FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OzJohnnie]

Item 6 g (7) on page 10, Review  of  ReclassificationProcess.

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d1/council/Jun2019D1Council_Report.pdf

Thanks.

The relevant bit:

(7) Review of Reclassification Process. (Fairness/Well-Being/Operational)
The Strategic Vision and Planning Committee will continue to discuss
whether an institution should have an opportunity to reclassify from
Division III to Division I, without first requiring that institution be a
Division II member, noting the importance of ensuring preparedness for
Division I membership.

It seems the key discussion point is whether a D3 school is ready to compete D1.  UST would obviously argue they are and use the Summit invite as support for that argument.  I imagine that UST's challenge will be how they can recruit and build D1 quality rosters from day 1.  It won't do UST or D1 any good to invite a patsy into the competition, which is why I imagine it's such a long transition path for current schools.  They need to build the staff, experience and recruits who can play D1 and that takes time and opportunity.  Hence, the D2 pathway.

I've got no basis to make any serious judgement but seeing as they have the committee discussing them, I rate UST a 1/3 chance of getting up.  Holding them back are considerations like competitiveness and the impact on the NCAA's rules and membership when there are a number of other schools who are in train on the long form transition already.

[jamtod]

I dont disagree with you at all on that Pat, but I have lived in MN my whole life and grad from SJU in 92, so yes I am a bit biased.  But I also know UST has been trying to get into D1 for quite a number of years.  I live in Northfield and was actually going to go to the UST St. Olaf game in full SJU gear and sit in the UST side in protest of them getting 'booted' out. But this sheds a different light on things if this is true...

There's a difference between "trying to get into D1" and exploring the possibilities and whether it makes sense. To this point, it had been consistently determined that the best move in this point in time was to remain in the MIAC where over half of contests are within a 30 minute bus ride. Now that that's not an option...

Somebody needs to put me through a journalism/grammar course. Phew. Re-reading that post was a ride.

[SagatagSam]

My office in downtown Sioux Falls is going crazy over this (tentative) pick-up by the Summit League. They think they've scored a huge victory by bringing in the MSP market for their schools, and, as a graduate of a Summit League school, I do see their point.

I'm just seething because they are all gushing over St. Thomas--especially the people with Augie connections. Apparently, Augie joining the Summit is a mere formality at this point and the announcement has been embargoed (for reasons I don't quite understand). They believe that UST and Augie will join the Summit together, go through the reclassification period together, take their transition period lumps together, and perhaps form some kind of rivalry as a result.

All I've got to say is Go Yotes, always. And, when they are playing the Toms, Go Jacks, Go Sioux (can I say that?), Go Bison, GO EVERYBODY that's playing that school on the corner of Cretin and Summit.

[jamtod]

My office in downtown Sioux Falls is going crazy over this (tentative) pick-up by the Summit League. They think they've scored a huge victory by bringing in the MSP market for their schools, and, as a graduate of a Summit League school, I do see their point.

I'm just seething because they are all gushing over St. Thomas--especially the people with Augie connections. Apparently, Augie joining the Summit is a mere formality at this point and the announcement has been embargoed (for reasons I don't quite understand). They believe that UST and Augie will join the Summit together, go through the reclassification period together, take their transition period lumps together, and perhaps form some kind of rivalry as a result.

All I've got to say is Go Yotes, always. And, when they are playing the Toms, Go Jacks, Go Sioux (can I say that?), Go Bison, GO EVERYBODY that's playing that school on the corner of Cretin and Summit.

Is it acceptable to give +k to this post purely for the sake of the schadenfreude?

[AO]

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.

FCS teams can play 12 regular season games now.

As long as the Tommies stay in the Pioneer, I think the game goes on. 

[wm4]

Maybe this is just a bad rumor, but I have heard rumblings that U$T may not have been "involuntarily" removed. In fact, they actually initiated this but wanted it to look like they were "kicked" out....any one else heard anything about this??

There is absolutely zero truth to that rumor. 

[USTBench]

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.

You left off Missouri State.

UND joining gives the MVFC 11 members. Five from the Summit League, five from the actual Missouri Valley Conference, and one from the Horizon League. Two other MVC schools (Drake and Valparaiso) play football in the Pioneer Football League; other than those two, all football schools in the Summit, MVC, and Horizon play in the MVFC.

A lot of MVC fans hope that the MVC invites Murray State (KY) sometime soon. If that happens (from what I can tell, MVC fans don't expect much from the conference's decision-makers) Murray State would likely be a 12th MVFC member.

I think you'd better get to Collegeville next year if you ever want to see that game played again (at least where one team is DIII). The Pioneer League is 10 members strong, 11 with UST. UST will play at least 8 conference games and will most likely play a few MVFC or Big Sky teams to round out their schedule. During UND's transition they had to fill out their schedule with DII and DIII teams but that was because they played an independent schedule before creating the now-defunct 5 team Great West Conference with other transition teams during their probationary period. After UND got a Big Sky invite and go through the transition they never scheduled a DII team in football again.

Presbyterian (SC) is joining the PFL as the 11th member in 2021. That would make it a convenient juncture to add UST to keep even numbers.

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.

The PFL doesn't do a full round robin with 10 schools. I can't see them doing it with more than 10.

—

It's also worth noting that recent developments could shift the FCS landscape considerably. Tarleton State (TX), currently ranked #4 in D2 football, announced earlier this week that they have received an invitation to join the WAC (a D1 conference that hasn't sponsored football since 2011). They're the second D2 school with football to announce a WAC move this year. TSU's AD was quoted as saying that the WAC is "diligently recreating a football conference", which would presumably (unlike its previous football conference) be at the FCS level. Unless the WAC adds a bunch more D2 schools, they only way they can sponsor football is through defections from other FCS conferences such as the Big Sky and Southland. This could cause some sort of domino effect.

No I didn't.

[USTBench]

My office in downtown Sioux Falls is going crazy over this (tentative) pick-up by the Summit League. They think they've scored a huge victory by bringing in the MSP market for their schools, and, as a graduate of a Summit League school, I do see their point.

I'm just seething because they are all gushing over St. Thomas--especially the people with Augie connections. Apparently, Augie joining the Summit is a mere formality at this point and the announcement has been embargoed (for reasons I don't quite understand). They believe that UST and Augie will join the Summit together, go through the reclassification period together, take their transition period lumps together, and perhaps form some kind of rivalry as a result.

All I've got to say is Go Yotes, always. And, when they are playing the Toms, Go Jacks, Go Sioux (can I say that?), Go Bison, GO EVERYBODY that's playing that school on the corner of Cretin and Summit.

Oddly enough I was JUST getting a sub at Firehouse and the Yotes' lady soccer team was in there. Picked a few brains and apparently Augie isn't a sure thing, which surprises me.

[Pat Coleman]

Item 6 g (7) on page 10, Review  of  ReclassificationProcess.

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d1/council/Jun2019D1Council_Report.pdf

Thanks.

The relevant bit:

(7) Review of Reclassification Process. (Fairness/Well-Being/Operational)
The Strategic Vision and Planning Committee will continue to discuss
whether an institution should have an opportunity to reclassify from
Division III to Division I, without first requiring that institution be a
Division II member, noting the importance of ensuring preparedness for
Division I membership.

It seems the key discussion point is whether a D3 school is ready to compete D1. 

The NCAA is far more concerned whether the school has the necessary resources to handle D-I membership from an administrative standpoint, rather than on the playing surface.

[OzJohnnie]

Item 6 g (7) on page 10, Review  of  ReclassificationProcess.

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d1/council/Jun2019D1Council_Report.pdf

Thanks.

The relevant bit:

(7) Review of Reclassification Process. (Fairness/Well-Being/Operational)
The Strategic Vision and Planning Committee will continue to discuss
whether an institution should have an opportunity to reclassify from
Division III to Division I, without first requiring that institution be a
Division II member, noting the importance of ensuring preparedness for
Division I membership.

It seems the key discussion point is whether a D3 school is ready to compete D1. 

The NCAA is far more concerned whether the school has the necessary resources to handle D-I membership from an administrative standpoint, rather than on the playing surface.

How do you know that?

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

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.

FCS teams can play 12 regular season games now.

As long as the Tommies stay in the Pioneer, I think the game goes on.

I dont see it continuing, definitely not as an annual event.  What's in it for UST?  besides, SJ2 can fill that spot on their schedule with Mac, which supposedly is going to return to the MIAC fold if UST was gone.  (talk about improving your strength of schedule (sarcasm))

[USTBench]

Item 6 g (7) on page 10, Review  of  ReclassificationProcess.

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d1/council/Jun2019D1Council_Report.pdf

Thanks.

The relevant bit:

(7) Review of Reclassification Process. (Fairness/Well-Being/Operational)
The Strategic Vision and Planning Committee will continue to discuss
whether an institution should have an opportunity to reclassify from
Division III to Division I, without first requiring that institution be a
Division II member, noting the importance of ensuring preparedness for
Division I membership.

It seems the key discussion point is whether a D3 school is ready to compete D1. 

The NCAA is far more concerned whether the school has the necessary resources to handle D-I membership from an administrative standpoint, rather than on the playing surface.

How do you know that?

The NCAA has long been known to care about the health and well-being of student athletes, and is no way exploitative.

[Inkblot]

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.

You left off Missouri State.

No I didn't.

Sorry, I read the list too fast. You left off Illinois State.

[jamtod]

Item 6 g (7) on page 10, Review  of  ReclassificationProcess.

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d1/council/Jun2019D1Council_Report.pdf

Thanks.

The relevant bit:

(7) Review of Reclassification Process. (Fairness/Well-Being/Operational)
The Strategic Vision and Planning Committee will continue to discuss
whether an institution should have an opportunity to reclassify from
Division III to Division I, without first requiring that institution be a
Division II member, noting the importance of ensuring preparedness for
Division I membership.

It seems the key discussion point is whether a D3 school is ready to compete D1. 

The NCAA is far more concerned whether the school has the necessary resources to handle D-I membership from an administrative standpoint, rather than on the playing surface.

How do you know that?

The NCAA has long been known to care about the health and well-being of student athletes, and is no way exploitative.

From a less cynical perspective, one typically follows from the other. Schools that have had trouble with the transition have had administrative issues. If that's taken care of, the on-field stuff will come in time, I suspect.

[USTBench]

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.

You left off Missouri State.

No I didn't.

Sorry, I read the list too fast. You left off Illinois State.

True. However, Western Illinois is a failing institution by all accounts and may not even exist in a few years.