FB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Gray Fox]

Redlands was originally scheduled to play Trinity.  Trinity was forced to cancel after the SCAC expanded by two teams this season.  Haskell was scheduled for many reasons other than for an easy football victory.

[TC]

Augsburg (3-5 in the MIAC) won at Wartburg, who finished #15 in the D3football.com poll.
Hamline (last in the MIAC) beat Martin Luther, who finished 6-3 on the season.
Gustavus (3-5 in the MIAC) beat Willamette, who I trust you are all familiar with.
Concordia-Moorhead (5-3 in the MIAC) beat Moorhead St., a D-2 scholarship program.

Those are the also-rans of the conference, teams that St. John's beat by an average of 41 points this year.  Overall, the MIAC finished 15-3 in non-conference games.  I would say that's a pretty good argument about the strength of the conference.  The SCIAC, by comparison, was 9-12 outside of conference play.

[snoop dawg]

While Im a SCIAC fan, I have to say that TC is right.

[scandihoovian]

Thanks for your reply, TC - I'll concede that the MIAC is stronger at the middle & bottom.  The Augsburg win over Wartburg is especially a quality win.

FWIW - I would have left out the win over Martin Luther - who may be the only school in the nation who could strengthen their SOS by scheduling Haskell 

[Purple Heys]

Augsburg (3-5 in the MIAC) won at Wartburg, who finished #15 in the D3football.com poll.
Hamline (last in the MIAC) beat Martin Luther, who finished 6-3 on the season.
Gustavus (3-5 in the MIAC) beat Willamette, who I trust you are all familiar with.
Concordia-Moorhead (5-3 in the MIAC) beat Moorhead St., a D-2 scholarship program.

Those are the also-rans of the conference, teams that St. John's beat by an average of 41 points this year.  Overall, the MIAC finished 15-3 in non-conference games.  I would say that's a pretty good argument about the strength of the conference.  The SCIAC, by comparison, was 9-12 outside of conference play.

Note that 3 of those SCIAC non-conference wins were over Louise and Clark (2) and Mighty Menlo.

The best of the SCIAC may be competitive relative to the MIAC and the IIAC, but the bottom is not on par with the lower tier MIAC and IIAC teams being better compared to SCIAC cellar dwellers.

IMHO, and to their defense, SCIAC teams have it tougher to find good quality competition within reasonable bus travel distance; unlike MIAC and IIAC.  Unless OXY, UofR and Cal Lu perennially schedule Linfield, Whitworth, PLU and Willamette, they will be stigmatized as ducking the better D3 competition.  D3 teams are hard to come by in nearer by Nevada, Arizona...non-existent actually.  Kudos for UofR for venturing north to play the Pirates and to the Leopards for hosting  them too.  But travel costs are prohibitive to non-revenue generating sports programs.

With an AQ for D3 playoffs given to the conference, Top SCIAC teams have less to lose playing better nonconference teams...as Cal Lu proved playing for the SCIAC title and the AQ with 3 losses.

Playing the Sherman Indian school or CSDR just gets you laughed at...wait a minute that was my team when I coached at Webb High School.    

[snoop dawg]

Scandi.....Haskell was bad, but as I said earlier, Lewis & Clark was worse. And remember, Chapman was no pushover.  At least there were some redeeming reasons why UR played Haskell.

[TC]

Thanks for your reply, TC - I'll concede that the MIAC is stronger at the middle & bottom.  The Augsburg win over Wartburg is especially a quality win.

FWIW - I would have left out the win over Martin Luther - who may be the only school in the nation who could strengthen their SOS by scheduling Haskell 

For what it's worth, I thought this year's Bethel and St. Olaf teams were among the best non-SJU teams the MIAC has produced in the last handful of years.  Bethel pushed the Johnnies D-front around like only they, UW-Whitewater, and Mount Union seem capable of doing and St. Olaf controlled the game until their top corner got injured in the second half.  I guess we find out if the top of the SCIAC can hang with the top of the MIAC starting Saturday.  I don't see it happening, but at least we get to find out on the field.

I agree that Martin Luther is not particularly good at competitive football, but the fact that our worst team beat a team that beat six other teams means something, doesn't it?

[snoop dawg]

TC.......OK, your right, I agree.  Saturday will answer alot of questions.  Win or lose, I think you will have some new found respect for UR.

[tmerton]

 At least there were some redeeming reasons why UR played Haskell.

You mean the Indian casino money?  Well, I guess you're close enough to Vegas to think that helped explain it.

[snoop dawg]

I can tell you that the Haskell kids had a once in a lifetime experience apart from the The game had more meaning than scheduling a cream puff.  Believe me, I complained about the game when it was first scheduled, after the game and after learning about the experience they had, it was worth it.

I do hope it was a one time deal and that UR will schedule a much tougher opponent next year.

[Pat Coleman]

I agree that Martin Luther is not particularly good at competitive football, but the fact that our worst team beat a team that beat six other teams means something, doesn't it?

All it guarantees is that your worst team beat No. 232.

[TC]

I agree that Martin Luther is not particularly good at competitive football, but the fact that our worst team beat a team that beat six other teams means something, doesn't it?

All it guarantees is that your worst team beat No. 232.

After so many years with Macalester in the conference we'll take it.

[Ralph Turner]

I can tell you that the Haskell kids had a once in a lifetime experience apart from the The game had more meaning than scheduling a cream puff.  Believe me, I complained about the game when it was first scheduled, after the game and after learning about the experience they had, it was worth it.

I do hope it was a one time deal and that UR will schedule a much tougher opponent next year.

+1 snoop dawg!

We understand the issues involved with the Haskell game.

I think that Redlands handled it with dignity and sportsmanship.

[tmerton]

I can tell you that the Haskell kids had a once in a lifetime experience apart from the The game had more meaning than scheduling a cream puff.  Believe me, I complained about the game when it was first scheduled, after the game and after learning about the experience they had, it was worth it.

I do hope it was a one time deal and that UR will schedule a much tougher opponent next year.

+1 snoop dawg!

We understand the issues involved with the Haskell game.

I think that Redlands handled it with dignity and sportsmanship.

I'd be interested, Ralph, in what you know about the situation that allows you to pontificate in that manner (you, Benedict and EII apparently can use the royal "we" ).  There apparently were other teams available at the time, and I've never heard otherwise from an authoritative source.  It may all be well that it was a "once in a lifetime" situation for the kids from Haskell, but that's a story that's not been told.  So if you have something you know, please share.  Because there should be something to explain why UofR schedules one of the very worst teams in NAIA back in April.

Edit: Oooh

[downtown48]

Oh, give me a break. Trinity dropped out and Redlands needed a game. The Soboba tribe picked up Haskell's entire tab. It cost Redlands nothing. Quit making it sound like it was a lifelong dream sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

OxyBob

AMEN to that!  Although, be careful OB, sometimes a free trip still won't get you a game with the Bulldogs.