Any rumors out there?

Expansion?
Contraction?
Bowl games?
Digital Media?
Facilities?
Recruiting?
Coaching?

Dingo Talk Podcast last two interviews are with Dubuque and Simpson Head Coaches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nkw4aaOyms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKv8t8RaoO4

From the UD video.  Dubuque has a 1 year contract with McMurry coming to UD this year.  Then will have a 2 game series with St. Norbert.  St. Norbert makes sense, with proximity and 3 of their coaches have been at UD.

Simpson also has a 1 year contract with their Texas opponent Howard Payne.

Quote from: BLynn on April 16, 2026, 10:18:25 PMquick question, I know D3's playing NAIA's is not conducive to making the playoffs, but instead of driving to Texas and Mississippi couldn't some ARC's play nearby NAIA teams?

There could be a few reasons. 
You mentioned not being conducive to making the playoffs. 

The more western schools in the conference, BVU and NWU, which are further from the areas of many non-con D3 schools have scheduled some NAIA teams recently.

With most conference schools now recruiting outside of the state of Iowa, I think you will see more trips into their recruiting areas to schedule non-con games.  Area recruits will be more familiar to the schools name and local players families will be able to see them play in person. 

Not so long of a trip, but with UD and Loras on the Illinois and Wisconsin borders, you see Loras playing Benedictine out of the Chicago area and UD playing WIAC schools in the non-con.  With Texas becoming a hot recruiting area I think you will see more and more ARC schools scheduling games with Texas schools.

With the number of NAIA schools in our area, I'm not sure the NAIA schools are having trouble filling out a schedule. 

I wouldn't be against a post season bowl game between the top non playoff team from the ARC and an Iowa NAIA school.  Though I don't know if that is allowed.   

Quote from: DriftlessDuhawk on April 14, 2026, 10:55:17 AM

Quote from: doolittledog on April 13, 2026, 08:41:49 PMquote author=doolittledog link=msg=2158718 date=1776127309]

3 home games for Central.  Wow!

That is certainly not an ideal schedule for the Dutch this year. Depending on if the Belhaven game is part of a home/home they should have 7 home games next year tho!

We are now just waiting on Coe and ud for the last of the ARC schedules!

Driftless must have some pull in the UD athletic department. Football schedule has dropped.
https://udspartans.com/sports/football/schedule

Quote from: Patrick Coleman on April 13, 2026, 05:09:21 PMAdd a game between Central and Belhaven, to round out Central's schedule:
https://d3football.com/teams/Central/2026/index

3 home games for Central.  Wow!

Quote from: DriftlessDuhawk on March 23, 2026, 05:12:07 PM

Quote from: doolittledog on March 23, 2026, 05:07:44 PMThanks, Driftless for looking those up.  I know when the conference goes from 9 to 8 schools and also from 8, up to 9 schools they have teams that will visit one school at the same place 2 years in a row.  But I find it odd with UD and Loras so close they couldn't just keep the home and away the same.  But this way, with Loras visiting UD again in 2026, I can go one more year without worrying about falling off the cliff on the visitor side of the Rock Bowl 

You're missing out on the charm of the best stadium in the conference

Rock Bowl has a great vibe to it.  Right in the middle of campus.  Great view of the city below.  A freakin cliff!  I haven't been there since they added seats on the visitor side. Should be a bucket list visit for area D3 fans. 

The conference schedule seems to have changed quite a bit since Luther walked away.  I found what would have been the schedule on the ARC page.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/iowaconference.com/documents/2024/5/3/2026_Football_Schedule_Sheet11.pdf

Thanks, Driftless for looking those up.  I know when the conference goes from 9 to 8 schools and also from 8, up to 9 schools they have teams that will visit one school at the same place 2 years in a row.  But I find it odd with UD and Loras so close they couldn't just keep the home and away the same.  But this way, with Loras visiting UD again in 2026, I can go one more year without worrying about falling off the cliff on the visitor side of the Rock Bowl 

Former Dubuque player and assistant coach Michael Zweifel named HC at UW-La Crosse.

https://x.com/UWLEagleFB/status/2023535734053904733?s=20

Quote from: MediaGuy on February 16, 2026, 12:04:46 PMhttps://go-knights.net/news/2026/2/16/knights-2026-football-schedule-revealed.aspx

I've known about this for a while, but now hopefully Wartburg can boast the toughest schedule in D3 Football next year.  Monmouth, North Central and River Falls, plus Central and Coe in conference play...gonna be a wild ride...and im gonna be pretty sick of seeing red and white on the other sideline.

Great schedule.  Well done Wartburg!

Dubuque hires their new AD.

https://www.telegraphherald.com/article_8b8e2bc3-1735-4bb4-9a42-a4231a0cffa8.html

He replaces Interim Athletic Director Nelson Edmonds, who will remain in his role as vice president of student engagement and intercollegiate athletics.

Michael Feuling comes from Montana Western and has spent the majority of his career out west.  I'm half surprised they didn't bring in someone from the WIAC.  UD has brought in a load of WIAC people over the past 15-20 years or so. 

Quote from: DriftlessDuhawk on February 08, 2026, 04:18:03 PMhttps://sau.edu/about-sau/news-events/news/2026/st-ambrose-university-pursuing-conference-move-to-elevate-the-student-athlete-experience.php

On the conference addition front, St. Ambrose is looking to move to a new NAIA conference. St. Ambrose feels like it would make sense and would be an easy add for the ARC if they ever wanted to make the jump to NCAA D3. This move makes that seem less likely. I think that St. Ambrose would be a great addition for the ARC, adding a presence in the Quad Cities (and would make an excellent travel partner for Monmouth if they are still interested). I hope the league office has a plan in place.
It also means that the Victory Bell (Loras' oldest rivalry trophy) will be staying in Davenport for the foreseeable future.

Quote from: DriftlessDuhawk on February 08, 2026, 04:18:03 PMhttps://sau.edu/about-sau/news-events/news/2026/st-ambrose-university-pursuing-conference-move-to-elevate-the-student-athlete-experience.php

On the conference addition front, St. Ambrose is looking to move to a new NAIA conference. St. Ambrose feels like it would make sense and would be an easy add for the ARC if they ever wanted to make the jump to NCAA D3. This move makes that seem less likely. I think that St. Ambrose would be a great addition for the ARC, adding a presence in the Quad Cities (and would make an excellent travel partner for Monmouth if they are still interested). I hope the league office has a plan in place.

It also means that the Victory Bell (Loras' oldest rivalry trophy) will be staying in Davenport for the foreseeable future.

So I guess we aren't getting the band back together (For those young ones on here, St Ambrose was in the conference until the early 50's)
Loras and St Ambrose did play 3 times in the early 2000's.  3 Loras losses by a total of 5 points.  Sounds like similar results as another Loras rival I know 

Quote from: MediaGuy on February 05, 2026, 04:41:06 PMI just learned that in the year 2000, Wartburg Mens Basketball beat UCF in what seems to have been an exhibition game in Florida and feel bad since i was on campus at the time and dont even remember.  Anyway, since its the off-season and I love stories like this I thought I'd ask the group...what is your schools best "beating a bigger school" moment from any sport?

(And im not counting a win over Iowa Teachers College in 1949)

For UD, nothing you would consider recent. 
Football
beat Illinois State 25-14 in 1938

Basketball
beat Illinois State 61-49 in the 49/50 season
and Illinois State again in the 58/59 season 81-74
beat Drake twice in a home/home series in 01/44 50-41 and 45-41
beat Northern Illinois in the 49/50 season 45-43

Quote from: DriftlessDuhawk on January 27, 2026, 02:18:29 PMhttps://unweagles.com/sports/football/schedule

Looks like both Loras and Central will fill one of their 3 nonconference games with a trip to St. Paul to play UNW out of the UMAC. Game should be very winnable both both teams.

Hmm, one of the schools rumored to be interested in joining the ARC has scheduled 2 ARC teams as non-con opponents this season.  Interesting.   

Jake Olsen, former OC at Loras as well as former OC at Dubuque, has been named the OC at former conference member Cornell.

https://x.com/CornellRams/status/2014808834913583314?s=20

Simpson punter Tanner Philpott is transferring to Iowa.

This has happened in the past.  Dubuque punter Andy Vujnovich transferred to Wisconsin and I believe was honorable mention All-BIG while there.