FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[evacuee]

Major_Fan,

In your last post, you acknowledge that players have "fake signings" at their local high school and reports the charade to their local newspaper as if it were real.  I'd like to know what Millsaps thinks of these events given that the school's name is then associated with athletic scholarships in the press. 

I've made no secret of my objections to this type of promotion and I won't further my case in this post, but I'd like to know the other point of view.  Why does Millsaps permit this?

[Tex]

SNIP...

As for the SID department at Millsaps, it's a shame that I'm not one of the alums giving back big bucks to the school because I would funnel some of it into the SID department.  There should be a second person at the very least working on sports information and that money shouldn't have to come completely (or at all) out of the athletic budget.  Getting out more information to newspapers and alums about the successes of the athletes would benefit the school in general and I think the school is missing the boat by not having the staff on hand to do more.  It has made a huge, positive difference that the school changed the SID position from part-time to full-time.  I think we would see the same positive difference if they added a second person to help out with the overwhelming work load.

Frank, the Trinity SID wrote up a really nice "press release" for my son and his HS teammate that will be playing at TU next year.  It was nice, they showed it to me.  The local fishwrap couldn't be bothered to run it, however.  I guess that's the way it is. 

[Ron Boerger]

Major_Fan,

In your last post, you acknowledge that players have "fake signings" at their local high school and reports the charade to their local newspaper as if it were real.  I'd like to know what Millsaps thinks of these events given that the school's name is then associated with athletic scholarships in the press. 

I've made no secret of my objections to this type of promotion and I won't further my case in this post, but I'd like to know the other point of view.  Why does Millsaps permit this?

This comes across as a little high-horse to me.  High schools want to do nice things for their graduating seniors and announce D3 "signings" all the time.  I see it in the metroplex on a regular basis.  Don't blame Millsaps (or any other college) for the practice.

[Major_Fan]

Major_Fan,

In your last post, you acknowledge that players have "fake signings" at their local high school and reports the charade to their local newspaper as if it were real.  I'd like to know what Millsaps thinks of these events given that the school's name is then associated with athletic scholarships in the press. 

I've made no secret of my objections to this type of promotion and I won't further my case in this post, but I'd like to know the other point of view.  Why does Millsaps permit this?

This comes across as a little high-horse to me.  High schools want to do nice things for their graduating seniors and announce D3 "signings" all the time.  I see it in the metroplex on a regular basis.  Don't blame Millsaps (or any other college) for the practice.

TU2698, in response to your question and in my opinion...

When a Division I commitment signs a letter of intent to play college ball, 99.9% of the time you see the player signing at their respective high school.  I think the reason why Div-III signees sign a "fake" letter of intent is just to stay consistent and make all the players feel like they're on the same level.  We all know how competitive D-III is, and IMHO they don't want the commitment to feel less special because they're not signing at a big-time school.  Millsaps doesn't have control over whether the kid takes a picture and the local paper writes a story, but we (the Sports Information Dept.) don't publicize any incoming student for any sport.  An incoming freshman or JC transfer might get mentioned in a season preview once they've arrived on campus, but our head coaches sometimes don't want to give anything away about a possible stud.  Division III schools with larger supporting casts often write stories for newcomers, but I guess its just the individual schools' call.  Hope that somehow gives Millsaps' point of view.

[evacuee]

High horse?  How about the kids who tell everyone they have football scholarships and don't?  What metaphor would you use for them?  I can't say that I can really grasp what's wrong with my objecting to a kid being handed an ego trip on false pretenses.  I know kids and parents that think they get athletic aid at Millsaps.  Perhaps everyone between Dallas and Fort Worth knows the difference, but down here in the most backward city on earth, I guess we're just ignorant and don't have the same type of horses that trot around the metroplex.

Thank you, Major_Fan.  That answers my question.   

[Tex]

Maybe it's not that big a deal.  You get overzealous HS coaches, misguided newspaper folks, proud parents into the same mix and you'll end up with some false "signings".  Those that know, know.  Those that don't have a clue will never have a clue. Banging them around the head and shoulders will likely never help them and only leave you frustrated.  I find myself going out of my way to explain to people that D-3 has no athletic money.  Some still have a hard time understanding I think. 

We live in the Youtube era. 

[D3_DPUFan]

Some hires on the offensive side of the ball in the SCAC...

Tim Taylor has just accepted the offensive coordinator job at Colorado College.  Taylor previously held the same position at UW-River Falls.

Deke Herrin hired as receivers coach at Birmingham Southern.

Don Dover, offensive line coach from Tusculum College, has accepted the same position at Birmingham Southern

[Pat Coleman]

Was he at UW-RF when they ran the wishbone for all those years or the last couple of years when they ran the spread?

... I know, you're probably asking me that question. When I get a break at work here I'll look it up.

[pbrooks3]

Hendrix is on its way to adding football, contingent on fund raising efforts.

See front page

Guess those "Hendrix Football: Undefeated Since 1960" shirts are going to be a collectors item now.

I would guess this puts the SCAC one step closer to divisional play, or the uncomfortable Big Te-leven situation where not everybody in the conference gets to play each other every year. I can think of at least one school that isn't going to drop a certain rivalry game that's outside the conference if the SCAC adds one more football team.

I've got one of those shirts so I'll preserve it for posterity.

[Ron Boerger]

I didn't realize it but the SCAC is having a decent showing in the NACDA Directors Cup with two schools in the top ten.  Through May 22:

8.   DePauw   495.00
10.  Trinity   469.00
97.  Oglethorpe  156.50
111. Centre 140.00
113. Southwestern 135.00
151. Colorado College 94.00
178. Millsaps 73.00
202T.  Austin 50.00
202T.  Sewanee 50.00
238.  Rhodes 38.50

Remaining sports are baseball, softball, track, lacrosse, and rowing.   DPU and Trinity will both get additional points in women's T&F, Trinity in men's T&F, DPU in softball, Trinity in baseball - with luck that will be enough for both to stay in the top ten at season's end.  Final results come out on the 11th. 

Williams, of course, is the leader with over 900 points with WashU second, sixty points back. 

[etg]

(El Tea Gray---re: Days to "The Ship")

72 days to Tiger Football Report Date
94 days to Game 1
171 days to SCAC Final Game
206 days to "The Ship"


                                                                           

[frank_ezelle]

I was looking at the Millsaps football schedule for 2008 and I think I found a typo.  It shows that the Millsaps-Trinity game is being played in San Antonio and I thought that game was always played in Jackson.

Okay, maybe it is time for Trinity to get to host that game.  With 8 conference games plus a rival game with MS College, there isn't much flexibility for change on the Millsaps schedule other than reversing the home and away from year to year.  The one change in opponents this year is that the second game of the season will be against local NAIA school Belhaven College instead of against Louisiana College.

Link to schedule:  http://www.millsaps.edu/athletic/football/schedule.shtml

[Ralph Turner]

...  The one change in opponents this year is that the second game of the season will be against local NAIA school Belhaven College instead of against Louisiana College.

Link to schedule:  http://www.millsaps.edu/athletic/football/schedule.shtml

LC plays Rhodes this year.

[frank_ezelle]

While there hasn't been any official announcement, it looks like the Saints are coming back to Millsaps for a third year to hold their training camp:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080606/COL0504/806060330/1177/SPORTS

They have always waited until some time in June to make the official announcement.  If any word got out earlier than that over the last two years, it was always someone making a comment that they weren't suppose to make, like the slip of the tongue Coach Peyton made this year.

[TigerDad]

I was looking at the Millsaps football schedule for 2008 and I think I found a typo.  It shows that the Millsaps-Trinity game is being played in San Antonio and I thought that game was always played in Jackson.

Now THAT was a good one, Frank!   

Looking forward to hosting you and other Major fans this year ...