FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sjusection105]

 The Spotlight game of the week in the MIAC has to be AUG at UST.

Can AUG outscore the Tommies? Maybe asked another way, can the Auggie defense stop the Tommies enough times to allow the high flying Auggie offense to put up enough points to win the game?

Can the UST offense grind it out and make this a time of possession game?

What wrinkles did the Auggies put into their game plan during their bye week last week?

It would be fun to see an upset at Creitin & Summit.

[GoldandBlueBU]

The Spotlight game of the week in the MIAC has to be AUG at UST.

Can AUG outscore the Tommies? Maybe asked another way, can the Auggie defense stop the Tommies enough times to allow the high flying Auggie offense to put up enough points to win the game?

Can the UST offense grind it out and make this a time of possession game?

What wrinkles did the Auggies put into their game plan during their bye week last week?

It would be fun to see an upset at Creitin & Summit.

Agree that it has the most potential to be a good game, but I think the Toms roll.  Augsburg's defense has yet to show up at a game this season, so despite their highly talented QB, they'll get beaten soundly.

I hope I'm wrong...it would be fun to see Augsburg turn into an additional "team to beat" this year on an already loaded MIAC schedule.

[DuffMan]

Agree that it has the most potential to be a good game, but I think the Toms roll.  Augsburg's defense has yet to show up at a game this season, so despite their highly talented QB, they'll get beaten soundly.

x2!

[Boys of Fall]

What's the over/under on that game over at Cretin and Summit, 95?

[hazzben]

Reading through the Bethel v. Hamline Preview, this stuck out to me:

The matchup: Saturday's contest between the Pipers and the Royals will be the 51st meeting between these two opponents. Hamline currently holds the 27-23 advantage over the Royals, dating back to their first game—which was nonconference then—in 1952. Bethel has been victorious in the last 18 matchups, however, dating back to 1996.

That quote says a lot about what Coach J has done with the Bethel program. Before he got here, we couldn't even compete with Hamline. Go back to 1989 and imagine telling the MIAC coaches that 25 years from then Bethel would have the same HC, he'd have a winning percentage over .700 and multiple league crowns and they'd have laughed you out of the room.

We were Macalaster/Hamline bad. And now we're perennially one of the best teams in one of the nations best conferences. And Coach J and the staff are still doing it without the bling of other programs in terms of facilities and financial aid dollars. It's an impressive feat!

[Boys of Fall]

Reading through the Bethel v. Hamline Preview, this stuck out to me:

The matchup: Saturday's contest between the Pipers and the Royals will be the 51st meeting between these two opponents. Hamline currently holds the 27-23 advantage over the Royals, dating back to their first game—which was nonconference then—in 1952. Bethel has been victorious in the last 18 matchups, however, dating back to 1996.

That quote says a lot about what Coach J has done with the Bethel program. Before he got here, we couldn't even compete with Hamline. Go back to 1989 and imagine telling the MIAC coaches that 25 years from then Bethel would have the same HC, he'd have a winning percentage over .700 and multiple league crowns and they'd have laughed you out of the room.

We were Macalaster/Hamline bad. And now we're perennially one of the best teams in one of the nations best conferences. And Coach J and the staff are still doing it without the bling of other programs in terms of facilities and financial aid dollars. It's an impressive feat!

Agree Coach Johnson has done a great job building that program up, but don't agree with the "doing it without financial aid dollars".  Bethel financial aid dollars is right on par with other MIAC schools.  But still, Johnson has turned that program around.

[DuffMan]

It's hard for me to remember Bethel being bad.  I recall going to a SJU/Bethel in the mid/late '90s that was pretty lopsided, but 1999 was my freshman season at SJU, and Bethel finally toppled the red giant that year, and did so again in '00.  From that point forward, BC/BU's been pretty darn tough.  In '01, Bethel was tough, but that game was all SJU (right, Hazz???  ), and '02 was an SJU win, but a pretty even game. 

[GoldandBlueBU]

It's hard for me to remember Bethel being bad.  I recall going to a SJU/Bethel in the mid/late '90s that was pretty lopsided, but 1999 was my freshman season at SJU, and Bethel finally toppled the red giant that year, and did so again in '00.  From that point forward, BC/BU's been pretty darn tough.  In '01, Bethel was tough, but that game was all SJU (right, Hazz???  ), and '02 was an SJU win, but a pretty even game.

Along similar lines, I was chatting with a co-worker who played for the cobbers in the late 90's, and he was telling me about how good Augsburg was.  Strange to hear for a person who's context of knowing the MIAC didn't start until around 2003, when Augsburg has rarely presented more than a speed bump for the top end of the MIAC.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Reading through the Bethel v. Hamline Preview, this stuck out to me:

The matchup: Saturday's contest between the Pipers and the Royals will be the 51st meeting between these two opponents. Hamline currently holds the 27-23 advantage over the Royals, dating back to their first game—which was nonconference then—in 1952. Bethel has been victorious in the last 18 matchups, however, dating back to 1996.

That quote says a lot about what Coach J has done with the Bethel program. Before he got here, we couldn't even compete with Hamline. Go back to 1989 and imagine telling the MIAC coaches that 25 years from then Bethel would have the same HC, he'd have a winning percentage over .700 and multiple league crowns and they'd have laughed you out of the room.

We were Macalaster/Hamline bad. And now we're perennially one of the best teams in one of the nations best conferences. And Coach J and the staff are still doing it without the bling of other programs in terms of facilities and financial aid dollars. It's an impressive feat!

Agree Coach Johnson has done a great job building that program up, but don't agree with the "doing it without financial aid dollars".  Bethel financial aid dollars is right on par with other MIAC schools.  But still, Johnson has turned that program around.

Hazz is definitely on the right track...BU simply doesn't have the financial resources that a lot of the conference does.  This is probably due to a lot of its history being spent churning out grads that were heavily weighted in ministry and teaching fields.

Endowment by school...

Macalester $665 million (acc. to US News)
Carleton $645 million (acc. to the school)
St. Thomas $335 (acc. to US News), $408 (acc. to the school), $557 (acc. to Wikipedia)
St. Olaf $327 (the school), $345 (US News and Wikipedia)

St. John's $144 (US News)
Gustavus $109 (US News)
Concordia (Moorhead) $83 (US News)
Hamline $76 (US News, Wikipedia)
St. Kate's $55 (US News)
St. Mary's $45 (US News)
St. Ben's $45 (US News), $38 (Wikipedia)
Augsburg $33 (US News)
Bethel $25 (US News)

Concordia (St.Paul) for comparison $22 (US News)

per the following link...

http://minnesotahoops.blogspot.com/2013/01/time-for-st-thomas-to-move-on-up.html

[AO]

Reading through the Bethel v. Hamline Preview, this stuck out to me:

The matchup: Saturday's contest between the Pipers and the Royals will be the 51st meeting between these two opponents. Hamline currently holds the 27-23 advantage over the Royals, dating back to their first game—which was nonconference then—in 1952. Bethel has been victorious in the last 18 matchups, however, dating back to 1996.

That quote says a lot about what Coach J has done with the Bethel program. Before he got here, we couldn't even compete with Hamline. Go back to 1989 and imagine telling the MIAC coaches that 25 years from then Bethel would have the same HC, he'd have a winning percentage over .700 and multiple league crowns and they'd have laughed you out of the room.

We were Macalaster/Hamline bad. And now we're perennially one of the best teams in one of the nations best conferences. And Coach J and the staff are still doing it without the bling of other programs in terms of facilities and financial aid dollars. It's an impressive feat!

yet you still feel the need to vandalize our rocks.

That makes me wonder if it's possible that Hamline could find a coach that could get them to the playoffs.  I doubt it.

[faunch]

Johnnies on bye week.
Co-worker just hands me a free pair of tix to Northwestern / Gophers game...w/ free parking pass.

I live a charmed life.   

[hazzben]

That makes me wonder if it's possible that Hamline could find a coach that could get them to the playoffs.  I doubt it.

I think that's precisely the mindset that makes Coach J's job at Bethel so remarkable. It's hard to fathom Hamline or Macalaster (before wimping out and leaving for the MWC) consistently making the playoffs and being in the MIAC title hunt. I'm sure this is exactly how people regarded Bethel.

It's hard for me to remember Bethel being bad.  I recall going to a SJU/Bethel in the mid/late '90s that was pretty lopsided, but 1999 was my freshman season at SJU, and Bethel finally toppled the red giant that year, and did so again in '00.  From that point forward, BC/BU's been pretty darn tough.

The other side of the evidence is definitely how Bethel compares to the programs like SJU and Concordia. They were the standard bearers, no other programs have been so consistently good over the decades. The competitiveness and level of mutual respect says as much as where we are in relation to Hamline.

[Mr.MIAC]

Reading through the Bethel v. Hamline Preview, this stuck out to me:

The matchup: Saturday's contest between the Pipers and the Royals will be the 51st meeting between these two opponents. Hamline currently holds the 27-23 advantage over the Royals, dating back to their first game—which was nonconference then—in 1952. Bethel has been victorious in the last 18 matchups, however, dating back to 1996.

That quote says a lot about what Coach J has done with the Bethel program. Before he got here, we couldn't even compete with Hamline. Go back to 1989 and imagine telling the MIAC coaches that 25 years from then Bethel would have the same HC, he'd have a winning percentage over .700 and multiple league crowns and they'd have laughed you out of the room.

We were Macalaster/Hamline bad. And now we're perennially one of the best teams in one of the nations best conferences. And Coach J and the staff are still doing it without the bling of other programs in terms of facilities and financial aid dollars. It's an impressive feat!

Agree Coach Johnson has done a great job building that program up, but don't agree with the "doing it without financial aid dollars".  Bethel financial aid dollars is right on par with other MIAC schools.  But still, Johnson has turned that program around.

Hazz is definitely on the right track...BU simply doesn't have the financial resources that a lot of the conference does.  This is probably due to a lot of its history being spent churning out grads that were heavily weighted in ministry and teaching fields.

Endowment by school...

Macalester $665 million (acc. to US News)
Carleton $645 million (acc. to the school)
St. Thomas $335 (acc. to US News), $408 (acc. to the school), $557 (acc. to Wikipedia)
St. Olaf $327 (the school), $345 (US News and Wikipedia)

St. John's $144 (US News)
Gustavus $109 (US News)
Concordia (Moorhead) $83 (US News)
Hamline $76 (US News, Wikipedia)
St. Kate's $55 (US News)
St. Mary's $45 (US News)
St. Ben's $45 (US News), $38 (Wikipedia)
Augsburg $33 (US News)
Bethel $25 (US News)

Concordia (St.Paul) for comparison $22 (US News)

per the following link...

http://minnesotahoops.blogspot.com/2013/01/time-for-st-thomas-to-move-on-up.html

I think you make a good point, but maybe it's a little more complex than endowment. MIT and Chicago have massive endowments, but it's not like they're perennial DIII football powerhouses. UWW has an endowment of $17M and MU's endowment sits at $120M; neither university seems to have a problem financially supporting elite football programs. For the former two examples, lack of campus interest and selectivity play a major role. I assume the pool of kids with serious academic resumes and mad football skills is rather small. For the latter two, it's less about academics and more, if not nearly all, about the football. I think they're pulling in a lot of kids who want to play football first and get a degree second. They've developed the national reputation for football and for those not quite up to DI standards, they're a natural fit.

Bethel is about the football and the academics, but a certain kind of academics. Even without the massive endowment, the administration could funnel serious money into the football program. However, without a longer track record of success at the highest levels of DIII, they're never going to have the draw of UWW or MU. Bethel football isn't hampered by sky-high selectivity, but as a regional college they have a smaller pool from which to draw talent. Finally, going back to the certain kind of academics bit, Bethel is a very conservative Christian campus and this is not going to appeal to many. I assume some elite football recruits will be drawn to the culture, but many will not be. That's just my two cents. Considering what they've become, I think Johnson and staff have done an outstanding job.

[DuffMan]

Along similar lines, I was chatting with a co-worker who played for the cobbers in the late 90's, and he was telling me about how good Augsburg was.  Strange to hear for a person who's context of knowing the MIAC didn't start until around 2003, when Augsburg has rarely presented more than a speed bump for the top end of the MIAC.

Yeah, Auggie Tech won the MIAC in 1997.  In 1999, they came into Collegeville undefeated only to poop their pants and lay a 55-0 goose egg on our field--I remember it well because it was my first taste of collegiate action!  They had a few good years, there.  Scott Hvistendal, an Auggie WR, broke Jerry Rice's NCAA receiving record.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Along similar lines, I was chatting with a co-worker who played for the cobbers in the late 90's, and he was telling me about how good Augsburg was.  Strange to hear for a person who's context of knowing the MIAC didn't start until around 2003, when Augsburg has rarely presented more than a speed bump for the top end of the MIAC.

Yeah, Auggie Tech won the MIAC in 1997.  In 1999, they came into Collegeville undefeated only to poop their pants and lay a 55-0 goose egg on our field--I remember it well because it was my first taste of collegiate action!  They had a few good years, there.  Scott Hvistendal, an Auggie WR, broke Jerry Rice's NCAA receiving record.

He specifically mentioned covering him, and how he could simply not keep up, as Hvistendal would barely break stride when he'd make his cuts, and always end up open.