FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[jknezek]

Purdue Fort Wayne is going to announce tomorrow they are moving from the Summit League to the Horizon League.

This paves the way for the SL, which desperately needs members in certain sports - baseball will lose its auto bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament if nothing is done - to add Augustana (SD) and then assuming the NCAA gives them the green light that I believe they will, UST probably soon thereafter.

There you have it: https://fortwaynesnbc.com/news/top-stories/2019/08/06/pfw-to-exit-summit-league-join-horizon/

So the Tommies are dropping football? SL has no football option.

Missouri Valley is all state schools. Maybe that changes if Augustana gets into the MVFC. But as it stands, UST would be a super odd fit in the MVFC.

Pioneer League is non-scholly. From a transition standpoint, UST could compete right away. But there's no prestige. And travel would be Buh-Ruh-Tul.

Option 1: SL for most sports. WCHA for Hockey. PL for football. >> Football can compete, but has no natural rivals and travel is atrocious. Also will require a much large jump in talent when a move is made to scholly ball.

Option 2: SL for most sports. WCHA for Hockey. MV for football. >> Maybe more natural rivals (Augustana??), travel is much easier, but they'd be getting monkey stomped up and down the field for years. A wrong-end-of-the-monkey-stomp culture isn't easy to rectify.

If they go non-scholly, football risks becoming an also ran sport, lagging behind basketball, hockey, and baseball.

What are you talking about? It's simple. Just get rid of the monkey stompers....

[USTBench]

Purdue Fort Wayne is going to announce tomorrow they are moving from the Summit League to the Horizon League.

This paves the way for the SL, which desperately needs members in certain sports - baseball will lose its auto bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament if nothing is done - to add Augustana (SD) and then assuming the NCAA gives them the green light that I believe they will, UST probably soon thereafter.

There you have it: https://fortwaynesnbc.com/news/top-stories/2019/08/06/pfw-to-exit-summit-league-join-horizon/

So the Tommies are dropping football? SL has no football option.

Missouri Valley is all state schools. Maybe that changes if Augustana gets into the MVFC. But as it stands, UST would be a super odd fit in the MVFC.

Pioneer League is non-scholly. From a transition standpoint, UST could compete right away. But there's no prestige. And travel would be Buh-Ruh-Tul.

Option 1: SL for most sports. WCHA for Hockey. PL for football. >> Football can compete, but has no natural rivals and travel is atrocious. Also will require a much large jump in talent when a move is made to scholly ball.

Option 2: SL for most sports. WCHA for Hockey. MV for football. >> Maybe more natural rivals (Augustana??), travel is much easier, but they'd be getting monkey stomped up and down the field for years. A wrong-end-of-the-monkey-stomp culture isn't easy to rectify.

If they go non-scholly, football risks becoming an also ran sport, lagging behind basketball, hockey, and baseball.

Some of us wouldn't have a problem with that!!! 

I don't think UST would be on the wrong of monkey-stomps for "years" if they moved to the MVFC. Most of the good teams in the MVFC are on the 1-29 corridor and recruit the Twin Cities heavily. There's certainly a pitch to be made for a metro kid for staying local and playing in front of friends and family regularly.

Also, I think you're looking at Pioneer League travel from a Division III perspective. 4 or 5 times a year you're on a plane or taking a bus to Des Moines or Indiana. Hundreds of college teams have it worse. It's not that big of a deterrent. Hell, UND is in the last year of playing a Big Sky schedule in football (though not officially in the Big Sky), that's a conference that covers 3 time zones. Also, the basketball/volleyball teams have it WAY worse playing in the regional Summit League. I'd rather take a plane to San Diego once a year than a bus to North Dakota/South Dakota 4 times a year, and those are the close games.

[hazzben]

@Bench:

The more I think about the Missouri Valley, the more I feel like it's a stretch for UST. Culturally, it's a tough fit. Whenever they make the jump, either straight from D3 or after a non-scholly pit stop in the Pioneer, they are going to get crushed initially.

NDSU, SDSU, UNI, etc. are the best of the best in FCS (I realize you know this Bench). NDSU is basically unable to get FBS opponents because they so consistently beat them. It's possible UST could eventually get to a place of being competitive. But as we've said before, their baked in advantages basically disappear at the FCS level.

If UST spends 3-4 years getting stomped on, that totally affects the kind of recruits they can land. No FCS recruit is going to care in 2025 that UST was a really good D3 team back in the day. In fact, the narrative becomes, can Caruso coach/recruit at this level.

As for the Pioneer League and travel:
IA, IN, OH, KY, NY, NC, FL, GA, & CA is just a terrible travel schedule. For players, but especially for parents and fans. Granted, you could add some I-29 schools or UNI to mitigate this. But this is going to be a huge adjustment for UST fans. How well do fans travel to Concordia right now, because that's the closest travel arrangement they'd have in the new league.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the transition seems like a painful one. But MV football is not for the faint of heart.

[USTBench]

@Bench:

The more I think about the Missouri Valley, the more I feel like it's a stretch for UST. Culturally, it's a tough fit. Whenever they make the jump, either straight from D3 or after a non-scholly pit stop in the Pioneer, they are going to get crushed initially.

NDSU, SDSU, UNI, etc. are the best of the best in FCS (I realize you know this Bench). NDSU is basically unable to get FBS opponents because they so consistently beat them. It's possible UST could eventually get to a place of being competitive. But as we've said before, their baked in advantages basically disappear at the FCS level.

If UST spends 3-4 years getting stomped on, that totally affects the kind of recruits they can land. No FCS recruit is going to care in 2025 that UST was a really good D3 team back in the day. In fact, the narrative becomes, can Caruso coach/recruit at this level.

As for the Pioneer League and travel:
IA, IN, OH, KY, NY, NC, FL, GA, & CA is just a terrible travel schedule. For players, but especially for parents and fans. Granted, you could add some I-29 schools or UNI to mitigate this. But this is going to be a huge adjustment for UST fans. How well do fans travel to Concordia right now, because that's the closest travel arrangement they'd have in the new league.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the transition seems like a painful one. But MV football is not for the faint of heart.

I see what you're saying, but I also know this: the type of kid UND is recruiting now, is not someone who would've been here 10 years ago. For instance, Will Ratelle from St. Thomas Academy. First team All Big Sky, one of UND's all time leading tacklers, and ends up playing for the Atlanta Falcons for a cup-of-coffee. Does a STA kid pick a middling FCS team in Grand Forks when he can go to UST? Or Noah Larson, UND's all time leader in tackles for a freshman from Baraboo, WI. Every Big 10 school kicked the tires on him but only UND offered him, so he ended up in Grand Forks. Does that kid want to drive the extra 4 hours to go to school in Grand Forks? Keep in mind, I say this as a Grand Forks guy (actually Larimore) and HUGE UND fan.

I look at all the kids from Edina, De La Salle, Cooper, Eden Prairie, etc. that go to UND and NDSU, who are probably in for a culture shock going to North Dakota as well. Are kids from Edina or Robbinsdale Cooper, studying agricultural science at NDSU? No. They got passed over by the U, or only got offered a PWO, and can get cost-of-living plus a full ride at UND or NDSU. If a hometown FCS school can offer them the same thing, I think that will be a lot more intriguing than you think, especially when you factor in an 18 year old from the metro on my beloved windswept prairie for the first time. It ain't for everyone out here.

[hazzben]

Don't disagree with that recruiting angle at all. I just think it's predicated on showing they can win. And initially I think UST is going to take it's lumps. Even scheme-wise, UST wins right now with superior athletes, not because they offensively out scheme teams. If that advantage is taken away and the talent level is equalized, winning will be a lot more difficult.

At the end of the day, kids want to win games. If UST can show they can do that, they'll be a force in the Twin Cities. And even just getting kids from smaller towns who want to play in St. Paul. But if UST is playing .500 FCS ball, and NDSU is playing for National Titles, NDSU is going to win those battles.

[SagatagSam]

[...]

If a hometown FCS school can offer them the same thing, I think that will be a lot more intriguing than you think, especially when you factor in an 18 year old from the metro on my beloved windswept prairie for the first time. It ain't for everyone out here.

Sorry, Bench. Nebraska beat you to that motto.

[jamtod]

Found a few interesting notes in "Gene's Blog"on the UST sports site:

Three former offensive skill players have joined the St. Thomas defensive two-deep charts in the secondary and at linebacker: rising senior Emmit Peisert, a former WR; rising junior Joe Hird, anther former receiver and a Tommie varsity hoops player; and rising sophomore Xavier Roberts, a former running back.

Hird has been playing Cornerback. Not sure where the other 2 guys land. I wonder if this means our WR depth is looking better? Peisert and Hird both made a few catches there.

This season's starting job is expected to go to either rising senior Ronnie Jones, or one of the rising juniors in Tommy Dolan or Michael Frankl. While all three are athletic and share strong leadership skills, none of the three has started a varsity game for St. Thomas.

No reference to the Sophomores Sexauer or Boyle or the transfer QB.

Also confirmation that Josh Parks will be back to crush the will of defenders throughout the conference.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Also confirmation that Josh Parks will be back to crush the will of defenders throughout the conference.

If he wants to crush BU for 33 yards on 17 attempts again, he's more than welcome to.

[art76]

Also confirmation that Josh Parks will be back to crush the will of defenders throughout the conference.

If he wants to crush BU for 33 yards on 17 attempts again, he's more than welcome to.

+K G&B! 

[jamtod]

Also confirmation that Josh Parks will be back to crush the will of defenders throughout the conference.

If he wants to crush BU for 33 yards on 17 attempts again, he's more than welcome to.

A humble +k for you sir.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Also confirmation that Josh Parks will be back to crush the will of defenders throughout the conference.

If he wants to crush BU for 33 yards on 17 attempts again, he's more than welcome to.

A humble +k for you sir.

Ha!

Un-necessary!  The frozen turf definitely gave an assist on that last year...

[hazzben]

Also confirmation that Josh Parks will be back to crush the will of defenders throughout the conference.

If he wants to crush BU for 33 yards on 17 attempts again, he's more than welcome to.

A humble +k for you sir.

Ha!

Un-necessary!  The frozen turf definitely gave an assist on that last year...

Yeah, our D was Sr & talent heavy last year. We'll need the O to carry us the first few weeks as we settle in. We won't be quite as dominant on D this year, barring a shocking development of talent. We had an all world DE and the best secondary in our history last year.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Yeah, our D was Sr & talent heavy last year. We'll need the O to carry us the first few weeks as we settle in. We won't be quite as dominant on D this year, barring a shocking development of talent. We had an all world DE and the best secondary in our history last year.

True - They were loaded last year.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the top of the conference shakes out between:

Erdmann slinging it all over the place, but the SJU D perhaps losing a bit? (Brinker was ridiculously disruptive)

Tommies looking to rebound after a disappointing year, breaking in a new QB, and a MIAC evicition notice hanging over their heads. 

BU with the previously noted defensive re-boot with newer guys, but with Roste and some solid guys around him probably being a bit better than last year.  Roste seemed to improve as a passer as the season progressed, and is obviously already a great runner, so I'm excited to see what he brings to the table this year.

Maybe the cobbers show sings of life?   Olaf?  GAC?

I feel very torn this time of year between being excited about football, but the days already getting notably shorter as my favorite season passes...

[jamtod]

Also confirmation that Josh Parks will be back to crush the will of defenders throughout the conference.

If he wants to crush BU for 33 yards on 17 attempts again, he's more than welcome to.

A humble +k for you sir.

Ha!

Un-necessary!  The frozen turf definitely gave an assist on that last year...

I looked at his game log for the 3 times he's gone up against Bethel and none of them have been spectacularly. Then again, one was a slog in the rain, then a blowout at UST where he didn't have to do too much (and Trettel was somewhat healthy I think), and then last year's debacle. Still, Bethel has had his number unlike most other opponents (notably a team in red that he has performed pretty well against).

[jamtod]

Yeah, our D was Sr & talent heavy last year. We'll need the O to carry us the first few weeks as we settle in. We won't be quite as dominant on D this year, barring a shocking development of talent. We had an all world DE and the best secondary in our history last year.

True - They were loaded last year.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the top of the conference shakes out between:

Erdmann slinging it all over the place, but the SJU D perhaps losing a bit? (Brinker was ridiculously disruptive)

Tommies looking to rebound after a disappointing year, breaking in a new QB, and a MIAC evicition notice hanging over their heads. 

BU with the previously noted defensive re-boot with newer guys, but with Roste and some solid guys around him probably being a bit better than last year.  Roste seemed to improve as a passer as the season progressed, and is obviously already a great runner, so I'm excited to see what he brings to the table this year.

Maybe the cobbers show sings of life?   Olaf?  GAC?

I feel very torn this time of year between being excited about football, but the days already getting notably shorter as my favorite season passes...

Camp battles are getting ready to heat up. Rosters will soon be posted. It's a beautiful time of year.