FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[faunch]

Blame Barry Alvarez for B1G hockey. He was the architect

Can we please stop deflecting from the issues at hand and redirect all of our anger and vitriol back to U$T? 
Thank You!

[USTBench]

Blame Barry Alvarez for B1G hockey. He was the architect

Can we please stop deflecting from the issues at hand and redirect all of our anger and vitriol back to U$T? 
Thank You!

For what?

Sounds like your only consistent source of competition is leaving.

Remember though, stats confirm that you can only beat Coalition of Losers members by an aggregate score of 48.35 to 5.75 over a 5 year period. SJU beat all Coalition members by 50 or more in 2018, so, remember to dial back significantly this year or you'll be searching for a conference in 2024.

[MiacMan]

Here's an angle that hasn't been touched yet. Let's say for better or worse, UST is out after next school year and everything else stays the same (maybe Mac comes back for football) How does the local twin cities media respond in terms of exposure/coverage. Maybe it's just me but it appears to me that the metro area media covers UST (sports and practically everything else) by a 3 or 4-1 ratio over everybody else outside of the U of M. My guess is that exposure/coverage goes right out the door along with UST. I know the WCCO contract has nothing to do with the MIAC. Does the NSIC now gets more media share by a significant amount? Does the MIAC now become just a step above the UMAC or MWC in the eyes of the media outside of St. Cloud? Like it or not UST does attract media coverage in a major metropolitan area.

[jamtod]

Here's an angle that hasn't been touched yet. Let's say for better or worse, UST is out after next school year and everything else stays the same (maybe Mac comes back for football) How does the local twin cities media respond in terms of exposure/coverage. Maybe it's just me but it appears to me that the metro area media covers UST (sports and practically everything else) by a 3 or 4-1 ratio over everybody else outside of the U of M. My guess is that exposure/coverage goes right out the door along with UST. I know the WCCO contract has nothing to do with the MIAC. Does the NSIC now gets more media share by a significant amount? Does the MIAC now become just a step above the UMAC or MWC in the eyes of the media outside of St. Cloud? Like it or not UST does attract media coverage in a major metropolitan area.

I think the coverage for most of the rest of the MIAC schools would stay mostly the same. UST attracts a lot of attention, partially deserved (#winning) and partially because of savvy media maneuvering and $$$ (WCCO deal, etc) and I don't see that changing even in a different conference/division. St Johns will still get it's coverage in the St Joe's Picayune and Concordia in the Fargo Freepress Frontiersman with occasional bones thrown to the Hammies, Gusties, and Auggies when there is a good story.

[MiacMan]

Here's an angle that hasn't been touched yet. Let's say for better or worse, UST is out after next school year and everything else stays the same (maybe Mac comes back for football) How does the local twin cities media respond in terms of exposure/coverage. Maybe it's just me but it appears to me that the metro area media covers UST (sports and practically everything else) by a 3 or 4-1 ratio over everybody else outside of the U of M. My guess is that exposure/coverage goes right out the door along with UST. I know the WCCO contract has nothing to do with the MIAC. Does the NSIC now gets more media share by a significant amount? Does the MIAC now become just a step above the UMAC or MWC in the eyes of the media outside of St. Cloud? Like it or not UST does attract media coverage in a major metropolitan area.

I think the coverage for most of the rest of the MIAC schools would stay mostly the same. UST attracts a lot of attention, partially deserved (#winning) and partially because of savvy media maneuvering and $$$ (WCCO deal, etc) and I don't see that changing even in a different conference/division. St Johns will still get it's coverage in the St Joe's Picayune and Concordia in the Fargo Freepress Frontiersman with occasional bones thrown to the Hammies, Gusties, and Auggies when there is a good story.

"The same" minus contests/interactions involving UST which to my point I believe is significant.

[miac952]

Based on Reusse and Judd's sentiment on the podcast, I would expect some negativity from the STRIB and print media towards the ones choosing to change the conference up.

TV will likely remain the same. Some special interest stories on individuals and some when teams start making national runs. UST gets some nice coverage from KSTP (Hubbard is a Trustee), but they are good to small college in general. They hired Rajikowsi and have given him some reign to maintain a modest MIAC beat.

As part of Tommie football's coverage on CCO they always did weekly MIAC profiles on athletes and teams outside of St Thomas. I always thought that coverage was nice, since UST is paying for the air time. But the good deeds often go unnoticed.

[jamtod]

Here's an angle that hasn't been touched yet. Let's say for better or worse, UST is out after next school year and everything else stays the same (maybe Mac comes back for football) How does the local twin cities media respond in terms of exposure/coverage. Maybe it's just me but it appears to me that the metro area media covers UST (sports and practically everything else) by a 3 or 4-1 ratio over everybody else outside of the U of M. My guess is that exposure/coverage goes right out the door along with UST. I know the WCCO contract has nothing to do with the MIAC. Does the NSIC now gets more media share by a significant amount? Does the MIAC now become just a step above the UMAC or MWC in the eyes of the media outside of St. Cloud? Like it or not UST does attract media coverage in a major metropolitan area.

I think the coverage for most of the rest of the MIAC schools would stay mostly the same. UST attracts a lot of attention, partially deserved (#winning) and partially because of savvy media maneuvering and $$$ (WCCO deal, etc) and I don't see that changing even in a different conference/division. St Johns will still get it's coverage in the St Joe's Picayune and Concordia in the Fargo Freepress Frontiersman with occasional bones thrown to the Hammies, Gusties, and Auggies when there is a good story.

"The same" minus contests/interactions involving UST which to my point I believe is significant.

In most cases aside from Tommie-Johnnie, those stories are depicting the other schools in a negative light (at least to a degree - see 97-0, behind-the-back pass, etc) OR they would be justified on their own merit (Bethel making the playoffs, St John's playoff run, etc).

[miac952]

Interesting to see Mac's President choose to resign in the midst of the salacious MIAC scandal. The kitchen must have been getting too hot for him. Y'all have him to thank for bringing Glen Caruso to the masses. If he didn't hire him at Mac, he doesn't end up at UST.

BTW, guessing the retirement announcement is completely unrelated to the current events. After all, Mac doesn't care about sports.

[USTBench]

Here's an angle that hasn't been touched yet. Let's say for better or worse, UST is out after next school year and everything else stays the same (maybe Mac comes back for football) How does the local twin cities media respond in terms of exposure/coverage. Maybe it's just me but it appears to me that the metro area media covers UST (sports and practically everything else) by a 3 or 4-1 ratio over everybody else outside of the U of M. My guess is that exposure/coverage goes right out the door along with UST. I know the WCCO contract has nothing to do with the MIAC. Does the NSIC now gets more media share by a significant amount? Does the MIAC now become just a step above the UMAC or MWC in the eyes of the media outside of St. Cloud? Like it or not UST does attract media coverage in a major metropolitan area.

I have long held the position (at least since NDSU, SDSU, UND and USD left DII) that DII provides schools the logistical nightmare of Division 1 with the atmosphere of an abandoned tire plant, and I stand by that belief. However, I would suspect the NSIC's profile in the metro would be raised a bit if UST were to make a DII transition. If, for instance, in football, UST took Augustana's place in the South Division, they'd be playing the following teams every year:

Minnesota State
Concordia St. Paul
Winona State
SW Minnesota State
Sioux Falls
Wayne State
Upper Iowa

Sure, a bit more travel, but completely doable from a football standpoint. As for other sports, the league doesn't split divisions, so there's easy travel to at least:

St. Cloud State
UM Duluth
MSU Moorhead
Bemidji State

And not so easy travel to:

UM Crookston
Northern State
Minot State
U Mary

The problem for UST will be: Does anyone care? The NSIC finished 12th out of 14 conferences in football attendance in Division II in 2017 and not one school finished in the Top 30. Hard to raise your public profile if there's no buzz around what you're doing. As it stands right now, UST gets about 2,000 to 3,000 for a run-of-the-mill conference game, a shade north of 4,000 if a conference championship or playoffs are on the line when SJU is not involved (maybe 5,000 if its Bethel), and maybe close to 5,000 if it's a nice day and homecoming. I don't know that games against Concordia St. Paul will generate any buzz, and I've seen UND try to force rivalries in the Big Sky and everyone just sort of shrugged. Those things have to happen organically.

This is why I wish any move UST is a part of I would hope SJU (and maybe Bethel/Concordia/Gustavus) would also be a part of. Preferably a new DIII conference.

[hazzben]

If the new conference is D3, what schools are you proposing join them, outside of the MIAC ones you listed bench?

They'd need at least at least 3 other FB schools for an auto bid ...

[BDB]

All of us: "Yay! It's Spring!!"

Old Man Winter: "Hold My Hamm's."

[USTBench]

If the new conference is D3, what schools are you proposing join them, outside of the MIAC ones you listed bench?

They'd need at least at least 3 other FB schools for an auto bid ...

Good question, there's been some talk of poaching some ARC schools, but when you look at their enrollments, I don't know that that would be a good fit either. If I'm spit-balling, and if everyone is itching for a conference shake-up this is what I would propose:

Get the ARC, WIAC, MWC and UMAC on the phone. The MIAC stops sponsoring football, but all current member institutions continue on status quo for all other sports.

Then football would shake out as such:

The ARC absorbs Concordia and Gustavus

The WIAC takes on UST, Bethel and SJU

The UMAC takes on Hamline, Augsburg, St. Olaf

The MWC takes on Carleton and keeps Macalester

Honestly, I'd rather white-knuckle 8 games a year, than not even bother watching them. Plus, this solves the WIAC's scheduling problem for football and the WIAC would almost be assured two pool Cs a year.

[hazzben]

Is that your way of saying no realistic solutions 😎

[USTBench]

Is that your way of saying no realistic solutions 😎

If I really think about it (assuming football is the crux of the problem), this would be, in my mind, the best solution I could come up with (logistically and paired with like-minded member institution ambitions), if all schools wish to remain in Division III.

There is little argument the WIAC is the strongest conference in Division III football, the winner of which is almost a lock for a semi-final appearance. Imagine a conference with 5+ schools with National Championship ambitions? It would be epic.

Gustavus and Concordia would fit quite well with most ARC schools (Lutheran, similar endowments and enrollment). From a competition standpoint, Augsburg, Hamline and STO would be title contenders in the UMAC on day one. And as far as Carleton is concerned, they could just step right in to the spot St. Norbert vacated.

*claps dust off hands

Problem solved.

[OzJohnnie]

Is that your way of saying no realistic solutions 😎

If I really think about it (assuming football is the crux of the problem), this would be, in my mind, the best solution I could come up with (logistically and paired with like-minded member institution ambitions), if all schools wish to remain in Division III.

There is little argument the WIAC is the strongest conference in Division III football, the winner of which is almost a lock for a semi-final appearance. Imagine a conference with 5+ schools with National Championship ambitions? It would be epic.

Gustavus and Concordia would fit quite well with most ARC schools (Lutheran, similar endowments and enrollment). From a competition standpoint, Augsburg, Hamline and STO would be title contenders in the UMAC on day one. And as far as Carleton is concerned, they could just step right in to the spot St. Norbert vacated.

*claps dust off hands

Problem solved.

Why would anyone want to create (or join) a conference that would have five very viable quarter finalists but only two slots?   A mega power conference doesn't suit DIII.  You're much better off making nice and being the big cheese in an AQ conference.

This is where I hope SJU stays.

Also, this isn't as simple as UST just dominates and everyone is sick of it.  There's a reason that football has caused this rift.  Personalities and behaviours matter.