Quote from: jknezek on June 30, 2026, 05:15:48 PMI posted this on the SAA football board, but it probably fits better here.

Check out this realignment now. We can actually make some real regional conferences in the south if people want to make it make sense.

Start with how weird the SAA looks now. You've got Berry, Maryville, Oglethorpe, and Sewanee holding down a pretty simple 200 mile line on the east side. And then it turns into a disaster. Centre, Rhodes, Southwestern, Trinity.

If I was the 4 on the east side, I might try and pick up Huntingdon, Brevard, Covenant, LaGrange, Piedmont and Agnes Scott and make a conference that makes geographic sense. All eastern TN (yeah Brevard is NC, but it's right there), GA and AL. Farthest trip would be Brevard to Huntingdon? Less than 6 hours for teams that have some monsters in their current conferences. That gives you 6 for football and more than that in most other common sports.

It would free up Trinity and Southwestern to go back to the SCAC. Belhaven as well with Millsaps as a travel partner. Rhodes maybe as well? Making the SCAC a cherry conference and ending all the issues with poaching between the two Texas conferences.

That ends the SAA, basically, and we deal with the rest of the USA South, which is now all in NC and VA. Pull in Christopher Newport, who needs a home and now fits the footprint and was once a member, and Gallaudet, who needs a home, and you have 6 for football and more for most common sports.

Centre and Asbury are really the only two left out from the SAA, CCS, USA South, and SCAC. Given they are both in Kentucky, they'd probably need to sniff around the midwest for new homes. But there are a lot more conferences that direction and since Asbury doesn't need a football home that makes it easier for them. Centre is a well known and generally strong school in many sports, you'd think someone would be happy to take them on.

All of a sudden, the southern conferences actually start to make sense for D3.

Interesting. What about Mary Washington and Salisbury? Any thoughts for them?

This is a great hire! I was part of the process, having met each candidate for breakfast and offering my thoughts, opinions and being able to ask difficult questions and engage in lengthy dialogue. All Candidates were top notch!

Jarren is aproven leader and it came out sitting next to him over bacon and eggs. I'm excited for his future and for CNU.

Congrats Jarren!! We'll have a beer soon!



New CNU HC

Some more info

CNU Greek Village

Here is some info on what Greek Life looks like at CNU. I can't say how things impact other institutions, but at CNU Greek Life is integral to the student experience and involved in the community. We have 23 organizations involved.

CNU Greek Life

Quote from: WUPHF on June 12, 2026, 09:50:21 AM

Quote from: CNU85 on June 12, 2026, 08:41:11 AMIndeed it is....no division is immune. Maryland is cutting $104 million between 2025-2027
Kansas - $32 million this year.
Oregon - staff cuts, non-essential travel ban.

In some cases, it is far crazier at the other levels as institutions layoff faculty and staff specifically to pay student athletes.

Optics are real. It's difficult to understand when you're the one being let go, and making a pittance compared to the NIL money an athlete is making. The reality is that if the NIL money isn't used properly, the athletes go elsewhere and suddenly revenue drops from athletics because nobody wants to watch sub 500 teams or purchase merhcandise, or donate large sums. That leads to even more cuts.

And the optics at D3 schools are also present. While NIL money usually isn't a factor, when schools cut staff, majors, minors, and don't cut athletics, it's a tough pill to swallow when you're packing your personal items.

At the d3 level, as you all know, athletic programs mean enrollment, and in some places, some sports are actually net positive when it comes to revenue vs cost.

Quote from: y_jack_lok on June 11, 2026, 10:02:19 PM

Quote from: WUPHF on June 11, 2026, 02:31:09 PMThe future of Division III is fewer tenure-track faculty lines, faculty layoffs, and faculty lamenting the lack of communication and transparency (or tough decisions, depending on your perspective) by the administration.

Not to divert from Division 3, but is that the future for higher education generally? Is there any segment that is immune?

Indeed it is....no division is immune. MAryland is cutting $104 million between 2025-2027
Kansas - $32 million this year.
Oregon - staff cuts, non-essential travel ban.


the list is long.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 08, 2026, 06:36:09 PM

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on June 08, 2026, 05:07:13 PMI mean, if somebody wanted to buy the campus of the University of Chicago, it'd probably make a great location for a football stadium complex...

It would certainly allow the Bears to finally put some geographical accuracy behind their nickname "Monsters of the Midway", which they inherited in the early '40s after the U of C dropped football completely and thus had no further use for the moniker. Truth is, the Bears have never played their home games anywhere near a location called "Midway", whether it's the Midway Plaisance near the southern border of the U of C's campus (which is the reason why Amos Alonzo Stagg's Maroons gridders were dubbed with that nickname in the first place) or Midway Airport in the southwestern corner of Chicago (which was named after the Battle of Midway in World War 2).

It's a great nickname, and in particular it's associated closely with the legendary defense of the 1985 Chicago Bears that won Super Bowl XX. But it's always been an awkward fit for an NFL franchise that's played its games first on the north side at Wrigley Field and then on the downtown lakefront at Soldier Field. 

Being a Vikings fan, I despise all things Bears. HAHA.. Although, a high school classmate was on that 85 Bears team.

Quote from: MCScots2013 on May 26, 2026, 05:45:35 PMI'm assuming CNU was still a junior college when you were on the debate team...

So when are you asking CNU to add the Dance major? Us mouth-breathing, slack jawed rednecks need culture!

Nah ..not that old...so another incorrect assumption. I have had that discussion of adding a major, if it is deemed appropriate. And I have on my desk right now, at work, the paperwork to establish an endowed scholarship in my daughter's name for a dance minor. I just need to review it,  and my wife and I need to sign. We currently have an annual scholarship in her name, but it's time to endow.

Ha...and I always joke that I'm a redneck with a masters degree. So perhaps someday, I'll buy you a beer in a redneck bar. I'd feel right at home.

Quote from: MCScots2013 on May 24, 2026, 10:24:23 AM

Quote from: CNU85 on May 24, 2026, 10:09:07 AM

Quote from: MCScots2013 on May 22, 2026, 11:30:44 AMThanks for the anecdotes.  I'm glad there are performers and I'm glad there are teachers.  We'd be a much better place if more folks did what they loved for a living, but sadly lot of graduates come out of school wide eyed and bushy tailed and find out what they just paid to study is not the ROI they expected.  CNU85, I would have to imagine your daughter having an Econ background to fall back on is better than have a Dance degree to fall back on if circumstances changed. You may feel differently, but as a girl dad myself I would prefer my daughter have your daughter's path.

The "what about the teachers!" line is overplayed. We all know teachers are fundamental to society.  Did I say Teaching Licensure was a scam?  No.  My wife was one of those underpaid teachers and my brother is college professor.  Grade school kids can't do basic math and are accepted into colleges and high school teachers are assaulted in the classroom and most parents couldn't care less. I don't live in a bubble. But, for a board called "Future of Division III" is sure does seem like some of us here do.

Colleges used to teach people how to think.  Now it's what to think, with very rare exceptions.  I can love my alma mater and be thankful for my education yet still be critical.  (Isn't that the "how to think" role of my education?)

You guys can crap on me all you'd like, and if I plucked a nerve I hope your Memorial Day Weekend is not ruined.  The facts are the facts. Only 40% of degrees this year were earned by men and down 3% from last year (before you call me sexist, we men make up half the population and half of possible enrollees).  Keep telling yourselves everything is just fine as we have numerous colleges and universities shutting down over enrollment and finances with many more on accreditation probation due to those poor finances. Larger universities are going to gain more market share.

We live in 2026, not 1996.  "The times, they are a-changin'."  Get busy finding ways to adapt or get left behind.  Simple as that.

Nice pivot. Dance Theory is not a scam. That's what I was addressing. Show me facts that say it is a scam. You can't. Because the data doesn't exist. But a nice try in your pivot.

Pivot? Take your ball and go home. I have obviously hit a nerve and you are taking things too personal. Congrats to having a talented daughter. Maybe she should have gone to Juilliard.

https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/careers/the-highest-paying-college-majors
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/24/best-and-worst-paying-college-majors-5-years-after-graduation.html?msockid=2f515e48a7a865cf190e4a40a6846447

HAHA....Nope, no nerve..you're not that important in my life.... I'm just pointing out that you said "Dance Theory is a scam". Perhaps better wording would have been, "I am intellectually incapable of understanding Dance Theory".

Quote from: y_jack_lok on May 22, 2026, 11:28:53 AM^^^ I wish I could point to that kind of success in my family. I can't just yet. But my son, who has a BA in Political Science, turned to writing about a decade ago and has just completed an MFA program in Creative Writing. Simultaneously he has a novel that was released on May 5th. It's not likely to be a best seller, but it could earn him royalties beyond the advance he was paid by his publisher. This has led to him being about to start a job ghostwriting a book for a computer science professor who spent over four years leading a federal government organization.

There are so many pathways in life.

Sounds like it's already happening! Where can I find his novel? PM if you want.

I'm writing a book....my first. And I'm struggling. I'll figure it out. I hope.

Quote from: MCScots2013 on May 22, 2026, 11:30:44 AMThanks for the anecdotes.  I'm glad there are performers and I'm glad there are teachers.  We'd be a much better place if more folks did what they loved for a living, but sadly lot of graduates come out of school wide eyed and bushy tailed and find out what they just paid to study is not the ROI they expected.  CNU85, I would have to imagine your daughter having an Econ background to fall back on is better than have a Dance degree to fall back on if circumstances changed. You may feel differently, but as a girl dad myself I would prefer my daughter have your daughter's path.

The "what about the teachers!" line is overplayed. We all know teachers are fundamental to society.  Did I say Teaching Licensure was a scam?  No.  My wife was one of those underpaid teachers and my brother is college professor.  Grade school kids can't do basic math and are accepted into colleges and high school teachers are assaulted in the classroom and most parents couldn't care less. I don't live in a bubble. But, for a board called "Future of Division III" is sure does seem like some of us here do.

Colleges used to teach people how to think.  Now it's what to think, with very rare exceptions.  I can love my alma mater and be thankful for my education yet still be critical.  (Isn't that the "how to think" role of my education?)

You guys can crap on me all you'd like, and if I plucked a nerve I hope your Memorial Day Weekend is not ruined.  The facts are the facts. Only 40% of degrees this year were earned by men and down 3% from last year (before you call me sexist, we men make up half the population and half of possible enrollees).  Keep telling yourselves everything is just fine as we have numerous colleges and universities shutting down over enrollment and finances with many more on accreditation probation due to those poor finances. Larger universities are going to gain more market share.

We live in 2026, not 1996.  "The times, they are a-changin'."  Get busy finding ways to adapt or get left behind.  Simple as that.

Nice pivot. Dance Theory is not a scam. That's what I was addressing. Show me facts that say it is a scam. You can't. Because the data doesn't exist. But a nice try in your pivot.

Quote from: y_jack_lok on May 22, 2026, 10:07:06 AM

Quote from: MCScots2013 on May 21, 2026, 09:48:52 PM

Quote from: scottiedoug on May 20, 2026, 04:03:40 PMThe elimination of sociology as a major puts BW right in line with DeSantis' campaign to eliminate fields in Florida where students might learn how social forces work. And who needs to know how capitalism works?  I am glad I am not trying to run a college these days!

I'm glad we agree that Econ is a better subject to study rather than (...get ready to clutch your pearls...) Gender Studies or Dance Theory.  Those majors are major scams that do nothing but degrade the educational standards and puts people in debt while wasting four years.  If I'm running a college these days, I'm adding courses geared toward real life application in fields where people are making money.  Risk Management and Insurance, Project Management, Logistics and Supply Chain, Banking and Private Equity.  All of these can be added to curriculum and not diminish an institution's liberal arts philosophy.  Plus, more parents would be willing to spend the money to send Junior off the college if he's getting a useful education.  And, yes. I am calling out male enrollment.  5% drop (over 1 million) in enrollment since 2011.  There are two issues we can all can clearly see.  Declining birth rate and declining male enrollment.  Good luck.

See bolded sentence above. OMG. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard a statement like that. There are countless ways that people make a living in the world that aren't considered "fields where people are making money". Where would we be without our grossly underpaid public school teachers, to name just one profession?

Exactly . While I'm on a roll, my son-in-law. He is a performer. Played the role of Jerry Lee Lewis on a Eurpoean tour of Million Dollar Quartet. Played the West End of London (think Broadway) Has a finance degree from an AACSB accredited university in Australia. Has created/produced entire shows for Holland America. Does a ton of other things....and along the way he took classes at Berklee related to music production and other scam course offerings.

Quote from: MCScots2013 on May 21, 2026, 09:48:52 PM

Quote from: scottiedoug on May 20, 2026, 04:03:40 PMThe elimination of sociology as a major puts BW right in line with DeSantis' campaign to eliminate fields in Florida where students might learn how social forces work. And who needs to know how capitalism works?  I am glad I am not trying to run a college these days!

I'm glad we agree that Econ is a better subject to study rather than (...get ready to clutch your pearls...) Gender Studies or Dance Theory.  Those majors are major scams that do nothing but degrade the educational standards and puts people in debt while wasting four years.  If I'm running a college these days, I'm adding courses geared toward real life application in fields where people are making money.  Risk Management and Insurance, Project Management, Logistics and Supply Chain, Banking and Private Equity.  All of these can be added to curriculum and not diminish an institution's liberal arts philosophy.  Plus, more parents would be willing to spend the money to send Junior off the college if he's getting a useful education.  And, yes. I am calling out male enrollment.  5% drop (over 1 million) in enrollment since 2011.  There are two issues we can all can clearly see.  Declining birth rate and declining male enrollment.  Good luck.

This is no lie...I'm not making this up at all. My daughter graduated from CNU with an Econ degree, Magna Cum Laude minoring in dance. She danced at Busch Gardens Williamsburg while in college and had lead roles in Christmas ballet shows and others. Just before graduation, she started traveling to auditions. She went to NYC and auditioned for one of two spots at a renowned Jazz company in Chicago. They auditioned hundreds in NYC, Boston Chicago and LA for 2 female spots and I believe one male spot. She was selected, signed a contract and moved to the North Side....Roscoe Village and danced with Giordano Dance Chicago. That lead to a career in dancing literally on every continent except Antarctica. She now has a family but is still teaching competitive dance teams, choreographs competion teams around the country and adjudicates competitions across the nation. She has won numerous regional and national awards for her choreography. So, no, I dont think Dance Theory waters down anything at all. Just because you don't understand something, don't mock it as a scam!

Interesting informtion. I hope BW successfuly comes through this. Also intersting that Economics was eliminated. Hopefully they still offer some courses. I believe it is important for every student to at least be introduced to it. So does ACTA when they evaluate institutions. I know at CNU, every student has to take at least one Econ class, it might be 2.

Quote from: HoopsDad34 on May 12, 2026, 01:30:21 PMWho do you see as #1?

Well if Kahn is hired at CNU, then CNU!!!