FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[DuffMan]

Snappin' necks and cashin' checks!

[Retired Old Rat]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

[DuffMan]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

Though I'd like him back at SJU, great for him!

[GoldandBlueBU]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

Though I'd like him back at SJU, great for him!

That's awesome! Both because he's out of the MIAC, and because that's a great opportunity!

Seriously though, good for him.  Can he take Syverson with him?

[sjusection105]

For those of you that have been around long enough to remember GAC's Ryan Hoag, this is pretty rich:

https://millions.co/ryan-hoag-football

The richest part:

"Join NFL legend Ryan Hoag on a FREE WatchParty while he watches the Bucs vs. Rams game on January 23, 2022 at 3:00pm EST. Get the inside scoop from a true professional, exclusively on MILLIONS."

[OzJohnnie]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27379180/the-50-best-college-football-programs-150-years

[SagatagSam]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

Though I'd like him back at SJU, great for him!

Good for Ravi!
Next man up!

[OzJohnnie]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

Does he still get a diploma from SJU I wonder or does the NCAA force students to transfer all credits and he becomes a Montana State graduate?  It would be a bummer to spend all that time and money at SJU and not even have the diploma to show for it.

I'm glad for him but was really looking forward to seeing what he and Syverson would do together in their second year.

[DuffMan]

I'm assuming he will graduate from SJU and will play at Montana State as a grad student.

[faunch]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

Good for Ravi and the Bobcats. Bozeman is a great town...too bad it's so far away...would be fun road trip!

[sjusection105]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

Good for Ravi and the Bobcats. Bozeman is a great town...too bad it's so far away...would be fun road trip!

Anything other than the vague-"New Beginnings" on social media?

[GoldandBlueBU]

Congratulations to Ravi Alston. Rumor is he's earned a full ride scholarship to Montana State for his final year of football.

Good for Ravi and the Bobcats. Bozeman is a great town...too bad it's so far away...would be fun road trip!

Anything other than the vague-"New Beginnings" on social media?

It is mentioned here: https://bobcatnation.com/bobcatbb/viewtopic.php?f=20&p=771844

[SagatagSam]

Not sure I'm a fan of this reducing AQ requirements business. There are already a bunch of good teams left out of the tournament. I'm sure we could comb the archives to find several years where one or several quarterfinalists or semifinalists were at-large teams. Haven't listened to the podcast yet, so I haven't dug into any rationale.

Perhaps it makes sense, but I'm just not seeing it right now.

Talk some sense into me if you like the move.

[Pat Coleman]

Football people generally shouldn't like the move. It does help other sports, though.

[OzJohnnie]

Not sure I'm a fan of this reducing AQ requirements business.  There are already a bunch of good teams left out of the tournament.  I'm sure we could comb the archives to find several years where one or several quarterfinalists or semifinalists were at-large teams.  Haven't listened to the podcast yet, so I haven't dug into any rationale.

Perhaps it makes sense, but I'm just not seeing it right now.

Talk some sense into me if you like the move.

It commits D3 to a broad-based student athlete association.  That's a completely non-controversial proposition in every sport but football.  Football has maybe 10 or 12 teams that are DII or even FCS competitive, as UST demonstrated this year.  And football probably has another 10 or 12 schools interested in developing programs that can join the small top group.  I suspect the arms race within conferences will really heat up to get that AQ and conferences will need to create schedules that make that slim shot of a Pool C bid possible (ahem, divisions must bite the dust...).

What I find interesting is that it will increase, I think, the pressure on the MIAC to fragment (ala MAC, although they have returned).  It seems to me that the rules will allow sports-specific conferences to develop.  The MIAC essentially requires all members to do most everything.  Increasing cost pressures along with competition for customers students (particularly men) mean that more and more combinations of sporting leagues can be specialty created to compete while the MIAC will still offer the everything-for-everyone proposition by mandate.  I think that all sizes for all customers business model may feel some pressure.  We'll see.