FB: Northwest Conference

[speedybigboy]

form a super NWC conference?

We already had that back a few decades ago when when all the small PNW schools where part of the NAIA's Division II Columbia Football Association from 1985-99. (1985-87 it was the Columbia Football League)

It was split into two conferences (teams moved around a little or dropped football but generally)..the Mt. Hood Conference (Oregon Schools: Linfield,  Lewis & Clark, Oregon Tech, Southern Oregon, Western Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Pacific, and Willamette) and the Mt. Rainier Conference (Puget Sound, PLU, Western Washington, Central Washington, Whitworth, and Simon Fraser)

It all went to hell in the early 90's when the private schools became tired of getting rolled (in all sports...not just football) and decided to bail on the NAIA.  PLU and Linfield were the only two privates to vote against leaving the NAIA but eventually relented and formed the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges (NCIC (1995-97)) during the D3 transition years and then fully reformed/renamed to the NWC in 1998.

The remaining state schools limped along in the CFA till 1999 when the remaining schools jumped to DII and formed the GNAC and finally killed the CFA.

Interesting history, thanks for the breakdown. The NAIA must be struggling I would think, how long are they going to last is the question.

It doesn't appear to me that the NAIA is struggling in football or any other sport.  Perhaps you meant NAIA football out West.  Forgive me if I sound a bit defensive.  I played for PLU in the early 80's when we were still NAIA.

[RFB]

form a super NWC conference?

We already had that back a few decades ago when when all the small PNW schools where part of the NAIA's Division II Columbia Football Association from 1985-99. (1985-87 it was the Columbia Football League)

It was split into two conferences (teams moved around a little or dropped football but generally)..the Mt. Hood Conference (Oregon Schools: Linfield,  Lewis & Clark, Oregon Tech, Southern Oregon, Western Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Pacific, and Willamette) and the Mt. Rainier Conference (Puget Sound, PLU, Western Washington, Central Washington, Whitworth, and Simon Fraser)

It all went to hell in the early 90's when the private schools became tired of getting rolled (in all sports...not just football) and decided to bail on the NAIA.  PLU and Linfield were the only two privates to vote against leaving the NAIA but eventually relented and formed the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges (NCIC (1995-97)) during the D3 transition years and then fully reformed/renamed to the NWC in 1998.

The remaining state schools limped along in the CFA till 1999 when the remaining schools jumped to DII and formed the GNAC and finally killed the CFA.

Interesting history, thanks for the breakdown. The NAIA must be struggling I would think, how long are they going to last is the question.

It doesn't appear to me that the NAIA is struggling in football or any other sport.  Perhaps you meant NAIA football out West.  Forgive me if I sound a bit defensive.  I played for PLU in the early 80's when we were still NAIA.

Yes, making an assumption based on the Frontier Conference programs playing each other twice in a season. They are on an island just like the NCAA programs in the West. Just doesn't seem ideal and paints a picture that they do not have money to travel.

[d-train]

It doesn't appear to me that the NAIA is struggling in football or any other sport.  Perhaps you meant NAIA football out West.  Forgive me if I sound a bit defensive.  I played for PLU in the early 80's when we were still NAIA.

I think at the playoff level, (and for conferences that have stuck together) there is still some great football being played in the NAIA.  But as an overall league, NAIA football has passed is prime.  It's down to 87 schools playing in one division:
http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205323224

I don't know what the peak membership was, but there were 2 divisions from 1970-1996. There were 16-team playoff fields for each division in the late 1980's. If you look through the list of previous champions and runners-up, a large number are now NCAA D3 or D2. Most of the PacNW schools, Kingsville, Westminster, Carson-Newman, William Jewell, Findlay and Central State of Ohio, Sioux Falls, etc. 
http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/Championships/FB_Championship.pdf?SPSID=646948&SPID=100297&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=27900

[speedybigboy]

It doesn't appear to me that the NAIA is struggling in football or any other sport.  Perhaps you meant NAIA football out West.  Forgive me if I sound a bit defensive.  I played for PLU in the early 80's when we were still NAIA.

I think at the playoff level, (and for conferences that have stuck together) there is still some great football being played in the NAIA.  But as an overall league, NAIA football has passed is prime.  It's down to 87 schools playing in one division:
http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205323224

I don't know what the peak membership was, but there were 2 divisions from 1970-1996. There were 16-team playoff fields for each division in the late 1980's. If you look through the list of previous champions and runners-up, a large number are now NCAA D3 or D2. Most of the PacNW schools, Kingsville, Westminster, Carson-Newman, William Jewell, Findlay and Central State of Ohio, Sioux Falls, etc. 
http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/Championships/FB_Championship.pdf?SPSID=646948&SPID=100297&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=27900

all true d-train.

When was the last significant defection from the NAIA?  The PNW teams?

[gren]

Catdomealumni.com YouTube Page: 2015 Linfield recruiting class

11, did anyone transfer this year to Linfield.

[Kelly Boggs]

FYI: I have a pretty good source that told me UMHB and Linfield have agreed to play in 2016 and 2017.

[wildcat11]

FYI: I have a pretty good source that told me UMHB and Linfield have agreed to play in 2016 and 2017.

[Kelly Boggs]

That's a definite +k, wildcat11! Smooth moves! 

[Andy Jamison - Walla Walla Wildcat]

Chad Coburn?

[wildcat11]

Chad Coburn?

Great young man...graduated and off to the next phase of his life.

[D O.C.]

Kelly....like your sourcing.
It would be great for both programs.
I still need to see that CRUDOME.

[OldCatProf]

Kelly....like your sourcing.
It would be great for both programs.
I still need to see that CRUDOME.

The facility is truly spectacular and even more fantastic when the Cats win there.
One would not guess that it's a D3 stadium.
What a grand stage on which to play.
I'm already excited to contemplate another trip there.

GO CATS!

[Kelly Boggs]

Just a minor correction, D O.C., we like to call it The CRUthedral.   

And my source is pretty solid.

Since I lived in McMinnville for seven years (1999-2006), I really look forward to making a trip back to the magnificent Northwest and the beautiful Willamette Valley.

[Kelly Boggs]

FYI: Here is a link to a panoramic view of a night game at The CRUthedral taken from the top of the scoreboard:  http://news.umhb.edu/sites/news.umhb.edu/files/imagecache/news_zoom/post-images/_MG_8974.jpg

[criswyly]

The Grand Cruthedral is mucho impressive......