The U of R Website has a schedule preview article which says that the SCIAC will continue the division format (the Sun and the Surf just won't die) and there will be crossover games once again in week 10.

I can't say I understand why there would be divisions in an 8 team league where everyone plays everyone. Even if you wanted to play the week 10 rematches (which I feel are completely unnecessary with a round robin schedule) you could just match up 1 v 2 and 3 v 4 down the line.

Hopefully the division line is a mistake on the article writer's part but it probably isn't. Looks like it's gonna be another Sunny and Surfy fall in the SCIAC!!

Quote from: 10Freeway on June 08, 2026, 02:56:12 PMSo awesome to see UR win a Natty in any sport.  Sad to think where the football team would be if they had actually hired a head coach when the AD we don't speak of took the lamest way out ever and didn't open the job or show some spine to keep Maynard.  Basketball is getting it done and now softball.  Football was rolling for almost 30 years and now is awful.  Such a pity where football could be with this new AD who is wanting sports to be great at Redlands.

The Maynard situation was one of the most ridiculous, softest, weakest things I've seen in California education and that is really saying something. The guy complaining was a jilted former player who had transferred out and obviously had an ax to grind. I know Mike personally and know he doesn't have a racist bone in his body. Everyone involved knew that but had to put on some weird performative dance. It was the ultimate social-contagion 2020 absurdity and Bulldog football has been suffering since. Every day that they don't address it, bring him back, apologize, name something after him or whatever just digs the hole deeper.

That said, I expect U of R to be a factor this year for the league title. They were improved last year and bring back a lot of production. I would say Chapman is the favorite just based on recent results but after that it is pretty wide open. No reason to think Redlands couldn't be the top challenger for the Panthers. I don't trust Jim Good as a HC but at least he isn't the playcaller anymore.

Anyone with good post-spring info? Chapman still the favorite? Do they have a plan to replace Pacheco and Zimmerman?

I'd expect CMS and Redlands to both be trending upward. Redlands has some studs to replace on D but they always seem to get the defense ready to play. Most of their playmakers on O were underclassmen. CMS is hopefully over their year long QB controversy and found a RB toward the end of the year.

I'm expecting Laverne to sneak up on people. They were way better toward the end of last year than they were early and I have heard good things about that staff. Any word on Cal Lu? Pomona?

CMS football schedule is posted. It includes 2 non-conference games and one matchup with each SCIAC team. Pomona game is game three which really stinks for CMS and PP fans.

Also the last week is blank and says "SCIAC Championship Weekend." I wonder if this just means they'll play a conference title game or if they are going to match up everyone based on records. Either way I don't like the sounds of it.

Drove by the "sports bowl" on the way to the CMS vs Pomona basketball game last weekend. They're really working on it now. The fields are laid out and graded. You can really see it developing!

Also, does anyone else find it strange that Chapman has not announced a permanent HC yet? It has been about seven months since Owens announced his retirement. I assumed Chapman would be one of the first schools to get a guy in place with all the extra time. If they bring someone in he will now have missed an entire year of recruiting and it has to be hard for the interim guys to recruit selling a program that doesn't have a permanent HC. If they are going to remove the interim tag from Shine they should have done it already. Feels like they might be missing an opportunity to build on their fantastic 2025 season.

Quote from: olddog on January 12, 2026, 04:49:49 PMAny idea the total budget?

A project in two counties means two sets of everything, plans, permits, utility work plans, releases, etc..
More than a nightmare for the builder.

My guy said they haven't told them the actual cost. He's a moderate size donor (as CMC donors go) but not a top line guy. He's usually pretty well informed so they're holding that info back. A little digging shows that the gift that kicked off the project was 140 million from George Roberts in 2022. Roberts previously gave 50 million to the college in 2012 to build the Roberts Pavillion.

My buddy did say that if any of you high rollers are interested you can have a dugout or locker room named after you for about $100,000 or the entire sports bowl for $75 million.

Quote from: olddog on January 09, 2026, 05:07:10 PMHave any of you SCIAC fans seen CMS planned "Sports Bowl", CMS owns a huge parcel 50 to 60 acres across from existing Stadium. The fund raise is to move the FB stadium, soft ball and baseball field, along with a three par practice golf hole with two green to this vacant parcel. CMS would then tear out the existing FB, SB, and BB facilities and extend the housing like you can see from the Northern edge of the FB stadium. I dont know what their growth plan/goals are. 

No shortage of funding at CMS, the past golf alums are trying to raise 3m alone for a meeting room (not sure why they need it), simulator, etc...
Yes, I said golf. I can not imagine how much the old FB players are getting hit up to donate.

There is no reason that school with its funding is not the best in the SCIAC...They can offer free education to a top 20 school, with new facilities...How does UR, WC,CLU, LV, and APU compete.

My buddy is involved in the alumni organization and the "sports bowl" is definitely happening. I've driven by it and they are actively working on it. It was a very complicated process and will likely continue to be because the county line runs right through it so like right field of the baseball field will be in SB County and home plate will be in LA County. As you can imagine here in the great state of CA that makes the permitting process a logistical nightmare.

I personally will be disappointed to see Burns Stadium and Zinda Field go. The view from the home side during the day games with the mountains in the background makes it a great setting. I hope they'll name the new field after Zinda as well. They did a great job with the inside of the basketball/weight facility (Roberts Pavillion) although it is kind of an eyesore from the outside quite frankly. CMC has been talking about developing that pit across the street for 25 years, the time is upon us.

Quote from: MRMIKESMITH on December 17, 2025, 04:37:39 PMBrian Smith out as Ohio University football Coach. Former Coach at Cal Lutheran and Occidental.

Yeah, wild stuff. Sounds like a story where the only real winner will be BILLABLE HOURS

Obviously the SCIAC is in way over their heads vs the WIAC. This has been true for decades. Too big and too talented.

Objectively great year for Chapman though. Unbeaten in conference play, a conference title, and a road playoff win!

Panthers will have some big holes to fill in the offseason. The biggest will be in the HC office but also replacing Pacheco and Zimmerman on offense is no easy task. Hopefully the University Admin has been working and can get the coaching hire done quickly so they can hit the recruiting trail running.

Been a fun year! Looking forward to recruiting updates from all you insiders!

Great win for Chapman and an exciting finish!! Whitworth ran a slick reverse pass for the score but their jump pass on the 2pt was covered. They were up against the play clock on the 2pt and barely got it snapped so it wasn't as clean as it maybe would have otherwise been.

Credit to Chapman for sticking with it in a sloppy game for the SCIAC's first playoff win since 2019!!

Quote from: (509)Rat on November 19, 2025, 06:10:39 PM

Quote from: wildcat11 on November 16, 2025, 02:43:46 PMFeel like the 'Cats are playing the best ball in the NWC to end the year but have ton of areas to address in the offseason.  That said, the 2026 Linfield squad has a chance to be pretty good if they can make those improvements.

Congrats to the Rats. Well earned NWC title and good luck in the playoffs.

If Chapman can't beat this Whitworth team (when was the last time a SCIAC team beat an NWC program in the playoffs?), then honestly the whole league should just be banned from post-season play. This is probably as "down" of a year in the NWC as they are going to see...

Not sure if this was rhetorical but Chapman beat Linfield 68-65 in the 1st round in 2019. 2019 was a boon year for the SCIAC as both Chapman and Redlands had some of their best teams. They didn't play at all the next year, Whittier and Oxy dropped football, the conference went to a silly divisional structure in order to keep football going with just 6 isolated teams, and the conference has suffered mightily. Not that they were ever beating the NWC in the playoffs before that anyway.

As far as this year is concenerd, the SCIAC is about as down as it has ever been. Chapman has clearly been the class of the conference but they have had some tight games and scares against teams that, frankly, are not very good

Hoping for a competitive game. Pine Bowl is one of my favorite facilities!!

Sounds like it was a nightmare out there today. Redlands and CMS both have natural fields so I'm sure it was total mud. This happened years ago in the SCIAC and there were mud bowls at Pomona and Whittier. The turf field at Chapman sounds like it held up better and at least allowed the offenses to function a little.

That being said, all the teams had to play in the same conditions. Sometimes you have to have the mental toughness to overcome all adversity. Props to CMS and Pomona for getting it done today, ugly as it may have been.

Huge congrats to the undisputed 2025 Champion Chapman Panthers. Clearly the class of the conference this year. I imagine that is going to be a pretty heavily coveted job with nationwide interest. It will be very interesting to see who they hire. This feels like a chance for Chapman to make a splash hire and seperate themselves from the pack in the SCIAC.

Disappointing record for the Stags but there should be reason for optimism in Claremont. They were extremely senior heavy in 2024 and had to rebuild the offense basically from scratch. All five of their losses (with one game left to play) were by one score. Their offense returns most of their key pieces for 2026 and the defense will lose some production but returns key guys like George Kruger and Grady Johnson as well as some key pieces in the secondary. I am a big believer in the CMS defensive staff and feel like they will put a competitive group on the field (assuming they can keep the staff around, which is always a concern for me at this level.)

The quarterback position was a struggle for the Stags in 2025, and part of the issue was that they were constantly changing QBs. From what I heard inside the program this led to some bad feelings and factions forming. Hopefully in the offseason they can settle on a starter and allow him to get the lion's share of the reps and get better. Cooper Nixon seems to have taken the reings of the RB position and they need to build strength on the OL in the offseason and get back to moving guys off the line.

Sounds like the Redlands folks are happy with the progress. Have to be proud of a convincing win over the NWC Champ on the road! No doubt the offense showed more signs than 2024 and the defense maintained their quality play. Would be a shock if Redlands is anything but solid to very good on D as long as Mariani and co are in town.

Hopefully Cal Lu can stay with Chapman and make a game out of it for the conference title! If Chapman wins the league is it a done deal that they will go up to the Pine Bowl or is there a chance they get sent east?

Well the Stags took a lot of the steam out of the Cal Lu vs Pomona game tonight. Cooper Nixon rushed for 144 on 31 carries against the Bulldog D. That's a man's statline against a tough Bulldog D that is notoriously stingy against the run. Nixon is also a Harvey-Mudd student and it's very cool to see the Stags get that kind of a contribution from a "Mudder."

Bulldog O went back into its shell as Schmidt had just 135 passing yards on 31 attempts and was sacked 3 times. Bulldogs were able to run it a little but got behind and abandoned the run game.

It's a nice win for the Stags who have a chance to get back to .500 with a win in their crossover game next week (which I think will be against LaVerne after the Leos lost to Chapman this afternoon). Lots of underclassmen contributers for the Stags so maybe something to build on there.

A disappointing step backward for the Bulldogs who looked like they turned a corner in the 2nd half of the season. Shocking, quite frankly, to see the defense give up that kind of rushing performance against a team that has struggled mightily on the ground this year. Bulldogs can still make a seven win season out of it with a win in their crossover next week.

Cal Lu D was able to get the stop they needed at the end. CMS had all the momentum and the ball back with time to go but the Stags offense just doesn't have the juice this year. Only 245 total yards for the Lutherans but a win is a win. They're one away from the title game.

Bummer for Redlands as they almost got the help they needed after coming to life in the 2nd half at LaVerne. Bulldogs will need help from Pomona now and will have to hope the Sagehens are getting some of their injured guys back. We'll see who suits up tonight vs Chapman.

Kind of a bummer since I think Redlands is playing maybe the best football in the SCIAC right now and would give Chapman all they could handle in the conference title game. Too bad it took the Bulldogs a few weeks to get themselves squared away. Looks like it might cost them a title opportunity.