D3 vs. NAIA

[Warren Thompson]

With the cost of travel and the importance of wins, I can understand why these teams chose to schedule like they did.  HPU and AC will both benefit from early wins.

But Bill they have no value towards the NCAA and post-season play.  In Pool C consideration, the best that HPU might do would be 7-1 vs. South Region teams (.875 winning percentage).  Someone else might go 8-1 or 9-1 in region and have a better in-region winning percentage.

Ralph et al.:

Is this a sign of increasing difficulty for SCAC and ASC teams to schedule "meaningful" non-conference games?

[Ron Boerger]

There's been some speculation (by Pat, no less) that the SCAC wants to change back to a six-game conference schedule after Colorado College and Birmingham-Southern join.  If not, the SCAC teams will only have two non-conference games to schedule instead of the current four. 

With the ASC having to schedule an additional non-conference game this season and beyond (unless they add a FB school), there are a lot of ASC schools looking to add that tenth game and there aren't many close in-region options.  MC has Millsaps, the Texas ASC schools have Trinity and Austin, and maybe Rhodes is a possibility for LC and MC. 

[Ralph Turner]

There's been some speculation (by Pat, no less) that the SCAC wants to change back to a six-game conference schedule after Colorado College and Birmingham-Southern join.  If not, the SCAC teams will only have two non-conference games to schedule instead of the current four. 

With the ASC having to schedule an additional non-conference game this season and beyond (unless they add a FB school), there are a lot of ASC schools looking to add that tenth game and there aren't many close in-region options.  MC has Millsaps, the Texas ASC schools have Trinity and Austin, and maybe Rhodes is a possibility for LC and MC. 

That also helps BSC.

So, Austin College can choose from 9 ASC schools for 3 games and do a Kalamazoo trip every other year.  Whom do they want to play in the ASC?  McM, which is AC's 2nd most common opponent at 64 games to Trinity's 70 games? TLU, an institutional peer? Whom else? At the last minute, they chose Southwestern Assemblies of God over HPU.

Trinity?  One road trip and 2-3 ASC teams.

Colorado College?  At least they can compete for a conference title.  The need for games may help the west coast schools.

DePauw? 6 SCAC, Monon Bell and three travel friendly games.

BSC?  Huntingdon and LaGrange plus two others?  Faulkner? It is NAIA  and in-state.

Millsaps unfortunately has not had 10 "legal" games, 3 of the last 7 years!

I think that the beneficiaries of the move will be the ASC and South Region independents.

I also suspect this is a calculated move to improve the QOWI at the expense of weaker independents.  However, if LaGrange and Huntingdon become football powerhouses, you lose the travel savings.

[Highlander]

Ralph hit the nail on the head about Huntingdon and Lagrange becoming powerhouses. With the talent that they have to choose from in recruiting- it should take long.

[Ralph Turner]

This season's start has jumped up on me!

We have D3 games starting tomorrow night!

Thanks to Keith McMillan and to Laz of lazindex.com for the help.  We may even hear from Jason Dannelly of NAIAfootball.com.

Week 1 D3 vs. NAIA (If they are D3 Provisional, then we are going to claim them as D3.  Corrections are always appreciated! )

31 Aug -- William Penn IA at UW-Stout
31 Aug -- Mayville St (ND) at Hamline

2 Sep -- St Ambrose IA at Loras
2 Sep -- Central Methodist MO at Westminster MO
2 Sep -- St Norbert at Olivet Nazarene IL
2 Sep -- St Olaf at Valley City St ND
2 Sep -- Thiel at Geneva PA
2 Sep -- Howard Payne at Southern Nazarene OK
2 Sep -- Anderson at Taylor IN

[K-Mack]

Ralph,
You the man, as always. We'll track this in ATN again this year.

I think Jason's NAIA site is .net, for the record.

[Ralph Turner]

I received a prompt reply to an email concerning the composition of the NAIA this year from Jason Dannelly.  And I quote,

Couple changes - Seton Hill is no longer an NAIA school.  They are moving to DII and no longer participate in the NAIA.

Southern Virginia still does not participate in the NAIA football season (no idea why)

Concordia-Selma was suppose to be in the NAIA this year, but have chose to wait another year.

That should cover all of it.

Thanks , Jason and have a great and safe season!

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph,
You the man, as always. We'll track this in ATN again this year.

I think Jason's NAIA site is .net, for the record.

Thanks, K-Mack!

Jason Dannelly's email came from www.victorysportsnetwork.com.

It appears that Jason has made some quality upgrades over the off-season, too.  It is certainly fun being a sports fan in the Internet days!

[FPM]

Well the West Region did a pretty good job with both Stout and Hamline beating NAIA schools good way to start DIII 2     NAIA  0

[K-Mack]

Jason's site still lists Southern Virginia as NAIA, so I'm going to list it for now, and when we determine the truth, we will or won't (I suspect the latter) count it in our tally.

I won't count Trinity Bible or games played by NNA against others.

Seton Hill is D2 in my eyes as well.

So, ATN will show D3 7, NAIA 2 for Week 1 and list this slate of Week 2 games:

Black Hills State at UW-Eau Claire
Southern Oregon at Menlo
Southwest Assemblies of God at Sul Ross State
Martin Luther at Waldorf
North Carolina Wesleyan at Southern Virginia

Doesn't look like it's gonna be a good week for D3.

I have last year's tallies at 7-11 vs. D2 and 7-10 vs. D-I-AA.

[Ralph Turner]

Week 2 games:

Black Hills State 0 at UW-Eau Claire  20
Southern Oregon 16 at Menlo 13
Southwest Assemblies of God 6 at Sul Ross State 35
Martin Luther 17 at Waldorf 24
North Carolina Wesleyan 42 at Southern Virginia 7*

D3 3 wins, 2 losses.

I have last year's tallies at 7-11 vs. D2 and 7-10 vs. D-I-AA.

[Ralph Turner]

Week #3

D3   Greenville   vs   NAIA   Taylor IN

NAIA   Shorter   vs   D3   LaGrange
NAIA   Azusa Pacific   vs   D3   UW-Whitewater

I like the chances of LaGrange vs. first year program Shorter.  we can see what difference scholarships make, if any.  (I also believe that any margin under 17 points is rough parity at this point as well.)

[ADL70]

[quote (I also believe that any margin under 17 points is rough parity at this point as well.)
[/quote]

An interesting propostion Ralph.  Do you mean that to apply to football in general or just to this game between two start-ups; one scholarship and the other not?

[Ralph Turner]

/quote]

An interesting propostion Ralph.  Do you mean that to apply to football in general or just to this game between two start-ups; one scholarship and the other not?

cwru70, I am referring to the 2 start-up programs.  If we use the USNews rankings as a rough proxy for academic prestige, LaGrange is #7 of the 53 Top tier Southern Comprehensive Colleges; Shorter is #21 of 53.

Do athletic scholarships allow a school to attract more talent at the key positions?

[Hawks88]

Week #3

D3   Greenville   vs   NAIA   Taylor IN

NAIA   Shorter   vs   D3   LaGrange
NAIA   Azusa Pacific   vs   D3   UW-Whitewater

I like the chances of LaGrange vs. first year program Shorter.  we can see what difference scholarships make, if any.  (I also believe that any margin under 17 points is rough parity at this point as well.)

This is actually Shorter's second season. They were 3-7 last year and 1-1 so far this season.