7 SCAC teams plus Berry to form new conference

[Gregory Sager]

(CC Soccer teams play DI.  I didn't even know you could "mix and match NCAA divisions with different sports).

Only if it was grandfathered in when the rule was passed several years ago that a school must be in the same division in every sport, unless a particular sport is not offered by that division. Colorado College is one of the handful of D3 schools that evaded that rule because of the grandfather clause.

Do y'all think Football, behind the mission statement of the SCAC, will be the determining factor in looking at new schools or do you think they will focus on the other sports (like soccer) that only need one 2-3 schools to maintain their AQ past 2012?

Football is not the 400-pound gorilla on the D3 level that it is in D1. In D1, football is the big moneymaker that drives the entire athletic department in many cases. In D3, it's just another sport. On this level, decisions tend to be made in the best interests of the athletic department overall rather than simply what's best for the football program.

Also, since I'm new to this game, I gather it is a possibility that Trinity and AC could join other conferences, like the UAA, for Football only?

As ADL70 indicated, football-only conference affiliations are common in D3. And they're not just an East Coast phenomenon, either; the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, which is based in Minnesota and South Dakota, includes four schools that are a part of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Westminster MO, Greenville, Eureka, and MacMurray) in all other sports. These four, which are all located in downstate Illinois or central Missouri, are UMAC members in football only.

The possible seventh might be Macalester (St. Paul MN) they are MIAA members, but independent in football.  They have played Chicago recently and have travelled as far as Lewis & Clark.

Macalester would be a sensible choice for any high-academics football conference, be it the UAA or the SCAC. As I indicated in a post a few weeks ago, Macalester's academic bona-fides are second to none, and the school has so much money that the football travel budget shouldn't be a problem. Plus, being an independent is a headache in terms of scheduling. so I'm sure that Macalester would jump at the chance to join the UAA or SCAC for football purposes only if the invitation should come its way.

[smedindy]

Though scheduling is that big of a headache for Macalester with the plethora of MIAC schools that they can compete with, plus the UMAC up there.

If they join a UAA / SCAC consortium, they may lose games against Carleton, Hamline and Augsburg, and I don't think they want to let those go.

[roocru]

Info on adding football from Berry website;

http://www.berryvikings.com/GeneralNews/Articles/BerryAddingFootballExpandingTrack

[Ron Boerger]

FYI:  I've created a new Southern Athletic Association thread in the South Region area to hopefully provide a single place to talk about SAA issues.  Right now there's discussion here, in the SCAC thread, everywhere 

[Pat Coleman]

Info on adding football from Berry website;

http://www.berryvikings.com/GeneralNews/Articles/BerryAddingFootballExpandingTrack

Sam link Ron posted a couple days ago. Not as complete from a Division III perspective as our story:

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2011/10/berry-college-adding-football

[ADL70]

Though scheduling is that big of a headache for Macalester with the plethora of MIAC schools that they can compete with, plus the UMAC up there.

If they join a UAA / SCAC consortium, they may lose games against Carleton, Hamline and Augsburg, and I don't think they want to let those go.

Six conference games leaves five weeks to fit those three in.

[roocru]

Info on adding football from Berry website;

http://www.berryvikings.com/GeneralNews/Articles/BerryAddingFootballExpandingTrack

Sam link Ron posted a couple days ago. Not as complete from a Division III perspective as our story:

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2011/10/berry-college-adding-football

Sorry, I missed Ron's previous post.  Just came across article and thought I would post it.  My bad!

[smedindy]

Though scheduling is that big of a headache for Macalester with the plethora of MIAC schools that they can compete with, plus the UMAC up there.

If they join a UAA / SCAC consortium, they may lose games against Carleton, Hamline and Augsburg, and I don't think they want to let those go.

Six conference games leaves five weeks to fit those three in.

True, but it becomes harder to slot them in with conference schedules on the MIAC and the UAA / SCAC / Macalester side

[Pat Coleman]

Info on adding football from Berry website;

http://www.berryvikings.com/GeneralNews/Articles/BerryAddingFootballExpandingTrack

Sam link Ron posted a couple days ago. Not as complete from a Division III perspective as our story:

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2011/10/berry-college-adding-football

Sorry, I missed Ron's previous post.  Just came across article and thought I would post it.  My bad!

That's OK. And what's a sam link? Is that like a will link? My bad too.

[litig8r187]

http://www.scacsports.com/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/southwestern_adds_football

I didn't see this coming.  So any other SCAC schools thinking about adding football?

[cush]

They all should, why can't dallas, centenary, and Colorado College have football teams? That would put the new scac, which probably should be renamed to wcac, at 6 football programs. Invite one more Texas school,  maybe TLU, and they are at 7. I also like the westminster college invite to pair with CC.

[Gray Fox]

A few years ago, Dallas tried club football and couldn't even get it off the ground.   That would be a major hurdle.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

They all should, why can't dallas, centenary, and Colorado College have football teams?

Colorado College would never admit the kind of student who enjoys football.  Even in their hockey program, they brag about finesse.  Besides, I'm not sure the league would let them play in sandals anyway.

[Ron Boerger]

Pretty snide there, Hoops Fan.   Colorado College had football from 1882 to 2008 - a stronger tradition than many D3 schools can claim.

All it takes for one of the other schools to start football is an alum (or group of alums) with deep pockets and an administration willing to support it - witness Southwestern's shocking call to add it last week after poo-pooing the idea for years.  CC doesn't have the admin support, apparently.     

[smedindy]

They all should, why can't dallas, centenary, and Colorado College have football teams?

Colorado College would never admit the kind of student who enjoys football.  Even in their hockey program, they brag about finesse.  Besides, I'm not sure the league would let them play in sandals anyway.

Lots of tree-huggin' granolas at Stanford, too!