FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[jamtod]

If they have anybody worth offering, it sounds like an area UST/Caruso could pounce on?

I'm honestly wondering how their recruiting is going now with the uncertainty of the program.  D3?  D2?  D1 non-scholarship?  D1 scholarship?  That has to make it a tough sell, I would think.

Reports are that it's a challenge, but also the main things you are selling a kid on remain the same - coaching staff, great education, etc.

I'd say that D1 scholarship is not on the table as an option now. So the types of dudes you are looking at for the other 3 options are not quite as varied.

[faunch]

If they have anybody worth offering, it sounds like an area UST/Caruso could pounce on?

I'm honestly wondering how their recruiting is going now with the uncertainty of the program.  D3?  D2?  D1 non-scholarship?  D1 scholarship?  That has to make it a tough sell, I would think.

I was driving by U$T on Friday night and noticed the video board on playing football highlights (assumed it was for recruit visits). Thought it funny that I could tell they were using video from a game in Collegeville. To me their recruiting situation is a bit analogous to a real estate agent selling a house but really having no idea of the location or what amenities the house will have.

[johnnie_esq]

Just finished teaching a course at SCSU this evening;

What's the drive time from New Prague?

Too long.  Though the drive to Collegeville feels shorter, in all honesty!

It was a sports law class, so it is right up my alley, and was quite timely in examining the Title IX issues that hit way too close to home yesterday afternoon.  The biggest concern, and I agree with this, was that the word had already been leaked to people in higher positions, but it left the coaches and student-athletes completely without notice-- that was pretty rough to hammer them like this.  If there was advanced notice that this could be occurring it would have softened the blow and potentially appeal for something to save it.  But with an average home attendance of around 1200 and only 58 season ticket holders, that was a tall tale-- notwithstanding their serious Title IX compliance issues.

[AO]

Just finished teaching a course at SCSU this evening;

What's the drive time from New Prague?

Too long.  Though the drive to Collegeville feels shorter, in all honesty!

It was a sports law class, so it is right up my alley, and was quite timely in examining the Title IX issues that hit way too close to home yesterday afternoon.  The biggest concern, and I agree with this, was that the word had already been leaked to people in higher positions, but it left the coaches and student-athletes completely without notice-- that was pretty rough to hammer them like this.  If there was advanced notice that this could be occurring it would have softened the blow and potentially appeal for something to save it.  But with an average home attendance of around 1200 and only 58 season ticket holders, that was a tall tale-- notwithstanding their serious Title IX compliance issues.

They must have really been fudging their attendance numbers as the box scores claim they averaged 2,700 fans in 2019 and 2,900 in 2018.

Any comment on this?

"Donald Chance Mark Jr., the lawyer who represented 10 recent St. Cloud State women athletes who won that lawsuit, took issue with that assertion. He called the decision to eliminate football "deplorable" and said it would be "absolutely ridiculous'' to suggest that football is being cut because of the August court decision.
During the federal trial a year ago, Mark said an expert testified that SCSU could achieve Title IX compliance by adding one women's sport."

Does the lawsuit give a specific numeric goal SCSU had to meet?  The pretty easy response to Donald is that with an existing deficit, they couldn't add a single dollar to the budget, but I'm curious how many scholarships and female athletes they would have had to add if they had the money to do it.

[bennie]

I probably shouldn't give you yahoos this link, but the College Scorecard is put together by the Department of Education (so pretty legit) and has things like graduation rates, salaries (and even breaks it down by major), cost and average debt.  Here is the link for Minnesota schools: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/search/?state=MN&page=0&sort=completion_rate:desc
Have at it!!

[SagatagSam]

SCSU had 58 season ticket holders.
Any idea how many season ticket holders SJU has? It's got to be much more than that! I believe several on this board alone are season ticket holders.

[MUC57]

Duffman

Take a peek at your PM. Thanks. 

[sjujohnnie]

Weren't the final four in the running for the Gagliardi Trophy supposed to be announced yesterday? Did anyone see an announcement?

[Boys of Fall]

Just a couple thoughts on the current Minnesota college football landscape.

The situations at SCSU (discontinuing football) and UST (possibly moving D1 or D2 and offering scholarships) most likely will affect, and probably strengthen the team at SJU.  Going with 22 starters in football (not including special teams at this point), picking up even 2-3 impact players from each of those schools could benefit 20-25% of the positions.  This could have quite the impact.

This might be more for the Tommie followers, if UST does go the D1 route is Caruso the coach?  He doesn't have that level of experience, or would they allow him to at least stay and get the program through the transition?

[jamtod]

This might be more for the Tommie followers, if UST does go the D1 route is Caruso the coach?  He doesn't have that level of experience, or would they allow him to at least stay and get the program through the transition?

Yes. He's not going anywhere unless he chooses to OR they move up and really really struggle or end up with some sort of scandal.
As has been noted previously, UST can step into the Pioneer League and go .500.

Also, prior to Macalester, Caruso was OC at South Dakota (2004-2005) and NDSU (2002-2003), so he has some experience at that level, which is a step up from the Pioneer League.

[sjusection105]

SCSU had 58 season ticket holders.
Any idea how many season ticket holders SJU has? It's got to be much more than that! I believe several on this board alone are season ticket holders.

Every seat with backs in section 101-108 I believe which is about 75% of the permanent seating.
The long time season-ticket holders, 20 years plus, are prime time between the 40's. It's a real nice view 

[jknezek]

This might be more for the Tommie followers, if UST does go the D1 route is Caruso the coach?  He doesn't have that level of experience, or would they allow him to at least stay and get the program through the transition?

Yes. He's not going anywhere unless he chooses to OR they move up and really really struggle or end up with some sort of scandal.
As has been noted previously, UST can step into the Pioneer League and go .500.

Also, prior to Macalester, Caruso was OC at South Dakota (2004-2005) and NDSU (2002-2003), so he has some experience at that level, which is a step up from the Pioneer League.

No reason they would change. Davidson hired W&L's Coach Abell after a 2017 season where Davidson went 0-8 in the Pioneer. Coach Abell went 3-5 in 2018 and 5-3 in 2019 in conference. I'm guessing Coach Caruso would have no problem coaching at that level.

[johnnie_esq]

Any comment on this?

"Donald Chance Mark Jr., the lawyer who represented 10 recent St. Cloud State women athletes who won that lawsuit, took issue with that assertion. He called the decision to eliminate football "deplorable" and said it would be "absolutely ridiculous'' to suggest that football is being cut because of the August court decision.
During the federal trial a year ago, Mark said an expert testified that SCSU could achieve Title IX compliance by adding one women's sport."

Does the lawsuit give a specific numeric goal SCSU had to meet?  The pretty easy response to Donald is that with an existing deficit, they couldn't add a single dollar to the budget, but I'm curious how many scholarships and female athletes they would have had to add if they had the money to do it.

I can tell you that Title IX is quite complicated in SCSU's situation.  Softball's facility (Selke field, which has no bathrooms or dressing areas and is maintained by the coaches) is putrid, compared to baseball, which uses minor-league quality MAC complete with modern amenities and luxury boxes-- but softball also uses the dome for a number of games too.  So how do you compare whether those are commensurate in line with what Title IX requires?  It isn't a simple calculation.

Football is not the cause of their issues there, but, as a revenue sport which is not bringing in revenue, is not providing the solution.  In 2011 the student body increased the student fee so that football would not be cut back then, but the school was unable to find a structural solution to make football self-sufficient, much less a revenue-gainer.  The numbers I was told was that football cutting will save around $1M per year for SCSU; considering the school is down $5M next year, this would make big progress into filling that hole, and together with an academic arrangement (already controversial), is around halfway to making that work.

The broader point here is the future of football.  If D-2 schools cannot sustain themselves in supposedly good economic times, what is to become of us in bad times?  How will that impact D-3 football?

[faunch]

I probably shouldn't give you yahoos this link, but the College Scorecard is put together by the Department of Education (so pretty legit) and has things like graduation rates, salaries (and even breaks it down by major), cost and average debt.  Here is the link for Minnesota schools: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/search/?state=MN&page=0&sort=completion_rate:desc
Have at it!!

This is great...thx!

[jamtod]

I probably shouldn't give you yahoos this link, but the College Scorecard is put together by the Department of Education (so pretty legit) and has things like graduation rates, salaries (and even breaks it down by major), cost and average debt.  Here is the link for Minnesota schools: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/search/?state=MN&page=0&sort=completion_rate:desc
Have at it!!

This is great...thx!

Great fodder for another academic bowl next week after St John's moves into the off-season.