7 SCAC teams plus Berry to form new conference

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

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

I went to high school in Colorado Springs.  I love the campus and the school.  It's just fun to pick on the uniqueness of the atmosphere, especially in contrast to the city around it.

[smedindy]

CC in Colorado Springs is like plunking down Vassar or Swarthmore in Lynchburg, VA!

[Ron Boerger]

OK, Hoops Fan, sorry.  It's hard to read voice inflection in comments.

I did find some interesting tidbits just now in the Washburn Foundation's updates.  The WF is dedicated to bringing back football at CC.  This is a quote from a post dated 19 October 2011 (emphasis is mine):

"At the Denver meeting with President Jill T. three of us did ask about bringing college football back to CC.  The new president stated that the college's first concern with intercollegiate athletics is to find a new league for all DIII sports because the SCAC is splitting up and may not be a league in a few years.  Travel expenses appear to be a big reason for this."

Well, the new SCAC is much more compact than the old, with the exception of CC, so I'd take that prediction with a large grain of salt.  In any case the whole thing makes for interesting insight on what is purported to be the current thinking from the Springs.

[Ralph Turner]

I have said this before, but being an isolated D-III program, more than 500 miles from the next D-III campus makes no sense for a school on a "block" academic program. 

It is not that they are adverse to scholarship athletics (Ice Hockey and women' Soccer).  Going D-II in the Rocky Mountain AC would handle most of the questions except the "purity" question of having to be in a conference with the likes of Colorado Christian University and Adams State and whoever else they invite into the conference as that part of the NCAA "shuffles".

(More than half of the membership is within a 2 hour drive of the Springs.)

[smedindy]

Ralph,

That's not a small issue. I think, most of all, colleges want to be aligned with people they resemble, or aspire to resemble. It's why Wabash and DPU got out of the HCAC after a while. The administrations decided that after it stopped being a true "Indiana" conference, it was better to be with those whose mission, vision and academics fit with you the most.

[cush]

I thought the scac was getting stable now. There is no d3 league cc will have an easy travel time given their location. Maybe the  scac could jump to 12 with 6 in a southern division, than have CC pair up with the Nebraska/kansas school's mentioned who might look to d3. IF CC is staying in D3, i don't see a better league for them than the scac.

[Ron Boerger]

I thought the scac was getting stable now. There is no d3 league cc will have an easy travel time given their location. Maybe the  scac could jump to 12 with 6 in a southern division, than have CC pair up with the Nebraska/kansas school's mentioned who might look to d3. IF CC is staying in D3, i don't see a better league for them than the scac.

Yeah, I'm not sure the CC president is too up-to-date on what the SCAC's doing.  If they're staying D3 and want to be in a 'peer' league, they're not going to find anything else closer, cheaper, etc. 

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph,

That's not a small issue. I think, most of all, colleges want to be aligned with people they resemble, or aspire to resemble. It's why Wabash and DPU got out of the HCAC after a while. The administrations decided that after it stopped being a true "Indiana" conference, it was better to be with those whose mission, vision and academics fit with you the most.

Oh, I understand.  The "mission and vision" issue is big.  She will have to clean up the mess that Dr (former Ohio Governor) Richard Celeste made of the athletic department.

I encourage the readers to go to the Washburn Foundation web site that  Ron Boerger cited above.  They are carrying the torch admirably.

[Gregory Sager]

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

A Texas school that couldn't find enough interest to start a club football team? If that's not a sure sign of the apocalypse, I don't know what is.

Tom Landry must've done a few thousand do-si-do's in his grave.

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.

If Oberlin can have a football team, anybody can have a football team.

[smedindy]

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

A Texas school that couldn't find enough interest to start a club football team? If that's not a sure sign of the apocalypse, I don't know what is.

Tom Landry must've done a few thousand do-si-do's in his grave.

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.

If Oberlin can have a football team, anybody can have a football team.

The Yeomen have been the never-say-die club of the NCAC. And they actually draw pretty well. It's Kenyon that we NCAC types are worrying about, again...

I still wonder about teams named "Quakers" playing football...

[Gregory Sager]

The Yeomen have been the never-say-die club of the NCAC. And they actually draw pretty well. It's Kenyon that we NCAC types are worrying about, again...

Culturally, though, Oberlin seems to reflect the mix of academic snobbery and a granola-and-Birkenstocks neo-hippie atmosphere that HF was referencing with respect to Colorado College as a sort of double-barreled campus cultural attack on the idea of football. Or at least that's Oberlin's reputation ... or stereotype.

I dunno, maybe Kenyon's like that, too. But Oberlin's the NCAC school that really personifies that dual nature in the minds of a lot of us outsiders.

[smedindy]

You're right about the granola nature with Oberlin, though I think Kenyon has the snobby factor, or did when I was in school. But yeah, I got the joke, but just had to defend Oberlin a touch. They are drawing about 1,400 a game, which is pretty remarkable considering Hiram and Kenyon don't get 500 a contest.

[Pat Coleman]

I've seen that number throw around lately. Anyone put actual eyeballs on that to know how accurate it is?

[Ralph Turner]

I've seen that number throw around lately. Anyone put actual eyeballs on that to know how accurate it is?

Hmm, if you count eyeballs, then might get 1400. 

[smedindy]

I've seen that number throw around lately. Anyone put actual eyeballs on that to know how accurate it is?

I did look at the trends. They were at about 1,000 very early in the 2000's. At least they're consistent in reporting.