FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[D3_DPUFan]

So Wes would you have been ok with CC losing football if they did it earlier in the year?

I know you're posing the question to Wes...but here's my 2 cents (maybe less)... earlier notification is part of it...but it's more striking to me that there was no discussion (at least none that I'm aware of) about eliminating the program...it just happened...and in the spring to boot! Would think some sort of process, even if it is expedited, is warranted here....it appears as though administrators put players, coaches and other conference teams in a tough spot with little or no discussion, debate or deliberation...

[crufootball]

I totally agree D3_DPUFan, there is no excuse for the timing of this event. Everyone involved should have known about this process months ago.

My only point is I don't see how the students and alumni can cry foul when not many of them supported the team while they were actually playing football. In my opinion (and I know I spend too much energy following sports) if you are going to be a fan, you have to support the team win, lose, or draw.

[DPU3619]

I don't think the timing has anything to do with it.  It was very poor, but I can't buy into your argument.  At this level, attendance shows no sign of the state of the program.  There are tons of programs across the country that draw at or in the vicinity of the same number that aren't going anywhere.  There was no writing on the wall here.  This stunned everybody.

The problem is that the administration is allowed to do whatever they want at whatever time they want.  DePauw COULD cut football tomorrow.  There's about a 1 in a trillion chance of that ever happening, but they could. 

Not attending the game is one of the main ways fans can show their displeasure with the quality of product their they're invested in.  And by God, if I went there, I wouldn't show up to watch that team.  That's how you get the message across that they aren't doing a good enough job.  How does the administration, who is likely at fault for the state of this program over the past 15 years, just get to pull the plug because nobody cares?  That's absolutely ridiculous.  I still say that it's not in some unwritten code somewhere that the student body is required to root for a loser.  They just aren't.  Trust me - no team in the country, not even the Crusaders or the Purple Raiders, would draw that much better if they were 20-56 in this decade instead of 92-14 or 125-4.

Now if the administration is going to pull the plug on the program because they can't win, that's fine.  But I'm not under the impression that was why.  Fans have the right to a football team if they want to go or not.  You have no right to take that away because your fans won't go because YOU made it suck.

[D3_DPUFan]

Another great front page story...Hall Mumme in D III...is DIII a holding pad for bad boys in DI or a landing pad for coaches who want to contribute to the "greater good"? Thank you again d3football.com...incredible resource...

[Ralph Turner]

Another great front page story...Hall Mumme in D III...is DIII a holding pad for bad boys in DI or a landing pad for coaches who want to contribute to the "greater good"? Thank you again d3football.com...incredible resource...

Thanks for the comment.

Actually Coach Mumme gave a very interesting press conference.

McMurry left scholarship NAIA football in the Lone Star Conference when I was at McMurry.  The McMurry head coach Buddy Fornes left to go to Tarleton State, where Coach Mumme played and graduated.  While he was in college, he thought that he wanted to grow up to be a coach like the one from McMurry.

He bounced around Texas until he went to Iowa Wesleyan about 1989, ... etc.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer last fall and had the surgery in January.  He thought that he would be out of coaching for a year.  (His wife is also a breast cancer survivor.)

There are significant coaching connections around McMurry and West Texas including Mumme's former assistant Texas Tech's Mike Leach and AFCA president Grant Teaff (McMurry player and coach) who told him about the job.

McMurry had 170 applications for the job and the last 5 were very well-qualified.  Mumme got the job.

He says that he is glad to be home in Texas, coaching again.  He has ties to the state and should be close to family.

He said all of the right things at the press conference.  I hope that he is glad to be home in Texas and in D-III.  He will be well received in Abilene.  I hope that he is able to accomplish what he can for us at McMurry and in D-III.

[Ralph Turner]

What is not said in the article about the McMurry slump in this decade is that we were doing so well in the late 1990's.  Coach Keenum (father of UH QB Chase) lost one coordinator to start the program at Louisiana College and his other coordinator to an ugly slow agonizing death to cancer.  Losing Coach Ridlehoover that way just kinda took the wind out of the school's sails.

We lost the momentum of moving to D3 in the 1990's with that turn of events.  We have strong programs where we have had strong,  leadership, e.g.,  men's and women's basketball, baseball, track, cross country, volleyball.  Even swimming, golf and tennis have had success, especially with the new tennis courts. (Maybe not the same Directors Cup success as Trinity and DPU, but as good as the ASC has seen.)  I hope that Coach Mumme can build a twenty year legacy like Coach Mohr, Coach Keeling or Coach Fred.  Football is one area that needs work.

[Shoreman]

Would Huntigdon be a possible candidate to fill Coll. College slot in SCAC?

[cush]

I have no idea what the scac membership will look like but my guess is...there will be some shifts soon. I could see the scac expanding to 14, putting either dallas or centenary college in the west and berry in the east . Yet, the league ex's might like the #12 but if so still see some shifts, ie colorado college probably will be moving on sooner rather than later.  In that case, I would pop Berry in the east and shift Rhodes to the west...if depauw left, move rhodes back east and add either dallas or centenary college in the west if you want to stay at 12. As for huntigdon, i think there are a few school's above them the scac would look at...maybe throw in berea college before turning to huntigdon...so it would take a lot of movements/expansion before they could join, but never say never.

[Ralph Turner]

University of South Dakota has joined the Summit League as its 11th member.

Does that make it easier for Centenary to leave?

Summit League

What does the market downturn do for Centenary's assessment of its travel budget?

[DPU3619]

14 teams still scares me for football.  Yeah, you shouldn't base how you configure your conference based on current conditions, but having two of the big three teams in one division and the third team in the other just causes more headaches than it's worth for me.  Particularly when there won't ever be a conference championship game as long as DePauw is in the conference.  Plus, they'll be unbalanced divisions because there'd be only 11 teams playing football if both added schools play the sport.  Probably 5 in East and 6 in the West depending on who you add.

Although, Berry doesn't play football, which would give you only 10 football schools, and no need for divisions.  Just play only 1 non-conf game.

[cush]

If you added Berry to the east and either Centenary/Udallas to the west to get to 14, don't think that would effect football that much since you would still only have 9 football school's. Out of the 5 non-football school's, Colorado College, Berry, Oglethorpe, SW, and Dallas/Centenary...maybe 2 might start/restart their programs so i guess your 11 team figure could eventually be a problem though. Yet, I think 14 teams would ease the travel for everybody by playing division foes more in other sports but who knows if the scac wants to stay at 12 or not...right now i see 3 school's that might leave, CC + depauw do to geography and maybe Oglethorpe do to $'s (10M endowment is kinda of low to keep up with the jones) so before any expansion past 12 happens maybe the scac waits on those possible moves.

Little strange that U of North Dakota isn't joining U of South Dakota in making that move to the summit but wow talk about a league that is spread out, ditto the Great West Conference, makes the scac school's look like neighbors...would think U of Denver would like to join the Summit though.

[etg]

(El Tea Gray--re: Azusa Pacific University-"willing/able" and what else?)

Ron,
I agree that Azusa Pacific was "willing/able" to schedule Trinity, but I also believe the $10K (shall we at the D3 level call it) "honorarium" had something to do with it. Azusa Pacific also plays D3 UW-LaCrosse and D3 UW-Stevens Point during their now 11-game 2009 season.

                                                                             

[rooski]

In Sherman, Tx the Kangaroos have wrapped up their Spring Football drills. Here are some highly unofficial, parental observations.

Drills went well. Lots of very focused, productive work. Like everyone else in the conference they spent some time looking to strengthen some areas weakend by graduation, injuries, etc. And I guess without scholarship money in D3 there is a little more roster movement in the spring than is seen in D1.

Obviously with the graduations and the unexpected death of Zach Swirczynski the running back corp got some neccesary attention. Everyone knows A.C. is serious about the ground game. I'm confident that if anyone can respond to the current challenges Coach Gage and his staff can.

There were some new faces on the field this spring inluding a couple of transfers that may contribute right away. And I spoke recently with a DFW area high school coach who said one of his graduating players is headed to Sherman this fall. He indicated that Coach Gage has definitely been working the DFW area, garnering some attention for A.C and the D3 exeprience. - Don't misunderstand though, there is a very good, experienced group on hand and excited about their opportunities in 2009.

The Roo's have definitely grown up some in recent seasons and it will be very interesting to see if that continues this fall. I anticipate a deep sense of purpose to the upcoming season. It should be fun getting an early look at McMurry under their new head coach in week 2, then as usual the first in-conference contest with Millsaps the next week.

I am not aware of a replacement on our schedule so far for the Colorado College game - but I'm not an insider so...

[etg]

(El Tea Gray--re: the HOLY COW!)

Ralph,
IMHO due to the HOLY COW, most Trinity Tiger fans are now looking more than four months forward to Sept. 5th in Abilene. Comments?

                                                                         

[DPU3619]

Following up on what we were talking about with DePauw's issues with the SCAC a couple of weeks ago - rumor going around over on the NCAC board is that Earlham is jumping ship from the NCAC at the end of this upcoming academic year for the Heartland. 

Something to certainly be advised of, I believe, since DePauw is probably the most logical choice for them even if DPU isn't looking for a new conference like some of us think they are.