Jamestown College considers staying in NAIA, move to NCAA D-III

[radiodavel]

www.theseniorreports.com/naiadiv3.htm

Jamestown College president Robert Badal says the school plans to make a decision on the future home of its athletics program by the end of the year.

Badal expressed optimism about the options the school is considering.

"Compared to where we were just a year ago, we feel like we're standing a lot taller," he said. "There have been a few ups and downs, but overall I have to say I'm optimistic about the options we have in front of us."

The school won't rush the decision, but expects to make a recommendation to the board in the next five or six months.

[Ralph Turner]

I am thinking that they might end up in the UMAC, but a team called the "Jimmes" would be right at home with the Johnnies, the Tommies, the Oles, the Gusties and the Cobbers.  

[Gregory Sager]

I question the accuracy of this article, in particular this line:

"It would also allow them [Jamestown] to remain in the NAIA, which permits recruiting and scholarships, which their other option does not."

The "other option" mentioned in the article is the UMAC ... and, as far as I know, the UMAC allows its schools to recruit athletes.

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah -- we didn't link the Jamestown Sun story from our What We're Reading section because of that error and because it just didn't seem to have any clue what it takes to join the NCAA.

[Gray Fox]

Pat,
Thank you for keeping the radioman properly educated.

[Gregory Sager]

Pat,
Thank you for keeping the radioman properly educated.

Doesn't look to me as though radiodave is the one who needs educating. He merely passed along a link to a local newspaper story from up there in North Dakota that was written by someone on staff who didn't do his research vis-a-vis D3.

[Warren Thompson]

Pat,
Thank you for keeping the radioman properly educated.

Doesn't look to me as though radiodave is the one who needs educating. He merely passed along a link to a local newspaper story from up there in North Dakota that was written by someone on staff who didn't do his research vis-a-vis D3.

It's sad how many media folks have no idea what D3 is all about ....

[radiodavel]

Warren, possibly D3 needs to do a better job of this, ...Jamestown paper does a good job of covering college athletics and they have covered NAIA more then D3.  The story was based on information given to him most likely from the President of JC.  We post that info on our site, because it is news...

Doing everything from D1 to NAIA, D3 sends out a mixed signal depending on what schools you are talking about.  I also work with HS coaches who have athletes being recruited from D3 schools who tell me some interesting stories.  D3 is a big group of schools, so that will happen for sure.

But to not link to a story because the writer was reporting on a story based on a mis-interpatation of D3 and you don't agree with it.  Don't be surprised (as we have said on our site) that more NAIA schools will look at D3, because of the tougher entrance standards and costs to be D2.

If you are on FB take a look at this site from Georgetown College, they are looking at D3...look at how these folks view it...might surprise you -   https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Help-Save-The-Georgetown-College-Athletic-Tradition/172419416146549

[Gregory Sager]

But to not link to a story because the writer was reporting on a story based on a mis-interpatation of D3 and you don't agree with it.  Don't be surprised (as we have said on our site) that more NAIA schools will look at D3, because of the tougher entrance standards and costs to be D2.

"Looking at" and "getting into" are two completely different things. Yes, D2 is running a tighter ship than it used to, but it still lets in ten new members a year. D3, by contrast, only lets in four per year. Any school investigating a switch from NAIA to a non-D1 NCAA division will be made aware of that.

1If you are on FB take a look at this site from Georgetown College, they are looking at D3...look at how these folks view it...might surprise you -   https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Help-Save-The-Georgetown-College-Athletic-Tradition/172419416146549

Doesn't surprise me one bit. I've followed D3 sports for over three decades now, and I am well aware that the perception of D3 among the general population of American sports fans is that it's nothing more than glorified intramurals. Why should the Georgetown alumni be an exception? If anything, their anti-D3 attitude is heightened even more by the fact that G'town has had a great history in more than one sport in the NAIA ranks -- although, as the initial media reports seemed to indicate, the school no longer has the financial werewithal to be competitive across the board in the NAIA anymore and is now more or less a "basketball school."

Someone should share Rhodes Scholar's NAIA vs. D3 basketball tables for the past decade with the protesting Georgetown alumni. It'd be an eye-opener for them to find out that D3 is not the step down that they think it is.

[Pat Coleman]

But to not link to a story because the writer was reporting on a story based on a mis-interpatation of D3 and you don't agree with it.

I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean since it's kind of an incomplete thought, but I figured I'd better respond -- there is nothing to be gained for D3sports.com to be giving any credence to an incorrect news report. Why would we endorse a news report that claims that Division III schools can't recruit? What if someone were to follow our link to that story and believe it, because the authority on Division III sports linked to it?

Recent trend suggests it's the opposite, by the way. More schools are going D-II at this point, and honestly, that's just fine. There are a lot of Division III schools.

[radiodavel]

Pat...why don't you contact the author and explain to him how this all works.  Most sports folks I know appreciate knowing the facts. 

Censoring a news story from a very good newspaper because it doesn't have exactlly what you think he needs in it is almost amusing.  You have to decide if you are going to be a "cheerleader" for D3 or if your site is going to get the information to your readers.  I think most of the folks on the site can figure out what they believe in.

[Gregory Sager]

I have to agree with Pat on this one, Dave. The Jamestown Sun article included misinformation that has not yet been corrected, either with an erratum by the newspaper itself or through a response in a comments section (there doesn't appear to be a comments section available for the article).

In this case, "exactly what you [Pat] thinks he needs" is the facts, and the article includes a statement that is contrary to the facts. And it's not a sidebar issue, either; in a story about whether a school will choose to stay in the NAIA or move to D3, a statement about the rules of D3 that will affect the decision is absolutely crucial to the content of the story.

This is not about Pat being a cheerleader. This is about Pat doing his job properly as an editor.

[Pat Coleman]

You have to decide if you are going to be a "cheerleader" for D3 or if your site is going to get the information to your readers.  

Here's where we differ, radiodavel. I don't consider that "information" if it's incorrect. I'm not going to pass along misinformation to the readers if I can at all help it. If you know my credentials you know I come from a serious journalistic background.

I didn't really have time to write an email yesterday while I was in Indianapolis meeting with the NCAA Division III folks. I do often send corrections to members of the media, but I don't actually have the same experience as you about the receptiveness of writers.

[Gregory Sager]

I didn't really have time to write an email yesterday while I was in Indianapolis meeting with the NCAA Division III folks. I do often send corrections to members of the media, but I don't actually have the same experience as you about the receptiveness of writers.

In this case, I'm happy to report that the writer in question, Jamestown Sun sports editor Dave Selvig, was quite receptive. I e-mailed him this afternoon and told him about the error. He went online and changed it himself. The newly-redacted piece can be viewed here. The section about the UMAC and D3 is now a little garbled and repetitive as a result of his quick online rewrite, but the offending statement about the UMAC and/or D3 not allowing recruiting has been removed.

[Pat Coleman]

Good. I find receptiveness to be a little hit-or-miss.