FB: American Southwest Conference

[HSCTiger74]

I know that desperate times call for desperate measures (not that the situation is actually "desperate" yet), but before you pine too much for Gallaudet as an associate member check out their scores against the ODAC last season. Then imagine how they would do against SCAC or ASC competition.

Thanks for the post.
Yes sir, I did. 

Here is the link to the final NPI at datacast.

https://d3datacast.com/npi/fb/

Austin College #200, Lyon #201, Gallaudet #220 and Centenary LA #223.

  I admit to not being a dogged researcher, so I didn't realize that the bottom of the SCAC had such dismal NPI rankings. Maybe Gallaudet would fit in okay, even if they don't compete for the top spots. Hopefully something can be worked out that's good for everybody.

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks for the response.

I recall the 2022 Gallaudet season when they won the ECFC.

Sure, DelValley beat them 59-0 in the first round, but Gallaudet played their peers and won a conference championship. Del Valley beat everyone in the MAC by 3 TD's including Misericordia by 41 and FDU-Florham by 35, so that score was no surprise.

[jknezek]

Thanks for the response.

I recall the 2022 Gallaudet season when they won the ECFC.

Sure, DelValley beat them 59-0 in the first round, but Gallaudet played their peers and won a conference championship. Del Valley beat everyone in the MAC by 3 TD's including Misericordia by 41 and FDU-Florham by 35, so that score was no surprise.

Sure 2022 was special for the school, but D3football.com ranked the ECFC 26th out of 27 conferences that year. Gallaudet has 5 seasons over .500 in 25 years, only one with more than 7 wins. You can put lipstick on the bison, but it's not going to get prettier.

[Ron Boerger]

The point already made is that, absent McMurry (and Schreiner who seems to have the potential to develop into a decent program in a few years), SCAC football is pretty much a pig sty unless you're named Hendrix or TLU.  The Bison would probably wallow well with the other remaining teams.  If the SCAC wants to get back to six football-playing schools, the choices are extremely limited, and you have to wonder if Hendrix, who just left the SAA in pursuit, in at least part, of an easier path to the NCAAs will rethink that if they aren't offered that path soon. 

[Gray Fox]

Thanks for the response.

I recall the 2022 Gallaudet season when they won the ECFC.

Sure, DelValley beat them 59-0 in the first round, but Gallaudet played their peers and won a conference championship. Del Valley beat everyone in the MAC by 3 TD's including Misericordia by 41 and FDU-Florham by 35, so that score was no surprise.

Sure 2022 was special for the school, but D3football.com ranked the ECFC 26th out of 27 conferences that year. Gallaudet has 5 seasons over .500 in 25 years, only one with more than 7 wins. You can put lipstick on the bison, but it's not going to get prettier.

They do have a limited recruiting pool.  But if they can get one or two DI type players they will win their share.

[Mavchamp]

I don't think anyone is satisfied or even comfortable with the current state of the ASC....but it's better than it was 6-8 months ago and it's at least stable for a few years.

I'm curious what the fandom of the SCAC is.  What's the temp in the room for those 5 football schools?

1.  It's not ideal and definitely not perfect....but let's keep the round robin going.  No need to panic.  We're fine without the AQ.

2.  Let's stay separate...but let's at least form a scheduling alliance with the ASC to help with travel costs and scheduling headaches.

3.  Fear that some of the SCAC will reluctantly return to the SAA or the ASC fearing the SCAC may not be sustainable in the long term.

4.  Will non football members find membership elsewhere if the football side disappears again.

IMHO..... the SCAC's best prospect would perhaps be Belhaven.  They are grossly in the boondocks with the USA South.  The SCAC could be marginally better from a geographical standpoint than the USA.  Would Belhaven be interested?  I have a hard time believing anyone would leave the SAA for an unstable conference. 

[Jake Feldman]

I don't think anyone is satisfied or even comfortable with the current state of the ASC....but it's better than it was 6-8 months ago and it's at least stable for a few years.

I'm curious what the fandom of the SCAC is.  What's the temp in the room for those 5 football schools?

1.  It's not ideal and definitely not perfect....but let's keep the round robin going.  No need to panic.  We're fine without the AQ.

2.  Let's stay separate...but let's at least form a scheduling alliance with the ASC to help with travel costs and scheduling headaches.

3.  Fear that some of the SCAC will reluctantly return to the SAA or the ASC fearing the SCAC may not be sustainable in the long term.

4.  Will non football members find membership elsewhere if the football side disappears again.

IMHO..... the SCAC's best prospect would perhaps be Belhaven.  They are grossly in the boondocks with the USA South.  The SCAC could be marginally better from a geographical standpoint than the USA.  Would Belhaven be interested?  I have a hard time believing anyone would leave the SAA for an unstable conference. 

That's why I'd invite Gallaudet as an associate member until a 6th school is found, and the AQ is stable.

[Mavchamp]

That's why I'd invite Gallaudet as an associate member until a 6th school is found, and the AQ is stable.

That's a big travel bill for Gallaudet to foot for more losses.

[Ralph Turner]

That's why I'd invite Gallaudet as an associate member until a 6th school is found, and the AQ is stable.

That's a big travel bill for Gallaudet to foot for more losses.

And a travel bill for the other teams every other season.

But I think that the SCAC offers the best chance at a competitive conference for Gallaudet. A good season might be 6-4 with a 2nd or 3rd place finish in the SCAC.

I have already posted my approval for an extra day in DC for the players to take in some of the historic sites.

[Mavchamp]

If the SCAC was truly wanting to get out from under the domination of the 2 purple schools....AND have long term survival as a football conference with an AQ..... they should have at least considered taking HPU and ETBU with them.  That's even assuming either would have even left the ASC if offered.

Neither HPU nor ETBU would have dominated the SCAC in football like the purple schools,...and you would no longer have that "block vote" of the 4 Baptist schools together.  The conference would likely be sitting with 9 schools and no worries of scheduling and neither of the purple schools.

Choices were made.

The purple schools would have been forced to go D2 or whatever....and every one else would be going about their merry D3 way.

It would be dirty to be sure.  But we'd at least have one stable conference.

We'd have a solid D3 conference made up of mostly Texas schools.... while UMHB and HSU would likely be almost immediately competitive in the LSC.

But looks like we will string out this age of uncertainty for a few more years for both conferences.

I don't see the SCAC gaining much stability in the near future in football.

And anyone that thinks the ASC is in good shape at 6 is fooling themselves IMHO.

[crufootball]

If the SCAC was truly wanting to get out from under the domination of the 2 purple schools....AND have long term survival as a football conference with an AQ..... they should have at least considered taking HPU and ETBU with them.  That's even assuming either would have even left the ASC if offered.

Neither HPU nor ETBU would have dominated the SCAC in football like the purple schools,...and you would no longer have that "block vote" of the 4 Baptist schools together.  The conference would likely be sitting with 9 schools and no worries of scheduling and neither of the purple schools.

Choices were made.

The purple schools would have been forced to go D2 or whatever....and every one else would be going about their merry D3 way.

It would be dirty to be sure.  But we'd at least have one stable conference.

We'd have a solid D3 conference made up of mostly Texas schools.... while UMHB and HSU would likely be almost immediately competitive in the LSC.

But looks like we will string out this age of uncertainty for a few more years for both conferences.

I don't see the SCAC gaining much stability in the near future in football.

And anyone that thinks the ASC is in good shape at 6 is fooling themselves IMHO.

I am not sure anyone thinks the ASC is in good shape at 6, it is just in much better shape then it was 4.

Just to add one thing though, with the all the talk about the purple dominance, ETBU won the most conference titles last year with 6 (Baseball, W Basketball, Softball, both Tennis, and Volleyball) followed by HSU at 4 (M Basketball, Football and both soccer's)  and then UMHB at 3 (W CC and both golfs).

[Mavchamp]

If the SCAC was truly wanting to get out from under the domination of the 2 purple schools....AND have long term survival as a football conference with an AQ..... they should have at least considered taking HPU and ETBU with them.  That's even assuming either would have even left the ASC if offered.

Neither HPU nor ETBU would have dominated the SCAC in football like the purple schools,...and you would no longer have that "block vote" of the 4 Baptist schools together.  The conference would likely be sitting with 9 schools and no worries of scheduling and neither of the purple schools.

Choices were made.

The purple schools would have been forced to go D2 or whatever....and every one else would be going about their merry D3 way.

It would be dirty to be sure.  But we'd at least have one stable conference.

We'd have a solid D3 conference made up of mostly Texas schools.... while UMHB and HSU would likely be almost immediately competitive in the LSC.

But looks like we will string out this age of uncertainty for a few more years for both conferences.

I don't see the SCAC gaining much stability in the near future in football.

And anyone that thinks the ASC is in good shape at 6 is fooling themselves IMHO.

I am not sure anyone thinks the ASC is in good shape at 6, it is just in much better shape then it was 4.

Just to add one thing though, with the all the talk about the purple dominance, ETBU won the most conference titles last year with 6 (Baseball, W Basketball, Softball, both Tennis, and Volleyball) followed by HSU at 4 (M Basketball, Football and both soccer's)  and then UMHB at 3 (W CC and both golfs).

I don't think the exodus to the SCAC was because of basketball, softball, and tennis.

As an ETBU alum....I've seen the struggles against the purple schools in football.

The Tigers are (1-27) Vs UMHB on the gridiron.

They are (2-25) Vs. HSU.

That's beyond abysmal.  Especially when the majority of those games haven't even been competitive.

Even with that record.....I STILL don't want them to run away.

GET BETTER.

That's what I want.  Learn to compete against the purple schools.  You may still lose more often than not...but at least make them sweat for it.  Steal a win now and again.  just....GET BETTER.

And I'd say the same to anyone if they felt like ETBU was dominating them in any given sport.  Although...history says that hasn't been the case.  ETBU is mostly mediocre in most sports with upticks in random sports here and there.  But dominating isn't happening.

[crufootball]

I actually hope they did leave because of basketball, softball and tennis because that would be more fitting with the D3 model and I couldn't argue with them. There is no denying that the bulk of the conference championships have been won by, in order, HSU, UT Tyler, UMHB, McMurry and UT Dallas. Schools such as Concordia, LeTourneau and Ozarks didn't win much and if they believe they are a better fit across the board with the SCAC I can't blame them but I am not sure that is going to change if they don't as you said GET BETTER.

As for ETBU dominating a sports, its not 1-27 but the Tigers are 62-15 against UMHB and 49-11 against HSU in softball and if wasn't for UT Tyler they would have won almost ever ASC title for the last 20 years.

No matter what I am glad that UMHB is staying in D3 and am very intrigued to see what can happen in football because the logistics of travel and playoff bids put the SCAC in a bind and the ASC isn't much better.