Future of Division III

[Gregory Sager]

So Finlandia, at various times and in various sports, has now been a member of the NCHA (hockey) the WIAC (men's soccer), the Great South (women's soccer & women's basketball) and the CUNYAC (baseball). Any others I have missed?

That arrangement did not make any sense since they have the UMAC right next door to them.

"Right next door" is a relative term. Northland is the closest UMAC neighbor to Finlandia, and it's just under three hours away. UW-Superior and St. Scholastica are the next closest, and they're a clean four-hour trip from Hancock, MI. The UMAC's Twin Cities schools are six hours away from Finlandia, and the outstate Minnesota schools are more like seven to nine hours. Sure, it's not like playing schools in New York City or down in the land of cotton, but it's not as though the Lions can just hop on the bus and travel to UMAC campuses without a second thought ... or, even more importantly, it's not as though UMAC teams can blithely take a leisurely stroll to Finlandia, either.

I'm pretty sure that the distance to Hancock, MI is a big reason (and it may even be the only reason) why the UMAC has been so hesitant to accept Finlandia's application for membership. At any rate, when we talk about what makes sense for Finlandia and what doesn't, we have to keep in mind that UMAC membership is not something that's under Finlandia's control. The Lions are the one who're coming cap in hand to make a request of the UMACers, not the other way around.

How did that athletic program keep up with all the travel costs associated with that mélange of conference moves is the bigger question.

That is, indeed, a good question. Finlandia is not a wealthy institution -- its endowment hovers around $5m -- and, although it sponsors a modest total of fourteen varsity sports, travel costs alone must make Finlandia's athletics budget comparatively high.

[Gray Fox]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

[Captain_Joe08]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

Yeah they do hold the "Most Isolated D3 School" moniker. Especially since all the other UP schools are D2 (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State).

[Pat Coleman]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

Yeah they do hold the "Most Isolated D3 School" moniker. Especially since all the other UP schools are D2 (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State).

I have Colorado College on Line 1.

[jknezek]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

Yeah they do hold the "Most Isolated D3 School" moniker. Especially since all the other UP schools are D2 (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State).

I have Colorado College on Line 1.

+K.  Sul Ross State is on Line 2.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

Yeah they do hold the "Most Isolated D3 School" moniker. Especially since all the other UP schools are D2 (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State).

I have Colorado College on Line 1.

+K.  Sul Ross State is on Line 2.

UC-Santa Cruz is now awake on the west coast and on Line 3

[Gregory Sager]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

Yeah they do hold the "Most Isolated D3 School" moniker. Especially since all the other UP schools are D2 (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State).

I have Colorado College on Line 1.

+K.  Sul Ross State is on Line 2.

UC-Santa Cruz is now awake on the west coast and on Line 3

UMPI has climbed up the telephone pole, picked up the receiver, and is now waiting for a dial tone.

[Ralph Turner]

So Finlandia, at various times and in various sports, has now been a member of the NCHA (hockey) the WIAC (men's soccer), the Great South (women's soccer & women's basketball) and the CUNYAC (baseball). Any others I have missed?

That arrangement did not make any sense since they have the UMAC right next door to them. How did that athletic program keep up with all the travel costs associated with that mélange of conference moves is the bigger question.

What if the UMAC did not want the travel obligations to Finlandia...?  Where is the travel partner? 

On the other hand, CSS and UW-Superior work out well.

[Ralph Turner]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

Yeah they do hold the "Most Isolated D3 School" moniker. Especially since all the other UP schools are D2 (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State).

I have Colorado College on Line 1.

Johnson and Wales-Denver to the rescue!

The SCAC today announced that Johnson & Wales-Denver, an NAIA school making the transition to D3 starting in 2018 Fall 2017, will join the conference as a core member in 2018.   I'm sure they won't be eligible for championships until several years down the road as is typical for transitioning schools, but this will make a big difference in travel for basketball and soccer teams which used to have to play one day at Colorado College and another in Texas.   

[Pat Coleman]

So Finlandia, at various times and in various sports, has now been a member of the NCHA (hockey) the WIAC (men's soccer), the Great South (women's soccer & women's basketball) and the CUNYAC (baseball). Any others I have missed?

That arrangement did not make any sense since they have the UMAC right next door to them. How did that athletic program keep up with all the travel costs associated with that mélange of conference moves is the bigger question.

What if the UMAC did not want the travel obligations to Finlandia...?  Where is the travel partner? 

On the other hand, CSS and UW-Superior work out well.

Northland is the travel partner for Finlandia already in UMAC basketball. The UMAC has integrated FU into its conference schedule in men's and women's basketball.

[Pat Coleman]

Finlandia is a "desert island"

Yeah they do hold the "Most Isolated D3 School" moniker. Especially since all the other UP schools are D2 (Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State).

I have Colorado College on Line 1.

Johnson and Wales-Denver to the rescue!

The SCAC today announced that Johnson & Wales-Denver, an NAIA school making the transition to D3 starting in 2018 Fall 2017, will join the conference as a core member in 2018.   I'm sure they won't be eligible for championships until several years down the road as is typical for transitioning schools, but this will make a big difference in travel for basketball and soccer teams which used to have to play one day at Colorado College and another in Texas.   

Yes, in like 2022, sure.

[Just Bill]

So Finlandia, at various times and in various sports, has now been a member of the NCHA (hockey) the WIAC (men's soccer), the Great South (women's soccer & women's basketball) and the CUNYAC (baseball). Any others I have missed?

That arrangement did not make any sense since they have the UMAC right next door to them. How did that athletic program keep up with all the travel costs associated with that mélange of conference moves is the bigger question.

What if the UMAC did not want the travel obligations to Finlandia...?  Where is the travel partner? 

On the other hand, CSS and UW-Superior work out well.

Northland is the travel partner for Finlandia already in UMAC basketball. The UMAC has integrated FU into its conference schedule in men's and women's basketball.

I haven't figured out why if they've gone to the trouble of working them into their schedule, why the UMAC doesn't just make Finlandia at least an affiliate member for basketball. It seems like the hardest piece has already been worked out.

[Gregory Sager]

That would make sense, since Finlandia is playing the full double round-robin against the entire UMAC in both men's and women's basketball. I guess that that particular league doesn't want to deal with the associate member concept.

[Pat Coleman]

That would make sense, since Finlandia is playing the full double round-robin against the entire UMAC in both men's and women's basketball. I guess that that particular league doesn't want to deal with the associate member concept.

They do it for football already, though.

I think the UMAC is just being deliberate about things. There are some interesting decisions/possibilities regarding football in the league. Adding Finlandia gives them the devil's number (I'm going to coin that) of 11 teams in football -- too many for a full round-robin and not enough for divisions. But if they add Finlandia and Superior adds football, that makes 12, with seven of them being core UMAC members, and maybe they don't need the five SLIAC affiliates. Or, perhaps Iowa Wesleyan could move from the SLIAC to the UMAC and give them eight core with football.

On the opposite site, though, I'd be concerned if I were the UMAC leadership that so many of my schools are so small and programs/schools might not be all that stable.

It's an interesting dynamic.

[Gregory Sager]

Yeah, I had forgotten about the SLIACers that play UMAC football as associates.