FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[jamtod]

Three questions regarding UST (potentially) leaving D3: is SJ2 likely to continue setting attendance records without the Tommie/Johnnie game? If UST goes D2/D1, can the Tommie/Johnnie game still be played as an exhibition? If so, do you think this is something either school would want to do?

Without Tommie/Johnnie, SJ2 won't set overall single-game attendance records, but they'd still routinely lead D3 in attendance, based on my rough calculations of their average attendance outside of T/J games. Of course, if that gets replaced by a non-conference matchup against the School for the Blind which only draws 2,000, the average numbers could dip.

If UST goes, I think Tommie/Johnnie isn't happening as an exhibition. Maybe as an out of division non-conference game, but it would be weird on a non-level playing field.

Looking at the tickets available for the Cortaca Jug game, I'd guess they're going to get 50k this season.  So Ithaca is going to set the single-game record and win the 2019 home attendance crown.  If the Johnnies want the record back, US Bank probably has some dates open in 2020.

I was initially skeptical about potential attendance for that game (as many were for ToJo Target Field) but it seems like it's going to be huge.

[sjusection105]

What the heck???

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/04/17/bomb-threat-prompts-evacuations-at-university-of-st-thomas/

[jamtod]

What the heck???

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/04/17/bomb-threat-prompts-evacuations-at-university-of-st-thomas/

I blame the Oles.

[wally_wabash]

If U$T were to move up a division, what would they gain from playing SJU?  If they'd win--yeah, they should.  If they'd lose--major bummer in losing to a D3 opponent.

Also, what would be in it for St. Johns?  Playing out of the division is generally not a good idea.   

[DuffMan]

Also, what would be in it for St. Johns?  Playing out of the division is generally not a good idea.   

Agreed!

[TheChucker]

If U$T were to move up a division, what would they gain from playing SJU?  If they'd win--yeah, they should.  If they'd lose--major bummer in losing to a D3 opponent.

Also, what would be in it for St. Johns?  Playing out of the division is generally not a good idea.   

MSU Moorhead and Concordia play out of division for decades and that worked well. It was a big deal in that community. Double the fans with no travel (Tom/John would have a little travel). The new expanded NSIC schedule in the early 2000s made that matchup impossible, which sucked. That said, other than fan interest, the Dragons probably didn't get much upside from that series when considering post-season play.

[Robert Zimmerman]

http://www.startribune.com/does-st-thomas-have-a-future-in-the-miac/508730292/

[Robert Zimmerman]

 "In a poll on the D3sports.com football chat board, 60 of the 75 voters picked the options supporting St. Thomas' continued membership."

We made the Trib, we made the Trib!!!

[faunch]

https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/17/john-shipley-miac-mess-could-have-been-avoided-with-a-little-more-class/

https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/17/somebody-in-the-miac-wants-st-thomas-out-nobody-in-the-miac-want-to-talk-about-it/

https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/17/bob-sansevere-kick-st-thomas-out-of-the-miac-ridiculous/

[OzJohnnie]

"In a poll on the D3sports.com football chat board, 60 of the 75 voters picked the options supporting St. Thomas' continued membership."

We made the Trib, we made the Trib!!!

They could write almost that whole article from the content posted here over the last two weeks.  Good work, everyone.  We've made the big city papers.

[OzJohnnie]

https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/17/john-shipley-miac-mess-could-have-been-avoided-with-a-little-more-class/

https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/17/somebody-in-the-miac-wants-st-thomas-out-nobody-in-the-miac-want-to-talk-about-it/

https://www.twincities.com/2019/04/17/bob-sansevere-kick-st-thomas-out-of-the-miac-ridiculous/

The first article from Shipley is meh. It basically repeats the Caruso is a jerk routine we play here so often, with the same degree of emotion and lack of supporting quotes.  If he quoted someone saying Caruso is the problem then it would be an interesting article.  But without that, we Johnnies hate on Caruso better than he does.

From the second article, it looks like UST got its Trial by Combat after all:

A source close to situation told the Pioneer Press that school presidents, plus MIAC commissioner Dan McKane and assistant commissioner BJ Pickard, will meet in person to discuss the possibility of expelling St. Thomas — winner of 15 national titles since 1973 — from the league.

Also, that second article mentioned that Mac left for football in 2001.  This whole UST event caused me to read the bylaws and it turns out that Mac is perfectly able to both not play MIAC football and to play it in another conference.  Members have a minimum sports per season requirement and they are free to pick the sports from a list endorsed by the MIAC.  There's no rule saying you must play football.  There's also no rule that says you can't play sports in other conferences or independently (lucky for Auggie wrestling).

The Sansevere article is good.  I like Bobby.

[OzJohnnie]

And lastly, in the dark of a cold Minnesota night the forces aligned against UST approach.  The longest battle sequence in cinematic history is about to begin...

[TheChucker]

OzJonnie's comment about reading the bylaws prompted me to do it. A couple interesting tidbits:

Article IV: Membersip. "Members of the MIAC shall be selected from private liberal arts collegiate institutions within the state of Minnesota that offer four-year courses of study leading to attainment of a baccalaureate degree...A review of the membership status of any member institution may be made at any time. The membership status review may be conducted by the MIAC for any reason under the discretion of the Presidents' Council.

Section B: Admission to Membership. "a) Applicant institution must be a private liberal arts collegiate institution within the state of Minnesota that offers a four-year course of study leading to attainment of a baccalaureate degree; and b) Applicant institution must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Presidents' Council, the ability to comply with all Bylaws of the MIAC.

Section E. Membership Review / Expulsion: Membership privileges may be suspended or terminated if a member engages in any of the following:
1. Failure to pay membership dues, fines, or officials assessments
2. Any action or inaction which constitutes a violation of the Conference's Bylaws, including a failure to abide by regulations set forth by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
3. Any action or inaction which reflects poorly upon the reputation and integrity of the Conference
4. Failure to comply with Conference scheduling requirements

So, the bylaws state that members should be private liberal arts institutions. When you go to the "About St. Thomas" web page, here's the opening statement: "The University of St. Thomas is a comprehensive university that prepares students for the complexities of the contemporary world.

Could the whole "liberal arts" piece of the bylaws become a sticky wicket for St. Thomas on its own? It's changed over the last couple of decades. Regardless, we'll see tomorrow after the meeting.

[OzJohnnie]

This guy faced a sticky wicket. Take a ball to the face or dance around like a goose and knock off your own bales to get out?  He went for the double.

[nkwest]

Also, that second article mentioned that Mac left for football in 2001.  This whole UST event caused me to read the bylaws and it turns out that Mac is perfectly able to both not play MIAC football and to play it in another conference.  Members have a minimum sports per season requirement and they are free to pick the sports from a list endorsed by the MIAC.  There's no rule saying you must play football.  There's also no rule that says you can't play sports in other conferences or independently (lucky for Auggie wrestling).

ARTICLE V. PARTICIPATION

3. A member institution offering a varsity sport in which the Conference offers a championship must participate in the MIAC regular season schedule and Conference championship, where applicable in each sport. [Note: The Macalester College football program has been grandfathered and is thereby exempt from this Section C (3)].