FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[cover2]

Posted the below on ASC board too but it obviously applies.  I think it's more a shot at UTD since Ozarks doesn't have football...

The two schools leaving today don't effect football so it's difficult to say they're running from UMHB.  As a matter of fact, it would be more likely to say running from UTD since they've won more conference titles as a whole than any other ASC schools recently.  Really curious to see what transpires.  Also curious as to why the SCAC is actively going after schools so far away from Georgia.  Will they move their HQ?

[Ron Boerger]

You've confused the SAA (also HQd in GA) with the SCAC.  SAA is all over the Southeast having split from the SCAC in 2012.  SCAC is almost exclusively TX, only the HQ is in GA as explained in response to your ASC post. 

[Riley Zayas]

Concordia, Ozarks to join SCAC in 24-25!

https://scacsports.com/news/2022-2023/scac_adds_concordia_and_ozarks

Interesting.  I always like to read the quotes from these press releases. They always stick them at the bottom of the article but I find them the most interesting.  The quotes from University of Ozarks are the most enlightening here and seem to be taking shots are particular schools in the ASC:

1. "One of the main attractions for us is that all the SCAC member institutions are private, independent colleges, which aligns with schools who have similar philosophies, including fellow Presbyterian institutions Austin College and Schreiner University."

2. "To remain among institutions that live by the standard of academics first is an NCAA Division III principle that we hold in high regard."

3. "The SCAC gives us a stable NCAA Division III conference whose member colleges fit us better in regards to enrollment size and facilities."

Concordia's quotes were much more diplomatic.

Southwestern did the same thing a couple years ago when it decided to move its football from the ASC to the SAA. Honestly, did we ever feel like Ozarks really fit in with the ASC though? Honestly, they tend to have a much more similar set up to Schreiner, than say, ETBU or UMHB or HSU. It's 100% a shot at the more athletic-oriented schools in the league, but I always thought it was just a matter of time before Ozarks found its way to the SCAC. They were never really competitive in any sports in the ASC, besides MBB in 2020-21.

[TLU02SA]

Southwestern did the same thing a couple years ago when it decided to move its football from the ASC to the SAA. Honestly, did we ever feel like Ozarks really fit in with the ASC though? Honestly, they tend to have a much more similar set up to Schreiner, than say, ETBU or UMHB or HSU. It's 100% a shot at the more athletic-oriented schools in the league, but I always thought it was just a matter of time before Ozarks found its way to the SCAC. They were never really competitive in any sports in the ASC, besides MBB in 2020-21.

I am completely unfamiliar with University of the Ozarks except that it is in Arkansas and they announced yesterday that they are moving their athletics to the SCAC. Whether they were competitive in the ASC or will be in the SCAC, I don't know.

What I find surprisingg is that schools leaving the ASC keep taking barely veiled shots at their soon to be former conference mates. I recall the McMurry announcement being more along the lines of the Ozarks announcement yesterday.  I don't remember (or maybe never read) Southwestern's announcement when they moved football conferences.

I can understand a school wanting to move conferences for numerous reasons.  We see this every year at every level of college sports. But these press releases surprise me. You are going to run into these schools again. In the short term, you are going to need a non-conference schedule.  In the long term, the forever shifting winds will cause additional realignment and you are likely to find yourself bargaining with the same people just at a different table.

[Etchglow]

Southwestern did the same thing a couple years ago when it decided to move its football from the ASC to the SAA. Honestly, did we ever feel like Ozarks really fit in with the ASC though? Honestly, they tend to have a much more similar set up to Schreiner, than say, ETBU or UMHB or HSU. It's 100% a shot at the more athletic-oriented schools in the league, but I always thought it was just a matter of time before Ozarks found its way to the SCAC. They were never really competitive in any sports in the ASC, besides MBB in 2020-21.

I am completely unfamiliar with University of the Ozarks except that it is in Arkansas and they announced yesterday that they are moving their athletics to the SCAC. Whether they were competitive in the ASC or will be in the SCAC, I don't know.

What I find surprisingg is that schools leaving the ASC keep taking barely veiled shots at their soon to be former conference mates. I recall the McMurry announcement being more along the lines of the Ozarks announcement yesterday.  I don't remember (or maybe never read) Southwestern's announcement when they moved football conferences.

I can understand a school wanting to move conferences for numerous reasons.  We see this every year at every level of college sports. But these press releases surprise me. You are going to run into these schools again. In the short term, you are going to need a non-conference schedule.  In the long term, the forever shifting winds will cause additional realignment and you are likely to find yourself bargaining with the same people just at a different table.

I don't really get the shade being thrown either.  You'd think they would behave like adults but then again...  The only thing Southwestern really said in theirs was the usual stuff of wanting to be in a conference with like high academic schools. 

On the other hand, Ozarks actually has more conference championships in the ASC than Sul Ross and LeTourneau do (as of 2022)

[TLU02SA]

Southwestern did the same thing a couple years ago when it decided to move its football from the ASC to the SAA. Honestly, did we ever feel like Ozarks really fit in with the ASC though? Honestly, they tend to have a much more similar set up to Schreiner, than say, ETBU or UMHB or HSU. It's 100% a shot at the more athletic-oriented schools in the league, but I always thought it was just a matter of time before Ozarks found its way to the SCAC. They were never really competitive in any sports in the ASC, besides MBB in 2020-21.

I am completely unfamiliar with University of the Ozarks except that it is in Arkansas and they announced yesterday that they are moving their athletics to the SCAC. Whether they were competitive in the ASC or will be in the SCAC, I don't know.

What I find surprisingg is that schools leaving the ASC keep taking barely veiled shots at their soon to be former conference mates. I recall the McMurry announcement being more along the lines of the Ozarks announcement yesterday.  I don't remember (or maybe never read) Southwestern's announcement when they moved football conferences.

I can understand a school wanting to move conferences for numerous reasons.  We see this every year at every level of college sports. But these press releases surprise me. You are going to run into these schools again. In the short term, you are going to need a non-conference schedule.  In the long term, the forever shifting winds will cause additional realignment and you are likely to find yourself bargaining with the same people just at a different table.

I don't really get the shade being thrown either.  You'd think they would behave like adults but then again...  The only thing Southwestern really said in theirs was the usual stuff of wanting to be in a conference with like high academic schools. 

On the other hand, Ozarks actually has more conference championships in the ASC than Sul Ross and LeTourneau do (as of 2022)

Agreed.  I would put a comment like going to a conference with high academic schools in the column of throwing shade too. That implies that your former conference did not have high academic schools or standards.  Could anything be more insulting to an institution of higher education?

[TheChucker]

Southwestern did the same thing a couple years ago when it decided to move its football from the ASC to the SAA. Honestly, did we ever feel like Ozarks really fit in with the ASC though? Honestly, they tend to have a much more similar set up to Schreiner, than say, ETBU or UMHB or HSU. It's 100% a shot at the more athletic-oriented schools in the league, but I always thought it was just a matter of time before Ozarks found its way to the SCAC. They were never really competitive in any sports in the ASC, besides MBB in 2020-21.

I am completely unfamiliar with University of the Ozarks except that it is in Arkansas and they announced yesterday that they are moving their athletics to the SCAC. Whether they were competitive in the ASC or will be in the SCAC, I don't know.

What I find surprisingg is that schools leaving the ASC keep taking barely veiled shots at their soon to be former conference mates. I recall the McMurry announcement being more along the lines of the Ozarks announcement yesterday.  I don't remember (or maybe never read) Southwestern's announcement when they moved football conferences.

I can understand a school wanting to move conferences for numerous reasons.  We see this every year at every level of college sports. But these press releases surprise me. You are going to run into these schools again. In the short term, you are going to need a non-conference schedule.  In the long term, the forever shifting winds will cause additional realignment and you are likely to find yourself bargaining with the same people just at a different table.

I don't really get the shade being thrown either.  You'd think they would behave like adults but then again...  The only thing Southwestern really said in theirs was the usual stuff of wanting to be in a conference with like high academic schools. 

On the other hand, Ozarks actually has more conference championships in the ASC than Sul Ross and LeTourneau do (as of 2022)

Agreed.  I would put a comment like going to a conference with high academic schools in the column of throwing shade too. That implies that your former conference did not have high academic schools or standards.  Could anything be more insulting to an institution of higher education?

The public narrative is just another way of saying they can't, or won't, spend the money to be competitive at a high level. There are plenty of "high academics" that do well in D3 including their conference-mate down the road at Trinity.

[TheChucker]

My question is which of the remaining ASC schools would the SCAC court? My gut tells me Howard Payne and Letourneau are viewed as similar schools (though Letourneau is growing unlike most of the SCAC schools so maybe not), ETBU and Hardin Simmons would be on the bubble, while UMHB and UTD are completely non-starters.

[crufootball]

My question is which of the remaining ASC schools would the SCAC court? My gut tells me Howard Payne and Letourneau are viewed as similar schools (though Letourneau is growing unlike most of the SCAC schools so maybe not), ETBU and Hardin Simmons would be on the bubble, while UMHB and UTD are completely non-starters.

How mad is McMurry if the SCAC ask HSU to join? McMurry may have been running from the likes of UMHB and UTD but they definitely had reason to run from HSU.

[TLU02SA]

My question is which of the remaining ASC schools would the SCAC court? My gut tells me Howard Payne and Letourneau are viewed as similar schools (though Letourneau is growing unlike most of the SCAC schools so maybe not), ETBU and Hardin Simmons would be on the bubble, while UMHB and UTD are completely non-starters.

That is a good question.  I suspect there will be discussions (if they have not already ocurred) with Howard Payne, ETBU and Hardin Simmons, and probably even UMHB. But what I expect is Lyons to move all their sports to the SCAC.  With Ozarks in the fold, that makes sense to me.

[Ralph Turner]

Batesville AR (Lyon) is 164 miles, 2 hours 40 minutes, ENE of Clarksville AR (Ozarks).

McMurry to Batesville is  590 miles (8 hours 55 mins).
Schreiner to Batesville is 671 miles (11 hours 15 minutes).
TLU to Batesville is is 643 miles (10 hours 25 minutes).

I remember the grumbling by McMurry fans about the trip to Mississippi College, 574 miles, 8 hours 26 minutes, and Belhaven in Jackson MS, 583 miles, 8 hours 36 minutes.

[Ralph Turner]

I recall the McMurry announcement being more along the lines of the Ozarks announcement yesterday. 

McMurry's current administration has had a different perspective on intercollegiate athletics from the administration of Dr Shimp, who guided the move to D3, and then Dr Russell, under whom NCAA postseason appearances were common in many sports. McMurry has infrequently appeared in any post-season conference tourneys since the return to D-3 (except for frequent championships in T&F and XC).

[TLU02SA]

Batesville AR (Lyon) is 164 miles, 2 hours 40 minutes, ENE of Clarksville AR (Ozarks).

McMurry to Batesville is  590 miles (8 hours 55 mins).
Schreiner to Batesville is 671 miles (11 hours 15 minutes).
TLU to Batesville is is 643 miles (10 hours 25 minutes).

I remember the grumbling by McMurry fans about the trip to Mississippi College, 574 miles, 8 hours 26 minutes, and Belhaven in Jackson MS, 583 miles, 8 hours 36 minutes.

And Colorado College and Ozarks is close? This same mileage was pointed out when we were discussing where Lyons' football team would land.  It still ended up in the SCAC. 

The SCAC handles travel very well to make it efficient and less disruptive of classes making sure that, when a team travels, they are visiting two conference schools over the same weekend (visiting one school, like St. Thomas, on Friday night, and then a second school, like Centenary, on Saturday or Sunday - the other "pairs" are currently Trinity/Schreiner, TLU/SW, Austin/Dallas and Colorado (Colorado hosts two teams back-to-back and those teams only have the one game at Colorado that week)). For Volleyball, they use pods where 4 or more teams are present and play multiple matches against the other teams present at that pod. For baseball and softball, traditional 3 game series are used with a Friday night game and a double header Saturday. Thus, your Softball and Baseball team will travel to play Centenary for three games but will hosts St. Thomas another weekend. You are never returning to the same region of the conference more than once during the regular season.

The same would be done for Lyons and Ozarks with teams visiting one on Friday and the next on Saturday/Sunday. If the conference is willing to invite Ozarks, I don't see why they would be opposed to Lyons and the way that the conference structures its schedules, Lyons makes abundant sense with the addition of Ozarks.

[jekelish]

My question is which of the remaining ASC schools would the SCAC court? My gut tells me Howard Payne and Letourneau are viewed as similar schools (though Letourneau is growing unlike most of the SCAC schools so maybe not), ETBU and Hardin Simmons would be on the bubble, while UMHB and UTD are completely non-starters.

That is a good question.  I suspect there will be discussions (if they have not already ocurred) with Howard Payne, ETBU and Hardin Simmons, and probably even UMHB. But what I expect is Lyons to move all their sports to the SCAC.  With Ozarks in the fold, that makes sense to me.

My expectation is that UMHB, HSU, UTD, and probably ETBU are nowhere in the conversation. UMHB especially, but the other three would also be extreme long shots from what I've heard. The only ones that might *possibly* be considered for expansion are LeTourneau and HPU, but my understanding is that those schools think they align better, from a religious/philosophical standpoint, with schools like ETBU, HSU, and UMHB, so I'd be a little surprised. LeTourneau feels like the highest likelihood but I'm not expecting it. Lyon becoming a full member will definitely at least be in the conversation.

[cush]

Lyon and and getting Texas Wesleyan to reclassify would be the best moves. I also wonder if college of the ozarks would ever join D3