FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hazzben]

The whole thing is rigged. SJU split time of possession in both games against Bethel. If that isn't the most definitive stat in a football game, then I guess I've been wrong about everything football related for my entire life.

My understanding is that SJU's early season abusive advancement of a kick after someone else waved for a fair catch was what knocked them down.

Would write more, but have to run and put the snow tires on my corvette.

Very underrated posts right here. 

[SagatagSam]

While the SOS boost is nice, I dislike playing a team 2x in a year, and I dislike having the championship host site predetermined.  I also dislike playing 4+/- games per season that are only competitive for 10 minutes.  I don't know what the solution should be.

Send 2 teams over to us in the UMAC.  They could stay in the MIAC for every other sport.

The UMAC is our version of relegation...I could get behind this. The problem is, the top UMAC teams are still Monkey Stompville for the top of the MIAC. The SCC teams that ran through the UMAC like it was swiss cheese got annihilated by Bethel and UST in the first rd of the playoffs. But the sheer ignominy of being relegated would add some spicy storylines to that bottom of the standings final cross-divisional face-off. SCC vs. Hamline would become a little intriguing!

Perhaps there is an intermediate step for relegation between MIAC and UMAC? How about the Midwest Conference? Didn't Macalester play MWC football for a few years after they left the MIAC in football?

[SagatagSam]

It was bugging me so I just looked it up. Turns out not only Macalester, but several other MIAC teams had tours in the MWC:

Carleton was a charter member of the MWC in 1921 until it departed in 1983
Hamline was a member from 1922-1930
St. Olaf was a member from 1952-1974
Macalester was a football affiliate member from 2014-2020

So, what I'm trying to say is there's precedent here.

[OzJohnnie]

The beauty of the MIAC is that it works for more than just football and works well.

https://miacathletics.com/sports/2022/4/20/about-honor-history-all-sports-competition-index.aspx

What’s up with the Carleton ladies and volleyball?  The Knightetts are killing it but for volleyball where apparently they are more hopeless than a slug on a salt lick.

[57Johnnie]

My Freshman year the MIAC football standings were:
SJU 5-1
Gustavus 5-1
Concordia 4-2
Macalester 4-2
Hamline 3-3
Duluth Branch 3-3
UST 2-4
Augsburg 1-5
St. Mary's 0-6

The Johnnie loss was to Duluth
We also lost to St. Cloud but beat S. Dakota

[AO]

The problem isn't the blowouts, I think people are watching too much NFL where the parity is forced by all sorts of rules.  You're going to have blowouts in every conference.  The problem is the conference has too many teams so you have an odd divisional structure where you don't play every team, and for some sports if you do play every team you don't have room for many non-conference games to fill out the schedule and give the athletes the full experience of traveling to new locations.

[DuffMan]

The problem isn't the blowouts, I think people are watching too much NFL where the parity is forced by all sorts of rules. 

This is one of the reasons that I don't like the NFL.

[OzJohnnie]

The problem isn't the blowouts, I think people are watching too much NFL where the parity is forced by all sorts of rules. 

This is one of the reasons that I don't like the NFL.

That’s my second reason.  My first reason is that I was cursed to support the Vikings.

[SagatagSam]

The problem isn't the blowouts, I think people are watching too much NFL where the parity is forced by all sorts of rules. 

This is one of the reasons that I don't like the NFL.

That’s my second reason.  My first reason is that I was cursed to support the Vikings.

But, that win against the Colts this past weekend! Whoooooeeeeeee! That'll give them some serious juice to get expectations way overblown so they can walk right into another NFC Championship Game blowout against the Eagles--or, if they're lucky, a Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the Bills!

[sjusection105]

 In FCS you've got the Dakotas and Montanas and Mo.Valley FB Conference, and Colonial Athletic Conference and a few others

Where is Bench when we need him?
Jan 8 Dakota Marker Game 2.0 this time in Frisco TX
I've watched several SDSU Jackrabbit games this year and they are making a move to being my favorite FCS team. I love their creativity in their offense and the D just comes out and says "Give us your best shot"

[DuffMan]

I thought the Tommies were your favorite FCS team!?!

[Texas Ole]

Joel Klatt has had some hot takes on the transfer portal.  A few weeks ago I spoke with a former D1 coach who retired partially because of it and NIL.  He argued that it was forcing him to become more of a salesman than a coach.  He was constantly having to recruit players to play for him even when they were already on the team.  He had players telling him they needed more money to stay with his team.  I kind of agree with Klatt.  It should be a 1 time transfer only for upperclassmen unless your coach leaves.  I also think all of college sports need a system like baseball or hockey.  If you are good enough out of high school you can get drafted and go pro otherwise you owe the school 3 years.  I am also a big fan of limiting NIL and spreading it to all athletes.

It is a shame they are playing the FCS game in Frisco and at the outdoor stadium no less.  Hopefully the weather will be nice.  Don't get me started on that suburb.  I guess I will miss that game with duck hunting.

As for the MIAC relegation I have mixed opinions on it.  I think in some ways it is nice with alternating opponents and the championship games can be fun.  I also wouldn't mind seeing a 9 game conference schedule.  There are certain games that have gotten out of control, but I don't think it as bad as people make it out to be.  Certain schools have different priorities which is an issue, but there isn't a good way of fixing it.  Some schools need athletics to raise their visibility than others.  I have a very strong feeling that St. Olaf, Carleton, and Mac were very close to joining the Midwest Conference as full members.  There was probably 1 other school looking at the Midwest Conference which I am going to guess  was Hamline.  A Carleton coach tipped off the media.  I think it was that coach trying to avoid the Midwest Conference based on travel and other issues.  It may have even gone far enough that a Carleton coach knew sports were going to be cut including maybe their own.

[Ice Bear]

Joel Klatt has had some hot takes on the transfer portal.  A few weeks ago I spoke with a former D1 coach who retired partially because of it and NIL.  He argued that it was forcing him to become more of a salesman than a coach.  He was constantly having to recruit players to play for him even when they were already on the team.  He had players telling him they needed more money to stay with his team.  I kind of agree with Klatt.  It should be a 1 time transfer only for upperclassmen unless your coach leaves.  I also think all of college sports need a system like baseball or hockey.  If you are good enough out of high school you can get drafted and go pro otherwise you owe the school 3 years.  I am also a big fan of limiting NIL and spreading it to all athletes.

It is a shame they are playing the FCS game in Frisco and at the outdoor stadium no less.  Hopefully the weather will be nice.  Don't get me started on that suburb.  I guess I will miss that game with duck hunting.

As for the MIAC relegation I have mixed opinions on it.  I think in some ways it is nice with alternating opponents and the championship games can be fun.  I also wouldn't mind seeing a 9 game conference schedule.  There are certain games that have gotten out of control, but I don't think it as bad as people make it out to be.  Certain schools have different priorities which is an issue, but there isn't a good way of fixing it.  Some schools need athletics to raise their visibility than others.  I have a very strong feeling that St. Olaf, Carleton, and Mac were very close to joining the Midwest Conference as full members.  There was probably 1 other school looking at the Midwest Conference which I am going to guess  was Hamline.  A Carleton coach tipped off the media.  I think it was that coach trying to avoid the Midwest Conference based on travel and other issues.  It may have even gone far enough that a Carleton coach knew sports were going to be cut including maybe their own.

Ice Bear says solid ****ing post here! Ice sends some +k down to George Strait's birthplace!

[carletonknights]

I'm strongly opposed to the 9 game conference schedule. Love the two OOC games. Let St. John's and Bethel schedule tough teams to test themselves and boost their SOS. Let Carleton play its east coast and west coast partners (hopefully that happens soon) and let Hamline get two games against UMAC schools that they'll actually get to be competitive in. I like how the MIAC has set it up with it's last week. I guess for the championship game they could try to go neutral field, but are you telling me you'd rather play inside a dead, lifeless dome just so you don't have to play a second game @Bethel or @St. John's again? The Big Ten has had championship games that were rematches of regular season games too

[hazzben]

I'm strongly opposed to the 9 game conference schedule. Love the two OOC games. Let St. John's and Bethel schedule tough teams to test themselves and boost their SOS. Let Carleton play its east coast and west coast partners (hopefully that happens soon) and let Hamline get two games against UMAC schools that they'll actually get to be competitive in. I like how the MIAC has set it up with it's last week. I guess for the championship game they could try to go neutral field, but are you telling me you'd rather play inside a dead, lifeless dome just so you don't have to play a second game @Bethel or @St. John's again? The Big Ten has had championship games that were rematches of regular season games too

I'm on record saying they should have the MIAC championship game at TCO. Perfect sized venue IMO. Neutral, outdoor field.