Conference changes

[Smitty Oom]

Longest trip in the MIAC is above that mileage.

An under the radar Concordia Moorhead shoutout on the multi-regional board! You love to see it.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Thanks for telling me about Minnesota. I hadn't heard!

Trying to help those who may be reading and not as familiar. My comments are not usually targeted at just one person.

The NAC has been doing weekend trips every other year for the far-flung schools.  You get back to back home games every other year.  Not sure how that'll change with divisions or if they postpone going to divisions.  The trouble they've had is there really isn't an east East-West corridor in Northern New England - you generally have to go down to the Mass Pike and then back up again.

Not having the Vermont schools might actually make it easier.

I do wonder how the NECC will factor in.  They seem to have trouble keeping seven teams in business.

They have been going through Canada based on what I've been told.

[Caz Bombers]

Thanks for telling me about Minnesota. I hadn't heard!

Trying to help those who may be reading and not as familiar. My comments are not usually targeted at just one person.

The NAC has been doing weekend trips every other year for the far-flung schools.  You get back to back home games every other year.  Not sure how that'll change with divisions or if they postpone going to divisions.  The trouble they've had is there really isn't an east East-West corridor in Northern New England - you generally have to go down to the Mass Pike and then back up again.

Not having the Vermont schools might actually make it easier.

I do wonder how the NECC will factor in.  They seem to have trouble keeping seven teams in business.

They have been going through Canada based on what I've been told.

well I'll be darned, Google Maps says you're right; it's a little longer in miles to go from the Maine schools through Quebec to SUNY Canton rather than US 2 through NH and VT, but considerably shorter time-wise.

If UMPI and SUNY Canton weren't in the same league and one was bracketed at the other in an NCAA tournament, it would be over the 500 mile threshold for a flight. I knew Presque Isle was way up there, but holy cow.

UMPI to SUNY Delhi will be 10 1/4 hours by bus; to Cazenovia will be 10 2/3 hours. Sounds like barrels of fun.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I didn't ask this year,  but i know in prior seasons Canton did bout go through Canada as not every player had a passport. Maybe they've changed their minds.  UMPI tends to have a fair number of international students, so there could be visa issues there, too.

[Gregory Sager]

I didn't ask this year,  but i know in prior seasons Canton did bout go through Canada as not every player had a passport. Maybe they've changed their minds.  UMPI tends to have a fair number of international students, so there could be visa issues there, too.

I was going to mention that. Also, border crossings aren't the routine, wave-'em-through affair that they were twenty years ago. People I know who've crossed into Canada and back tell me that nowadays it can be time-consuming. That needs to be figured into any comparison of travel times between UMPI and SUNY-Canton.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I didn't ask this year,  but i know in prior seasons Canton did bout go through Canada as not every player had a passport. Maybe they've changed their minds.  UMPI tends to have a fair number of international students, so there could be visa issues there, too.

I was going to mention that. Also, border crossings aren't the routine, wave-'em-through affair that they were twenty years ago. People I know who've crossed into Canada and back tell me that nowadays it can be time-consuming. That needs to be figured into any comparison of travel times between UMPI and SUNY-Canton.

UMPI is right next to Canada and the closest "big" city to Canton is Ottawa, so there's a good chance students have or get passports pretty regularly, but you certainly couldn't mandate it.  You also have to figure if they're chartering busses, international travel would bring extra requirements and expense on their end, too.

[Caz Bombers]

I suppose the fact that it hasn't happened yet probably means the answer is "no", but would UMPI have the interest/ability to join Canada's USPORTS or CCAA? Road trips in the AUS (Atlantic University Sport) conference would be similar and in many cases shorter than the ones they have in the NAC. The biggest stumbling blocks would probably be the differences in sports offering and USPORTS partial scholarship model.

[Caz Bombers]

the vote on whether to close NVU-Johnson and NVU-Lyndon (and Vermont Tech) has been delayed at least 1 week. Reaction has been overwhelmingly negative and state lawmakers want the VSCS to float them at least for 2020-21.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I suppose the fact that it hasn't happened yet probably means the answer is "no", but would UMPI have the interest/ability to join Canada's USPORTS or CCAA? Road trips in the AUS (Atlantic University Sport) conference would be similar and in many cases shorter than the ones they have in the NAC. The biggest stumbling blocks would probably be the differences in sports offering and USPORTS partial scholarship model.

They play Canadian teams pretty regularly.  Less now that they're in a conference, but it is a very long drive up there.  It would be helpful if Maine-Ft Kent got their act together and sponsored enough sports to join the NCAA.  At least there would be a travel partner for weekend trips.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Also... driver's licenses, especially with the Real ID aspects, can be accepted at the borders. You might get a few more questions, but you can use the driver's license if necessary. My parents live on the border of Maine and Canada (Down East, near Calais) and that is a backup plan when we visit if we haven't gotten the passports figured out.

Nowadays it is also easy to get a passport card, which is your passport but as a license. That was created when after 9/11 things got more difficult and border towns and states pointed out that forcing everyone to travel and carry their full-fledged passports was a bit cumbersome and not smart.

We are going to be re-upping all of our passports and for at least my wife and I we will also get the card.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

It has been a few years since Division III found itself at a place where so many important decisions needed to be made along with other events needing time and attention. However, never in NCAA history have we found ourselves with winter championships cut short, no spring sports at all, and more questions than answers for what might happen with fall sports and beyond.

COVID-19 has certainly made it's mark.

However, the coronavirus isn't the only important item in front of Division III that requires attention and decisions. Expanding and realigning regions in all sports is nearing the end of a multi-year process. The NCAA's effort to revamp it's student-athlete rules with "Names, Images, Likeness" (NIL) is at critical juncture, especially in DIII. And with the shutdown of 'March Madness' brought with it a sudden budget deficit.

That's just what Division III is dealing with overall. Individual schools are fighting just to keep the doors open. That could result in cutting sports, teams, or other challenges. That could cause conferences to tackle sudden changes in membership or sports sponsorships.

And of course, student-athletes and their well-being is even more important.

Plenty to be thinking about in Division III even athletes and teams are not competing right now.

On this special Hoopsville Podcast, NCAA Vice President for Division III Dan Dutcher joins Dave McHugh for an extensive, in-depth, and detailed conversation on the "State of DIII." Dutcher talks about how the decisions to shut down winter and spring championships came to be. Plus, how COVID-19 continues to impact the division, NCAA, schools, and conferences around the country. Dutcher explains how this year's DIII budget was impacted and if there will be any impact down the road. And Dutcher discusses how NIL is taking form in DIII along with the latest on Regional Realignment and Expansion.

You can listen to the podcast here: https://bit.ly/3apilyF

Hoopsville broadcasts from the WBCA/NABC Studio. All guests are featured on the BlueFrame Technology Hoopsville Hotline. The offseason plan is to do a podcast each month. The shows will be audio-only leading up to the start of the 2020-21 when we will restart the video shows.

If you have questions, ideas, or want to interact with the show, feel free to send them to hoopsville@d3sports.com or use any of the social media options to the right.

If you enjoy the show via the podcasts, choose your favorite avenue to listen and/or subscribe via the the following four avenues (click on the images when necessary):
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville


 
   
We also have the podcast now on Tune-In and others coming. We will update them once we have better abilities to do so.

Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
Hoopsville Season Archive: www.team1sports.com/Hoopsville
YouTube: www.youtube.com/d3hoopsville

[jaller]

Vermont has only proposed closing those campuses so far, so I would say it's premature to list them here, even if only by 48 hours.

The Chancellor has withdrawn the proposal to close the colleges. Still some deep budgetary issues, but for now they remain open.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Another DIII will close it's doors and likely it's athletic teams (I can't imagine BC will continue to run athletics; I could be wrong for sure):

http://www.pmc.edu/pine-manor-college-and-boston-college-announce-institutional-agreement
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/13/metro/boston-college-will-take-over-pine-manor/

(I apologize as the Globe article might not be available for some.)

[jmcozenlaw]

Another DIII will close it's doors and likely it's athletic teams (I can't imagine BC will continue to run athletics; I could be wrong for sure):

http://www.pmc.edu/pine-manor-college-and-boston-college-announce-institutional-agreement
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/13/metro/boston-college-will-take-over-pine-manor/

(I apologize as the Globe article might not be available for some.)

Sadly, the calm before the storm!! Dave, GREAT May Part 1 podcast by the way!!!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The news of Pine Manor closing puts the ACAA-CAC conglomeration at just seven men's teams for 2021-22, and that's assuming Pratt stays on track with transition. Delhi will be a full member soon and maybe a candidate to leave for a more stable conference.