FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Carleton just hired a guy with a lot of Division III head coaching experience. I don't think that's the sign of a school looking to dump football.

[USTBench]

Carleton just hired a guy with a lot of Division III head coaching experience. I don't think that's the sign of a school looking to dump football.

Writing is on the wall. Within 15 years Macalester and Carleton will replace football enrollment with E-Sports, LARPing and that Harry Potter broom game. You heard it here first.

[wm4]

Writing is on the wall. Within 15 years Macalester and Carleton will replace football enrollment with E-Sports, LARPing and that Harry Potter broom game. You heard it here first.

I'll take the under.

[Pat Coleman]

Mac and Carleton don't seem like e-sports schools. Enrollment-driven schools have been the ones to adopt these so far.

No comment on quidditch.

[Mr.MIAC]

Mac and Carleton don't seem like e-sports schools. Enrollment-driven schools have been the ones to adopt these so far.

No comment on quidditch.

One of my other universities has a competitive quidditch team. You'd see them out at the bar after matches. I never realized how many girls have a thing for quidditch players. Some of these guys walked around like rockstars.   

[art76]

I claim oldness and a total lack of interest in anything Harry Potter on my next statement. I had to look up quidditch - I had no idea what it was. Sounds fun though. Wonder if my wife would let me use her broom? 

[MiacMan]

I claim oldness and a total lack of interest in anything Harry Potter on my next statement. I had to look up quidditch - I had no idea what it was. Sounds fun though. Wonder if my wife would let me use her broom? 

LMAO! My vote for post of the year!

[jamtod]

UST Returner Will Toonen and a couple of Oles on this week's Team of the Week:

http://www.d3football.com/awards/tow/2018/week3

[OldAuggie]

Unbelievably, I'm torn about the mismatched competition between the top and bottom of the MIAC.  I can empathise with how some of the lesser teams may feel. It's like they signed up for amateur boxing night and find themselves in the ring across from Mike Tyson.  But then it's an open weight division and boxers are encouraged to do their best.

So I settle on thems the breaks, it's just too darn bad. As long as Tyson isn't putting the amateurs at undue risk due to the mismatch then it's game on.  Maybe if a trail of broken bones are left in the wake of the top teams then something should be done, but until that point nope.

It's a tough spot to be in. UST and SJU (and Concordia and Bethel) need the rest of the conference to survive, but UST and SJU are building to compete for national championships and Concordia and Bethel are building to get to the playoffs. I think Gustavus with their stadium, and St. Olaf with their coaching hire, is working towards being competitive, but I don't see Hamline and Carleton giving much more effort, and Augsburg is sort of a victim of their resources and will always just kind of have to do more with less. If Hamline and Carleton bail for the MWC or UMAC (or Carleton cuts football all together), then the MIAC will be forced to bring schools in, which is something I think they should consider exploring now. I think Northwestern and St. Scholastica (despite the lopsided loss to SJU) are looking to be decent fits. Northwestern seems to be a natural rival for Bethel and has MIAC level facilities. CSS lacks the facilities, but will be the sole DIII school recruiting the Duluth area heavily, and could have an opportunity to steal some central lakes kids.

If you don't agree with me, then I'll just fire up my UST and SJU/CSB should leave for the Pioneer League/Horizon League argument again. JK.

Not going to happen Bench. Hamline has a strong MIAC hockey program and Carleton is very competitive in MIAC basketball. Need to think bigger picture than just MIAC football when evaluating teams and schools. Yes UST has been super successful in all athletics but that does not diminish what these two have accomplished in winter sports. Toss those purple shaded glasses in the garbage dude.

[USTBench]

Unbelievably, I'm torn about the mismatched competition between the top and bottom of the MIAC.  I can empathise with how some of the lesser teams may feel. It's like they signed up for amateur boxing night and find themselves in the ring across from Mike Tyson.  But then it's an open weight division and boxers are encouraged to do their best.

So I settle on thems the breaks, it's just too darn bad. As long as Tyson isn't putting the amateurs at undue risk due to the mismatch then it's game on.  Maybe if a trail of broken bones are left in the wake of the top teams then something should be done, but until that point nope.

It's a tough spot to be in. UST and SJU (and Concordia and Bethel) need the rest of the conference to survive, but UST and SJU are building to compete for national championships and Concordia and Bethel are building to get to the playoffs. I think Gustavus with their stadium, and St. Olaf with their coaching hire, is working towards being competitive, but I don't see Hamline and Carleton giving much more effort, and Augsburg is sort of a victim of their resources and will always just kind of have to do more with less. If Hamline and Carleton bail for the MWC or UMAC (or Carleton cuts football all together), then the MIAC will be forced to bring schools in, which is something I think they should consider exploring now. I think Northwestern and St. Scholastica (despite the lopsided loss to SJU) are looking to be decent fits. Northwestern seems to be a natural rival for Bethel and has MIAC level facilities. CSS lacks the facilities, but will be the sole DIII school recruiting the Duluth area heavily, and could have an opportunity to steal some central lakes kids.

If you don't agree with me, then I'll just fire up my UST and SJU/CSB should leave for the Pioneer League/Horizon League argument again. JK.

Not going to happen Bench. Hamline has a strong MIAC hockey program and Carleton is very competitive in MIAC basketball. Need to think bigger picture than just MIAC football when evaluating teams and schools. Yes UST has been super successful in all athletics but that does not diminish what these two have accomplished in winter sports. Toss those purple shaded glasses in the garbage dude.

Not sure I follow. Mac left and is MIAC in all other sports. The UMAC is competitive in hoops as exhibited by Northwestern beating UST in the NCAAs, so it's a fine option for Carleton and Hamline in everything but hockey (which Carleton does not have). St. Mary's has no football team but plays MIAC in everything else. Hamline could easily play in the DIII NCHA in hockey.

There's a ton of options for both of those schools. My worry is, the more you treat MIAC football bottom-feeders leaving for a new conference like an idle threat, the more likely it is to happen. Also, Carleton doesn't need football, and clearly doesn't give a damn about it. Simply hiring a new coach (something Carleton does every three years) is not an implication that they'll support football long term. There's plenty of options for both schools athletically.

Also, schools leaving the MIAC because of football has been widely addressed among ADs in MIAC conference meetings. So it has nothing to do with "purple shaded glasses," it's a thing that has actually happened.

Change is coming guys. I can feel it in my plums.

[faunch]

Not sure I follow. Mac left and is MIAC in all other sports. The UMAC is competitive in hoops as exhibited by Northwestern beating UST in the NCAAs, so it's a fine option for Carleton and Hamline in everything but hockey (which Carleton does not have). St. Mary's has no football team but plays MIAC in everything else. Hamline could easily play in the DIII NCHA in hockey.

There's a ton of options for both of those schools. My worry is, the more you treat MIAC football bottom-feeders leaving for a new conference like an idle threat, the more likely it is to happen. Also, Carleton doesn't need football, and clearly doesn't give a damn about it. Simply hiring a new coach (something Carleton does every three years) is not an implication that they'll support football long term. There's plenty of options for both schools athletically.

Also, schools leaving the MIAC because of football has been widely addressed among ADs in MIAC conference meetings. So it has nothing to do with "purple shaded glasses," it's a thing that has actually happened.

Change is coming guys. I can feel it in my plums.

Ah Plums....last time I was there a rat run under my chair on the back patio....good times!

[jamtod]

Not sure I follow. Mac left and is MIAC in all other sports. The UMAC is competitive in hoops as exhibited by Northwestern beating UST in the NCAAs, so it's a fine option for Carleton and Hamline in everything but hockey (which Carleton does not have). St. Mary's has no football team but plays MIAC in everything else. Hamline could easily play in the DIII NCHA in hockey.

There's a ton of options for both of those schools. My worry is, the more you treat MIAC football bottom-feeders leaving for a new conference like an idle threat, the more likely it is to happen. Also, Carleton doesn't need football, and clearly doesn't give a damn about it. Simply hiring a new coach (something Carleton does every three years) is not an implication that they'll support football long term. There's plenty of options for both schools athletically.

Also, schools leaving the MIAC because of football has been widely addressed among ADs in MIAC conference meetings. So it has nothing to do with "purple shaded glasses," it's a thing that has actually happened.

Change is coming guys. I can feel it in my plums.

Ah Plums....last time I was there a rat run under my chair on the back patio....good times!

Keep your kids in their seats next time then faunch.

[bennie]

Carleton just hired a guy with a lot of Division III head coaching experience. I don't think that's the sign of a school looking to dump football.

Writing is on the wall. Within 15 years Macalester and Carleton will replace football enrollment with E-Sports, LARPing and that Harry Potter broom game. You heard it here first.

I know they are already big into Ultimate Frisbee and they take it quite seriously. My friend that is a Carleton grad and former Ultimate Frisbee player didn't think it was funny when I pointed out it isn't ultimate if you don't catch it in your mouth! Dogs do it! I thought I was hilarious!

[OldAuggie]

Unbelievably, I'm torn about the mismatched competition between the top and bottom of the MIAC.  I can empathise with how some of the lesser teams may feel. It's like they signed up for amateur boxing night and find themselves in the ring across from Mike Tyson.  But then it's an open weight division and boxers are encouraged to do their best.

So I settle on thems the breaks, it's just too darn bad. As long as Tyson isn't putting the amateurs at undue risk due to the mismatch then it's game on.  Maybe if a trail of broken bones are left in the wake of the top teams then something should be done, but until that point nope.

It's a tough spot to be in. UST and SJU (and Concordia and Bethel) need the rest of the conference to survive, but UST and SJU are building to compete for national championships and Concordia and Bethel are building to get to the playoffs. I think Gustavus with their stadium, and St. Olaf with their coaching hire, is working towards being competitive, but I don't see Hamline and Carleton giving much more effort, and Augsburg is sort of a victim of their resources and will always just kind of have to do more with less. If Hamline and Carleton bail for the MWC or UMAC (or Carleton cuts football all together), then the MIAC will be forced to bring schools in, which is something I think they should consider exploring now. I think Northwestern and St. Scholastica (despite the lopsided loss to SJU) are looking to be decent fits. Northwestern seems to be a natural rival for Bethel and has MIAC level facilities. CSS lacks the facilities, but will be the sole DIII school recruiting the Duluth area heavily, and could have an opportunity to steal some central lakes kids.

If you don't agree with me, then I'll just fire up my UST and SJU/CSB should leave for the Pioneer League/Horizon League argument again. JK.

Not going to happen Bench. Hamline has a strong MIAC hockey program and Carleton is very competitive in MIAC basketball. Need to think bigger picture than just MIAC football when evaluating teams and schools. Yes UST has been super successful in all athletics but that does not diminish what these two have accomplished in winter sports. Toss those purple shaded glasses in the garbage dude.

Not sure I follow. Mac left and is MIAC in all other sports. The UMAC is competitive in hoops as exhibited by Northwestern beating UST in the NCAAs, so it's a fine option for Carleton and Hamline in everything but hockey (which Carleton does not have). St. Mary's has no football team but plays MIAC in everything else. Hamline could easily play in the DIII NCHA in hockey.

There's a ton of options for both of those schools. My worry is, the more you treat MIAC football bottom-feeders leaving for a new conference like an idle threat, the more likely it is to happen. Also, Carleton doesn't need football, and clearly doesn't give a damn about it. Simply hiring a new coach (something Carleton does every three years) is not an implication that they'll support football long term. There's plenty of options for both schools athletically.

Also, schools leaving the MIAC because of football has been widely addressed among ADs in MIAC conference meetings. So it has nothing to do with "purple shaded glasses," it's a thing that has actually happened.

Change is coming guys. I can feel it in my plums.

Interesting. I have always considered the move made by MAC to be sort of outlawed these days. If the schools who don't desire to compete in football are allowed to move out of the MIAC it would be a challenge to find new homes but yes there are options. I follow D3 hockey closely as well and I am not sure the NCHA would take Hamline nor would Hamline want to make that move. The NCHA is brutally competitive and the travel costs and logistics would be prohibitive IMO. Maybe this has been discussed by the AD's I have no idea.

The other issue to consider with hockey is the MIAC has enough members to own one of the highly coveted AQ's for the playoffs. I strongly doubt the MIAC AD's are willing to give that up.

I agree the gap has widened between the "have's" and the "have not's" in MIAC football.  I noticed the trend about 3 years ago. The gap is wider each year it seems to me.

[Mr.MIAC]

Unbelievably, I'm torn about the mismatched competition between the top and bottom of the MIAC.  I can empathise with how some of the lesser teams may feel. It's like they signed up for amateur boxing night and find themselves in the ring across from Mike Tyson.  But then it's an open weight division and boxers are encouraged to do their best.

So I settle on thems the breaks, it's just too darn bad. As long as Tyson isn't putting the amateurs at undue risk due to the mismatch then it's game on.  Maybe if a trail of broken bones are left in the wake of the top teams then something should be done, but until that point nope.

It's a tough spot to be in. UST and SJU (and Concordia and Bethel) need the rest of the conference to survive, but UST and SJU are building to compete for national championships and Concordia and Bethel are building to get to the playoffs. I think Gustavus with their stadium, and St. Olaf with their coaching hire, is working towards being competitive, but I don't see Hamline and Carleton giving much more effort, and Augsburg is sort of a victim of their resources and will always just kind of have to do more with less. If Hamline and Carleton bail for the MWC or UMAC (or Carleton cuts football all together), then the MIAC will be forced to bring schools in, which is something I think they should consider exploring now. I think Northwestern and St. Scholastica (despite the lopsided loss to SJU) are looking to be decent fits. Northwestern seems to be a natural rival for Bethel and has MIAC level facilities. CSS lacks the facilities, but will be the sole DIII school recruiting the Duluth area heavily, and could have an opportunity to steal some central lakes kids.

If you don't agree with me, then I'll just fire up my UST and SJU/CSB should leave for the Pioneer League/Horizon League argument again. JK.

Not going to happen Bench. Hamline has a strong MIAC hockey program and Carleton is very competitive in MIAC basketball. Need to think bigger picture than just MIAC football when evaluating teams and schools. Yes UST has been super successful in all athletics but that does not diminish what these two have accomplished in winter sports. Toss those purple shaded glasses in the garbage dude.

Not sure I follow. Mac left and is MIAC in all other sports. The UMAC is competitive in hoops as exhibited by Northwestern beating UST in the NCAAs, so it's a fine option for Carleton and Hamline in everything but hockey (which Carleton does not have). St. Mary's has no football team but plays MIAC in everything else. Hamline could easily play in the DIII NCHA in hockey.

There's a ton of options for both of those schools. My worry is, the more you treat MIAC football bottom-feeders leaving for a new conference like an idle threat, the more likely it is to happen. Also, Carleton doesn't need football, and clearly doesn't give a damn about it. Simply hiring a new coach (something Carleton does every three years) is not an implication that they'll support football long term. There's plenty of options for both schools athletically.

Also, schools leaving the MIAC because of football has been widely addressed among ADs in MIAC conference meetings. So it has nothing to do with "purple shaded glasses," it's a thing that has actually happened.

Change is coming guys. I can feel it in my plums.

So why doesn't Carleton give a damn about football? It can't just be an academic thing. Plenty of D3 schools with comparable or even higher academic standards have competitive football programs (Amherst, Chicago, and MIT.). Over the past five years, some have even made it into the Top 25 (Johns Hopkins, Case Western, and W&L).