D3 Football Map

[crufootball]

The ball never stops bouncing as Southwestern just announced they were joining the SAA in football effective 2023.

I knew it would never happen but I was actually hoping at some point Trinity who join the ASC so at least all the football playing D3 members in Texas would be in the same conference.

So... switching places with Austin?

It is interesting to think did the two schools have the same conversations but just come to exact opposite conclusion. Also makes me think back, didn't the old SCAC which is now the SAA (somewhat) break up because they didn't want to travel all the way down to Texas?

[Ron Boerger]

The ball never stops bouncing as Southwestern just announced they were joining the SAA in football effective 2023.

I knew it would never happen but I was actually hoping at some point Trinity who join the ASC so at least all the football playing D3 members in Texas would be in the same conference.

So... switching places with Austin?

It is interesting to think did the two schools have the same conversations but just come to exact opposite conclusion. Also makes me think back, didn't the old SCAC which is now the SAA (somewhat) break up because they didn't want to travel all the way down to Texas?

That was part of it, and perhaps the major part of it for at least some of the schools.  There was also an undercurrent (stated baldly by the then-Hendrix president, more subtly by others) that the more recent additions to the SCAC - UDallas, Schreiner, TLU, Centenary (who was in the ASC at the time but had declared for the SCAC) - didn't live up to their academic expectations, and that's arguably true.  If I remember some on the boards said the same of Colorado College and Trinity, but you can look at the numbers and disprove that.

Affiliating with the two Texas schools for football only means one out-of-state trip for one sport each season, versus a whole bunch across all sports, and helps preserve the conference's automatic bid.  The Texas schools are the ones footing the bill for a lot of football travel with 3 or 4 out-of-state conference trips each season.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

MAP

2022 Updates and corrections (some of which may have been waiting a while and some I thought I had already done):
Added Hilbert
Moved Allegheny to PAC
Moved PAC into Region 2
Moved ASC into Region 3
Changed Capital from Crusaders to Comets
Changed Carthage from Red Men to Firebirds
Changed Crown from Storm to Polars
Changed Kenyon from Lords to Owls
Changed Susquehanna from Crusaders to River Hawks
Changed Western Connecticut St from Colonials to the Wolves


If you know of any changes (such as a new stadium or a new website address) let me know and I'll get it updated.

[Hawks88]

Belhaven moved from ASC to USAC
Averett moved from USAC to ODAC

[D3Navy]

Biggest observation I can make is that the East Region is massive. 148 teams? No wonder that region looks and shakes out so differently each year.

North being the smallest seems just as odd, but because they are all so much closer the committee can shuffle them a bit to avoid conference rematches in the playoffs. I am sure UMHB gets annoyed at having to beat HSU (often another top-10 team) twice a year just get to the Quarterfinals.

This is awesome work.

Probably not as annoyed as HSU!   

[Pat Coleman]

This map is great, and I took a screenshot of it to use in ATN this week. Thanks again for doing this!

I have one other update to suggest -- Thomas More did go to NAIA but now they are NCAA D-II.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Belhaven moved from ASC to USAC
Averett moved from USAC to ODAC

Made the edit.
I was double checking conferences based on the region pages and those hadn't been updated I guess. The team pages are correct though.

This map is great, and I took a screenshot of it to use in ATN this week. Thanks again for doing this!

I have one other update to suggest -- Thomas More did go to NAIA but now they are NCAA D-II.

No problem And updated.

[Inkblot]

It's not inaccurate to list Thomas More as NAIA this year. This is their first provisional D2 year and they're still an NAIA member and playing NAIA schedules. Next year they'll start playing D2 schedules.

[Gray Fox]

Whittier (SCIAC) has dropped football.

[ncc_fan]

Those SAA road trips to/from Trinity look brutal!  Is the 2200 mile round trip between Centre & Trinity typically done by bus?    

[Cowboy2]

Those SAA road trips to/from Trinity look brutal!  Is the 2200 mile round trip between Centre & Trinity typically done by bus?   

They fly to most SAA schools

[The Third Division]

TIME FOR AN UPDATED MAP!!!

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

TIME FOR AN UPDATED MAP!!!

I'll get to it. Be sure to let me know of any little edits to be made. New stadiums, change in links, etc.

[Ron Boerger]

Those SAA road trips to/from Trinity look brutal!  Is the 2200 mile round trip between Centre & Trinity typically done by bus?   

For those who haven't been around for a while, before the SAA split from the SCAC this was something everyone in the conference dealt with, in all sports.  And with Trinity and Southwestern joining the SAA in a couple of years, they will once again (which surprises those of us remembering that excessive travel was one of the reasons behind the split to begin with).

At one point, both Rose-Hulman and DePauw were also members of the SCAC.  Until DePauw left, you had travel ranging all the way from Colorado to Indiana (RHIT departed the year Colorado College joined). 

[Ralph Turner]

Those SAA road trips to/from Trinity look brutal!  Is the 2200 mile round trip between Centre & Trinity typically done by bus?   

LOL, Almost as bad as from Waco, Texas to Morgantown, West Virginia!

Or Los Angeles to College Park, Maryland...