FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[miac952]

An interesting read in the Trib today:

http://www.startribune.com/st-thomas-is-dominating-the-miac-as-never-before/380666931/

Hamline AD Jason Verdugo said Wisconsin-Superior's recent move from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference prompted him to do an analysis of the benefits of the switch, which he estimates would mean 55 more victories a year across all sports. Verdugo said he was only being "inquisitive," but added that winning helps in attracting prospective students and "keeping kids once they get on campus. Certainly, you want to have an environment that's very positive and very good and makes their experience worthwhile."

Do we get Mac too if the Pipers move?  Those two seem like a package deal.

The more likely scenario, as the article noted, would be the academic "elites" (St Olaf, Carleton, Mac) leaving and lining up with Grinnell and a few others of the same kind in the region. If an opening were to happen St Scholastica would jump on a moments notice into the MIAC, based on what I have heard, and be fairly competitive in many sports too. Duluth would be a nice extension for the conference to move into.

I hope Hamline isn't considering anything based on what UW Superior is doing. Thats not a remotely comparable academic outpost to anyone in the MIAC. Heck, they had trouble with WIAC standards. It would be like Indiana looking at a move Ball State makes and considering it for themselves.

[Mr.MIAC]

I found this quote funny.  A little dig at UST's academics? 

Macalester AD Kim Chandler said that her school has "different drivers here, different value sets to be true to ourself. The academic component here plays a significant role for us."

Hey now -

No one cranks out more overqualified barista's than the Macalester Scots do each year. Where else can you find a vaguely named cornerstone building on campus called the "Institute for Global Citizenship"

UST's admission standards are regionally competitive and set to rise dramatically, but this won't be driven by a relatively small population of prospective student athletes. UST is large enough that it can keep the admission standards high for most undergraduate applicants and still let in exceptional athletes with weaker academic profiles. If UST can field students from the junior college and graduate schools this will be a further advantage. 

UST is just starting to do what the Ivies have done for years. Walk around Harvard's campus and the two tier system for academics and athletes is an open joke. You'll actually hear people in polite conversation note that so-and-so is a "student athlete," which can be understood to mean "athletically gifted, but most likely below Harvard's academic standard." 

[AUPepBand]

Pep enjoys visiting D3 stadiums...given Pep's tentative itinerary, are there any D3 venues that are "must see"?

Pep, is this a trick question?

Clemens Stadium of course.......
http://www.gojohnnies.com/sports/2009/5/19/FOOTBALL_0519091156.aspx

During your trip,you won't experience the game day atmosphere but the photo kind of gives you an idea.

Of course it's a trick question. Clemens Stadium has been on my bucket list since....since they invented buckets!   

Definitely want to see it albeit sans game day atmosphere. Pep has an imagination and is fully capable of creating a roaring crowd in his mind. Heck, during serendipitous impromptu tour of Notre Dame Stadium back in 2001, after having slapped the "Play Like A Champion Sign" going down to the field level, once in the tunnel, Pep could hear the crowd chanting "SNY DER" "SNY DER" "SNY DER" and when running out onto the field, the chanting was rudely interrupted by the gruffly voice of (legendary) Coach Alex Yunevich hollering from the field house at the north end of Merrill Field, "Get the hell off the field!"

On Saxon Warriors!

[jknezek]

You'd be hard pressed to find too many schools without at least some tiering for athletes at the upper academic levels. The NESCACs even have some kind of formalized slotting system that at least some of them use. That being said, as you slip from schools that are accepting 20 or 30% of applicants (or significantly less) to schools that are accepting 70% or more of applicants, let alone 84%, I think it's slightly silly to be letting in kids that can't otherwise get in. How far do you really need to dip to find athletes and how important is it to accept kids that can't get in when you are only rejecting less than 1 in 5 anyway?

[Mr.MIAC]

You'd be hard pressed to find too many schools without at least some tiering for athletes at the upper academic levels. The NESCACs even have some kind of formalized slotting system that at least some of them use. That being said, as you slip from schools that are accepting 20 or 30% of applicants (or significantly less) to schools that are accepting 70% or more of applicants, let alone 84%, I think it's slightly silly to be letting in kids that can't otherwise get in. How far do you really need to dip to find athletes and how important is it to accept kids that can't get in when you are only rejecting less than 1 in 5 anyway?

Well for UST the acceptance rate is going to dive over the next decade. It rose over the past 30 years because UST was on an expansionary course. In that time the institution evolved from a small single-sex college into the largest private university in MN. UST had to increase student numbers during the period, which meant more students and a higher proportion of applicants were being accepted. UST's undergraduate population has now stabilized and future growth will come from a junior college and the graduate schools. As UST goes national with its footprint--just like Macalester and Carleton did in the past, albeit on a different scale--it will attract far more undergraduate applicants. The jump in standards combined with more applicants will make the acceptance rate fall. Maybe with the exception of exceptional student athletes...

[wm4]

An interesting read in the Trib today:

http://www.startribune.com/st-thomas-is-dominating-the-miac-as-never-before/380666931/

I'm thinking this move might help SJU put a dent in some of those numbers.

ALPERS '82 BECOMES SJU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AS STOCK ACCEPTS NEW POSITION IN INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT http://www.gojohnnies.com/news/2016/5/24/general-alpers-82-becomes-sju-athletic-director-as-stock-accepts-new-position-in-institutional-advancement.aspx

Interesting news. Don't know much about Mr. Stock, but he seems to have navigated the waters of some difficult coaching transitions very effectively. Reflecting back on it now I think Fasching came with the least fanfare, but so far has been proven to be a very good hire.

I am wondering what the transition to the next AD will look like for UST. It has be sometime soon with Mr. Fritz. The assoc AD's are too green and focused on specific areas. Maybe a head coach, but there is a lot more work associated with the job these days, so I would say that is less likely than it used to be.

On that front, would not at all be surprised if Caruso moves into the AD position at some point.  NOT going to happen anytime soon, but it makes sense on a lot of levels.  A couple coaches currently on stafff would do just fine in the big chair, and Carauso can run the whole department. 

[SJUrube]

An interesting read in the Trib today:

http://www.startribune.com/st-thomas-is-dominating-the-miac-as-never-before/380666931/

I'm thinking this move might help SJU put a dent in some of those numbers.

ALPERS '82 BECOMES SJU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AS STOCK ACCEPTS NEW POSITION IN INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT http://www.gojohnnies.com/news/2016/5/24/general-alpers-82-becomes-sju-athletic-director-as-stock-accepts-new-position-in-institutional-advancement.aspx

Interesting news. Don't know much about Mr. Stock, but he seems to have navigated the waters of some difficult coaching transitions very effectively. Reflecting back on it now I think Fasching came with the least fanfare, but so far has been proven to be a very good hire.

The marketing of SJU sports is strong and Tom Stock deserves a lot of credit for that. He had some great stories to tell - Gags, Jim Smith, etc - and found ways to create revenue with those. Having him continue overseeing that element of athletics should remain a boom. Alpers is a quintessential Johnnie. His experience as a coach, across multiple sports, should also be a benefit on the administrative side.

[Mr.MIAC]

An interesting read in the Trib today:

http://www.startribune.com/st-thomas-is-dominating-the-miac-as-never-before/380666931/

I'm thinking this move might help SJU put a dent in some of those numbers.

ALPERS '82 BECOMES SJU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AS STOCK ACCEPTS NEW POSITION IN INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT http://www.gojohnnies.com/news/2016/5/24/general-alpers-82-becomes-sju-athletic-director-as-stock-accepts-new-position-in-institutional-advancement.aspx

Interesting news. Don't know much about Mr. Stock, but he seems to have navigated the waters of some difficult coaching transitions very effectively. Reflecting back on it now I think Fasching came with the least fanfare, but so far has been proven to be a very good hire.

I am wondering what the transition to the next AD will look like for UST. It has be sometime soon with Mr. Fritz. The assoc AD's are too green and focused on specific areas. Maybe a head coach, but there is a lot more work associated with the job these days, so I would say that is less likely than it used to be.

On that front, would not at all be surprised if Caruso moves into the AD position at some point.  NOT going to happen anytime soon, but it makes sense on a lot of levels.  A couple coaches currently on stafff would do just fine in the big chair, and Carauso can run the whole department.

Imagine the environment that would create within the Anderson Athletic Center, on campus, and amongst the wider UST community. Every sport, every department, and generations of alumni engaged in wall-to-wall handholding...

[jknezek]

St. Thomas's peak enrollment was in 2001 according to this:

http://www.stthomas.edu/news/enrollment-here-down-slightly-from-last-fall/

So they've been more less stable for at least 15 years in terms of enrollment at least as far as my simple internet searches can tell.

[OldAuggie]

This comment from the Strib article on UST made me laugh:

"If St. Thomas left (the MIAC), who would we hate? Bethel, I suppose, but that wouldn't be quite the same, since they have never won a national championship in basketball or football."

Really?

[OzJohnnie]

St. Thomas's peak enrollment was in 2001 according to this:

http://www.stthomas.edu/news/enrollment-here-down-slightly-from-last-fall/

So they've been more less stable for at least 15 years in terms of enrollment at least as far as my simple internet searches can tell.

Hey, there's no fact checking in UST love land.

Maybe we should commission a Harvard study on how meanly you disparage the little Ivy Leaguer of the Midwest.

[Mr.MIAC]

St. Thomas's peak enrollment was in 2001 according to this:

http://www.stthomas.edu/news/enrollment-here-down-slightly-from-last-fall/

So they've been more less stable for at least 15 years in terms of enrollment at least as far as my simple internet searches can tell.

Hey, there's no fact checking in UST love land.

Maybe we should commission a Harvard study on how meanly you disparage the little Ivy Leaguer of the Midwest.

What's that they say? Haters gonna hate...

[art76]

Pep enjoys visiting D3 stadiums...given Pep's tentative itinerary, are there any D3 venues that are "must see"?

Pep, is this a trick question?

Clemens Stadium of course.......
http://www.gojohnnies.com/sports/2009/5/19/FOOTBALL_0519091156.aspx

During your trip,you won't experience the game day atmosphere but the photo kind of gives you an idea.

Of course it's a trick question. Clemens Stadium has been on my bucket list since....since they invented buckets!   

Definitely want to see it albeit sans game day atmosphere. Pep has an imagination and is fully capable of creating a roaring crowd in his mind. Heck, during serendipitous impromptu tour of Notre Dame Stadium back in 2001, after having slapped the "Play Like A Champion Sign" going down to the field level, once in the tunnel, Pep could hear the crowd chanting "SNY DER" "SNY DER" "SNY DER" and when running out onto the field, the chanting was rudely interrupted by the gruffly voice of (legendary) Coach Alex Yunevich hollering from the field house at the north end of Merrill Field, "Get the hell off the field!"

On Saxon Warriors!

Hey Pep, welcome aboard the MIAC board...

You do know, don't you, that driving from the twin cities out to see Clemens Stadium is like driving from Alfred to Houghton, only about three or four times longer, right? Both destination schools are in the middle of nowhere, but have a great atmosphere once you get on campus.

[badgerwarhawk]

Pep's trip would not be complete without a stop at Perkins Stadium home of the UW-WHITEWATER WARHAWKS.  It's a really nice facility and it would be easy to check out the rest of our facilities which are located adjacent to the stadium. 

[HansenRatings]

On the topic of St. Thomas, athletic dominance, and enrollment figures, I've been doing some research into what actually constitutes as a competitive advantage in D3FB. Here's a plot of relative 2015 enrollment figures for every football-playing D3 school versus their average rating in my system over the last 16 seasons. Compared to cost of attendance, acceptance rate, graduation rate, and pretty much every other quantitative stat you can find on D3 schools, enrollment has by far the strongest correlation to on-field success.


https://static.wixstatic.com/media/21a7bc_8958abf1e6e94931a97001e023124abb~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_600,h_371,al_c/21a7bc_8958abf1e6e94931a97001e023124abb~mv2.png


D3 is not D1; size does matter, but it's not as simple as "going into the cafeteria and finding the best football players." Cherry-picking UW-Eau Claire's (recent) or other large schools competitive struggles as anecdotes for why it doesn't matter isn't a fair argument (commenters on the Star Tribune article may not be as informed as posters here).