MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

badgerwarhawk · October 01, 2009, 09:40:56 AM

In basketball the private schools have the same problem we do. They have a bunch of dates to fill as well and are more willing to play our schools to fill out their schedules.

Stout survivor · October 01, 2009, 03:42:06 PM

Quote from: 13wapiti on September 30, 2009, 09:13:23 AM
Yeah-UWEC plays Finlandia twice again this year as does UW-Osh, UW Superior gets 'em once.

Did you guys not get the memo? Finlandia is the tenth WIAC team, I thought that was common knowledge. At least they are up for playing a WIAC whenever (and riding the bus on that wonderful drive down). I would like to see WIAC schools play more D2 schools, I know I would have loved an all D2 non-conference schedual. If the WIAC wants to get back to the top then they need to play tougher teams more consistantly. Granted the WIAC is still very good but I feel that it could be even better.

UWBadgers · October 01, 2009, 07:37:06 PM

The problem with playing D2 teams is that you don't get credit for playing them come D3 post-season play. The committee only looks at your D3 schedule. In addition, I think there might be a few D2 schools who would shy away from playing a top WIAC. They will find themselves in a loose-loose position. Loose and its viewed as a disgrace, win and its "only a D3 school"

John Gleich · October 01, 2009, 10:01:35 PM

Quote from: UWBadgers on October 01, 2009, 07:37:06 PM
The problem with playing D2 teams is that you don't get credit for playing them come D3 post-season play. The committee only looks at your D3 schedule. In addition, I think there might be a few D2 schools who would shy away from playing a top WIAC. They will find themselves in a loose-loose position. Loose and its viewed as a disgrace, win and its "only a D3 school"

Case in point, Winona State against St. Thomas a couple of years ago! And that was the only game they lost all year!

chmarx · October 02, 2009, 12:25:54 AM

That's also why Winona no longer plays us in football, in spite of the traditional rivalry.

Stout survivor · October 02, 2009, 02:51:59 PM

For schools to play weaker D3 teams so that they can get a better shot at the posts season is selling themselves short. I get it, but I would go a different direction. Personaly the way Fresno State football plays anyone, anytime and anywhere works for me.

In the end ask this question; can the WIAC do better? I believe we could. If the WIAC has the talent to play D2 schools and compete then they should do so. Forget the postseason, all they are going to do is put top 10 WIAC teams against top 10 teams on the road in the second round.

I just don't think that if the WIAC is so strong that we should compare ourselves with other D3 conferences, we need to set the bar higher for ourselves.

wcbsas · October 02, 2009, 03:38:57 PM

Quote from: chmarx on October 02, 2009, 12:25:54 AM
That's also why Winona no longer plays us in football, in spite of the traditional rivalry.

I suspect there is a money factor involved as well, as home games do mean incoming revenue to both programs. In addition most of the teams from that conference have only one non-conference game open on their schedule.

WSU has tried to beef up its non-conference schedule. They're limited to one non-con game and usually they play a notable D2 opponent to aid in their attempt to get the the playoffs. Last year it was Michigan Tech, this year it was Carson-Newman.

St Cloud several years ago played UW-Whitewater in a game that UWW nearly won but that was when SCSU had multiple non-con games on their schedule.

wcbsas · October 02, 2009, 03:41:53 PM

Quote from: Stout survivor on October 02, 2009, 02:51:59 PM
For schools to play weaker D3 teams so that they can get a better shot at the posts season is selling themselves short. I get it, but I would go a different direction. Personaly the way Fresno State football plays anyone, anytime and anywhere works for me.

In the end ask this question; can the WIAC do better? I believe we could. If the WIAC has the talent to play D2 schools and compete then they should do so. Forget the postseason, all they are going to do is put top 10 WIAC teams against top 10 teams on the road in the second round.

I just don't think that if the WIAC is so strong that we should compare ourselves with other D3 conferences, we need to set the bar higher for ourselves.

Winona State has played quite a few WIAC teams in recent years. This year they play UWL and UWEC in exhibition and UW-Stout in non-conference play. Last year it was UWL and UWS in exhibition games. I know they asked UWW and UWSP to play but couldn't come to an agreement with either team.

wcbsas · October 02, 2009, 03:42:33 PM

Quote from: chmarx on October 02, 2009, 12:25:54 AM
That's also why Winona no longer plays us in football, in spite of the traditional rivalry.

PERTAINING TO FOOTBALL: I suspect there is a money factor involved as well, as home games do mean incoming revenue to both programs. In addition most of the teams from that conference have only one non-conference game open on their schedule.

WSU has tried to beef up its non-conference schedule. They're limited to one non-con game and usually they play a notable D2 opponent to aid in their attempt to get the the playoffs. Last year it was Michigan Tech, this year it was Carson-Newman.

St Cloud several years ago played UW-Whitewater in a game that UWW nearly won but that was when SCSU had multiple non-con games on their schedule.

Greek Tragedy · October 03, 2009, 01:12:59 AM

If the WIAC was sending teams to the Final Four year in and year out, then I could see your argument of not comparing ourselves to other D3 conferences.

Take off the WIAC colored glasses. There are plenty of very good teams and conferences that can compete with the WIAC. Forget the postseason??? Come on! Yes, the WIAC is one of the strongest conferences in the nation, but so is the CCIW. Lawrence and Carroll and more recently St. Norb's have good teams. St. Thomas, Buena Vista and even Loras have had solid squads that have knocked off WIAC schools that were "supposed" to be better. Then, you have Washington U.

There are schools that don't want to play the WIAC because they are strong, thus we play "lesser" opponents in the nonconference schedule. We play who we can get to play us and vice versa.

I think the WIAC is doing better. They are scheduling more CCIW teams recently. They are traveling to the West coast to play top teams out there. The MWC can only schedule 7 nonconference games a year. They have restraints as well.

Just Bill · October 03, 2009, 09:50:01 AM

I'm sure those teams the win national titles always think, "Gee this is nice, but if we just could have played Minnesota-Crookston and Upper Iowa and then stayed home in March it would have been so much more fulfilling."

John Gleich · October 03, 2009, 10:32:19 AM

Quote from: Just Bill on October 03, 2009, 09:50:01 AM
I'm sure those teams the win national titles always think, "Gee this is nice, but if we just could have played Minnesota-Crookston and Upper Iowa and then stayed home in March it would have been so much more fulfilling."

That's EXACTLY what we were thinking in Point... especially in 04-05. I mean, we already had a national championship... who needs a second one when you could play Minnesota-Crookston?!

UWBadgers · October 03, 2009, 11:01:54 AM

You also have to take into account that many athletic programs are currently under travel restrictions due to budget cuts and might be limited to only playing non-conference games within a 200-500 mile radius. This limits the options a school might have for adding non-conference games. Example no Holiday tournaments.

Greek Tragedy · October 03, 2009, 05:57:24 PM

nonconference schedules:

Eau Claire-St. Scholastica, Wartburg tourney (2), St. John's & Puget Sound at Oshkosh, Coe College (holiday tourney-not sure who other two teams are), Finlandia (2)

La Crosse-Wisconsin Lutheran, St. Mary's (MN), Carroll U, Viterbo, Dakota Wesleyan, Gustavus Adolphus, Elmhurst, at Mary-Hardin Baylor tourney (2)

Oshkosh-St. Norbert, Lawrence, Finlandia (2), Puget Sound, St. John's, Silver Lake (2), Marian

Platteville-Clarke, Aurora, Carthage, Anderson (IN), Simpson (IA), Pacific Lutheran, Viterbo, Lewis and Clark, Westminster (Utah),

River Falls-Viterbo, at Crown College tourney (2), St. Thomas, Sioux Falls, Northwestern (MN), St. Scholastica, George Fox, Macalester

Stevens Point-St. John's, Whitworth, Puget Sound, Lawrence, Edgewood, Elmhurst, Wisconsin Lutheran, St. Thomas

Stout-Winona State, Bethel Tourney (2), Northland, Mt. Mercy/Marian winner, Viterbo, Whitworth, Lewis Clark State, Silver Lake

Superior-Martin Luther, UM-Duluth, St. Scholastica (2), Northwestern (MN), Northland, MSOE, North Park, Finlandia

Whitewater-Carthage, Aurora, Wisconsin Lutheran, Loras, Grinnell, Carroll, Augustana, Whitman, Whitworth

Stout survivor · October 04, 2009, 01:44:28 AM

Remember way back when, we had talked about the WIAC/CCIW meeting early in the year at a nuetral site. The argument against was that they could not afford a D3 loss, even a good one. There are a lot of other good D3 teams (we went and played Wooster one year). Yes Point winning back-to-back was great for the league but does the WIAC have a team who can trully make a run. I thought Platt could last year but all WIAC teams hit a huge road block in the second round. Can we have a final four team every year? Is having 3 teams in the tourney every year only to lose in the second round good enough? Making it out of the central bracket is tough as it is.

I love the WIAC and owe the league more than I can repay, I wonder of the WIAC is at the level it used to be? Now that it is down among average D3 leagues but could it be better.