FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

HunterT · October 12, 2006, 12:37:29 PM

Here's one for all the Texas fans, no not Trinity, but the Longhorns. This year the SCAC seems a lot like the Big-12 South. Every week is a great game, there are always a few blowouts, but Texas (Trinity) always seems on top. Everybody wants them to lose, and they have stout competition from the other conference teams, Depauw and Rhodes and Millsaps should be. And on any given week at any SCAC game, there will be a battle, no matter if it's the #1 team versus the bottom of the pack. Everybody is playing quality ball, and it seems that the "bottom tier" is getting closer and closer to dethroning the top. This is one of the most exciting conferences in DIII in my opinion. I give all credit to the ASC and some of the Northern ones, but they don't seem to have the top to bottom competition that the SCAC does.

to take that one step farther... Why doesn't the SCAC get that respect when it comes to Pool C playoff bids? The only answer I can come up with is the small number of teams, but even that has increased and we still get snuffed. Maybe there are just too many DIII teams.

exmajor · October 12, 2006, 12:50:34 PM

Hunter T,

The SCAC has not always been as competitive as it appears this season (I still believe it is early for some teams and the jury is still out). For the most part Trinity has dominated, with Depauw falling in line right behind, after that it has been a toss-up year in and year out. I am not sure about your Pool C question, but history has shown that the SCAC usually sends just the conference winner to the playoffs. I think to raise the Pool C status, the SCAC needs more than just two teams who not only play well in the SCAC every year, but also prove their worth in non-conference games.

Ralph Turner · October 12, 2006, 01:08:40 PM

Quote from: HunterT on October 12, 2006, 12:37:29 PM
Here's one for all the Texas fans, no not Trinity, but the Longhorns. This year the SCAC seems a lot like the Big-12 South. Every week is a great game, there are always a few blowouts, but Texas (Trinity) always seems on top. Everybody wants them to lose, and they have stout competition from the other conference teams, Depauw and Rhodes and Millsaps should be. And on any given week at any SCAC game, there will be a battle, no matter if it's the #1 team versus the bottom of the pack. Everybody is playing quality ball, and it seems that the "bottom tier" is getting closer and closer to dethroning the top. This is one of the most exciting conferences in DIII in my opinion. I give all credit to the ASC and some of the Northern ones, but they don't seem to have the top to bottom competition that the SCAC does.

to take that one step farther... Why doesn't the SCAC get that respect when it comes to Pool C playoff bids? The only answer I can come up with is the small number of teams, but even that has increased and we still get snuffed. Maybe there are just too many DIII teams.

Hunter T, the playoff at-large bids are calculated by criteria that are expressly designated in the Championship Handbook.

Please go to the FAQ and you can follow the discussions on the Pool C bid board on the multi-regions board.

Ron Boerger · October 12, 2006, 01:15:20 PM

Well ... when's the last time the SCAC's second place team was 9-1? Let's see ... 2001. And that Centre team got plastered 52-24 in the days when there were fewer Pool C bids available. So the SCAC has never had a second team worthy, especially given the NCAA's newish criteria (thanks Ralph).

Someone who can go 9-1 this year with only one close loss is going to be a good candidate; either Rhodes or DePauw could fit that bill. Nobody with two losses, not even Trinity, will get in as a Pool C candidate. There are simply too many good 9-1 teams, and pool B teams which rate high can also take Pool C slots. That seems likely this year.

HunterT · October 12, 2006, 04:54:54 PM

That's the explanation I was expecting. Thanks guys.

Josh Bowerman · October 12, 2006, 08:52:41 PM

I've been so busy with my day job this week, I haven't yet had an opportunity to let fans of the Austin College and Millsaps squads know that I'll be covering the game for d3football.com photographically this weekend.

As always, parents, players and friends of those folks please email me offline or send me a private message if you have any special photographic requests.

Say "hi" if you see me there!

etg · October 12, 2006, 08:55:29 PM

(El Tea Gray---re: Millsaps at Austin College)

Bonzo,

"Letting me head up to Sherman"; please. No wonder that you can never come on down to see the Tigers; are you going to try this year?

Ron Boerger · October 12, 2006, 09:16:24 PM

The car is in bad shape and there's not a lot of free money these days. 30 miles is doable, 300 (x2) not.

Werner99 · October 13, 2006, 07:54:15 AM

I know I shouldn't be looking this far into the schedule with a critical game against a tough Rhodes team this weekend, but DePauw announced that tickets to the Monon Bell game against Wabash will go on sale 10/23/06.

http://www.depauw.edu/ath/football/index.asp?id=18255

It seems they are running the sales through the bookstore rather than the athletic office, which hopefully will make it easier to get through on the phone.

This game is something you need to experience to understand. I'd enjoy having any SCAC fans stop by the tailgate if you do make it. I know Crawfordsville is a bit off your radar, but I just had to throw that out there!

I wish everyone a hard-fought and injury-free weekend of play.

footballsouthernstyle · October 13, 2006, 08:42:21 AM

First post on this board. So it may not be in the right place so cut me some slack. Why won't the SCAC allow Huntingdon to join the league and what about Lagrange.

thanks.

Ron Boerger · October 13, 2006, 09:40:30 AM

Welcome, footballsouthernstyle. In response to your question, and in probable order of relevance:

(1) Have the schools actually contacted the SCAC to seek admission? There's a lot of travel involved, which costs a lot of money when you multiply it by all the sports each school participates in. It also takes a lot of time away from the athletes.
(2) The conference announced last season that it wanted to have a maximum of 12 teams; with the addition of Colorado College (most sports starting in '07-'08) and Birmingham Southern (participation begins as early as next year in some sports, full membership when the transition to D3 is complete), they'll be at 12, nine with football.
(3) The SCAC takes the "collegiate" bit seriously. Schools are very highly ranked nationally by US News (etc.), almost all have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, etc. LaGrange seems to be a better fit here; they're ranked in the top ten of Comprehensive Colleges-South by US News, but Huntingdon gets a fourth tier (of four) in the Liberal Arts category. Neither school has a PBK chapter.
(4) SCAC schools generally have endowments in excess of $100M. HC's is $36M and LaGrange, $62M.

This is just IMO but from following the SCAC for a number of years, I think it's fairly accurate. You might try asking the SCAC office itself, see www.scac-online.org.

I think geographically, financially, and culturally there are other conferences that are good fits for these schools - the USA South is one that comes to mind. Yes, there's travel there, but less than joining the SCAC.

The SCAC has never had one-sport associate members and I don't see that changing unless they were in a real bind.

Hawks88 · October 13, 2006, 10:21:14 AM

There was actually an article in yesterday's Montgomery Advertiser. I understand the reasons why HC would not be admitted as far as endowments and Phi Beta Kappa, but the negative tone of the article makes makes me wonder if there might be other reasons. As far as scheduling games, I had assumed that we would be playing B'ham-Southern and was hoping some of the others would find a way to keep us on their schedules but this doesn't sound to promising. Unless something happens with the rumored USAC/GSAC thing, looks like we will be searching far and wide for games.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/SPORTS/610120383/1002/ARCHIVES

Ron Boerger · October 13, 2006, 12:05:00 PM

Thanks for the article, '88. It certainly provides a good background and at least the HC perspective.

What the article doesn't mention is that the SCAC, despite the (S), is not primarily focused on geography when selecting its members. All you have to do is look at how scattered the membership is. Even before Colorado College was announced as a member, I don't know of a Division III conference that covered more territory. It's similar to the UAA in that regard; the UAA is an association of academically elite research institutions. The SCAC is a collection of nationally regarded colleges which primarily offer bachelors' degrees.

If the author of this story wanted insight into SCAC membership, he had only to go to the SCAC web site and view "about the SCAC," which includes the following:

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) and its member institutions are committed to maintaining high academic standards. The member institutions are committed to the principle that a quality college athletics program is beneficial to the well-being of an institution in that it benefits the entire campus community as well as the student-athletes.

With nine of the 10 member institutions maintaining Phi Beta Kappa chapters on their campuses, the SCAC boasts some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation. SCAC schools are consistently ranked among the top 50 colleges and universities in the nation in such respected publications as Barron's, Peterson's, Princeton Review and National Review College Guide.

I know there are good things happening academically at Huntingdon. To imply that "politics" was used in the decision to decline their application is, in my mind, just a bit disingenious. Against schools like Colorado College and Birmingham Southern, the Hawks come up a bit short. So do a lot of D3 schools.

I hope the Hawks can find a conference soon. They deserve the chance to compete as part of one, earn a bid in that way, and to have a more stable future. Turk is a class guy who is building a fine program.

HunterT · October 13, 2006, 07:38:09 PM

big games tomorrow. predictions:

Rhodes -10
Depauw -7
come on home field advantage.

Millsaps - 38
Austin - 14
Millsaps offense rolls again.

historymajor · October 13, 2006, 08:30:03 PM

Hey, BfB... get some sack!..... As a TU alum, and a man.... if you want to go to SAT for a TU game... rent a friggin' car... $19-$25 a da unlimited mileage.... $99 roundtrip flights to SAT from DFW or DAL... and if you can't arrange that.... just email me, and I'll arrange a ride from Dallas area to SAT....
Mommy won't let me is not an excuse! Lead, follow, or get off the airways!