FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Ex D3 Athlete]

When will Mount Union play a game OUTSIDE of D3??? I'm so tired of reading about their lopsided scores and how this weekend (against John Carroll) they had to kick FG's from the 2 yd line to not run the score up (53-0) too badly! So why don't they schedule a few games a season against D2 & the conference formally known as D1AA! At least it will give their players a better challenge to look forward to instead of beating the crap out of these D3 teams week end & week out every year! 

[Pat Coleman]

As an ex-D3 athlete I'm sure you understand that scheduling is a two-way street. What I-AA team wants to lose to Mount Union?

[bushman]

Ashland is a DII team, but they won't schedule Mt.   Findley?   On another note, didn't JCU beat the crap out of Woo this year?  Guess Woo on the schedule won't happen soon.   St, john Fisher will be a better test in the coming years.  As to this years team,  every now and then a really good program gets a special team .  This team appears to be very special.  If they play up to their potential, no one will come close.  If however they play down to their competition and have mental lapses, they could lose.   I have faith that LK won't let that happen.  This maybe his tuffest coaching job to not let this occur.  

[Ric]

I've got a question for the nitwits out there that think the answer is moving up a division.

Lets say for a second that the football program at Mount Union could play at a different level than the rest of the sports, it can't but let's say it can for a second.

OK, now, does anyone know how many D2 schools there are within 250 miles of Alliance, Ohio?  Answer, not many.  And the ones that are would lose just as bad as the teams they are currently playing.

Not only would you be basically losing all history and rivals by moving up but now you're playing a whole new group of teams, with increased travel ten-fold, at least.  And your home attendance? It probably drops.  Your revenues would not increase, which would be the only reason to move to D2, they would probably drop.  Unless there was a D2 team out there that would pay a pretty penny for Mount to come to town.  

Lets say North Dakota State paid Mount Union College $100,000 to play up there.  How many Mount fans would be there?

I'm trying to keep this simple, but simply said, saying Mount Union needs to play better competition is pretty damn ignorant as things are set up in the NCAA's!  After all you do realize there is a nine game conference schedule, which allows only one non-conference game, right?

Maybe the answer is leaving the OAC and becoming an independent so they can fight like hell to get ten teams to play them rather than the one they have difficulty scheduling now.

[HScoach]

The "this is the best team ever" talk is little premature.  This team has won nine games.  The last time I heard this kind of talk was '03 and we all know what happened. 

Yup.  My point exactly.

[MUCALUM05]

I was thinking of typing a response to what Ric said... but he pretty much said it all!

[Ex D3 Athlete]

I've got a question for the nitwits out there that think the answer is moving up a division.

Lets say for a second that the football program at Mount Union could play at a different level than the rest of the sports, it can't but let's say it can for a second.

OK, now, does anyone know how many D2 schools there are within 250 miles of Alliance, Ohio?  Answer, not many.  And the ones that are would lose just as bad as the teams they are currently playing.

Not only would you be basically losing all history and rivals by moving up but now you're playing a whole new group of teams, with increased travel ten-fold, at least.  And your home attendance? It probably drops.  Your revenues would not increase, which would be the only reason to move to D2, they would probably drop.  Unless there was a D2 team out there that would pay a pretty penny for Mount to come to town.  

Lets say North Dakota State paid Mount Union College $100,000 to play up there.  How many Mount fans would be there?

I'm trying to keep this simple, but simply said, saying Mount Union needs to play better competition is pretty damn ignorant as things are set up in the NCAA's!  After all you do realize there is a nine game conference schedule, which allows only one non-conference game, right?

Maybe the answer is leaving the OAC and becoming an independent so they can fight like hell to get ten teams to play them rather than the one they have difficulty scheduling now.

1st of all Mount Union CAN play at a higher level, there has been plenty of teams that do it and play competitively! Competing don't mean they will always win but push or challenge teams on a higher level! There has to be teams that are within a reasonable travelling distance that MUC can play against since their fans travel pretty well for a D3 school. Finally, MUC don't need to play more than 1-2 games a season against stronger competition ... that would be more than enough to see how good they are!

[Pat Coleman]

You should go talk a little more on your home board -- they need your discussion. You've made seven posts in 15 or so months and more than half are on this subject.

[Ajwassup]

I've got a question for the nitwits out there that think the answer is moving up a division.

Lets say for a second that the football program at Mount Union could play at a different level than the rest of the sports, it can't but let's say it can for a second.

OK, now, does anyone know how many D2 schools there are within 250 miles of Alliance, Ohio?  Answer, not many.  And the ones that are would lose just as bad as the teams they are currently playing.

Not only would you be basically losing all history and rivals by moving up but now you're playing a whole new group of teams, with increased travel ten-fold, at least.  And your home attendance? It probably drops.  Your revenues would not increase, which would be the only reason to move to D2, they would probably drop.  Unless there was a D2 team out there that would pay a pretty penny for Mount to come to town.  

Lets say North Dakota State paid Mount Union College $100,000 to play up there.  How many Mount fans would be there?

I'm trying to keep this simple, but simply said, saying Mount Union needs to play better competition is pretty damn ignorant as things are set up in the NCAA's!  After all you do realize there is a nine game conference schedule, which allows only one non-conference game, right?

Maybe the answer is leaving the OAC and becoming an independent so they can fight like hell to get ten teams to play them rather than the one they have difficulty scheduling now.

1st of all Mount Union CAN play at a higher level, there has been plenty of teams that do it and play competitively! Competing don't mean they will always win but push or challenge teams on a higher level! There has to be teams that are within a reasonable travelling distance that MUC can play against since their fans travel pretty well for a D3 school. Finally, MUC don't need to play more than 1-2 games a season against stronger competition ... that would be more than enough to see how good they are!

What about a MAC school?  Akron, Kent, OU, etc. . .i know they are DI schools, but those would get a lot of people to travel there from MUC and distance is not that far.  And I beleive that those schools would get a good crowd knowing they are playing Mount.   Thats just my opinion though

[reality check]

ExD3 (Easterbrooke???)

7 posts in over a year and 4 have been spouting off about MUC needing to move up... find something worthwhile and educated to post about.  


Your Kean Cougars may only have 7 conference games a year in the NJAC but MUC plays in a ten school conference.  They only have one-slot to fill outside of their conference schedule every year and lately finding anyone to play them has been like pulling teeth.  They can't drop conference games and I wouldn't be surprised if they did look into playing "anyone" in the region that would grant them a game (including higher division schools) but I don't think any of them have been jumping at a chance to play (and potentially lose to) Mount Union.  So like Ric said, maybe Mount should go the route of an independent and run themselves into the ground trying to find teams willing to schedule them anywhere across the country.

I've been involved in a program that tried that idea in Division II.  They don't exist anymore because they ran themselves into the ground trying to fill a national independent schedule.

Mount can't move up altogether because that doesn't correlate to the vision and mission of Mount Union College.  They're not a school that can grow and move up.  The educational institution doesn't want to get drastically bigger and move up to the "big-time".  

It simply makes no sense and MUC fans have to endure these suggestions multiple times every year from random posters.  And based on your posting history, they've had to listen to the idea about three times from you alone.  I'm not an MUC fan and I have no interest in seeing them move up or out.  We (OAC schools) have to get our heads bashed in year in and year out by the Purple Raiders and yet we don't want them going anywhere.  If OAC schools don't want to get rid of the mighty Mount, then why should we lobby further for a move or urge them to play against higher divisions?!?  MUC has done unimaginable things in its historic run and the knowledgable fans in Division III know they should be congratulated for their accomplishments, not run out of town for being so damn good.

[Mr. Ypsi]

After the abuse and ridicule Michigan received for losing to the two-time defending national champion of d1AA, you really think any d1A school would risk a game against a d3?!  It takes two to schedule - what's in it for the higher division team?  They win big - ho, hum.  They win narrowly - uh, oh.  They lose - goodbye season and goodbye coach!

[dc_has_been]

If a football program such as Mount moved up a division, wouldn't that affect the rest of their sports programs? 
Also, what benifit would there be for a DIA school have in playing a DIII? 

[reality check]

AJwassup

Please don't do this.  MAC schools make money in non-conf games by serving as whipping boy to the bigger boys.  They wouldn't give that up for a chance to be the bigger school.  It makes no fiscal sense and Division I football is a business as much as it is a sport.  MAC schools have three games versus non-MAC schools each year.  Does it make much sense for an Akron, KSU or Toledo to give away a third of their non-conf prize money for a chance to play MUC?  They're not going to play at MUC for sure.  MUC might bring 2-3000 fans out to a local MAC game but let's say Akron hosts and attracts 12,000 (probably a high number for a game between these two schools).  That means the stadium is over half empty.  Who really wins this one?!?  Akron gives up a ton of cash by not playing at MSU or Navy or Rutgers, etc. and in doing so they are given a half-empty stadium against a team most of the country could care less about.   And now you know why a MAC school has no interest in playing Mount Union...

[Pat Coleman]

If a football program such as Mount moved up a division, wouldn't that affect the rest of their sports programs? 
Also, what benifit would there be for a DIA school have in playing a DIII? 

I actually should remind people that the interloper only suggested Mount play one out of conference, not move to another division.

[runyr]

The "this is the best team ever" talk is little premature.  This team has won nine games.  The last time I heard this kind of talk was '03 and we all know what happened.  And lets give our opponent that day a bit of credit.  They had the best player, played the better game and were the better team. I'm sorry folks, yes what Mount Union has done thus far this year is very, very impressive.  And they may go on and win it all without being challenged.  Although I doubt that will happen.  There will be a challenge(s) along the way and this team, as all, can be beat.  Although I wouldn't bet that way and certainly hope not.  I just think this kind of talk disrespects the rest of Division III football.

+karma for words of wisdom worth repeating.

Oops, I owe you one.  I got the box that says I have to wait 24 hours.