FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

All D-III games  are in-region. St. John's vs. North Central would definitely count 

[HansenRatings]

What UWW did 15 years ago to build their program to national prominence does make sense...they took nationally ranked teams for their non-conference games to see where they needed to be to complete on a national stage. 2002 they played SJU and Mount Union,lost both,but showed they they were very close and the rest is history.

Under their previous coaching staff, UW-La Crosse appeared to try this tactic - playing UMHB, NCC, UST in home-and-home series. They did not improve because they played better competition. I've checked with my model, and there is pretty much zero correlation between the strength of a team's schedule (conference or non-conference) and improvement throughout the season, or improvement from one season to the next.

Anecdotally, this is a nice story for UWW, but empirically, I think it discredits the job the staff at UWW did building the right culture and getting the best recruits.

[DuffMan]

What UWW did 15 years ago to build their program to national prominence does make sense...they took nationally ranked teams for their non-conference games to see where they needed to be to complete on a national stage. 2002 they played SJU and Mount Union,lost both,but showed they they were very close and the rest is history.

I'd argue that point.  Mount beat them 44-21, and we beat them 42-18.  That SJU/UWW game was damn physical, but we thumped them.  Of course, they've got their licks in since then...  

[sjusection105]

What UWW did 15 years ago to build their program to national prominence does make sense...they took nationally ranked teams for their non-conference games to see where they needed to be to complete on a national stage. 2002 they played SJU and Mount Union,lost both,but showed they they were very close and the rest is history.

I'd argue that point.  Mount beat them 44-21, and we beat them 42-18.  That SJU/UWW game was damn physical, but we thumped them.  Of course, they've got their licks in since then...

The point I was trying to make,and failed to do,was does SJU really get better as a team by playing weaker competition in the non-conference schedule? Don't they Johnnies get enough "bye weeks" playing the bottom 1/3 of the MIAC and beating them 40,50,60 to zero? When the second round of the play-offs come around and they play the WIAC champion and reality sets in.....

I may be totally looking at this wrong,but getting to the play-offs and making a deep run in the play-offs are two different things. Does playing UMAC,or MWC or bottom 1/3 IIAC teams really prepare a team for a deep play-off run?  I know you have to peak going into the play-offs and who you draw in round 1 and round 2 have a huge impact on advancing.

[USTBench]

What UWW did 15 years ago to build their program to national prominence does make sense...they took nationally ranked teams for their non-conference games to see where they needed to be to complete on a national stage. 2002 they played SJU and Mount Union,lost both,but showed they they were very close and the rest is history.

I'd argue that point.  Mount beat them 44-21, and we beat them 42-18.  That SJU/UWW game was damn physical, but we thumped them.  Of course, they've got their licks in since then...

The point I was trying to make,and failed to do,was does SJU really get better as a team by playing weaker competition in the non-conference schedule? Don't they Johnnies get enough "bye weeks" playing the bottom 1/3 of the MIAC and beating them 40,50,60 to zero? When the second round of the play-offs come around and they play the WIAC champion and reality sets in.....

I may be totally looking at this wrong,but getting to the play-offs and making a deep run in the play-offs are two different things. Does playing UMAC,or MWC or bottom 1/3 IIAC teams really prepare a team for a deep play-off run?  I know you have to peak going into the play-offs and who you draw in round 1 and round 2 have a huge impact on advancing.

IDK. Unless you're a juggernaut I think those really physical games with comparable opponents can take their toll. It was the problem the WIAC was having in the late 90s/early 2000s. Seemed like the whole conference was 6-4 or 4-6 perennially, and I think that made a difference come playoff time. Point is, you're already going to get punched in the mouth by UST, Concordia and (typically) Bethel. If you come out of those games 2-1 or 3-0, you're in the playoffs most likely. You add a Linfield or NCC or a top notch WIAC school, that may be one car crash too many.

[badger1845]

* "Fasching also said the team has not yet found an opponent to fill the date it has open in week two of its schedule next season."

  Sure SJU could fly a team in from out of state but that would be costly.

The date is September 9,2017. The following schools have openings per D3 Football.com
*Linfield
*La Crosse
*Platteville
*Whitewater
*North Central (Ill.)
All would be interesting match up for SJU.

Always seems like all the WIAC teams are looking for games.  Make a border battle out of it with the MIAC.

[jamtod]

Greetings from a cornfield in rural iowa. I have confirmed that I can get 830 wcco to listen to tomorrow's game in the tractor.
Go Tommies

[brewhawk]

* "Fasching also said the team has not yet found an opponent to fill the date it has open in week two of its schedule next season."

  Sure SJU could fly a team in from out of state but that would be costly.

The date is September 9,2017. The following schools have openings per D3 Football.com
*Linfield
*La Crosse
*Platteville
*Whitewater
*North Central (Ill.)
All would be interesting match up for SJU.

Always seems like all the WIAC teams are looking for games.  Make a border battle out of it with the MIAC.

I would like to see a MIAC/WIAC Challenge...would make thinks interesting

[Boys of Fall]

Quick break in the football action.  Was just reminded that today is the 25th anniversary of Kent Hrbek tagging Ron Gant out at first base in the '91 World Series.  Any of you who saw this know Gant went back to the base too hard and his momentum carried him off the bag.

Don't say that in Atlanta.

I had a friendly discussion with an usher at a Braves game become quite heated after the mere mention of the name Hrbek--and that was 20 years after it happened.

LOL.  I doubt Hrbek vacations down in Georgia much the same way Drew Pearson doesn't vacation up here.

[SagatagSam]

LOL.  I doubt Hrbek vacations down in Georgia much the same way Drew Pearson doesn't vacation up here.

Hrbek was in the Atlanta airport a few years back and had a witty Twitter post about his desire to make it through his layover without being recognized.

No word on whether he was successful.  I guess he's still alive, so it couldn't have been that bad.

Developing...

[HansenRatings]

Here's a thought: the MIAC, IIAC, & CCIW all have 9 teams now with the inclusion on Nebraska Wesleyan in the IIAC. The coaches at Wartburg mentioned something to me a couple years ago about a potential IIAC-CCIW challenge (must have fallen through), but if these three conferences did a crossover, none of the teams would need to find a non-conference opponent.

Could work out something like this:
MIAC #1 vs. IIAC #2 & CCIW #3
MIAC #2 vs. IIAC #3 & CCIW #1
MIAC #3 vs. IIAC #1 & CCIW #2
with the same arrangement between the 4-6 & 7-9 place teams in each conference. I think most years the MIAC & CCIW would have the upper hand in that top teir, but the IIAC doesn't really have a doormat in the bottom tier. Longest possible drives would be from Lincoln to Moorhead to Decatur.

[Mr.MIAC]

* "Fasching also said the team has not yet found an opponent to fill the date it has open in week two of its schedule next season."

  Sure SJU could fly a team in from out of state but that would be costly.

The date is September 9,2017. The following schools have openings per D3 Football.com
*Linfield
*La Crosse
*Platteville
*Whitewater
*North Central (Ill.)
All would be interesting match up for SJU.

Always seems like all the WIAC teams are looking for games.  Make a border battle out of it with the MIAC.

I think it would be great for UST to take on UWW early in the season. Maybe they could replace the UWEC game. A UST/UWW game would test both teams, helping them identify areas for improvement early in the season, and there would be plenty of time to recover before the postseason. It would be good for SOS. Plus it would be fun to watch. 

[sjusection105]

Too bad the coaches & athletic directors don't read this site,they'd have all the non-conference schedules filled with games the fans want to see 

[OzJohnnie]

Was Stretch any better for the Carleton game than it was for the Auggie Tech game?  I'm hoping it works this weekend.

I believe that the quality of stretch is largely due to the grunt of the computers that the schools put into their part of the system on campus. Or at last that was mentioned when we were complaining so loudly the first year of stretch at SJU.

If true, a rough rule would be stretch quality follows football spending.

[stanbob]

So the school was certainly receptive when St. Peter first broached the subject of playing at Target Field. And with St. Peter saying the Twins have agreed to make St. Thomas whole financially in exchange for giving up a lucrative on-campus gate, there was nothing to lose and a lot of valuable publicity to gain.

I don't understand this statement.  What does, "to make St. Thomas whole financially in exchange for giving up a lucrative on-campus gate," mean?  What is U$T getting (aside from publicity) if they are not getting gate sales?

Guessing the Twins get the revenue, but are cutting UST a fixed check for what a typical Tommie - Johnnie home gate might be at UST. 10,000 paid x $10 = $100k check. Just guessing though. Pohlad pocket change.

I'd say there's no way there's a $100K guarantee.

Some of the other things that were talked about at the news conference were the opportunity to provide a special experience for the student-athletes, so that's something in addition to publicity.

call me cynical, but yeah, right