FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[SagatagSam]

I found the conversation about UMHB possibly being a week 1 game to be interesting, especially in light of there being a shift toward emphasizing wins over strength of schedule.

[Retired Old Rat]

Will continue to have championship week...Gary is not a fan as it will likely require MIAC championship game teams to play an extra playoff level game. (My opinion is why have #1 and #2 play each other again? I think it's silly.)

Coaching staff...Alex Larson will coach tight ends

Championship week is stupid on so many levels.  I hope that with the expanded playoffs this doesn't knock the loser out of a playoff spot.

I wish Alex Larson could coach height.  Besides his high level of skill his height was his biggest advantage.  5'10' defensive backs could not cover him.

People used to complain/joke about Ryan Keating's number of years playing.  His college career was short compared to some of the D1 guys who've had multiple medical redshirts.

Go Johnnies!

[GoldandBlueBU]

Larson chased the NFL dreams a bit, didn't he?  Did he gain much traction there?

[AO]

WBHR-Mark Lewandowski pre-season interview with Gary.

https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cirruscontent/index.cfm?stationcallsign=WBHR&autoStartApp=on-demand&autoStartPodcast=2513166

Listened to it and here's what stood out to me:

Last season of divisional play.
2025 will play all but one conference team (St. Olaf)
Will continue to have championship week...Gary is not a fan as it will likely require MIAC championship game teams to play an extra playoff level game. (My opinion is why have #1 and #2 play each other again? I think it's silly.)

Recruiting focused on Offensive linemen andD-backs...57 freshmen coming in...8 transfers...maybe 2-3 more
65 new players in all

Players report Aug. 14

Coaching staff...Alex Larson will coach tight ends

Gustavus, Augsburg and Bethel bring almost everyone back...Gary believes the league is as balanced as It's been in years.

Is the new schedule a reaction to the playoff criteria?

My understanding is fewer losses basically trumps a strong schedule. So there isn't value in scheduling good non-conference teams.

I'm guessing all the top teams will schedule cream puffs in the non conference. So you're looking at likely a zero or one loss automatic and a two loss team?

Top teams will get a couple extra easy wins, too, I guess, in conference.

They can adjust the dials for 2026 so that might not be a good scheduling strategy. Favoring win percentage does ramp up the importance of the championship game, so I guess I like that. I'm sure there will be some annoyance when an MWC team gets in over Bethel.

[Johns Knees]

I'm probably one of the few that liked divisions and championship week. Because it supposedly would help get more playoff teams based on the criteria.

Oddly, eliminating the divisions, playing almost everyone and still having championship week doesn't make sense to me.

I know that's probably contradictory.

Why not just play everyone, eliminate the championship week and the winner is the one with the best conference record?

[Texas Ole]

I thought after 1v1 the championship weekend was pretty bad. Too many rematches. Also some rivalries just seemed to go away. I understand that 8 game conference schedule makes some sense with equal home and road games, but I'm not sure it totally matters. Anyone know the rule if the MIAC were to have co-champs without a title game for NCAA bids? 

[SagatagSam]

I thought after 1v1 the championship weekend was pretty bad. Too many rematches. Also some rivalries just seemed to go away. I understand that 8 game conference schedule makes some sense with equal home and road games, but I'm not sure it totally matters. Anyone know the rule if the MIAC were to have co-champs without a title game for NCAA bids? 

You have to go back ages ago to find the rule on that--all the way back to the pre-COVID days. I cannot remember it off the top of my head. I feel like head-to-head won the day in the case of a two team tie for the championship? Also, didn't they have some contingency for a three way tiebreaker that gave the auto-bid to the team that had been to the national tournament the least recently?

[AO]

I thought after 1v1 the championship weekend was pretty bad. Too many rematches. Also some rivalries just seemed to go away. I understand that 8 game conference schedule makes some sense with equal home and road games, but I'm not sure it totally matters. Anyone know the rule if the MIAC were to have co-champs without a title game for NCAA bids? 

The UMAC drew a team out of a hat in 2012 when we had a three-way tie.

[hazzben]

Re: Returners, Bethel brings a ton back. Geebli is returning from a game 1 season ending ankle unjurie. If he's back to old form it bodes well. Some key transfers are sprinkled in, but the biggest question for Bethel will be QB. The other pieces are there, but they need someone who can take advantage of a great WR corps and prevent D's from stacking the box against Geebli and Co.

[Texas Ole]

I thought after 1v1 the championship weekend was pretty bad. Too many rematches. Also some rivalries just seemed to go away. I understand that 8 game conference schedule makes some sense with equal home and road games, but I'm not sure it totally matters. Anyone know the rule if the MIAC were to have co-champs without a title game for NCAA bids? 

You have to go back ages ago to find the rule on that--all the way back to the pre-COVID days. I cannot remember it off the top of my head. I feel like head-to-head won the day in the case of a two team tie for the championship? Also, didn't they have some contingency for a three way tiebreaker that gave the auto-bid to the team that had been to the national tournament the least recently?

I actually don't mind co-champions.  It worked for 75 years in the FBS until someone decided it was odd.  It also allowed a school like Texas A$M to claim multiple championships that nobody else recognizes.  I would think the MIAC would have to declare 1 team as receiving the bid, but my guess is in the worst case scenario the tied teams would have at most 2 losses.  Even at that I would think both would make the playoffs regardless with the overall strength of the conference. 

I think the Big Ten used to have a rule that in the event of co-champs the Rose Bowl bid went to the school with the longest drought.  I think that is a fun rule.  It really comes down to just win and leave no doubt!

[Retired Old Rat]

I HATED that rule.  In 1967 Minnesota beat Indiana 33-7.  Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten (actually ten teams at that time), and each went 1-1 against the other two. The Boilermakers were ineligible since they played in Pasadena the previous year. This invoked the next tiebreaker, which favored the team which had gone the longest since its most recent Rose Bowl trip. Indiana had never been, while Minnesota last appeared in 1962.

No other bowls for Big Ten teams at that time.  Rose bowl had an exclusive with the Big Ten and PAC-8 (Athletic Association of Western Universities until 1968).  Last time the Gophers had even a part of the Big Ten championship.  No Rose Bowl since 1962.

I was really upset at the time.  Still not over it.   

[Johns Knees]

Is the higher seed at home in the new championship week?

Before it alternated divisions annually. With no divisions, I assume higher seed is at home?

[carletonknights]

I think after the fall Carleton was projected to bring back 21/22 starters - or was that the stat last year?

Either way, that's no longer the case as their All-American Obono entered the transfer portal. Not sure where he ended up.

[art76]

Another podcast has dropped if you missed it.

[art76]

Hot off the presses: https://www.bethel.edu/news/articles/2024/july/rocketry-competition-win?fbclid=IwY2xjawEX3YBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYtzVh9wPw9JSZpnHLOi5HHZXXHaA4pvLjjtY9ldrEnkvJU0zLz1W5bZlw_aem_uEjFZURFvvowGXZsp6F3Kg