FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hazzben]

This makes me wonder about Augustana (Sioux Falls) and their pending transition. They announced last year they would be starting the transition from D2 to D1 and everyone has assumed that they would join the Summit.

I wonder if the Toms somehow outbid Augie? This is not to say that the Summit League is capping or has capped their membership.  However, it shouldn't be taking this long to get an invitation from the Summit, whose league office recently moved to Sioux Falls and is a 10 minute car ride away from their campus.

Not sure. But UST would be more attractive to me than Augie in Sioux Falls. Bitter pill for Augie if they did indeed get shoved aside for a cuter prom date at the 11th hour.

[USTBench]

This makes me wonder about Augustana (Sioux Falls) and their pending transition. They announced last year they would be starting the transition from D2 to D1 and everyone has assumed that they would join the Summit.

I wonder if the Toms somehow outbid Augie? This is not to say that the Summit League is capping or has capped their membership.  However, it shouldn't be taking this long to get an invitation from the Summit, whose league office recently moved to Sioux Falls and is a 10 minute car ride away from their campus.

The Summit is desperate for schools in a number of sports. I believe several sports only boast 6 or 7 teams. I'm sure there's room for both.

[art76]

The Tommies leaving in the middle of a two year homa-and-home schedule in the MIAC is going to make for some interesting scheduling the next two years. That is, unless another team is courted by the MIAC to step directly into the void left by St. Thomas. With what has happened to the Tommies, it is unlikely any other D3 team, aside from Macalester, would be willing and able to do something like that so quickly. There may be an outlier waiting in the wings, just waiting for the Tommies situation to settle, but nobody here has mentioned anything of the sort.

Other minor questions come to mind, like, will the Tommies schedule one or more D1 teams for non-conference games next season? Probably not, but one suspects they're talking about it. One also has to wonder if the old neighbor will keep them on the air, and if the Summit/Pioneer Leagues will get better coverage in the local papers now? These and many more questions will work themselves out in the coming days.

I'm with Pat, 'tis a sad day for D3.

[jamtod]

We've had Eau Claire on the schedule for a while, so I imagine that's one OOC for next year. But Trinity International was a 2 year deal so that's done

[Walter Eagle]

It might be a bit presumptuous to assume that an excellent D3 program like St. John's will continue to be competitive with St. Thomas in football once they jump to D1 (assuming football is even continued at St. Thomas, which is not a certainty).  So, even if the best rivalry game in D3 were to continue, attendance would decline, probably proportionality to the margin of victory, as St. Thomas builds its program.

On the other hand, if St Thomas finds deep enough pockets to continue football, St. John's deep pockets may respond in kind and in a few short years make the move to the same D1 conference St. Thomas ultimately joins.  Rivalry renewed.

[hazzben]

UST backers can speak better to this, but I see almost zero likelihood UST drops FB as a result of this. They could compete in the Pioneer right now with zero budget effect save travel costs. My understanding is D1 FB is in the works with MVFC as the long term goal/plan.

[johnnie_esq]

It might be a bit presumptuous to assume that an excellent D3 program like St. John's will continue to be competitive with St. Thomas in football once they jump to D1 (assuming football is even continued at St. Thomas, which is not a certainty).  So, even if the best rivalry game in D3 were to continue, attendance would decline, probably proportionality to the margin of victory, as St. Thomas builds its program.

On the other hand, if St Thomas finds deep enough pockets to continue football, St. John's deep pockets may respond in kind and in a few short years make the move to the same D1 conference St. Thomas ultimately joins.  Rivalry renewed.

I don't think SJU's pockets are anywhere near deep enough for such a transition.  That would take tens of millions annually to get there.   

If UST goes Pioneer League, it may make some sense to continue the game, especially while UST is getting into a full Pioneer League mentality (instead of playing scholarship D2/D1 squads in nonconference).  But if the Pioneer uses UST to make a full 10-game schedule for all schools around (no-nonconf), then it is truly dead.

[art76]

UST backers can speak better to this, but I see almost zero likelihood UST drops FB as a result of this. They could compete in the Pioneer right now with zero budget effect save travel costs. My understanding is D1 FB is in the works with MVFC as the long term goal/plan.

Sorry Hazz, but I don't know what "MVFC" stands for.

[Walter Eagle]

UST backers can speak better to this, but I see almost zero likelihood UST drops FB as a result of this. They could compete in the Pioneer right now with zero budget effect save travel costs. My understanding is D1 FB is in the works with MVFC as the long term goal/plan.

My expectation would be that, without a big influx in donor money, the current expenses for football would need to be used to offset increased costs in the other sports; travel, facility upgrades, more salaried and full time coaches and administrators etc.

[USTBench]

UST backers can speak better to this, but I see almost zero likelihood UST drops FB as a result of this. They could compete in the Pioneer right now with zero budget effect save travel costs. My understanding is D1 FB is in the works with MVFC as the long term goal/plan.

Oh, I'm sure the coaching staff gets raises and facility upgrades are in-store as well. Football is UST's highest profile sport (for now) by a substantial margin. The Pioneer League has built itself up to be relatively competitive without scholarships, and have even had teams advance to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. I don't know that the student body is going to get all that more excited for conference games unless they can get a rivalry going organically, but if they get a MVFC team to play on campus that would certainly create some significant buzz.

[SagatagSam]

This makes me wonder about Augustana (Sioux Falls) and their pending transition. They announced last year they would be starting the transition from D2 to D1 and everyone has assumed that they would join the Summit.

I wonder if the Toms somehow outbid Augie? This is not to say that the Summit League is capping or has capped their membership.  However, it shouldn't be taking this long to get an invitation from the Summit, whose league office recently moved to Sioux Falls and is a 10 minute car ride away from their campus.

I heard elsewhere that Aug was likely going Horizon? Not sure if that's accurate.

Maybe. I haven't heard that from anyone here. All the speculation on the ground in Sioux Falls is they will go Summit.

Horizon would be a less than favorable geographic fit, too. Their closest game would be either UW-Milwaukee or UI-Chicago. Plus, they would have to make multiple trips to Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati/Dayton.

[USTBench]

UST backers can speak better to this, but I see almost zero likelihood UST drops FB as a result of this. They could compete in the Pioneer right now with zero budget effect save travel costs. My understanding is D1 FB is in the works with MVFC as the long term goal/plan.

Sorry Hazz, but I don't know what "MVFC" stands for.

Missouri Valley Football Conference:

NDSU
USD
SDSU
Western Illinois
Northern Iowa
Youngstown State
Southern Illinois
Indiana State
Missouri State

2020 - UND

The Summit League doesn't sponsor football but many of these same schools compete in the Summit League for all other sports.

[art76]

UST backers can speak better to this, but I see almost zero likelihood UST drops FB as a result of this. They could compete in the Pioneer right now with zero budget effect save travel costs. My understanding is D1 FB is in the works with MVFC as the long term goal/plan.

Sorry Hazz, but I don't know what "MVFC" stands for.

Missouri Valley Football Conference:

NDSU
USD
SDSU
Western Illinois
Northern Iowa
Youngstown State
Southern Illinois
Indiana State
Missouri State

2020 - UND

The Summit League doesn't sponsor football but many of these same schools compete in the Summit League for all other sports.

Thanx Bench - I suspected it was something along those lines, but I am pretty D3 centric in my football where-with-all, and really ignorant of D2 or D1 alliances.

[art76]

So, I just looked at teams from MVFC and Pioneer, and geographically, it looks to me like the MVFC makes more sense - if they can get in.

[pied]

Have to say as a long time MIAC/D3 fan (~4 weeks or so  )I'm glad to see something finally done about ST.