FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Ron Boerger]

What kind of work is Trinity wanting to do with their football field?

FieldTurf (etc.) and stadium upgrade was what I heard quite a while back, etg may have better/more current info. 

[D3_DPUFan]

Don't know if anyone has noticed that College Football Live (ESPN2/ESPNU) is doing "50 States in 50 Days"...a focus on college football, state by state. DI programs, stars and stats are featured, but there have been a few DIII programs mentioned so far.

To all DPU and Wabash posters and fans/friends of the Monon Bell Classic...why don't we send some comments/suggestions/stories related to the Bell game, the tradition of the Tiger and Little Giant programs and the reasons why the folks at ESPNU should give it some attention beyond Purdue, IU, ND, BSU, etc.

I think New Jersey/Delaware is today; not sure when Indiana will be featured, but IMHO, the Monon Bell Classic deserves more than a brief mention! 8)

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/mailbagESPN?event_id=16564 

[Ralph Turner]

Centenary mulling options -- D-1 or D-III

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090603/SPORTS02/906030350/1001/SPORTS


New Centenary president is Southwestern alum.


http://www.centenary.edu/news/2009/0000260

[Ron Boerger]

Interesting that, of the two D3 conferences Centenary is exploring, the article only mentions the ASC.  You'd think the second conference would be the SCAC, but perhaps the SCAC isn't interested in expanding at this point (unless CC decides to move to D2; no doubt a football-playing school would be preferred but with a program starting at Hendrix in a couple of years it's not that much of a requirement).

Centenary is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South; eight other ACS members are SCAC members.  Birmingham-Southern, which as we all know made a similar move three years ago, is one of them.   

EDIT:  I see where the new Centenary prez, besides being a SW alum (thanks, Ralph!), comes via way of LaGrange and Emory, plus got his master's at Emory.  You wonder if his selection has gotten the D3 ball rolling again (e.g. if he has said that as president he would encourage such a move).   He's a pretty young guy (44) for a university president. 

[cush]

Centenary does have an internal battle going on:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090604/SPORTS02/906040303/1001/SPORTS

I think the scac should expand to 14 this summer with berry and centenary if willing...that would cut travel cost for scac members next year by playing more division games, bring aboard like minded academic school's who made the jump to d3, and hedge the scac's future given depauw probably leaves for the ncac next summer and CC seems to be? its whole athletic program, not to mention they have the worst travel for other scac school's...so i would think the scac would be back to 12 members, which is more manageable,  for the 2010-11 academic year, ie add centenary and berry this year and have depauw and cc most likely leave the next. As for centenary, the school is just too small and lacking the $'s to be in d1, can't make any comparison to tulane or rice. The only comparison might be wofford but they have a good academic/geographic league to be a member in at the d1 level and an NFL team/owner to fund some of their expenses.  Not surprising the coaches or athletes want to stay in d1 though, i would think d1 brings higher pay for the coaches and no hassle scholarships for athletes.

[Ron Boerger]

Let's see, under 1000 students, and the NCAA allows this many athletic scholarships:

Baseball  - 11.7
Basketball (M/W) - 13/15
CC/T&F (M/W) - 12.6/18
Golf (M/W) - 4.5/6
Gymnastics (W) - 12
Soccer (M/W) - 9.9/14
Softball - 13
Swimming (M/W) - 9.9/14
Tennis (M/W) - 4.5/8
Volleyball (W) - 12

total scholarships possible = 107.9 (men) / 112 (women) = 229.9 total = ~25% of Centenary's undergrad enrollment.  Yeah, that makes sense. 

[Tex]

Were it my decision, I'd start with a Field Turf upgrade for EM Stevens.  In addressing the stands on the home side, I'd look for some sort of retractible shade covering for the hot west sun, especially since we have all those 1:30 starts.  Our visiting crowds are generally sparse.  I'd probably at least put in a bathroom at one end of the visiting stands.  Home stands bathrooms could use some attention (assuming that the womens, which I have NOT seen, is in the same condition as the mens). 

I'd also put in a really nice riser over the pressbox for both teams to have film crews nice and high.  Press box could use some elevation as if I'm sitting on the top row and stand up, the guys in the booth can't see.    I do block the sun somewhat however.

EM Stevens does invoke a bit of "historic" feel to you when you walk in. 

On my silly wishlist would be a jumbotron scoreboard.  Not likely, but a scoreboard general upgrade would be nice. 

One of TU's toughest recruiting issues is the field.  Coach Mohr does a good job of preparing recruits for it before they see it.  Honesty does go a long way.  But, most of these TX kids have been playing in front of 10,000+ fans in some damn nice stadiums in HS. 

That's about it. 

[frank uible]

Centenary, bring back Cal Hubbard.

[Ralph Turner]

Interesting that, of the two D3 conferences Centenary is exploring, the article only mentions the ASC.  You'd think the second conference would be the SCAC, but perhaps the SCAC isn't interested in expanding at this point (unless CC decides to move to D2; no doubt a football-playing school would be preferred but with a program starting at Hendrix in a couple of years it's not that much of a requirement).

Centenary is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South; eight other ACS members are SCAC members.  Birmingham-Southern, which as we all know made a similar move three years ago, is one of them.   

Here is another way that Centenary can do this.

They must give the Summit League two years notice.  The Summit League may not mind not traveling to Shreveport, and so that won't be too much of a problem.

(Summit League --That takes it to 2011-12.  The exploratory year must occur somewhere in the re-classifying.  Did BSC go thru that?)

Centenary is way off from joining D-III.  The 7-team ASC-East could fit them into a schedule muy pronto.

New Centenary president Dr Rowe is on the fast track.  The $65M campaign at LaGrange is impressive.

When the SCAC is ready to add Centenary, I think that it is a done deal.

(They can join the ASC anytime!)

[D3_DPUFan]

Centenary, bring back Cal Hubbard.

How about The Chief, Robert Parrish?  Sorry, only guy I could think  of from Centenary...

[Ralph Turner]

Centenary does have an internal battle going on:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090604/SPORTS02/906040303/1001/SPORTS

I think the scac should expand to 14 this summer with berry and centenary if willing...that would cut travel cost for scac members next year by playing more division games, bring aboard like minded academic school's who made the jump to d3, and hedge the scac's future given depauw probably leaves for the ncac next summer and CC seems to be? its whole athletic program, not to mention they have the worst travel for other scac school's...so i would think the scac would be back to 12 members, which is more manageable,  for the 2010-11 academic year, ie add centenary and berry this year and have depauw and cc most likely leave the next. As for centenary, the school is just too small and lacking the $'s to be in d1, can't make any comparison to tulane or rice. The only comparison might be wofford but they have a good academic/geographic league to be a member in at the d1 level and an NFL team/owner to fund some of their expenses.  Not surprising the coaches or athletes want to stay in d1 though, i would think d1 brings higher pay for the coaches and no hassle scholarships for athletes.

Thanks cush.

I went to the website and posted my comments as to why reality says there is no D1 option.

If you want to "recommend" my comments and the other "pro-D-III" comments,  then click on the link.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090604/SPORTS02/906040303&s=a#pluckcomments


Here are my comments...

I am a D-III fan and alum. Many of us D-III fans have wondered why has Centenary not made the move up to D-III before.

Fans are asking questions. Ron Boerger, a D-III fan and authority on D-III South Region football at D3football.com/ D3boards.com, calculated that Centenary could be offering 107.9 men's scholarships and another 112 for women. That approaches 25% of the Centenary student body. ($22000 tuition times 219 scholarships = $4.81Million) The other 75% of the students are paying for those athletic scholarships thru their own tuition.

The 2008 endowment figures released by NACUBO shows Centenary's endowment at around $120Million, before the crash.

"Down 20%?". Make $96Million. If you are drawing a generous 4% on the endowment, then that is less than $4M to fund what those endowment dollars were given to fund, like history professors and academic scholarships. Centenary's endowment doesn't cover athletics.

Why not D-III? More later.

Centenary is geographically isolated in the Summit League. (Fort Wayne IN?, Rochester MI?, Cedar City UT?, Brookings SD?)

They have had trouble with graduation rates in basketball and baseball, and the NCAA has called them on it.

Centenary's endowment is less than Texas D-III schools Hardin-Simmons, Austin College, Southwestern and Trinity.

Centenary's peer institutions are found at Associated Colleges of the South.

www.colleges.org .

There are 8 schools that are in D-III in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference: Birmingham Southern (in the process of re-classifying from D-1 since 2006), Centre, Hendrix, Millsaps, Rhodes, Southwestern, Trinity & Sewanee (University of the South).

Another option is the American Southwest Conf. All but 1 of the 7 schools in the ASC-East Division are less than 210 miles away, a 3 hr drive. That means less missed classtime & travel expense.

Finally, Centenary has the option to add football in D-III.

D-III look like a real win!

D-I options?

The Sun Belt? There is no travel advantage in flying to Florida? Does the Sun Belt really want a non-football school when they are fighting a BCS battle?

The Southland Conference? UT-San Antonio, UT-Arlington, Texas State, Lamar, McNeese State?
Why was Centenary not in this conference before? Does the Southland Conference really want a non-football member, with UT-San Antonio and Lamar University adding football and UT-Arlington exploring it. Those are big state schools.

Conference-USA? -- No football.

As much as Centenary may want to continue the D-1 dream, the economy is not permitting it.

I feel sorry for the coaching staff that has tried to accomplish so much with so little, but it just doesn't look like it can continue this way.

To this outsider, the handwriting is on the wall. CC fans may want D-I, but there does not seem to be a D-1 home for Centenary.

And the CC Board will reluctantly need to make the tough decision to join D-III in the fall.

[Ron Boerger]

Geez Ralph, calling me an "authority" is pretty much putting lipstick on a pig.   The numbers came from a Petersen's web site, btw.   It's highly unlikely Centenary awards all of those, but you'd think it would be a good chunk.

[Ralph Turner]

Geez Ralph, calling me an "authority" is pretty much putting lipstick on a pig.   The numbers came from a Petersen's web site, btw.   It's highly unlikely Centenary awards all of those, but you'd think it would be a good chunk.

Gotta give attribution to the source of my statement.      It is not for me to clarify how much they are underfunding their athletic programs.

If it brings new posters to the sight, then they will understand how much you are respected.   

[Ralph Turner]

Jimmy Watson is a sports columnist for the Shreveport Times.

Here is his column for today about the Centenary situation.  IMHO, it is more of the same that we saw from the Birmingham-Southern move in 2006, except BSC was experiencing more success in D-1 than Centenary currently is.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090605/SPORTS02/906050309/1001/SPORTS

Enjoy, and comment if you wish.   

[frank_ezelle]

There's a story on the Millsaps website about Juan Joseph at CFL training camp.  At the bottom of the story is a link to a 4 minutes video that is mostly an interview of Juan with a few passing drill plays included in the mix.

Link:  http://www.gomajors.com/news/2009/6/4/FB_0604090646.aspx