FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Ryan Stoppable]

I don't have a horse in this race, but a couple snippets of the conference's statement jumped out at me:

The MIAC Presidents' Council cites athletic competitive parity in the conference as a primary concern.

"It's not you, it's us." Wow, this looks...rather pathetic now that they actually came out and said it. There are other conferences that have dominant teams, more.dominant that UST is/was in the MIAC - do you see them kicking those teams out, or trying to rise to the challenge?

St. Thomas is one of seven founding members of the MIAC and will leave the conference in good standing with a long and appreciated history of academic and athletic success.

An appreciated history of athletic success, huh? Kicking them out over it is sure an odd way to show it.

[MUC57]

Wildcat11

Sad day for Dlll. You said it! 😥 💔

[sfury]

What an embarrassment. Athletic parity. Right there in  release. There have been some great discussions here about all kinds of issues. Really good stuff. But I've read nothing from any official person that this has anything to do with anything but Glenn Caruso being too good at his job. And in fact have heard from people who would know that it's the main force. Yes the world needs electricians and plumbers. Nothing to do with this decision. The MIAC is much, much worse off today and will be forever. My god do I never want to hear about the greatness of this conference again. And when the Johnnies are next on the block...it'll be same story. Disgraceful.

[Ron Boerger]

Letter from St. Thomas president Sullivan:  https://news.stthomas.edu/president-sullivan-statement-on-miac-membership/

St Thomas MIAC-related FAQ:  https://news.stthomas.edu/answers-to-miac-related-questions

[miac952]

The "involuntary" language here is important. My understanding is UST, and a team of well payed lawyers, are working with the NCAA to go directly the DI route vs. stopping for the 5 year cup of coffee in DII; due the forced nature of the departure. There is not much precedence for this exemption but the NCAA has brought greater flexibility recently, and UST knows a guy with some clout in the main office now in McDonough. Oh the irony.

Also ironic in all of this is UST talked MIAC membership into re-welcoming St Olaf back many years ago when the rest of the conference didn't want them back in. Now the little weasel on the hill backstabs them. I am hoping his scholarly pursuits haven't been in the field of History. 

[AO]

Letter from St. Thomas president Sullivan:  https://news.stthomas.edu/president-sullivan-statement-on-miac-membership/

St Thomas MIAC-related FAQ:  https://news.stthomas.edu/answers-to-miac-related-questions

Looks like those sites might be down for a bit.  I'll post the full text:
"Dear St. Thomas Community,

Today is a difficult day for our community. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced that St. Thomas will be involuntarily removed from membership in the MIAC effective at the end of spring 2021. You can find its official statement here.


As a founding member of the MIAC, St. Thomas has had a long history with these competitors, and we believe our strong presence and success in the conference has made it a better and more competitive one. This history holds importance to our entire community, including our students, coaches and alumni.

St. Thomas expended tremendous effort to remain in the MIAC and stabilize the conference.  However, the presidents came to a consensus that the conference itself would cease to exist in its current form if St. Thomas remained. The primary concern cited by the other MIAC presidents is the lack of competitive parity within the conference, across many sports. They stated that St. Thomas has not violated any MIAC or NCAA rules and leaves the conference in good standing.

While this decision is extremely disappointing, we will continue to prioritize the welfare and overall experience of our student-athletes. They embrace and represent both academic and athletic excellence and are important contributors to our university's culture. Additionally, our coaches share the values of advancing comprehensive excellence and are among the best in the country.

Although our athletic conference will change, one thing will not: our commitment to continued academic and athletic excellence. I am confident in our campus leadership who will guide us forward and optimistic that we will continue to celebrate great success.

Led by our Vice President and Director of Athletics, Phil Esten, and involving members of our community, we will immediately begin a deliberative process to explore other options. The strength of our athletic programs, our institutional commitment to excellence and our location in the metro area will make us an attractive candidate to other conferences. For answers to more questions about this transition, please click here.

I am proud of our success in athletics and of our student-athletes, who excel in the classroom as well as in competition. We have a strong and proud athletic history at St. Thomas – and I am certain we also have a bright future!

Sincerely,

Julie H. Sullivan, PhD

President"

Is St. Thomas voluntarily leaving the MIAC?

No. As a founding member, St. Thomas expended tremendous effort to maintain membership in the MIAC.

Why was St. Thomas forced to leave the MIAC?

The primary concern cited by the presidents was competitive parity, across many sports. The MIAC acknowledges that St. Thomas leaves the conference in good standing with a long and appreciated history of academic and athletic success.

Was there any possible option for St. Thomas to stay in the MIAC?

No. While St. Thomas was committed to staying, other MIAC presidents communicated their intentions to leave the conference if St. Thomas remained. There was consensus that the conference would cease to exist in its current form if St. Thomas remained.

What's next for St. Thomas?

Led by Vice President and Director of Athletics, Phil Esten, and involving members of our community, we immediately begin a deliberative process to explore other conferences. The strength of our athletic programs, our institutional commitment to excellence and our location in the metro area will make us an attractive candidate to other conferences. While our athletic conference will change, one thing will not: our commitment to both academic and athletic excellence.

How will St. Thomas determine which conference to join?

Our commitment is to continue to provide excellence in our athletic programs while maintaining our academic standards, as well as prioritizing the student-athlete experience. An advisory committee led by Vice President and Director of Athletics Phil Esten will review all options, and ultimately, President Julie Sullivan will make a recommendation to our Board of Trustees for their consideration and approval. Once we have a sense for what might be the best fit for St. Thomas, we will need to secure an invitation from that particular conference before we can proceed.  We will keep our community informed of our progress.

Will a move to a different conference drive a change in admissions standards?

No. Our admissions standards remain fully in our control. We are committed to admitting students capable of successfully graduating from St. Thomas in four years. We are proud of increases in our four-year graduation rate and remain committed to continued improvements. We hold our student-athletes to high academic standards and that will not change. In fact, currently our student-athletes graduate at higher rates at St. Thomas than our broader student population.

Other conferences do not support the same sports programs that St. Thomas currently has. Is it anticipated that St. Thomas will drop or add sports?

St. Thomas would like to remain with the same sports programs that it has today. Should the conference we join not offer a sport that we have currently, we will explore all options (e.g., affiliate memberships) in order for all our varsity sports to continue playing.

Is it anticipated that St. Thomas would expand its current athletic facilities?

It is premature to speculate on whether any athletic facilities would be impacted. Should expanded facilities become necessary, we will explore all options both on and off campus.

How will St. Thomas fund any incremental costs of changing conferences?

While we cannot say for sure until we know whether there will be incremental costs, fundraising likely will play a major role.

How will current student-athletes be impacted by this decision?

Our coaches and entire athletic staff will work hard to ensure that our student-athletes continue to have a positive and competitive experience as Tommies. St. Thomas is eligible to compete in the MIAC for the next two years (through spring 2021).

What will happen to the annual Tommie/Johnnie football game?

We look forward to hosting St. John's this fall at Allianz Field. We would like to find a way for this historic rivalry to continue into the future.

[TheChucker]

The "involuntary" language here is important. My understanding is UST, and a team of well payed lawyers, are working with the NCAA to go directly the DI route vs. stopping for the 5 year cup of coffee in DII; due the forced nature of the departure. There is not much precedence for this exemption but the NCAA has brought greater flexibility recently, and UST knows a guy with some clout in the main office now in McDonough. Oh the irony.

Also ironic in all of this is UST talked MIAC membership into re-welcoming St Olaf back many years ago when the rest of the conference didn't want them back in. Now the little weasel on the hill backstabs them. I am hoping his scholarly pursuits haven't been in the field of History.

If this is true, it would answer a some questions on how this all played out (e.g. secrecy from schools, involuntary removal vs. voluntary like many thought would happen over the years, etc.)

[Gregory Sager]

I don't have a horse in this race, but a couple snippets of the conference's statement jumped out at me:

The MIAC Presidents' Council cites athletic competitive parity in the conference as a primary concern.

"It's not you, it's us." Wow, this looks...rather pathetic now that they actually came out and said it. There are other conferences that have dominant teams, more.dominant that UST is/was in the MIAC - do you see them kicking those teams out, or trying to rise to the challenge?

To which conferences do you refer, Ryan?

To be honest, I can't think of another D3 league that has an all-sports competition history that's this lopsided in favor of one school. But I'll be honest -- I may be overlooking one.

Pat, can you think of another D3 league that has an all-sports competition history that's more lopsided in favor of one school than this, especially over the last decade and a half?

Note: This is not a comment upon the decision that the MIAC presidents made today, in regard to which I am totally neutral. Like Ryan, I have no horse in this race. Your own business is your own business, MIACers. I'm simply trying to get the facts straight.

[Capn34]

This is an absolute sad day for the MIAC.  It is a sad day for this Johnnie.  The Johnnie-Tommie rivalry is one of the best in the country, also one of the classiest.  Although we like to poke fun at each other and sometimes be a little crass; in the end we are neighbors and co-workers in many cases.   

[miac952]

The Sharkman timeline right now is rich with material....

https://twitter.com/JohnSharkman

[ron doney]

MIAC coaches are back on the recruiting trail this summer pitching a new message -

"If you liked high school, then you are going to LOVE the MIAC. Because here, WE NEVER GROW UP!"

[jknezek]

I don't have a horse in this race, but a couple snippets of the conference's statement jumped out at me:

The MIAC Presidents' Council cites athletic competitive parity in the conference as a primary concern.

"It's not you, it's us." Wow, this looks...rather pathetic now that they actually came out and said it. There are other conferences that have dominant teams, more.dominant that UST is/was in the MIAC - do you see them kicking those teams out, or trying to rise to the challenge?

To which conferences do you refer, Ryan?

To be honest, I can't think of another D3 league that has an all-sports competition history that's this lopsided in favor of one school. But I'll be honest -- I may be overlooking one.

Pat, can you think of another D3 league that has an all-sports competition history that's more lopsided in favor of one school than this, especially over the last decade and a half?

Note: This is not a comment upon the decision that the MIAC presidents made today, in regard to which I am totally neutral. Like Ryan, I have no horse in this race. Your own business is your own business, MIACers. I'm simply trying to get the facts straight.

The Centennial and the ODAC both have similar dominance by one school just off the top of my head. JHU rules the Centennial conference and W&L in the ODAC. I saw another one the other day that was just as dominant but can't think of who it was.

[ron doney]

Big shout out to the best in the biz - Gene McGivern. UST's Sports Info Director.

Shinning under pressure today.

[Gregory Sager]

Sometimes it's what's not in a document that's the most telling. In that FAQ that UST just released, there's not one single mention of UST's ongoing D3 membership or of the possibililty of moving to D1 or D2. UST's leadership isn't even entertaining that issue within a public mode. Instead, the FAQ is all about "changing conferences".

[Alfredeneumann]

I don't have a horse in this race, but a couple snippets of the conference's statement jumped out at me:

The MIAC Presidents' Council cites athletic competitive parity in the conference as a primary concern.

"It's not you, it's us." Wow, this looks...rather pathetic now that they actually came out and said it. There are other conferences that have dominant teams, more.dominant that UST is/was in the MIAC - do you see them kicking those teams out, or trying to rise to the challenge?

To which conferences do you refer, Ryan?

To be honest, I can't think of another D3 league that has an all-sports competition history that's this lopsided in favor of one school. But I'll be honest -- I may be overlooking one.

Pat, can you think of another D3 league that has an all-sports competition history that's more lopsided in favor of one school than this, especially over the last decade and a half?

Note: This is not a comment upon the decision that the MIAC presidents made today, in regard to which I am totally neutral. Like Ryan, I have no horse in this race. Your own business is your own business, MIACers. I'm simply trying to get the facts straight.

Wartburg College has won 17 straight IIAC / ARC All Sports titles. Tied 2 times but more times that not,  Men and women sweep.
http://rollrivers.com/sports/2010/8/11/GEN_AllSportsTrophy.aspx?