FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hazzben]

If you take a gander at the Pioneer League stadiums (non-scholarship D1) you begin to realize O'Shaugnessy is perfectly suited if that's where they end up. It gives them time to make some upgrades if and when they go the scholarship route. Move the track team over the the new U track complex in STP and you have a lot of room to work with.

UST is going D1; the question is will it be 2 years or 8-10 years. The facility financial investment will be significant, but can be done over a decade. Little Augustana is able to make it work; and they are interested in going all in with scholarship football from the start.

If Pioneer League is the goal, they are all good with the current O'Shag setup. They'd have a top 3 venue in the conference with Drake and MSU. But the scuttlebutt has seemed to be that the Pioneer League was really being envisioned as a stepping stone to scholarship FCS. If that's the long term play, then things need to be upgraded.

Spot on Hazz, I believe Pioneer is a stepping stone but, it is a long term stepping stone. I don't believe there would be another move for at least 10years, almost certainly not until after their Medical School is established and generating revenue.

If UST ends up in the PL, why couldn't Johnnie - Tommie continue down the road? They'd both be playing in non-scholarship divisions. Has anyone theorized this at all? I know Franklin has played Butler several times over the years.

That's a great question and I have thought the same thing. The general thought process would be that UST has nothing to gain by theoretically playing down 1.5 divisions, except for a big payout with the gate. Therefore, I would venture to state that UST would not agree to the game unless it was always held at a big venue (Target Field, Allianz, etc.) and the gate was split every year. No inside info just my take.

I had the same thought about hosting it each year at a neutral site like Target Field or Allianz or even TCF (only selling seats on the lower level)

[jamtod]

If you take a gander at the Pioneer League stadiums (non-scholarship D1) you begin to realize O'Shaugnessy is perfectly suited if that's where they end up. It gives them time to make some upgrades if and when they go the scholarship route. Move the track team over the the new U track complex in STP and you have a lot of room to work with.

UST is going D1; the question is will it be 2 years or 8-10 years. The facility financial investment will be significant, but can be done over a decade. Little Augustana is able to make it work; and they are interested in going all in with scholarship football from the start.

If Pioneer League is the goal, they are all good with the current O'Shag setup. They'd have a top 3 venue in the conference with Drake and MSU. But the scuttlebutt has seemed to be that the Pioneer League was really being envisioned as a stepping stone to scholarship FCS. If that's the long term play, then things need to be upgraded.

Spot on Hazz, I believe Pioneer is a stepping stone but, it is a long term stepping stone. I don't believe there would be another move for at least 10years, almost certainly not until after their Medical School is established and generating revenue.

If UST ends up in the PL, why couldn't Johnnie - Tommie continue down the road? They'd both be playing in non-scholarship divisions. Has anyone theorized this at all? I know Franklin has played Butler several times over the years.

That's a great question and I have thought the same thing. The general thought process would be that UST has nothing to gain by theoretically playing down 1.5 divisions, except for a big payout with the gate. Therefore, I would venture to state that UST would not agree to the game unless it was always held at a big venue (Target Field, Allianz, etc.) and the gate was split every year. No inside info just my take.

I had the same thought about hosting it each year at a neutral site like Target Field or Allianz or even TCF (only selling seats on the lower level)

I think that would be a reasonable compromise that might make sense if there are Pioneer League years.

[Mr.MIAC]

Speaking of the Tommie/Johnnie game, does anyone have a spare ticket they'd be willing to sell at or around face value?

[bennie]

https://www.csbsju.edu/news/erdmann-fulbright-2019
Jackson Erdmann is an impressive young man!

[MiacMan]

https://www.csbsju.edu/news/erdmann-fulbright-2019
Jackson Erdmann is an impressive young man!

Yes he is very impressive! Thanks for sharing that article.

[DuffMan]

I'm having a hard time understanding why the NCAA would go through the trouble of creating a regulation preventing a direct D3-->D1 move just to say, "oh, but we'll let St. Thomas do it." 

[jamtod]

I'm having a hard time understanding why the NCAA would go through the trouble of creating a regulation preventing a direct D3-->D1 move just to say, "oh, but we'll let St. Thomas do it." 

Likewise, not sure if a shortened transition and stop in D2 makes it seem any more plausible.

[MiacMan]

I'm having a hard time understanding why the NCAA would go through the trouble of creating a regulation preventing a direct D3-->D1 move just to say, "oh, but we'll let St. Thomas do it." 

They (NCAA) haven't yet approved it at least as far as we know. They were forced out of their conference with no conference solution that would be a good fit in D3. D2 doesn't have hockey and the Pioneer Conference needs  members. I guess I can't see why they wouldn't make an exception.

[sjujohnnie]

Speaking of divisions, was going to go to the Morningside season opener that kicked off at noon, but it's been raining. They're the defending NAIA national champions & were up 35-0 after the first quarter over St Francis (IL). With how potent their offense is, I wonder if schools in other divisions look to get ideas? Would love to see Morningside & the top 10-15 NAIA programs move to Division III! I'm going to follow Thomas More after they left Division III to join the NAIA after last season. Will be rooting for them against NAIW competition! It's also crazy to me that they average well below 2,000 at their gsmes! As I'm typing this, they just went up 49-0! Wish Division III games were kicking off today like the rest of college football!

[MadRedFan]

I'm having a hard time understanding why the NCAA would go through the trouble of creating a regulation preventing a direct D3-->D1 move just to say, "oh, but we'll let St. Thomas do it." 

They (NCAA) haven't yet approved it at least as far as we know. They were forced out of their conference with no conference solution that would be a good fit in D3. D2 doesn't have hockey and the Pioneer Conference needs  members. I guess I can't see why they wouldn't make an exception.

Seems like it would be "easier" for the NCAA, as far as sticking to their process for moving up, to make the exception for hockey in DI and then go DII with the rest.  A "smaller" exception.

[sjujohnnie]

Morningside won 80-0. They've won their last 8 conference championships & a total of 9 since moving from Division II in the early 2000s to the NAIA & have not lost a conference game since 2013.

[sjusection105]

Morningside won 80-0. They've won their last 8 conference championships & a total of 9 since moving from Division II in the early 2000s to the NAIA & have not lost a conference game since 2013.

Don't tell St. Olaf, they will start a petition to kick them out of the conference....

[miac952]

I'm having a hard time understanding why the NCAA would go through the trouble of creating a regulation preventing a direct D3-->D1 move just to say, "oh, but we'll let St. Thomas do it." 

Trying to make sense of any NCAA decision is fools good Duff. There is a kid at Va Tech still being rejected for a medical hardship transfer because his mother has recovered sufficiently from her brain tumor surgery. This while helmet school's get transfers approved left and right (Justin Fields). Let's also not forget the specific "involuntary removal" language.

The good thing for Johnnies, and maybe by extension, Tommies in this case, is they have a man in the high office in Dennis McDonough

[OzJohnnie]

Good golly, the Johnnie uniforms have had subtle, stylish upgrades.  I like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Els9JkB5W5I

[faunch]

Good golly, the Johnnie uniforms have had subtle, stylish upgrades.  I like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Els9JkB5W5I

No numbers on side of helmets this year? I hope not.