FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[USTBench]

TC;  Put your head in the toilet.

We have Flash; now we have Flush.

I can't believe how some folks are rolling over for this friggin New Yorker and his current team (give me the over/under on how many years Caruso stays at UST - I'd say 4).

We just have to keep it close.

Well he keeps saying D3 is where he wants to be and he likes it here. I hope he's here for awhile.

I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of his mouth.  I'll take the push, assuming UST wins 2 MIAC championships and gets deep in the playoffs one of the years.

Just because he's bounced around a bit doesn't mean he's looking for a bigger spotlight. Have you ever been to Vermillion, SD or seen the trainwreck known as the "Dakota Dome?" It's just awful. And uprooting from Mac to go to a school that actually has a chance of winning some football games, and was in the course of fundraising to drastically improve their facilities wasn't exactly a bad move.

[WithasilentK]

TC;  Put your head in the toilet.

We have Flash; now we have Flush.

I can't believe how some folks are rolling over for this friggin New Yorker and his current team (give me the over/under on how many years Caruso stays at UST - I'd say 4).

We just have to keep it close.

Well he keeps saying D3 is where he wants to be and he likes it here. I hope he's here for awhile.

I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of his mouth.  I'll take the push, assuming UST wins 2 MIAC championships and gets deep in the playoffs one of the years.

Just because he's bounced around a bit doesn't mean he's looking for a bigger spotlight. Have you ever been to Vermillion, SD or seen the trainwreck known as the "Dakota Dome?" It's just awful. And uprooting from Mac to go to a school that actually has a chance of winning some football games, and was in the course of fundraising to drastically improve their facilities wasn't exactly a bad move.

Actually, I have been to Vermillion, SD and been on the field in the Dakota Dome several times.  I'm not questioning his decision to move schools.  Neither move was a bad move.  I just don't think he seems like a guy that will settle in at D3.  I get the feeling he'll move up in divisions as high as he can go.  That's not a bad thing.  A coach I respect very much once told me, "Don't believe anything a coach tells you about his desires, he's always trying to get to the next level."  I'm not sure that applies in every situation, but likely in most.  If Caruso has a great couple years, he'll have some calls from D2 schools, and it's not a knock on him to take one.

I still don't like the guy, but I wasn't trying to say anything bad about his decisions.

[Willy Wonka]

TC;  Put your head in the toilet.

We have Flash; now we have Flush.

I can't believe how some folks are rolling over for this friggin New Yorker and his current team (give me the over/under on how many years Caruso stays at UST - I'd say 4).

We just have to keep it close.

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

[SagatagSam]

This isn't related to anything and I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet but I was just looking at the top 25 rankings and I saw something I don't know if I have ever seen before.  Capital lost to Mount Union last week and jumped 5 spots in the rankings, from 21 to 16.  Just thought that was worth pointing out for anyone else that missed it.

Well maybe a loss by UST to SJU will catapult them from #15 to #7.

I'm thinking the only way the Toms move up via a loss to the Jays is if it is a squeaker (i.e., field goal or less)--and it will be just that, SJU 21 UST 20.
It's going to come down to field position, special teams and penalties. UST is the most penalized team in the MIAC, but they have a pretty solid punt return. The Jays don't take many penalties, but will need to watch out for a UST punt return that is ranked #2 in the country.

[sfury]

Hvistendahl was great, but he's no Chris Palmer.

[hazzben]

I can't believe how some folks are rolling over for this friggin New Yorker and his current team (give me the over/under on how many years Caruso stays at UST - I'd say 4).

Well he keeps saying D3 is where he wants to be and he likes it here. I hope he's here for awhile.

I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of his mouth.  I'll take the push, assuming UST wins 2 MIAC championships and gets deep in the playoffs one of the years.

Just because he's bounced around a bit doesn't mean he's looking for a bigger spotlight. Have you ever been to Vermillion, SD or seen the trainwreck known as the "Dakota Dome?" It's just awful. And uprooting from Mac to go to a school that actually has a chance of winning some football games, and was in the course of fundraising to drastically improve their facilities wasn't exactly a bad move.

Actually, I have been to Vermillion, SD and been on the field in the Dakota Dome several times.  I'm not questioning his decision to move schools.  Neither move was a bad move.  I just don't think he seems like a guy that will settle in at D3.  I get the feeling he'll move up in divisions as high as he can go.  That's not a bad thing.  A coach I respect very much once told me, "Don't believe anything a coach tells you about his desires, he's always trying to get to the next level."  I'm not sure that applies in every situation, but likely in most.  If Caruso has a great couple years, he'll have some calls from D2 schools, and it's not a knock on him to take one.

I still don't like the guy, but I wasn't trying to say anything bad about his decisions.

First, let me state that I've only met Caruso once, so I definitely don't 'know' him.

That said, I think there are several things working against him staying at UST longterm.
1.  He really seems to enjoy the spotlight.  I'm not saying he's arrogant (although he might be), but he just seems to love to hear himself talk.  DIII isn't exactly spotlight central.

2.  As much as I'm not a fan, I do have to admit that he is obviously a good recruiter and the short term results are, he's also a pretty good coach.  If those trends continue, he probably will get some offers to move up to a higher level.

3.  He doesn't seem to have a philosophical or emotional commitment to where he is at.  Gags at SJU seems to bleed DIII and so has said no to some really tempting offers.  Johnson played at Bethel and is a Bethel guy at heart, so he's said no to some offers that would have drawn others away.  I can't speak for whether other coaches in the MIAC have had those offers.  But I know Caruso has no loyalties to UST and his background doesn't suggest he's a died in the wool DIII coach.

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

As much as I really dislike UST, that would be a truly sad day for the MIAC.  Not just for football, but all sports in the conference in general would suffer

[hazzben]

@ TC:

Agree to disagree.

Where we can both agree...please God, let the Twins sign Joe Mauer this off season.  And for Bethel's sake, Go SJU this weekend.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

That one's been around a while. Senile Sid keeps it alive, but he cluelessly thinks UST (or any school) can pick and choose what division they are in for varying sports. But then again, he seems to think Dienhart runs UST athletics  and cant pronounce the last name of his close friend, the fooball coach at SJU.

It would be the end of too many programs @ UST, it would be too too costly dollar-wise, and simply not practical (example- DI hockey requires an on-campus arena-- where would that  be built?)  I guarentee it wont happen as long as Fritz is running athletics or Dease is in charge of the institution.

[Willy Wonka]

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

That one's been around a while. Senile Sid keeps it alive, but he cluelessly thinks UST (or any school) can pick and choose what division they are in for varying sports. But then again, he seems to think Dienhart runs UST athletics  and cant pronounce the last name of his close friend, the fooball coach at SJU.

It would be the end of too many programs @ UST, it would be too too costly dollar-wise, and simply not practical (example- DI hockey requires an on-campus arena-- where would that  be built?)  I guarentee it wont happen as long as Fritz is running athletics or Dease is in charge of the institution.

As my buddy Hazzben says, agree to disagree

[sjusection105]

Ok fellas, TC's belated, much-anticipated preview of the Tommies is up at JohnnieFootball.com.  All 1,400+ words of it. 

Boy TC, I thought you were going to say that SJU stood a pretty good chance of beating the Tommies, but I guess maybe better luck next year. 

[USTBench]

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

That one's been around a while. Senile Sid keeps it alive, but he cluelessly thinks UST (or any school) can pick and choose what division they are in for varying sports. But then again, he seems to think Dienhart runs UST athletics  and cant pronounce the last name of his close friend, the fooball coach at SJU.

It would be the end of too many programs @ UST, it would be too too costly dollar-wise, and simply not practical (example- DI hockey requires an on-campus arena-- where would that  be built?)  I guarentee it wont happen as long as Fritz is running athletics or Dease is in charge of the institution.

As my buddy Hazzben says, agree to disagree

UST would never go D2, that's not exactly a step forward, nor does it have the commitment to academics it is looking for. But I will say that if UST is spending $130 million on a new athletic facility it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility to go DI. Conferences like the Pioneer league would be ideal for non-scholarship FCS football, where they could play schools like Butler, Valpo, Drake, etc. And would be a good fit for basketball. With 6,000 undergrads it's not exactly like UST is a "small liberal arts" college anymore. They have an enrollment bigger than many DI schools. I also believe people seriously underestimate the size of UST's endowment and ability to fundraise for different things. DI athletics would not be the death of a lot of sports, nor would it be impossible to create an on-campus arena for hockey. If UST can buy up many acres of property in downtown Minneapolis and build a Law School and Business School, it's not like they can't afford to build a hockey arena. That being said, I hope it doesn't happen and if the rumblings continue, it won't be anytime soon.

[CobberFvr]

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

That one's been around a while. Senile Sid keeps it alive, but he cluelessly thinks UST (or any school) can pick and choose what division they are in for varying sports. But then again, he seems to think Dienhart runs UST athletics  and cant pronounce the last name of his close friend, the fooball coach at SJU.

It would be the end of too many programs @ UST, it would be too too costly dollar-wise, and simply not practical (example- DI hockey requires an on-campus arena-- where would that  be built?)  I guarentee it wont happen as long as Fritz is running athletics or Dease is in charge of the institution.

As my buddy Hazzben says, agree to disagree

UST would never go D2, that's not exactly a step forward, nor does it have the commitment to academics it is looking for. But I will say that if UST is spending $130 million on a new athletic facility it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility to go DI. Conferences like the Pioneer league would be ideal for non-scholarship FCS football, where they could play schools like Butler, Valpo, Drake, etc. And would be a good fit for basketball. With 6,000 undergrads it's not exactly like UST is a "small liberal arts" college anymore. They have an enrollment bigger than many DI schools. I also believe people seriously underestimate the size of UST's endowment and ability to fundraise for different things. DI athletics would not be the death of a lot of sports, nor would it be impossible to create an on-campus arena for hockey. If UST can buy up many acres of property in downtown Minneapolis and build a Law School and Business School, it's not like they can't afford to build a hockey arena. That being said, I hope it doesn't happen and if the rumblings continue, it won't be anytime soon.

St. Thomas in the FCS? That's funny. It would take at least 10+ years to even consider them being competitive there, with the weakest teams. Teams like App. State, Furman, Georgia Southern, etc. would dismantle the Tommies. Indiana State is arguably one of the worst FCS teams and they would beat St. Thomas by 20+

[WashedUp]

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

That one's been around a while. Senile Sid keeps it alive, but he cluelessly thinks UST (or any school) can pick and choose what division they are in for varying sports. But then again, he seems to think Dienhart runs UST athletics  and cant pronounce the last name of his close friend, the fooball coach at SJU.

It would be the end of too many programs @ UST, it would be too too costly dollar-wise, and simply not practical (example- DI hockey requires an on-campus arena-- where would that  be built?)  I guarentee it wont happen as long as Fritz is running athletics or Dease is in charge of the institution.

As my buddy Hazzben says, agree to disagree

UST would never go D2, that's not exactly a step forward, nor does it have the commitment to academics it is looking for. But I will say that if UST is spending $130 million on a new athletic facility it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility to go DI. Conferences like the Pioneer league would be ideal for non-scholarship FCS football, where they could play schools like Butler, Valpo, Drake, etc. And would be a good fit for basketball. With 6,000 undergrads it's not exactly like UST is a "small liberal arts" college anymore. They have an enrollment bigger than many DI schools. I also believe people seriously underestimate the size of UST's endowment and ability to fundraise for different things. DI athletics would not be the death of a lot of sports, nor would it be impossible to create an on-campus arena for hockey. If UST can buy up many acres of property in downtown Minneapolis and build a Law School and Business School, it's not like they can't afford to build a hockey arena. That being said, I hope it doesn't happen and if the rumblings continue, it won't be anytime soon.

If UST is truly committed to academics than its endowment (which you are overestimating, compare it to academic schools such as Mac and Carleton) should be spent in a better way than moving to a minor D1 conference.

[USTBench]

That's assuming UST doesn't make a push for bigger and "better" things itself, giving him the jump he might have otherwise sought elsewhere.

Disclaimer - I have no proof of the Tommies seeking to join D1 or D2...but I've heard rumblings from a couple different sources in recent years.

That one's been around a while. Senile Sid keeps it alive, but he cluelessly thinks UST (or any school) can pick and choose what division they are in for varying sports. But then again, he seems to think Dienhart runs UST athletics  and cant pronounce the last name of his close friend, the fooball coach at SJU.

It would be the end of too many programs @ UST, it would be too too costly dollar-wise, and simply not practical (example- DI hockey requires an on-campus arena-- where would that  be built?)  I guarentee it wont happen as long as Fritz is running athletics or Dease is in charge of the institution.

As my buddy Hazzben says, agree to disagree

UST would never go D2, that's not exactly a step forward, nor does it have the commitment to academics it is looking for. But I will say that if UST is spending $130 million on a new athletic facility it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility to go DI. Conferences like the Pioneer league would be ideal for non-scholarship FCS football, where they could play schools like Butler, Valpo, Drake, etc. And would be a good fit for basketball. With 6,000 undergrads it's not exactly like UST is a "small liberal arts" college anymore. They have an enrollment bigger than many DI schools. I also believe people seriously underestimate the size of UST's endowment and ability to fundraise for different things. DI athletics would not be the death of a lot of sports, nor would it be impossible to create an on-campus arena for hockey. If UST can buy up many acres of property in downtown Minneapolis and build a Law School and Business School, it's not like they can't afford to build a hockey arena. That being said, I hope it doesn't happen and if the rumblings continue, it won't be anytime soon.

If UST is truly committed to academics than its endowment (which you are overestimating, compare it to academic schools such as Mac and Carleton) should be spent in a better way than moving to a minor D1 conference.

Um...like starting a law school? Expanding our Minneapolis campus? Building a new student center?  They're plenty commited to academics. Additonally...WIAC teams have monkeystomping Pioneer League teams for a long time. It would not take that long for UST to catch up to the "worst teams in the FCS." But IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN...so not really an issue to begin with.

[retagent]

hazz - I believe the expression is "DYED in the wool" You see, if it's dyed in the wool, it's embedded, ingrained, very hard to get out etc. If it's "died in the wool" that would just mean it would rot and smell. Oops, my bad.