FB: American Southwest Conference

[Ron Boerger]

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

[Hawks88]

Howard Payne finally found their 10th opponent. Something called Clutch City Preparatory, which I assume is who you're forced to call when Westgate Christian doesn't have any open dates. 

HPU Football Schedule

Clutch City is part of something called National Junior College Prep football league that is starting this season. I'm having trouble figuring out if there are any actual schools involved.
There's an entry from Alabama named Alabama Rays based in Gulf Shores, AL that just had 8 players arrested, so they're off to an inauspicious start.

https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/07/23/gulf-shores-police-arrest-8-teens-after-reported-armed-robbery/

[UMHB03]

Howard Payne finally found their 10th opponent. Something called Clutch City Preparatory, which I assume is who you're forced to call when Westgate Christian doesn't have any open dates. 

HPU Football Schedule

Clutch City is part of something called National Junior College Prep football league that is starting this season. I'm having trouble figuring out if there are any actual schools involved.
There's an entry from Alabama named Alabama Rays based in Gulf Shores, AL that just had 8 players arrested, so they're off to an inauspicious start.

https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/07/23/gulf-shores-police-arrest-8-teens-after-reported-armed-robbery/

Yeah, if they're having to prep for junior college, I can't imagine we're dealing with many elite scholars.

[Gray Fox]

Howard Payne finally found their 10th opponent. Something called Clutch City Preparatory, which I assume is who you're forced to call when Westgate Christian doesn't have any open dates. 

HPU Football Schedule

Clutch City is part of something called National Junior College Prep football league that is starting this season. I'm having trouble figuring out if there are any actual schools involved.
There's an entry from Alabama named Alabama Rays based in Gulf Shores, AL that just had 8 players arrested, so they're off to an inauspicious start.

https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/07/23/gulf-shores-police-arrest-8-teens-after-reported-armed-robbery/

Yeah, if they're having to prep for junior college, I can't imagine we're dealing with many elite scholars.

Where do we find these schools or how do they find us?

[Ron Boerger]

Update from the ASC front office, courtesy today's D3.ticker

• Now at six full members, what is the league's ideal size? "It's probably that 10 to 12 sweet spot. I think that we'll focus on footprint like institutions. I think that that was probably, if I could put a finger on one of the challenges maybe the ASC had in the past was the private and public challenges. So they're really looking at like institutions, footprint, how we grow within that kind of space. I think that that's doable. I think that if you build something people can get excited about, a lot of what's happened in the past that we can move forward from. ... We want to try to look at how do we get as close to a tight footprint as we can get? Not that we're close minded on other folks, but that we really want to look at what's the impact on adding institutions, where they're located and how far our student-athletes are going to have to travel."
• One key item the league can improve upon is the ASC's brand beyond just athletics, to focus on and share the impact student-athletes and alumni are having on campus and in their communities. In her first year, Schuemann has been focused on building a strong structure. That means adding a second full-time staffer, reviewing all documents and procedures and more. "I think in the next year or so, it's really about building a league people can get excited about, making sure that our operations and our structure is sound so that going into 26-27, we're very clear about who we are and where we're going. And then moving into strategic planning and looking at the next five years and what does that look like for us. And then conversations surrounding membership."

The full ~15 minute interview (which I did not listen to) is on YT:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kueEmAY3_YE

[crufootball]

Update from the ASC front office, courtesy today's D3.ticker

• Now at six full members, what is the league's ideal size? "It's probably that 10 to 12 sweet spot. I think that we'll focus on footprint like institutions. I think that that was probably, if I could put a finger on one of the challenges maybe the ASC had in the past was the private and public challenges. So they're really looking at like institutions, footprint, how we grow within that kind of space. I think that that's doable. I think that if you build something people can get excited about, a lot of what's happened in the past that we can move forward from. ... We want to try to look at how do we get as close to a tight footprint as we can get? Not that we're close minded on other folks, but that we really want to look at what's the impact on adding institutions, where they're located and how far our student-athletes are going to have to travel."
• One key item the league can improve upon is the ASC's brand beyond just athletics, to focus on and share the impact student-athletes and alumni are having on campus and in their communities. In her first year, Schuemann has been focused on building a strong structure. That means adding a second full-time staffer, reviewing all documents and procedures and more. "I think in the next year or so, it's really about building a league people can get excited about, making sure that our operations and our structure is sound so that going into 26-27, we're very clear about who we are and where we're going. And then moving into strategic planning and looking at the next five years and what does that look like for us. And then conversations surrounding membership."

The full ~15 minute interview (which I did not listen to) is on YT:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kueEmAY3_YE

Update from the ASC front office, courtesy today's D3.ticker

• Now at six full members, what is the league's ideal size? "It's probably that 10 to 12 sweet spot. I think that we'll focus on footprint like institutions. I think that that was probably, if I could put a finger on one of the challenges maybe the ASC had in the past was the private and public challenges. So they're really looking at like institutions, footprint, how we grow within that kind of space. I think that that's doable. I think that if you build something people can get excited about, a lot of what's happened in the past that we can move forward from. ... We want to try to look at how do we get as close to a tight footprint as we can get? Not that we're close minded on other folks, but that we really want to look at what's the impact on adding institutions, where they're located and how far our student-athletes are going to have to travel."
• One key item the league can improve upon is the ASC's brand beyond just athletics, to focus on and share the impact student-athletes and alumni are having on campus and in their communities. In her first year, Schuemann has been focused on building a strong structure. That means adding a second full-time staffer, reviewing all documents and procedures and more. "I think in the next year or so, it's really about building a league people can get excited about, making sure that our operations and our structure is sound so that going into 26-27, we're very clear about who we are and where we're going. And then moving into strategic planning and looking at the next five years and what does that look like for us. And then conversations surrounding membership."

The full ~15 minute interview (which I did not listen to) is on YT:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kueEmAY3_YE

No idea how likely any or all of her plans are but it quite refreshing to see someone publicly speak about the issues and possible solutions to the ASC.

Welcome and good luck Leslie Schuemann. 

[Ron Boerger]

Agree that it is refreshing to hear something direct and forthright from the ASC front office.  And the conference must feel it's in a good place financially to hire a second full-time staff member. 

At the same time, it's shots fired to the SCAC.  She's talking about "footprint" and "like institutions" and the only place you're going to find that for 4-6 more teams is the SCAC.  No doubt she will focus on the remaining schools that left the ASC for the SCAC (Concordia, LeTourneau, Ozarks, TLU, possibly even Centenary who did a passthrough on their way over a decade ago).  TLU and Centenary would add the most immediate value as schools with football, but it's hard to imagine TLU, competitive in football in the SCAC, giving up their oppo there.  But stranger things have happened! 

[MCScots2013]

She's new to D3 and not jaded by all the comings and goings the last handful of years.  Makes her dangerous for the SCAC (and probably SAA...)

Might be time to grab the popcorn and watch whatever show she can muster.

[Patrick Coleman]

Chatted with Larry Harmon on the new podcast: Top topics are the quarterback situation, recruiting guys to fit what Steven Lee needs on offense, getting nine D-III games and a couple of really prominent non-conference matchups in Rowan and Endicott.

https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2026/07/27/atn-podcast-412-early-look-at-1-vs-2/