FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[DuffMan]

Kudos to you guys for officiating.  Like has been mentioned, we need all the officials we can get, or the games don't happen.  I'm at a point in life that it just doesn't make sense as I'm too involved in our kids' sports.  I've considered refereeing for wrestling--really wish I would have done it before we had kids.  Now, it's just not going to happen.  Maybe when the kids have grown.

Our head baseball coach makes a point of talking to and encouraging young umpires after games (and offering advice, too).

On a football note, I had to buy gear (except for a helmet) for our son's first season.  Aside from cleats and a mouthguard, I've seriously never had to buy football gear before! 

[Pat Coleman]

I umpired for extra money in high school but that's about it. I suppose someday if I had time, I could go back to that.

[bleedpurple]

I umpired for extra money in high school but that's about it. I suppose someday if I had time, I could go back to that.

I'll bet you've felt like a referee many times running this site! 

[faunch]

Partial knee replacement is at 7+ months but still need to lose 10-15 lbs...maybe a dry month, diet adjustment and exercise program might help...probably too late to get ready for this season.

I started officiating high school basketball this past year and have been doing that on nights and weekends over the summer. Two weekends ago I had 18 games in a weekend (12 games on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and 6 games on Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.). So far, I'm down 12-15 lbs since I started. Best shape I've been in since getting out of the Army over a decade ago. I highly recommend.

I reffed basketball about 30 or so years ago. Did everything from weekend youth up to varsity. Only reason I stopped was that we had young kids and I wanted to be a dad and not end up divorced because of being gone 3 nights a week.
I've considered getting back into it...ortho even said I could if I want to. I would rather avoid high impact things like running up and down a court...considering softball umpiring. Like you said there is significant shortage of officials....a guy could probably work 6 or 7 days a week (not what I want to do).
Football would be fun but sacrificing every Friday night would be difficult.

There are plenty of guys that only officiate sub-varsity. Games start at 4/5 p.m., and you're home in time for a later dinner. Plus for football, the overwhelming majority of sub-varsity games are Monday through Thursday.

Funny thing...the school district I teach in moved our high school start time back almost an entire our. We now release students at 3:25....if I were to officiate lower level games I would have get permission to leave early or white knuckle it to the gym or ball field to make it by 4pm.

[SagatagSam]

Preseason D3Football.com Top 25 is out, and that means the regular season is right around the corner!

From the MIAC:

#6 Saint John's
#14 Bethel
RV Gustavus (1)

https://gojohnnies.com/news/2023/7/31/football-johnnies-ranked-no-6-in-d3football-com-preseason-poll.aspx

[DuffMan]

SJU will know where they stand early! 

[SagatagSam]

SJU will know where they stand early! 

This is a tougher start than last year--and last year was the toughest I had ever seen.

2022
vs. #4 UW-Whitewater
vs. #19 UW-River Falls
at #20 Bethel

2023
vs. #4 Trinity (TX)
at #11 UW-Whitewater
vs. #14 Bethel

[faunch]

SJU will know where they stand early! 

This is a tougher start than last year--and last year was the toughest I had ever seen.

2022
vs. #4 UW-Whitewater
vs. #19 UW-River Falls
at #20 Bethel

2023
vs. #4 Trinity (TX)
at #11 UW-Whitewater
vs. #14 Bethel

Agreed...that's a gauntlet...
3-0 would be outstanding...
2-1 would be satisfactory...
1-2 would be disappointing...
0-3 would be disastrous...
Hoping for 3-0 or 2-1

[OzJohnnie]

SJU will know where they stand early! 

Men from the boys, wheat from the chaff.  I like it.

The days of SJU loading the out-of-conference schedule with two creampuffs are long gone.  I love backing one of the D3 sides that tries for a maximum challenge.

[SagatagSam]

SJU will know where they stand early! 

This is a tougher start than last year--and last year was the toughest I had ever seen.

2022
vs. #4 UW-Whitewater
vs. #19 UW-River Falls
at #20 Bethel

2023
vs. #4 Trinity (TX)
at #11 UW-Whitewater
vs. #14 Bethel

Agreed...that's a gauntlet...
3-0 would be outstanding...
2-1 would be satisfactory...
1-2 would be disappointing...
0-3 would be disastrous...
Hoping for 3-0 or 2-1

Agreed on almost all points. 1-2 would definitely be disappointing, but nothing that necessarily destroys a playoff opportunity. The committee has shown that it looks favorably at strength of schedule. A win against any of these teams is going to be helpful, so long as the losses against the other two aren't blowouts.

[TheChucker]

SJU will know where they stand early! 

Men from the boys, wheat from the chaff.  I like it.

The days of SJU loading the out-of-conference schedule with two creampuffs are long gone.  I love backing one of the D3 sides that tries for a maximum challenge.

It is interesting how the top WI, TX, MN teams are now travelling cross country to play each other in non-con play. It makes wonder whether it's a function of regional competition simply not wanting to play them (just to get blown out) or whether they're looking for better competition as most conference games aren't competitive? There is definitely high interest in these games. The USJ/UWW game pulled in over 12,000 fans and the UWW/UMHB game over 14,000 according to the box scores.

[GoldandBlueBU]

SJU will know where they stand early! 

This is a tougher start than last year--and last year was the toughest I had ever seen.

2022
vs. #4 UW-Whitewater
vs. #19 UW-River Falls
at #20 Bethel

2023
vs. #4 Trinity (TX)
at #11 UW-Whitewater
vs. #14 Bethel

Agreed...that's a gauntlet...
3-0 would be outstanding...
2-1 would be satisfactory...
1-2 would be disappointing...
0-3 would be disastrous...
Hoping for 3-0 or 2-1

Agreed on almost all points. 1-2 would definitely be disappointing, but nothing that necessarily destroys a playoff opportunity. The committee has shown that it looks favorably at strength of schedule. A win against any of these teams is going to be helpful, so long as the losses against the other two aren't blowouts.

Given the conference championship, even if they go 0-3 (they won't), SJU will still win their side of the MIAC, (unless things go very wrong), and still have the championship game to get an automatic bid.

Hoping BU comes out of the gates hot, but guessing there will be some growing pains and won't be on the level of SJU, as they learn how to live without Roste.  Maybe they'll find an extra year of eligibility hidden somewhere...

[SagatagSam]

Maybe they'll find an extra year of eligibility hidden somewhere...

Maybe look between the couch cushions?

[SagatagSam]

Given the conference championship, even if they go 0-3 (they won't), SJU will still win their side of the MIAC, (unless things go very wrong), and still have the championship game to get an automatic bid.

I guess I was thinking an at-large bid but didn't actually say it. I don't think SJU could go 0-3 to start the year and still have a shot at an at-large bid (that would mean they would have 4 losses overall). Going 1-2 gives them a faint chance, but that would mean the Johnnies went 1-3 against the top competition in the nation--not exactly a strong resume unless they lost all three games in absolute nail-biting fashion.

Going 2-1 or 3-0 in the first three games would make the Johnnies about as close to a lock for an at-large bid (if necessary).

[GoldandBlueBU]

Ah  - I see.  yeah, I don't think they'll have to worry about at large this year.

I suppose going 1-2 might impact seeding?