Conference changes

[Gregory Sager]

And, I assume that Lyon becomes a Football affiliate for the UMAC, and they are glad to have them.

Travel for both conferences will be tough, but roughly speaking, it is
300 miles to Marshall TX (ETBU)
400 miles to Sherman TX (Austin College)
550 miles to Belton TX (UMHB)
580 miles to Brownwood (HPU)
600 miles to Abilene (HSU & McMurry)
650 miles to Seguin (TLU)
900 miles to Alpine (Sul Ross State)

In the UMAC

270 miles to Fulton MO (Westminster)
315 miles to Greenville IL (Greenville)
736 miles to New Ulm MN (Martin Luther)
750 miles to Roseville MN (Northwestern)
750 miles to St Bonifacius MN (Crown)
900 miles to Morris MN (MN-Morris)
940 miles to Hancock MI (Finlandia)


Is it easier to sell a football program to a high school student in Arkansas who reads about the SEC all of the time and the Razorbacks playing UT and A&M, then going to play football games in Texas, or traveling 900 miles north to play in a snowstorm in late October/early November?

Plus, better barbecue.

I believe that Lyon would be more successful in the UMAC than going up against UMHB, HSU and that next tier of ASC competition.

That goes without saying, really. UMHB is king of the hill in D3 football and HSU is very good, whereas the UMAC is possibly the weakest conference in all of D3 football.

Having looked at the data, I wonder if affirming its conference affiliation as a SLIAC school is the difference.

Aye, there's the rub. Even though the SLIAC really has no effect upon football affiliation in the formal sense, joining the UMAC would give Lyon a chance to develop and expand insitutional rivalries with two of its new SLIAC brethren, Greenville and Westminster (MO). It would also be a more congenial competitive environment for a Scots football program that went 2-7 in its NAIA league last season and was outscored by an average of almost four touchdowns per game.

Still ... barbecue > tater tot hotdish. 

[WUPHF]

It looks like Lyon is used to long road trips in football as they currently compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference which includes two Arizona schools, and 3-4 Texas schools.

https://lyonscots.com/sports/football/schedule

[crufootball]

It looks like Lyon is used to long road trips in football as they currently compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference which includes two Arizona schools, and 3-4 Texas schools.

https://lyonscots.com/sports/football/schedule

Long trips indeed

1375 miles to Arizona Christian
400 miles to Langston University
350 miles to Louisiana Christian (formerly Louisiana College)
1375  miles to Ottawa University
650 miles to Panhandle State
450 miles to Southwestern Assembly of God
350 miles to Texas College
450 miles to Texas Wesleyan
700 miles to Wayland Baptist

[Gregory Sager]

LIke most of the South, Arkansas's just not an ideal location for a college in terms of travel with regard to small-college intercollegiate sports, whether the school is in D2, D3, or the NAIA.

[WUPHF]

Very true.  Arkansas is Hendrix, Harding, Lyon, Ozarks and a bunch of Baptist colleges.  Lots of publics.

Harding is Division II and the University of the Ozarks does not compete in football, it seems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_Arkansas

A remarkable contrast to say Iowa...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_Iowa

[Inkblot]

LIke most of the South, Arkansas's just not an ideal location for a college in terms of travel with regard to small-college intercollegiate sports, whether the school is in D2, D3, or the NAIA.

D2 is definitely an exception here. There's an entire 12-team conference with teams only in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

[Gregory Sager]

LIke most of the South, Arkansas's just not an ideal location for a college in terms of travel with regard to small-college intercollegiate sports, whether the school is in D2, D3, or the NAIA.

D2 is definitely an exception here. There's an entire 12-team conference with teams only in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

There's still some mileage to put on the bus in that conference. However, there's two schools in particular in that conference who don't have to go far at all to reach each other's campus.

[WUPHF]

That is an awesome story.

Past tailgaters saluting with Solo cups from atop pickup-truck beds, the Henderson State Reddies march. Past family members reaching for fist bumps and alumni clanging cowbells and cheerleaders ruffling pompoms. Past trilling piccolos and tooting tubas and the upright feather plumes of the Showband of Arkansas. Past a massive sign hanging from a student apartment, underneath a cloudless Saturday afternoon sky: OUACHITA PLAYS MADDEN ON ROOKIE MODE.

[Gregory Sager]

Yeah, that's a fun read. It's stayed in my mind two years after I first read it.

[Ralph Turner]

LIke most of the South, Arkansas's just not an ideal location for a college in terms of travel with regard to small-college intercollegiate sports, whether the school is in D2, D3, or the NAIA.

D2 is definitely an exception here. There's an entire 12-team conference with teams only in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

There's still some mileage to put on the bus in that conference. However, there's two schools in particular in that conference who don't have to go far at all to reach each other's campus.

Respect your rival. He will bring out the best performance you can give!

[Pat Coleman]

LIke most of the South, Arkansas's just not an ideal location for a college in terms of travel with regard to small-college intercollegiate sports, whether the school is in D2, D3, or the NAIA.

D2 is definitely an exception here. There's an entire 12-team conference with teams only in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

There's still some mileage to put on the bus in that conference. However, there's two schools in particular in that conference who don't have to go far at all to reach each other's campus.

Respect your rival. He will bring out the best performance you can give!

I don't know that that statement is gender-specific.

[Ralph Turner]

LIke most of the South, Arkansas's just not an ideal location for a college in terms of travel with regard to small-college intercollegiate sports, whether the school is in D2, D3, or the NAIA.

D2 is definitely an exception here. There's an entire 12-team conference with teams only in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

There's still some mileage to put on the bus in that conference. However, there's two schools in particular in that conference who don't have to go far at all to reach each other's campus.

Respect your rival. He will bring out the best performance you can give!

I don't know that that statement is gender-specific.

True. (In this case, the major focus was on the football games the 2 schools had played.)

Respect your rival. S/he will bring out the best performance you can give!

[Pat Coleman]

The shuffle never ends:
https://d3sports.com/notables/2022/09/gnac-expands-necc-smaller-mitchell-new-england-college

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Provisional Pipeline for 2022-23
Full membership fall 2022: Pratt, University of St Thomas (Texas)
3rd year provisional members (full membership fall 2023): Bob Jones, Mississippi University for Women
2nd year provisional members: Asbury, Warren Wilson
1st year provisional members: Hartford, Lyon
Exploratory: Carlow

* Games against Year 3 provisional members count the same as games against full-members for regional-ranking and tournament selection purposes

Conference Changes Starting in 2022-2023
Allegheny leaves the NCAC for the PAC
Averett leaves the USAC for the ODAC
Medaille leaves the AMCC for the Empire 8
Warren Wilson joins the C2C
Belhaven leaves the ASC for the Collegiate Conference of the South
Agnes Scott, Berea, Covenant, Huntingdon, LaGrange, Maryville, Piedmont, and Wesleyan (GA) leave the USAC for the Collegiate Conference of the South

Conference Changes Starting in 2023-2024
Carlow joins the AMCC
Hartford joins the CCC
Lebanon Valley shifts from the MAC Commonwealth to the MAC Freedom
Lesley leaves the NECC for the NAC
Lycoming leaves the MAC Freedom for the Landmark
Lyon joins the SLIAC
Mississippi University for Women (MUW) joins the SLIAC
Mitchell leaves the NECC for the GNAC
Morrisville State leaves the UEC for the NAC
New England College leaves the NECC for the GNAC
Notre Dame (MD) adds men's sports and competes in the CSAC
Salve Regina leaves the CCC for the NEWMAC
Wells leaves the UEC for the AMCC
Wilkes leaves the MAC Freedom for the Landmark

[Inkblot]

Notre Dame (MD) is going co-ed next year and will add men's sports. https://www.ndm.edu/news-and-events/news/frequently-asked-questions-ndmu-becomes-co-ed