Conference changes

[KnightSlappy]

UT-Dallas has announced a move to Division II. Official application to come in February 2024 with competition to start in Fall 2025.
https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx

The way I read it:
2025-26 is the start of competition in the Lone Star Conference (as a year-2 provisional).
2024-25 will be the start of their D2 provisional process (assuming application, acceptance, etc.). If they follow the Sul Ross path, they'll have a waiver to "count" for D3 competition in this year as well (and probably essentially play an ASC schedule) as long as they keep the program operating under D3 rules for the first year of the process.

I suspect the rest of the ASC will have something figured out before they need a 24-25 waiver.

I'll admit ignorance to many of the dynamics at play surrounding conference affiliation; what options do you think they have?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

UT-Dallas has announced a move to Division II. Official application to come in February 2024 with competition to start in Fall 2025.
https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx

The way I read it:
2025-26 is the start of competition in the Lone Star Conference (as a year-2 provisional).
2024-25 will be the start of their D2 provisional process (assuming application, acceptance, etc.). If they follow the Sul Ross path, they'll have a waiver to "count" for D3 competition in this year as well (and probably essentially play an ASC schedule) as long as they keep the program operating under D3 rules for the first year of the process.

I suspect the rest of the ASC will have something figured out before they need a 24-25 waiver.

I'll admit ignorance to many of the dynamics at play surrounding conference affiliation; what options do you think they have?

I imagine there's a lot of options, maybe no great ones. I just don't think they're going to wait too long to figure it out.

[Gregory Sager]

The Red River Conference, which is the NAIA league that occupies the same geographic footprint as the ASC, is a grab-bag of institutions: five or six branch campuses of large state universities; several tiny private HBCUs; a medium-sized Catholic university; a couple of very conservative evangelical schools; and so on. Some of them might be disposed to joining the ASC, although most of them would have to add a few sports in order to qualify for D3 membership (it's fortunate that few of them have cross-country or track & field, relatively inexpensive sports for budgetary purposes that also have the virtue of attracting fairly large numbers of student-athletes).

The problem from a football perspective is that I don't think any of the RRC schools, regardless of size or affiliation, have football programs. Unless the ASC can entice an NCAA scholie school that has football to move to D3, or it expands its already-large footprint, the ASC would either have to persuade current or future members to add football or drop the AQ for that sport.

[Ralph Turner]

The Red River Conference, which is the NAIA league that occupies the same geographic footprint as the ASC, is a grab-bag of institutions: five or six branch campuses of large state universities; several tiny private HBCUs; a medium-sized Catholic university; a couple of very conservative evangelical schools; and so on. Some of them might be disposed to joining the ASC, although most of them would have to add a few sports in order to qualify for D3 membership (it's fortunate that few of them have cross-country or track & field, relatively inexpensive sports for budgetary purposes that also have the virtue of attracting fairly large numbers of student-athletes).

The problem from a football perspective is that I don't think any of the RRC schools, regardless of size or affiliation, have football programs. Unless the ASC can entice an NCAA scholie school that has football to move to D3, or it expands its already-large footprint, the ASC would either have to persuade current or future members to add football or drop the AQ for that sport.

Would a school really want to add football for a conference that has two perennial Top-10 programs?

I am pessimistic. I just want LeTU, HPU and ETBU to land on their feet.

I have posted elsewhere that Centenary is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South.

https://www.acsouth.edu/

Might the SAA add Centenary and admit ETBU as a travel partner?  That would give 12 teams and divisional play might be an option.

[hickory_cornhusker]

The Red River Conference, which is the NAIA league that occupies the same geographic footprint as the ASC, is a grab-bag of institutions: five or six branch campuses of large state universities; several tiny private HBCUs; a medium-sized Catholic university; a couple of very conservative evangelical schools; and so on. Some of them might be disposed to joining the ASC, although most of them would have to add a few sports in order to qualify for D3 membership (it's fortunate that few of them have cross-country or track & field, relatively inexpensive sports for budgetary purposes that also have the virtue of attracting fairly large numbers of student-athletes).

The problem from a football perspective is that I don't think any of the RRC schools, regardless of size or affiliation, have football programs. Unless the ASC can entice an NCAA scholie school that has football to move to D3, or it expands its already-large footprint, the ASC would either have to persuade current or future members to add football or drop the AQ for that sport.

Louisiana Christian, Texas College, and North American have football teams in the Sooner Athletic Conference. North American is brand new to NAIA (they just had or are about to have their first year of full membership) and Louisiana Christian was former ASC member Louisiana College.

[Gregory Sager]

The Red River Conference, which is the NAIA league that occupies the same geographic footprint as the ASC, is a grab-bag of institutions: five or six branch campuses of large state universities; several tiny private HBCUs; a medium-sized Catholic university; a couple of very conservative evangelical schools; and so on. Some of them might be disposed to joining the ASC, although most of them would have to add a few sports in order to qualify for D3 membership (it's fortunate that few of them have cross-country or track & field, relatively inexpensive sports for budgetary purposes that also have the virtue of attracting fairly large numbers of student-athletes).

The problem from a football perspective is that I don't think any of the RRC schools, regardless of size or affiliation, have football programs. Unless the ASC can entice an NCAA scholie school that has football to move to D3, or it expands its already-large footprint, the ASC would either have to persuade current or future members to add football or drop the AQ for that sport.

Would a school really want to add football for a conference that has two perennial Top-10 programs?

It's Texas, Ralph, the football capital of the universe. I always figured that down there you folks feel that you can't hold up your heads in polite society if your college doesn't have a football team.

Louisiana Christian, Texas College, and North American have football teams in the Sooner Athletic Conference. North American is brand new to NAIA (they just had or are about to have their first year of full membership) and Louisiana Christian was former ASC member Louisiana College.

Yes, I saw that when I looked at the RRC. Texas College is a tiny and severely underfunded HBCU, so you have to wonder about its continued viability at this point. And Louisiana Christian has already turned its back on D3. North American University is the only realistic football-playing candidate there.

[Ralph Turner]

The Red River Conference, which is the NAIA league that occupies the same geographic footprint as the ASC, is a grab-bag of institutions: five or six branch campuses of large state universities; several tiny private HBCUs; a medium-sized Catholic university; a couple of very conservative evangelical schools; and so on. Some of them might be disposed to joining the ASC, although most of them would have to add a few sports in order to qualify for D3 membership (it's fortunate that few of them have cross-country or track & field, relatively inexpensive sports for budgetary purposes that also have the virtue of attracting fairly large numbers of student-athletes).

The problem from a football perspective is that I don't think any of the RRC schools, regardless of size or affiliation, have football programs. Unless the ASC can entice an NCAA scholie school that has football to move to D3, or it expands its already-large footprint, the ASC would either have to persuade current or future members to add football or drop the AQ for that sport.

Would a school really want to add football for a conference that has two perennial Top-10 programs?

It's Texas, Ralph, the football capital of the universe. I always figured that down there you folks feel that you can't hold up your heads in polite society if your college doesn't have a football team.

Louisiana Christian, Texas College, and North American have football teams in the Sooner Athletic Conference. North American is brand new to NAIA (they just had or are about to have their first year of full membership) and Louisiana Christian was former ASC member Louisiana College.

Yes, I saw that when I looked at the RRC. Texas College is a tiny and severely underfunded HBCU, so you have to wonder about its continued viability at this point. And Louisiana Christian has already turned its back on D3. North American University is the only realistic football-playing candidate there.

...but it was only when Centenary and Schreiner did not have to play UMHB and possibly HSU that they decided to resume football. And then they would be competing in an SCAC that one D3football expert compared to the UMAC in football prowess.

As for North American University, I understand that they declined the offer to join the ASC.

[WUPHF]

Texas College is a tiny and severely underfunded HBCU, so you have to wonder about its continued viability at this point.

I had a theory that congressional intervention would provide the buffer necessary to keep all historically black colleges and universities open, but Lincoln College proved me wrong.

I hope the Texas College president gets to Washington DC quite frequently.

As an aside, I was looking at the footprints of a few D3 conferences and I have to think that the SCAC has moved more geographically as the membership changed than any other conference.  Or at least it is in the running.

[Inkblot]

North American isn't regionally accredited, and as a result isn't even a full NAIA member.

[KnightSlappy]

Anyone have a contact in the membership committee? They have not posted the report or the new provisional chart after last month's meeting.

The June Membership Committee report has been posted:
Provisional advancement seems to be as expected.
https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d3/memb/Jun2023D3Memb_Report.pdf

[Pat Coleman]

Generally the schools listed here on probation whose self-assessment was not accepted -- not surprising. I am amazed how some of these schools manage to maintain their D-III membership.

[Ralph Turner]

Anyone have a contact in the membership committee? They have not posted the report or the new provisional chart after last month's meeting.

The June Membership Committee report has been posted:
Provisional advancement seems to be as expected.
https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/committees/d3/memb/Jun2023D3Memb_Report.pdf

From the report...

Division III active membership.
a. Probation/Restricted status summary. The committee reviewed the current list of
institutions on probation and restricted status. For the 2022-23 academic year, 16
institutions remain in the probationary period and one institution on restricted
status.

b. Probation/Restricted Status Institutions - Athletics Program Assessment Reviews.
The committee reviewed and took action on the athletics program assessments from
the following institutions, which they were required to complete during the first
year of their probationary period or restricted status:

(1) Keystone College (probation) – accepted;

(2) Knox College (probation) – accepted;

(3) Maranatha Baptist University (probation) – The committee determined the
program assessment was inadequate and required the institution to
resubmit the program assessment by August 1, 2023;

(4) Medgar Evers College (probation) – The committee determined the
program assessment was inadequate and required the institution to
resubmit the program assessment by August 1, 2023;

(5) Mount Mary University (probation) – accepted;

(6) Northern Vermont University – Johnson (probation) – The committee
determined the program assessment was incomplete and required the
institution to submit the missing components by July 10, 2023;

(7) Penn State University – Abington (probation) – The committee determined
the program assessment was incomplete and required the institution to
submit the missing components by July 10, 2023;

(8) Rockford University (probation) – accepted;

(9) Rutgers University, Newark (probation) – accepted;

(10) Saint Elizabeth University (restricted status) – accepted; and

(11) Trinity Washington University (probation) – The committee determined the
program assessment was incomplete and required the institution to submit
the missing components by July 10, 2023.

c. Review of Notre Dame of Maryland University single-gender institution
transitioning to coeducational institutional waiver. The committee approved a
request from Notre Dame of Maryland University for a waiver of Bylaw 20.11.3.10.2
(single-gender institution transitioning to co-educational institution). In its review,
the committee noted that this waiver will apply for the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-
26 academic years, on the condition that the institution provide an annual update
to the committee not later than June 1 of each year during the three-year period.

[jlog3000]

I'm not sure which user of this forum is in charge of the updates when it comes to the conference realignment changes come this fall (as of the 2023-24 school year). But would it be fair to announce that the NECC will no longer be an athletic conference that sponsor multiple sports (due to the last remaining member will leave for another regional-based conference), while in the process, that said conference would become a single sport-only conference (making reference to men's volleyball)?

It would be very fair to announce that, yes.

All users are welcome to make updates or clarifications, so feel free!

Thank you, which is all I asked. Sorry for the delayed response.

[jlog3000]

Also, even with certain safe perks in terms of automatic qualifiers for some sports, hope the C2C and the ASC (both having 6 and 5 respectively, in the C2C's case it has 5 men's & women's and 1 women's-only) would need to find member schools as expansion candidates to remain alive in the long term; or otherwise they are in the brink to be squandered and be in favor to join more nearby regional friendly conferences.

[gordonmann]

bump

Provisional Pipeline for 2023-24 (Expected)
Full membership fall 2023: Mississippi University for Women
3rd year provisional members (full membership fall 2024): Asbury, Warren Wilson
2nd year provisional members: Hartford, Lyon
1st year provisional members: Carlow
Exploratory: Penn State-Brandywine

* 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 2023-2024
Bryn Athyn leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Cairn leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Carlow joins the AMCC
Cazenovia (NAC) closes
Cedar Crest leaves the CSAC for the UEC (sponsor women's sports only)
Clarks Summit leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Eastern Nazarene leaves the NECC for the NAC
Finlandia (C2C) closes
Hartford joins the CCC
Keystone leaves the CSAC for the UEC
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
Medaille (E8) closes
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 UEC
Rosemont leaves the CSAC for the UEC
St. Elizabeth leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Salve Regina leaves the CCC for the NEWMAC
Sul Ross State (ASC) begins reclassification period to D2 (waiver allows them to count for primary criteria, ineligible for postseason)
Valley Forge leaves the CSAC for the UEC
Wells leaves the UEC for the AMCC
Wilkes leaves the MAC Freedom for the Landmark
Wilson leaves the CSAC for the UEC
NECC no longer a basketball conference due to losing all members (Pool A goes away)
CSAC dissolves (Pool A bid goes away)
Expecting 42 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 22 Pool C bids

Conference Changes Starting in 2024-2025
Berea leaves the CCS for the HCAC
Cabrini (AEC) closes
Concordia (Texas) leaves the ASC for the SCAC
Johnson & Wales leaves the GNAC for the CCC
McMurry leaves the ASC for the SCAC
NVU-Johnson (NAC) leaves D3 for the USCAA [ON HOLD?]
Pratt leaves the C2C for the AEC
Texas-Dallas leaves the ASC for D2 (application process pending)
University of the Ozarks leaves the ASC for the SCAC
CCS expected to gain Pool A bid
Expecting 43 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 21 Pool C bids

Conference Changes Starting in 2025-2026
Southwestern leaves the SCAC for the SAA
Trinity (Texas) leaves the SCAC for the SAA
Expecting 43 Pool A bids, 0 Pool B bids, 21 Pool C bids