Quote from: tigerguy on Yesterday at 02:49:58 PMRon (or anyone else that is plugged in) - hearing any behind the scenes reactions from Trinity admin to the conference announcements?

What I gather is continuing to do business as usual in the SAA.  Millsaps leaving wasn't a shock but the Southwestern move was unexpected.

But if they are looking at alternatives (and there are a bunch of smart people over there paid to do things like that), nobody is gonna tell me. 

He was listed as a junior last season, so you'd have to think that graduation or no Trinity expected him back this season.  That's a big loss. 

Quote from: Kuiper on July 21, 2026, 10:04:32 AMThis list of top D3 soccer schools out there that have high academics is not without flaws, but it's a "good starting point." 

I can't really tell whether the list is focused more on strong academics or strong soccer and/or whether on success in men's or women's soccer.  Here are a few omissions from an academic perspective:

Pomona-Pitzer
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Carnegie Mellon
Occidental
Brandeis
RPI
RIT
Grinnell
Babson
Whitman
Hamilton

Cal Poly Slo is D1 and shouldn't be there.

Not sure about Stevenson, either academically or soccer-wise.
I can't figure out what school logo they are using for Southwestern University, but SC wouldn't be right for them

I would not include Hardin-Simmons (90% acceptance) or UMHB (96%) in a list of academic high achievers.  And those aren't the Trinity(TX) or Emory logos - many if not all of these look like AI versions of the real thing. 

But that said, D3 schools are already participating in NIL at varying levels.  Many athletic websites have links documented their NIL involvment.

Hardin-Simmons places 15th, UMHB 21st in the 2026 D3football.com Preseason Top 25.

Trinity comes in 14th, Berry 16th in the D3football.com Preseason Top 25.  No other SAA team received votes.

Dwayne has talked about this almost since day one of the Flogreement.  They've hosted other tournaments (baseball comes to mind) at facilities they rent.  They pitch it as a great experience for the kids but I think it would be more fun to have people in the stands.  Let's face it, nobody (except maybe Hendrix) is going all the way to Little Rock to watch that championship weekend.

I can't remember any other conference making similar statements post-Flo.

The SCAC has extended their Flo partnership through 2031, a two-year extension.  The release claims a 78% YoY increase in "total live viewership" in the second year of the contract recently ended, though (of course) no mention is made of the drastic reduction that took place the previous year.

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on July 13, 2026, 08:24:20 AM

Quote from: Kuiper on July 12, 2026, 02:26:18 PMEngland v. Argentina should be a nice friendly semifinal match

From the Hand of God

Or, in Argentina's case, the hand of FIFA.  They have been the beneficiary of so many calls (and non-calls).

Trinity P Will Taylor (5-1, 4.57 ERA, 53K in 41.1 IP) is off to Notre Dame (the D1 version).  https://x.com/will_taylor1717/status/2076467988744532117?s=61

Parking at Trinity is quite limited so there's no traditional tailgating setup.  There's an area outside the south side of the stadium on one of the lawns where people gather and (I did not know this until looking up the policy just now) age 21+ visitors are allowed to bring coolers (but no kegs) with beer or wine. Hard alcohol is not allowed.

Alcohol is not sold and cannot be consumed in the stadium proper. 

On a different, tangentially related note, here's an interview with Gallaudet's president on their SCAC football affiliation:  https://www.redshirtsports.xyz/gallaudet-athletic-director-warren-keller-discusses-the-bisons-football-membership-in-the-scac

Nothing really earth-shattering here, and the potential impact of the two schools coming in next season is not discussed. 

Quote from: IC798891 on July 10, 2026, 11:34:23 AM

Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 10, 2026, 10:24:15 AMIf so, he'll be the first to do so.  All the other conferences have provided boilerplate answers about how much better things are gonna be.  The SCAC commissioner is the only one I know to have gone on record saying the conference itself is receiving funds that it is using to improve conference championships. 

As a longtime Flo hater and citer of the D3 philosophy statement, I will say, at least this is a use of the money that mostly* fits in with "Prioritize the experience of the participants, and the internal constituency (e.g., students, alumni, institutional personnel) rather than on the entertainment needs of spectators or the general public"

*Paywalling doesn't prioritize the experience of some of those constituents -- alumni who don't live close enough to go to games in person, or even students who may not be able to even if they're on campus. But if you're using the money to improve the conference championship experience for the fans who can -- and crucially, for the athletes themselves, that I can get behind, in theory

Agreed.  You would think that if the SCAC is getting some money (and doing some good for their student-athletes, families and supporters) that other conferences must be too, but I've never seen any other statement to this effect. 

If this is a more global thing it could provide further insight into why conferences are signing up for this despite the financial impact on those same people and reduced viewership. 

Quote from: y_jack_lok on July 10, 2026, 11:11:44 AM

Quote from: Ron Boerger on July 10, 2026, 10:24:15 AMIf so, he'll be the first to do so.  All the other conferences have provided boilerplate answers about how much better things are gonna be.  The SCAC commissioner is the only one I know to have gone on record saying the conference itself is receiving funds that it is using to improve conference championships. 

Are you aware of any conference commissioners who have gone on a podcast and specifically answered in depth questions regarding the benefits of Flo to the schools in their conference and to the fans of those schools who are now having to pay for what was once free? Last summer the ODAC commissioner was on a more generic podcast, part of which covered the decision to sign with Flo, but did not get to the in depth issues of the benefits to the fans and the schools. Now that there is more data available they could also address the issues of viewership, how it is affecting recruiting, etc..

Can't say that I have, though I primarily follow the conferences in Texas (SCAC, SAA, ASC) and could easily have missed other interviews.  But nobody, to my knowledge, has gone on record saying "well, we lost 80% of our viewers but the average viewer watches 50% more content".  I've seen people saying things like that, but it's always "according to people I know" or something like that. 

If so, he'll be the first to do so.  All the other conferences have provided boilerplate answers about how much better things are gonna be.  The SCAC commissioner is the only one I know to have gone on record saying the conference itself is receiving funds that it is using to improve conference championships. 

At Trinity there is frequently a biergarten set up for football (all alcohol must be consumed in that area outside the stadium) and I've occasionally seen a setup at men's soccer, though it's not as consistent.  Licensed vendors are brought in to handle the sales which reduces the take.  This is a fairly recent development, starting 2 or 3 years ago.  But yes, with 6K showing up for MV football there's certainly revenue potential there if the school can figure out how to set it up.

Other SAA members may have more or less restrictive policies re alcohol on campus, or not be zoned to allow alcohol sales.