FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[WashedUp]

Watching what SJU did to the Hot Carls, I would be very surprised (pleasantly) if Bethel's MOV is < 30.

Hope you're off by at least 101 points

[faunch]

I realize this a football forum...just wondering how long before the league monetizes the football streams in the MIAC.

MIAC will charge pay per view for MIAC basketball championship playoffs. How much longer until football charges for all conference games?

"The 2026 MIAC Men's Basketball Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes."

https://miacathletics.com/news/2025/11/5/2025-26-miac-mens-basketball-season-preview.aspx

[art76]

I realize this a football forum...just wondering how long before the league monetizes the football streams in the MIAC.

Unless the quality of all the schools streaming efforts improves vastly, there is no way folks would tolerate having to pay for it. Chicken or the egg dilemma, you'll need financing to improve the product to the point so that people would be willing to pay for it. Even if the best production in the world were to showcase the MIAC, I for one would not pay, simply on principal.

[DuffMan]

I understand wanting access to free broadcasts, but there is a significant investment from the schools for tech and in terms of manpower.  You can't expect them to pump out the quality all of us would like to see without some sort of revenue.
I would be hard-pressed to pay for a single camera angle from the pressbox, but I'd pay for a quality broadcast (of a game I am interested in--SJU/CSS, nah).

[hazzben]

I understand charging for quality broadcast. To me it's a decision for each school. SJU wants to go all in on multi-angle, VOJ synced broadcast, that's great. But each school has a very different approach.

Bethel shifted to a student run broadcast, from camera work, production, to color and play by play. It makes sense, they're giving opportunity to media/communication majors who want to explore careers in those avenues. But if you're going student run/led there's often a lack of consistency, especially year over year. Bethel's been multi-angle for years, with replay / review setups. But now you have missed plays or over-use of very tight zoom on just the QB. For a free service, designed to give students reps and experience, I can live with that.

Having just watched the Cobbers broadcast, which was more of a "boomer run" production (slightly tongue in cheek  ) it was even more brutal. The feed cut out at least 3 times during the game. Probably half a quarter all together was a blackout. Add in the fact they can't even figure out how to get a camera setup that doesn't involve half the screen obscured by a wall in the pressbox any time the action wasn't directly in the middle of the field.

So if a school has a great broadcast, charge away. But if you're going to make it so the entire league charges, then over half the league has a LONG ways to go. And given some of these schools don't even look like they care all that much to support the product on the field, why should we expect them to invest in covering said product. Don't make it a cash grab and then give us crappy product.

And if you charge for it, you better be able to go to replay for things like TD's, TO's, targeting, etc.There's zero excuse for making people pay, but then saying the league doesn't have consistent enough broadcasts to also up the game when it comes to replay.

[DuffMan]

But if you're going student run/led there's often a lack of consistency...

LOL, the same is true for big time schools.  We subscribe to BTN+ for wrestling and volleyball coverage, and a lot of those are student run...announcers who have likely never been to a wrestling meet, zooming in way too tight on VB matches, etc. 
 

[Mister36]

I actually got annoyed at Bethel's production last year, just having the one play-by-play announcer and no color guy.

[Mister36]

Used this NPI tool to simulate what I think would be Bethel's best NPI score outcome (the main change being that UNWSP wins this weekend at Greenville, which they aren't favored to do so) - assuming no extremely odd losses by the top 4, Bethel would be #5 seed..though unfornuately that might put them in the bracket with NCC. If all the games go as expected Bethel would likely be #6 seed.

Simulated Bracket

Bethel NPI Breakdown

[GoldandBlueBU]

Bethel shifted to a student run broadcast, from camera work, production, to color and play by play.

I think it's the right thing to do for the University, and the students, but I do miss Wendy on the call.

Unrelated - Duff - you're in the MG district, correct?  Are they going to release their stranglehold on 6A next year, or do they have more stars in waiting?  The silver lining in my Centennial squad getting ousted last night, is that they don't make a trip to US Bank, just to get stomped.

[DuffMan]

Unrelated - Duff - you're in the MG district, correct?  Are they going to release their stranglehold on 6A next year, or do they have more stars in waiting?  The silver lining in my Centennial squad getting ousted last night, is that they don't make a trip to US Bank, just to get stomped.

Correct.  I have on my Crimson Football shirt today. 
Honestly, I didn't think they'd be this good this year--they actually graduated a lot of impact players from last year's squad.  The RB, who is a beast, barely played last year because of how good the guy ahead of him was.  I'm not really sure what is waiting in the wings for next year, but I will say that the offseason programs are intense and obviously doing a lot for the program.  The things I have seen these players do in the weight room are things that I wasn't doing till senior year of college.  On top of that, MGSH is in the process of building a new weight room, which coach claims will outshine every weight room in the state except the Vike's and the Gopher's.
 

[faunch]

I understand wanting access to free broadcasts, but there is a significant investment from the schools for tech and in terms of manpower.  You can't expect them to pump out the quality all of us would like to see without some sort of revenue.
I would be hard-pressed to pay for a single camera angle from the pressbox, but I'd pay for a quality broadcast (of a game I am interested in--SJU/CSS, nah).

Here's a thought...what if a portion of the fee charged went to help programs like CSS and Concordia improve the quality of their live video streams?
I mean even the Lake Conference has their own network.
https://www.thelakeconference.com/

[hazzben]

Unrelated - Duff - you're in the MG district, correct?  Are they going to release their stranglehold on 6A next year, or do they have more stars in waiting?  The silver lining in my Centennial squad getting ousted last night, is that they don't make a trip to US Bank, just to get stomped.

Correct.  I have on my Crimson Football shirt today. 
Honestly, I didn't think they'd be this good this year--they actually graduated a lot of impact players from last year's squad.  The RB, who is a beast, barely played last year because of how good the guy ahead of him was.  I'm not really sure what is waiting in the wings for next year, but I will say that the offseason programs are intense and obviously doing a lot for the program.  The things I have seen these players do in the weight room are things that I wasn't doing till senior year of college.  On top of that, MGSH is in the process of building a new weight room, which coach claims will outshine every weight room in the state except the Vike's and the Gopher's.
 

One of my co-workers son's is a WR for MG. He's pretty confident they'll take a step back next year. It's still a huge HS and strong program, they still be good. But their defensive speed this year is phenomenal. And their line play on both sides is great. I think there will be a changing of the guard.

Also fascinating to see how well Moorehead is playing now that they've got their QB back again. Interesting wrinkle for the playoffs for sure.

[DuffMan]

Also fascinating to see how well Moorhead is playing now that they've got their QB back again.

Hopefully he follows big bro to Collegeville. 
 

[DuffMan]

Thanks for jinxing us, GoldandBlueBU.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Thanks for jinxing us, GoldandBlueBU.

I was shocked!  Not even that close of a score either.