FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hazzben]

Regarding this weeks ATN article. (repost from the ATN thread, but not many people read or post there)

I'm not buying the 'too many schools in a small location' argument. It completely ignores the population of many of these states. Massachusetts, PA, NJ, NY are not exactly hard up for people. Yes, they've got a lot of colleges (some very good ones by the way), but they've got loads of people as well.

Case in Point. Keith mentions Massachusetts having 20 DIII schools. Here's a fair comparison:

Massachusetts: population 6.6 million

Iowa: pop 3 million – 19 small college teams*, FCS: UNI, Drake
Minnesota: pop 5.2 million – 19 (edit) small college teams, 8 D II (doesn't even take into consideration the pillaging UND, NDSU, SDSU & USD do with MN HS players)
Wisconsin: pop 5.6 mill - 16 Small college teams

That sure looks like apples to apples to me. You could even make the case that the latter 3 have it tougher given the schools and population numbers. But you don't hear us crying and we've put some very competitive teams on the national stage.

And if you take the last 20 years. It hasn't been just Mount & UWW. You have to include UWLax, SJU, PLU, & Linfield as national champs.

Bottom line, I think the East just needs to improve. Rowan was right on the cusp for years, as the article states. Ithaca made hay for a while. What, the population suddenly decreased out there since the 80's and 90's? Teams from the East can and have competed in the past. They don't have any real limitations from what I can see.

I don't think this is anything more than better football players and coaches in the other regions.

*Small college teams = DIII or NAIA. You have to consider NAIA schools in this equation because they are a definite recruiting hurdle DIII schools with NAIA fb neighbors face. Much more so than even D II and FCS.

[02 Warhawk]

Regarding this weeks ATN article. (repost from the ATN thread, but not many people read or post there)

I'm not buying the 'too many schools in a small location' argument. It completely ignores the population of many of these states. Massachusetts, PA, NJ, NY are not exactly hard up for people. Yes, they've got a lot of colleges (some very good ones by the way), but they've got loads of people as well.

Case in Point. Keith mentions Massachusetts having 20 DIII schools. Here's a fair comparison:

Massachusetts: population 6.6 million

Iowa: pop 3 million – 19 small college teams*, FCS: UNI, Drake
Minnesota: pop 5.2 million – 16 small college teams, 8 D II (doesn't even take into consideration the pillaging UND, NDSU, SDSU & USD do with MN HS players)
Wisconsin: pop 5.6 mill - 16 Small college teams

That sure looks like apples to apples to me. You could even make the case that the latter 3 have it tougher given the schools and population numbers. But you don't hear us crying and we've put some very competitive teams on the national stage.

And if you take the last 20 years. It hasn't been just Mount & UWW. You have to include UWLax, SJU, PLU, & Linfield as national champs.

Bottom line, I think the East just needs to improve. Rowan was right on the cusp for years, as the article states. Ithaca made hay for a while. What, the population suddenly decreased out there since the 80's and 90's? Teams from the East can and have competed in the past. They don't have any real limitations from what I can see.

I don't think this is anything more than better football players and coaches in the other regions.

*Small college teams = DIII or NAIA. You have to consider NAIA schools in this equation because they are a definite recruiting hurdle DIII schools with NAIA fb neighbors face. Much more so than even D II and FCS.

Here's a good tool to use. I can see how recruiting can be a coaches nightmare in the Northeast part of the country.

looks like wisconsin has 19 college football programs (18 in DIII).

[USTBench]

Regarding this weeks ATN article. (repost from the ATN thread, but not many people read or post there)

I'm not buying the 'too many schools in a small location' argument. It completely ignores the population of many of these states. Massachusetts, PA, NJ, NY are not exactly hard up for people. Yes, they've got a lot of colleges (some very good ones by the way), but they've got loads of people as well.

Case in Point. Keith mentions Massachusetts having 20 DIII schools. Here's a fair comparison:

Massachusetts: population 6.6 million

Iowa: pop 3 million – 19 small college teams*, FCS: UNI, Drake
Minnesota: pop 5.2 million – 16 small college teams, 8 D II (doesn't even take into consideration the pillaging UND, NDSU, SDSU & USD do with MN HS players)
Wisconsin: pop 5.6 mill - 16 Small college teams

That sure looks like apples to apples to me. You could even make the case that the latter 3 have it tougher given the schools and population numbers. But you don't hear us crying and we've put some very competitive teams on the national stage.

And if you take the last 20 years. It hasn't been just Mount & UWW. You have to include UWLax, SJU, PLU, & Linfield as national champs.

Bottom line, I think the East just needs to improve. Rowan was right on the cusp for years, as the article states. Ithaca made hay for a while. What, the population suddenly decreased out there since the 80's and 90's? Teams from the East can and have competed in the past. They don't have any real limitations from what I can see.

I don't think this is anything more than better football players and coaches in the other regions.

*Small college teams = DIII or NAIA. You have to consider NAIA schools in this equation because they are a definite recruiting hurdle DIII schools with NAIA fb neighbors face. Much more so than even D II and FCS.

That's a lot of analysis, but here's the real reason the East sucks:

East coast small college kids are predominantly lacrosse playing cake eaters.

[DuffMan]

That's a lot of analysis, but here's the real reason the East sucks:

East coast small college kids are predominantly lacrosse playing cake eaters.

+K because that made me laugh...out loud.

[AlmostEx]

<<Anyone one else?>>

It would the purple side for me as well.

[AlmostEx]

<<East coast small college kids are predominantly lacrosse playing cake eaters.>>

Ouch!  Which part reflects more of your true difficulty, lacrosse or cake eaters?

Lacrosse is a great sport and Minnesota rocks as a lacrosse state.
 

[hazzben]

Regarding this weeks ATN article. (repost from the ATN thread, but not many people read or post there)

I'm not buying the 'too many schools in a small location' argument. It completely ignores the population of many of these states. Massachusetts, PA, NJ, NY are not exactly hard up for people. Yes, they've got a lot of colleges (some very good ones by the way), but they've got loads of people as well.

Case in Point. Keith mentions Massachusetts having 20 DIII schools. Here's a fair comparison:

Massachusetts: population 6.6 million

Iowa: pop 3 million – 19 small college teams*, FCS: UNI, Drake
Minnesota: pop 5.2 million – 16 small college teams, 8 D II (doesn't even take into consideration the pillaging UND, NDSU, SDSU & USD do with MN HS players)
Wisconsin: pop 5.6 mill - 16 Small college teams

That sure looks like apples to apples to me. You could even make the case that the latter 3 have it tougher given the schools and population numbers. But you don't hear us crying and we've put some very competitive teams on the national stage.

And if you take the last 20 years. It hasn't been just Mount & UWW. You have to include UWLax, SJU, PLU, & Linfield as national champs.

Bottom line, I think the East just needs to improve. Rowan was right on the cusp for years, as the article states. Ithaca made hay for a while. What, the population suddenly decreased out there since the 80's and 90's? Teams from the East can and have competed in the past. They don't have any real limitations from what I can see.

I don't think this is anything more than better football players and coaches in the other regions.

*Small college teams = DIII or NAIA. You have to consider NAIA schools in this equation because they are a definite recruiting hurdle DIII schools with NAIA fb neighbors face. Much more so than even D II and FCS.

Here's a good tool to use. I can see how recruiting can be a coaches nightmare in the Northeast part of the country.

looks like wisconsin has 19 college football programs (18 in DIII).

that map doesn't take into account NAIA schools, which are a recruiting competition for schools in Iowa especially.

That, and small geography doesn't mean small population. That's my point. If all that mattered was geographic isolation from other schools, Concordia should be a national contender every year. Until you consider they are isolated from major population centers and no one lives in ND!
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Nice point Bench 

[02 Warhawk]

Regarding this weeks ATN article. (repost from the ATN thread, but not many people read or post there)

I'm not buying the 'too many schools in a small location' argument. It completely ignores the population of many of these states. Massachusetts, PA, NJ, NY are not exactly hard up for people. Yes, they've got a lot of colleges (some very good ones by the way), but they've got loads of people as well.

Case in Point. Keith mentions Massachusetts having 20 DIII schools. Here's a fair comparison:

Massachusetts: population 6.6 million

Iowa: pop 3 million – 19 small college teams*, FCS: UNI, Drake
Minnesota: pop 5.2 million – 16 small college teams, 8 D II (doesn't even take into consideration the pillaging UND, NDSU, SDSU & USD do with MN HS players)
Wisconsin: pop 5.6 mill - 16 Small college teams

That sure looks like apples to apples to me. You could even make the case that the latter 3 have it tougher given the schools and population numbers. But you don't hear us crying and we've put some very competitive teams on the national stage.

And if you take the last 20 years. It hasn't been just Mount & UWW. You have to include UWLax, SJU, PLU, & Linfield as national champs.

Bottom line, I think the East just needs to improve. Rowan was right on the cusp for years, as the article states. Ithaca made hay for a while. What, the population suddenly decreased out there since the 80's and 90's? Teams from the East can and have competed in the past. They don't have any real limitations from what I can see.

I don't think this is anything more than better football players and coaches in the other regions.

*Small college teams = DIII or NAIA. You have to consider NAIA schools in this equation because they are a definite recruiting hurdle DIII schools with NAIA fb neighbors face. Much more so than even D II and FCS.

Here's a good tool to use. I can see how recruiting can be a coaches nightmare in the Northeast part of the country.

looks like wisconsin has 19 college football programs (18 in DIII).

that map doesn't take into account NAIA schools, which are a recruiting competition for schools in Iowa especially.

That, and small geography doesn't mean small population. That's my point. If all that mattered was geographic isolation from other schools, Concordia should be a national contender every year. Until you consider they are isolated from major population centers and no one lives in ND!
---------------------
Nice point Bench  

Even though UWW has similar small college recruiting competition as teams in Mass. I do think the WIAC has it easier than teams in the east. It seems that teams from the East are all on the same playing field when recruiting. but out here in Wisconsin, the WIAC schools have a large advantage over schools from the MWC and NATHC as far as recruiting...b/c it is a public school (lower admission standards, cheaper costs, along with better facilities).

Compared to the East, where recruiting competition is all the same...teams are typically private, all about the same tuition costs and admission standards. I hate to say this but the better DIII athletes do typically choose WIAC schools over other small school institutions in Wisconsin for the reasons I mentioned above. the East has too much parity for one or two teams to step up and make a run in the playoffs these days. This has to be a factor, hence the east being irrelevant in the postseason for awhile now.

And for those that are thinking that the size of the school helps.....don't go there b/c you're wrong.  

[DuffMan]

And for those that are thinking that the size of the school helps.....don't go their b/c you're wrong. 

Typical for the WIAC 

(sorry, had to do it  )

[tommiegun]

hazzbeen, you're right on the semifinals, of course... but as I've only been interested in D3 since 2004, for me, MUC/UMU almost always goes east.

[tommiegun]

And I don't think anyone has posted this yet, but congratulations to Ben Wartman!  (And to UST, interesting that the MIAC Safety School dominates this award... )

http://www.tommiesports.com/ftbl/news/BenW_NFF-10-28.html

[Retired Old Rat]

Congratulations to Ben Wartman.  This is a great honor for him and UST.  Congratulations as well to Andrew Johnson of Bethel and Jiff Gilbertson of SJU on their nominations for this award.

[DuffMan]

Quite the honor!  Not too bad, for a filthy Tommie. 

[Life Long Tommie]

And I don't think anyone has posted this yet, but congratulations to Ben Wartman!  (And to UST, interesting that the MIAC Safety School dominates this award... )

http://www.tommiesports.com/ftbl/news/BenW_NFF-10-28.html

Congratulations to Mr. Wartman, truely a well deserved award for a very caring & dedicated young man.

[USTBench]

And I don't think anyone has posted this yet, but congratulations to Ben Wartman!  (And to UST, interesting that the MIAC Safety School dominates this award... )

http://www.tommiesports.com/ftbl/news/BenW_NFF-10-28.html

Congratulations to Mr. Wartman, truely a well deserved award for a very caring & dedicated young man.

If Roney hadn't tried to make him a receiver and he hadn't gotten hurt against UWRF, he'd have the MIAC rushing record.