FB: Southern Athletic Association

[awadelewis]

Decision still pending on Sewanee's part as of 7/17.   I think our admin is waiting to see what the rest of the conference is going to do.

The isolation of our campus is one of the factors in the plan to open for on-ground instruction in mid-August.  Centre and Berry have similar advantages because of location and size of campuses. 

Berry has said they're reopening but are watching closely what's happening with the numbers in Georgia.

Interesting times...

[awadelewis]

Per a press release from Sewanee, the SAA has suspended all Fall sports.

[Ron Boerger]

Here's the SAA's release:

https://www.saa-sports.com/general/2019-20/releases/20200716slnbjk

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity announced their fall plans today which (somewhat surprisingly IMO given the 2000+ new COVID-19 cases in San Antonio yesterday alone) include some on-campus activities:  https://sites.google.com/trinity.edu/trinityuniversitycovid-19/reopening-campus

On campus access will be offered to:
- new students (first year/transfer, International, RA) - including residing on campus; all rooms will be singles
- students living in Bexar or contiguous county
- City Vista residents (this is a nearby apartment complex the school purchased for student use a couple years back)
- on a space-available basis, students in a number of categories including "Student athletes participating in fall and winter sports who must return to campus for conditioning, in hopes of competing once athletic conference restrictions are lifted."  S-As are the lowest of three prioritized groupings. 

Students in any category above have the option to decline on-campus residency/learning.   There are a number of scenarios listed which will cause campus closure.

[Ron Boerger]

Starting to see good progress on the new home stands at Trinity (in what now apparently will be the "Multi-Sport Stadium").  It may not look like much compared to some other facilities, but it's a huge improvement over what was there for the last 30-35 years.  Wonder if they're going to adjust the track; anyone in Lane 8 might otherwise have a close encounter with a wall of the red brick kind (every building at Trinity has to have red brick).   https://twitter.com/TrinityUTigers/status/1286746266098163713   

[Inkblot]

Austin football is leaving the SAA for the ASC in 2021. https://ascsports.org/news/2020/8/13/austin-college-joins-asc-as-football-affiliate.aspx

[Ron Boerger]

Austin football is leaving the SAA for the ASC in 2021. https://ascsports.org/news/2020/8/13/austin-college-joins-asc-as-football-affiliate.aspx

Cost-saving move.  They won't be competitive in the ASC.

[crufootball]

Austin football is leaving the SAA for the ASC in 2021. https://ascsports.org/news/2020/8/13/austin-college-joins-asc-as-football-affiliate.aspx

Cost-saving move.  They won't be competitive in the ASC.

Do you think they will be less competitive in the ASC than they were in SAA? It's been a few years but they didn't seem to be much worse off when they were in the ASC than they were SCAC/SAA. 

[Ron Boerger]

I think it's fair to say the average level of play in the ASC is higher than the SAA.

[crufootball]

I think it's fair to say the average level of play in the ASC is higher than the SAA.

Fair enough, I agree that cost is a big time factor. As someone who loves to go to away games I have to admit being happy that we are losing a school that is close to 6 hours away and gaining one about 3 hours away.

[Ron Boerger]

Interview in today's Express-News with TU AD Bob King on what current thinking is for moving fall athletics to spring (that's still the plan in some form), how athletics will practice during the fall and related topics.  A couple of quick nuggets:

• Enrollment remained constant even with athletes (and I believe others) being offered a gap year
• Trinity will cut this year's budget by $22M, with athletics responsible for some unspecified part of that
• the SCAC is trying to figure out some way to have championships even though there will no NCAA playoffs for fall sports

[Ron Boerger]

B-SC's Shufford (1st team, RB) and Benning (2nd team, TE), Trinity's Edmonton (1st team, special teams), and Millsaps' Vincifora (2nd team, DE) are the SAA's representatives on the '20-'21 D3football.com All-America team.   Congratulations to all and here's hoping there will be a chance to play in some form this school year. 

[jaybird44]

Hello all!

Usually I post items about WashU games that I have or will broadcast, or about general observations from other games and events.  However, this post regards a topic that is quite a bit different--with the athletic shoe being on the broadcaster's foot.

I am going to attempt to cover 100 miles in a solo charity ultramarathon through an event that I have organized.  "Rett Gets Rocked Virtual Ultra Weekend" will be conducted in the subdivision where I live in St. Charles, MO, to raise awareness and research funds for Rett syndrome.  I get started at 9 a.m. Central on Saturday, October 3 and end at 5 p.m. Sunday, October 4.  Proceeds from the event will be split between Rettsyndrome.org (the only national organization spearheading research and providing resources for affected patients and their families) and the Rett Spectrum Clinic--a collaboration between the WashU School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Rett syndrome is a rare, non-inherited neurological disorder that is caused by a gene mutation in the brain.  Rett strikes typically when a child is 6-18 months old, and it takes away the child's ability to move and communicate.  Most of them end up in wheelchairs with active minds, but mired in the physical rubble that Rett creates.  And, the neurological damage prevents verbal communication and arm and hand movement for sign language.

In essence, Rett does to a child what Lucy in the "Peanuts" comic strip does to Charlie Brown when he tries to kick the football that she is holding.  The only difference is that Charlie Brown can get back up to try again.  Those who are afflicted with Rett syndrome don't get another chance to enjoy a vibrant life.

If you would like to make a donation to the cause, here is the link to my Rett Racers donation page:  https://rettracer.everydayhero.com/us/rett-gets-rocked-2020

Thanks for your time and consideration, and let's hope that we get back to playing and broadcasting sports much sooner than later!

Jay Murry
Play-By-Play Announcer, Washington University in St. Louis
Event Director, Rett Gets Rocked Virtual Ultra Weekend

[HSCTiger74]

   I wasn't exactly sure where this belonged but this seemed as appropriate as anywhere else.
   I noted during the announcement this afternoon that Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is a graduate of Rhodes.

[Ron Boerger]

Story in the San Antonio Trinity student newspaper talks about proposed SAA football schedule:  four games in February in an east-west alignment with the east/west winners meeting in a championship game.

https://www.trinitonian.com/at-long-last-sports-on-the-verge-of-returning-to-trinity/