FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

Ralph Turner · November 19, 2015, 01:10:27 AM

Thanks Ron.

Which program is discontinuing football after 50+ years?

Colorado College was over 100 years.

Or do you mean the SCAC?

Ron Boerger · November 19, 2015, 06:51:06 AM

I was referring to the SCAC dropping the sport, Ralph.

TLU02SA · November 19, 2015, 10:48:46 AM

Quote from: Ralph Turner on November 18, 2015, 08:46:08 PM
Pat C can correct me, but I believe the ASC needs 2 years of membership by affiliates before the 6-full members ASC can regain the AQ.
McMurry is at least 2 years away in the most favorable scenario, 2018-19.

I feel badly for Texas D3 football.

I had wondered about this.
Two of these 3 add football to increase the student body especially male: Centenary, Schreiner, or UDallas.

Concordia-Texas leaves the ASC to start football in a more favorable environment. By about 2020, the ASC would 8 and the AQ. The SCAC would have 7 and the AQ.

Two Pool A bids (plus a Pool C which we commonly got) helps with the playoffs and a nice assortment of local non-conference games.

My guess is this is the exact scenario the SCAC and its teams wanted to happen. I also believe that three or four years ago they had a reason to believe it would happen and have worked hard to make it happen. Maybe one or two of those schools were looking into starting a football program but have since backed away. Maybe not. Maybe the SCAC had its eyes on McMurray, Belhaven, and/or another ASC, DII, or NAIA school. Obviously, McMurray and Belhaven joined the ASC. Unfortunately, it has not worked out.

Is this a sign that the surge of small, private, liberal arts colleges starting football programs is coming to an end? It seems to have been slowing. Plus the decision by the SCAC to inform its teams to locate other football affiliations is a really strong indication that no colleges in Texas and Louisiana have any intention to start a football program. At least for the foreseeable future.

Ron Boerger · November 19, 2015, 11:13:56 AM

It takes some capital and will to establish a football program, and a need to address a gender imbalance doesn't hurt. There are sometimes powerful forces in the alumni or supporter base against the sport. Hendrix had quite a time getting their program off the ground even with the strong support it had from administration; while I'll never forgive their (then-)president for the comments he made when they bolted for the SAA, you have to salute him for getting the program started. Just a few years later, they're in the playoffs.

Another thing right now is that there's a lot of bad press about football due to concussions and CTE. That may be causing some schools that might otherwise consider the sport to take a pass.

A few years back the ASC was in similar straits - ironically, after TLU, Schriner, and Centenary left for the SCAC and McMurry started its ill-fated flirtation with D2 - but the conference was able to get its core members to stick and now with McM back in the fold and Belhaven joining, is in good shape. I used to hope HSU would come to the SCAC, but now that the conference has abandoned football, the chance of that happening has gone from "highly improbable" to "no."

scaccommish · November 19, 2015, 03:45:48 PM

The 2015 All-SCAC Football Team was released today:

http://www.scacsports.com/sports/fball/2015-16/releases/all_scac

P.S. - If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you can find some pretty cool GIFs and graphics of the honorees.

desertcat1 · November 25, 2015, 12:06:59 PM

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone . Safe travels.

Ron Boerger · December 03, 2015, 04:57:22 PM

As expected, Southwestern and Texas Lutheran will affiliate with the ASC. Happy things have worked out for both schools.

http://scacsports.com/sports/fball/2015-16/releases/affiliate_announcement_asc

Ron Boerger · December 11, 2015, 12:49:30 PM

Unfortunate news re now former TLU DL coach Craig Harris.

http://www.kens5.com/story/news/crime/2015/12/10/tlu-football-coach-charged-indecent-exposure/77101330/

TLU02SA · December 12, 2015, 05:11:58 PM

Quote from: Ron Boerger on December 11, 2015, 12:49:30 PM
Unfortunate news re now former TLU DL coach Craig Harris.

http://www.kens5.com/story/news/crime/2015/12/10/tlu-football-coach-charged-indecent-exposure/77101330/

Very unfortunate. I hope this is an isolated incident for this man and everyone gets the help they need.

crufootball · December 14, 2015, 11:28:11 PM

Looks like another coaches son is moving on, just saw that Andy Padron took a co-offensive coordinator job at Bowling Green. Congrats to him.

Ron Boerger · December 15, 2015, 12:03:39 AM

Kind of surprising there hasn't been a release on this, but Padron's changed his Twitter account to say he's at BGSU now (without any comment to that effect). Good move for Andy Padron, TLU will miss him but no doubt Dad will find a good one to take his place.

TLU02SA · December 15, 2015, 10:04:03 AM

Great move for Andy Padron. It is surprising that there was not a press release on this move from, at least, the Bowling Green side. He was co-coordinator with Kyle Ingraham at TLU. Ingraham is the QB coach as well. I wonder if Ingraham becomes the OC or TLU will hire/promote another coach into the co-coordinator position.

The past few years, I have noticed numerous college teams using co-coordinators. Is the co-coordinator title just a label? I can see coaching staffs using the label to make a position coach assignment more enticing or as leverage for the assistant coach to obtain a larger salary. It seems to me that, ultimately, one of the co-coordinator's is truly the coordinator. Wouldn't the true coordinator be mainly responsible for the game plan and play calling? The second co-coordinator may have responsibility on theory and game planning but that does not seem any different from the responsibilities of another assistant coach.

TLU02SA · December 17, 2015, 10:35:36 AM

Here is TLU's write-up on Andy Padron taking the Bowling Green State co-offensive coordinator job.

http://tlubulldogs.com/news/2015/12/15/FB_1215153735.aspx

Gray Fox · February 26, 2016, 10:39:01 PM

Texas Wesleyan is starting football. It is currently NAIA.

What is the chance it will go D3?

Ralph Turner · February 28, 2016, 09:36:59 PM

Quote from: Gray Fox on February 26, 2016, 10:39:01 PM
Texas Wesleyan is starting football. It is currently NAIA.

What is the chance it will go D3?

They were D-2 until about 2000 and when they had a "cup of coffee" as an ASC Provisional on their way to the NAIA.
This gets them to the necessary number of sports.
I think that they might consider the SCAC as well for membership and affiliate with the ASC for football.

~~That still brings back my hope for Concordia TX to add football and accept an invitation to join Schreiner and Texas Wesleyan plus TLU, Southwestern, TU and AC in a 7 team football conference by 2021.~~ Hopes dashed. See below.