rowan
9. Central
10. Bethel
11. Capital
12. North Central
13. St. John Fisher
14. Springfield
15. Wheaton
16. Wabash
17. Wartburg
18. W & J
19. Wilkes
20. Cal Lutheran
21. Baldwin Wallace
22. Alfred
23. Hobart
24. Whitworth
25. U. W. LaCrosse

[Ralph Turner]

Posted on the WIAC board today!

Here is the top 25 according to Lindys preseason.


1. Mount Union OAC
2. Mary Hardin Baylor  ASC
3. Wisconsin Whitewater  WIAC
4. Trinity (Texas)   SCAC
5. Wesley   ACFC Pool B
6. Hardin-Simmons  ASC
7. St Johns   MIAC
8. Rowan  NJAC
9. Central IIAC
10. Bethel   MIAC
11. Capital  OAC
12. North Central  CCIW
13. St. John Fisher   E8
14. Springfield  E8
15. Wheaton  CCIW
16. Wabash  NCAC
17. Wartburg   IIAC
18. W & J   Pres AC
19. Wilkes  MAC
20. Cal Lutheran   SCIAC
21. Baldwin Wallace  OAC 
22. Alfred  E8
23. Hobart  LL
24. Whitworth   NWC
25. U. W. LaCrosse   WIAC

Let's have a little fun.

Team likely to finish closest to its predicted ranking:

Team likely to fall the farthest number of places in the ranking:

Team likely to rise to the most places in the ranking:


(Consider unranked as #26.)

My picks -- Mount Union,  Trinity TX and Linfield