MBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

keith45 · May 25, 2006, 10:24:12 AM

Quote from: "The Roop" on May 24, 2006, 06:56:19 PM
Lakeland to Clarke is still shorter than Lawrence or St. Norbert to Grinnell. Yet you don't hear a lot of complaining about it in the MWC. Complaints about "The System" perhaps but not the travel.

true..and I'm not sure if Grinnell was added to that conference later, or was a founding member, or what have you....but since Clarke is not in that conference, my point would be to try and avoid it if possible.....I'm sure they could get a football team up and running over there, and it would boost enrollment a bit as well...recruiting wise, the basketball team is always getting players from all over the nation (when I played at UD, they had 5-6 kids from New Orleans in 3 years), so that might help
and that basketball team (men's) would be competitive in the IIAC right away

Just Bill · May 25, 2006, 10:30:49 AM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 24, 2006, 12:00:16 AM
What are those options, though? The IIAC requires that all schools sponsor all 18 sports, which means Clarke would have to add football.

What a strange rule? I understand requiring a minimum number of sports, but to say "all or nothing" seems very weird. Anyone know the ratinale behind that IIAC rule?

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · May 25, 2006, 11:26:00 AM

Quote from: Just Bill on May 25, 2006, 10:30:49 AM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 24, 2006, 12:00:16 AM
What are those options, though? The IIAC requires that all schools sponsor all 18 sports, which means Clarke would have to add football.
What a strange rule? I understand requiring a minimum number of sports, but to say "all or nothing" seems very weird. Anyone know the ratinale behind that IIAC rule?

Because they can.

Ralph Turner · May 25, 2006, 11:29:32 AM

I don't know the reason, but the "all or nothing" ensures that there are sufficient competitors for the conference sponsored sports to make the AQ, and it levels the field by requiring some support in all areas.

Clarke needs to look at the opening in the 9-team IIAC. It would be a very good time to fill that opening. Does Waldorf have any plans to move to D3? A 10-team conference probably is less enthusiastic about adding a team than a 9-team conference, what with open dates, trying to find a second non-conference football game, etc.

Just Bill · May 25, 2006, 03:35:43 PM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on May 25, 2006, 11:29:32 AM
I don't know the reason, but the "all or nothing" ensures that there are sufficient competitors for the conference sponsored sports to make the AQ, and it levels the field by requiring some support in all areas.

Strange! I've never even heard of a league where every school competes in every sport. Even the big boys (Big Ten, SEC, etc.) have schools that don't play all sports.

The Roop · May 25, 2006, 04:12:22 PM

Does Clarke even have the facilities/resources for a football program. At the DIII level you are lucky if you take in enough to cover your gas money for the year. Since lots of schools don't even charge admission they don't take in anything. So it would probably cheaper to just pay the IIAC $500,000 a year and not have a team than it would be to start a program from scratch and fund it every year.

Pat Coleman · May 25, 2006, 04:36:57 PM

You don't think bringing in 80 male tuition payers covers some costs?

keith45 · May 25, 2006, 04:43:22 PM

Quote from: "The Roop" on May 25, 2006, 04:12:22 PM
Does Clarke even have the facilities/resources for a football program. At the DIII level you are lucky if you take in enough to cover your gas money for the year. Since lots of schools don't even charge admission they don't take in anything. So it would probably cheaper to just pay the IIAC $500,000 a year and not have a team than it would be to start a program from scratch and fund it every year.

Clarke is about 100 feet from a large high school, with a football field that is as little worse than most in the IIAC....I think they could work something out of they needed too (drop some cash for field renovation and upkeep, practice in the morning, or under the lights, etc and share the field) and based on UD's football teams impact on enrollment (I think UD had over 100 kids last year), you could get something in a few years

Greek Tragedy · May 25, 2006, 05:26:36 PM

When Stevens Point played in the Clarke College Holiday tourney, a little trivial information was that there are something like NINE colleges/universities in Dubuque area! I don't anything about Dubuque, Clarke, Loras etc in the area, but I'm sure if need be, they could share facilities...and that doesn't include the access to high school facilities that keith mentioned.

keith45 · May 25, 2006, 05:31:50 PM

Quote from: Old School on May 25, 2006, 05:26:36 PM
When Stevens Point played in the Clarke College Holiday tourney, a little trivial information was that there are something like NINE colleges/universities in Dubuque area! I don't anything about Dubuque, Clarke, Loras etc in the area, but I'm sure if need be, they could share facilities...and that doesn't include the access to high school facilities that keith mentioned.

Clarke, UD, Loras, UW-Platt, Emmaus, 1 junior college, 1 hair school (lol) and 2 seminaries..in a town of 75,000 (Platt and the juco are about 10 miles outside of town, opposite directions)

The Roop · May 25, 2006, 05:37:19 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 25, 2006, 04:36:57 PM
You don't think bringing in 80 male tuition payers covers some costs?

I agree that adding a football team would increase enrollment, but you can also increase enrollment by accepting 80 that might normally be denied admission. Then there's no expense of a football team.

I'm sure Clarke would prefer to join a conference but considering the Pool B criteria they might be better off as an independent given their geographic location. After all, everybody needs in region non conference games.

Pat Coleman · May 25, 2006, 08:22:17 PM

Merely accepting 80 more people does not translate into 80 more students.

The Roop · May 25, 2006, 09:24:13 PM

Price of aluminum is pretty high right now. How about mandatory recycling on campus and they don't need to accept anybody.

Mr. Ypsi · May 25, 2006, 09:57:18 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 25, 2006, 08:22:17 PM
Merely accepting 80 more people does not translate into 80 more students.

Neither does having 80 fb players. Some would already be there for track, bball, wrestling (or simply because they are already there!); likewise, some (most?) will be receiving merit and or need-based scholarships.

80 fb players may or may not raise any more revenue than 80 more of any other kind of students, but would certainly cost more.

Pat Coleman · May 25, 2006, 10:18:03 PM

Actually, Mr. Ypsi, that isn't likely to be true. While they might get 10 people of that sort from the campus community at large, they are truly likely to bring in at least 80 people if they want.

Most startup Division III football programs have more like 100 incoming players the first season. I chose 80 to cover the possibility of "walk-ons" already existing on campus.