FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OldAuggie]

Time has come for UMD Bulldogs to repeat. But damn that Makar kid for UMass is impressive.

Yes he is.

[Gregory Sager]

If St. Thomas were to remain D3 along with St. John's and try to recuit other members of a newer stronger/smaller conference, I can't see Concordia being eager to travel 200+ miles every other week (in all sports) to play constant bridesmaid to both St. Thomas and St. Johns. Even when they come in 2nd place in the conference which has been quite often (usually tied with USJ or Bethel) they get left out of the NCAA playoffs with no "at large" bid while crappy schools in weak conferences (like UMAC) get monkey stomped by 60-80 points in the opening round.

It's been the other way around in men's basketball lately, though. The UMAC rep (either Northwestern or Bethany Lutheran) has been beating MIAC teams in the dance for multiple seasons now.

[AO]

The MIAC is so Twin Cities centric that there's not much mention of how this impacts Concordia-Moorhead. They seem to be a wild card in this whole St. Thomas/realignment debacle if the conference falls apart (like several here have posited as inevitable).

If St. Thomas were to remain D3 along with St. John's and try to recuit other members of a newer stronger/smaller conference, I can't see Concordia being eager to travel 200+ miles every other week (in all sports) to play constant bridesmaid to both St. Thomas and St. Johns. Even when they come in 2nd place in the conference which has been quite often (usually tied with USJ or Bethel) they get left out of the NCAA playoffs with no "at large" bid while crappy schools in weak conferences (like UMAC) get monkey stomped by 60-80 points in the opening round. That doesn't sit well with older alumni who were accustomed to deep playoff runs in D3 and NAIA national championships before that.

Their options are limited though. Go back to NAIA and play other christian college schools in the GPAC in the I-29 corridor? Go NSIC to reignite the MSU Moorhead rivalry and be closer to other competition? This whole issue will be interesting to watch unfold in the near future.

Concordia hasn't finished 2nd in 5 years and older alumni are definitely not used to making playoff runs when they don't win the conference. 

[jamtod]

Not sure what d3hoops is using to source those enrollment numbers but UST has been over 6000 and mostly stable for a bit. And every source I see shows St Kate's over 3000. Current numbers would have them higher on a student per sport basis so why aren't they more successful?

[BDB]

UMD put on a clinic and wins their 2nd national championship in a row.

OldAuggie. I will allow you to make the formal announcement.

[OzJohnnie]

Congrats, Doggies. The game wasn't carried live here for some reason, but the UMD semi was.  Disappointing.

Let's see if we can make it two for two today in board interest non-gridiron sports.

[BDB]

Wow. As good as UMass looked in the national semifinals UMD put the smackdown on them bigtime.

Well done Minnesota hockey.

[TheChucker]

'''.

Concordia hasn't finished 2nd in 5 years and older alumni are definitely not used to making playoff runs when they don't win the conference.

I stand corrected on the last few years. Last 2nd place was 2014 with a three 3rds since then. By older alumni, I'm talking about Jim Christopherson era (8 titles '78-'95 and only 1 since then).

[AO]

'''.

Concordia hasn't finished 2nd in 5 years and older alumni are definitely not used to making playoff runs when they don't win the conference.

I stand corrected on the last few years. Last 2nd place was 2014 with a three 3rds since then. By older alumni, I'm talking about Jim Christopherson era (8 titles '78-'95 and only 1 since then).

What I'm saying is that those alums needed to win the conference in 78 and 81 to make the playoffs.  At-large bids are nice but they're not really a goal or expectation.

[TheChucker]

I stand corrected on the last few years. Last 2nd place was 2014 with a three 3rds since then. By older alumni, I'm talking about Jim Christopherson era (8 titles '78-'95 and only 1 since then).

What I'm saying is that those alums needed to win the conference in 78 and 81 to make the playoffs.  At-large bids are nice but they're not really a goal or expectation.
[/quote]

I circle back on my original point. If the conference blows apart like several here have suggested, is Concordia (240 miles from St. Paul) truly motived to realign with the core of St. Thomas, St. Johns, Bethel et al when the MIAC only gets one or two bids in the NCAAs; yet the top half of the current MIAC is better (sometimes significantly) than many other conference champions that make the NCAAs guaranteed? I think there might be some hesitation there; albeit with options limited.

[OldAuggie]

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE UMD BULLDOGS!! NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2 YEARS IN A ROW!!!!

[Pat Coleman]

Not sure what d3hoops is using to source those enrollment numbers but UST has been over 6000 and mostly stable for a bit. And every source I see shows St Kate's over 3000. Current numbers would have them higher on a student per sport basis so why aren't they more successful?

They are not over 6,000 in full-time undergraduates, which is what we report out, based on the school's filing with the U.S. Department of education.

[AO]

I circle back on my original point. If the conference blows apart like several here have suggested, is Concordia (240 miles from St. Paul) truly motived to realign with the core of St. Thomas, St. Johns, Bethel et al when the MIAC only gets one or two bids in the NCAAs; yet the top half of the current MIAC is better (sometimes significantly) than many other conference champions that make the NCAAs guaranteed? I think there might be some hesitation there; albeit with options limited.

They'd definitely realign with the MIAC powers in the short term.  Moving to a scholarship division would be the most expensive and difficult option.  The best scenario for Concordia is kicking St. Thomas out, adding a win to their non-conference schedule and keeping their rival Oles in the conference.  Horan might like the Tommies as a competitor but you've got to take the other presidents seriously when they could blow up the league.

[jamtod]

Not sure what d3hoops is using to source those enrollment numbers but UST has been over 6000 and mostly stable for a bit. And every source I see shows St Kate's over 3000. Current numbers would have them higher on a student per sport basis so why aren't they more successful?

They are not over 6,000 in full-time undergraduates, which is what we report out, based on the school's filing with the U.S. Department of education.

Thanks. The discrepancy must be full-time vs part time as every stat I could find shows them around 6200.
I'm not clear why full time is the relevant number as it's not necessary to be full time to maintain athletic eligibility (source: JErdmann in the ATN Podcast)

[OldAuggie]

Per Shooter:
"Pssst: It's now five MIAC schools that want St. Thomas out of the conference and continue to lobby hard for other member schools for the nine votes needed to expel the Tommies, who generally dominate in athletics."

https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/13/charley-walters-vikings-new-deal-with-adam-thielen-works-for-all/