FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OzJohnnie]

I feel a Thomas Sowell quote about Utopianism coming on....

[Pat Coleman]

I saw Logan post that Wart got done a diservice, essentially treated like a 2 seed in their own quad. He might be right, but aside from NPI Wartburg just doesn't looke like a very elite 1 seed IMO given the stats above.

That said, the MIAC finds itself in 2 of the 3 toughest quadrants ever according to Logan's numbers. If we get anyone to the quarters or beyond we'll have earned it, great chance to reset the recent national narrative about the conference.

Results so far have done nothing to quiet the discontent with NPI. If anything, this bracket is proving to be even more lopsided than was suspected. NPI loved it some Wartburg, and they didn't survive first contact with a Wheaton team that lost 35-0 to NCC (NPI had Warburg above NCC). Obviously a big obstacle to clear this weekend but if I'm UWRF I can hardly believe my luck with what a mess that quad's turned out to be, and whoever gets out of there gets the winner of the clearly weakest quad in the semifinal.

NPI has its limitations but it also cuts both ways. Under the old system Wheaton is not in this field. Neither is UWlAX and possibly UWW, all 2 loss teams. Wheaton would not have had any regionally ranked wins (the old system) which favored 1 loss teams (win %) over most other criteria. NPI can be tweaked (NCC should NOT be the overall 4 seed) but so far it's an improvement over the subjective rankings of regional committees IMO.

Under the old system, with 40 teams, they definitely get some if not all three of those teams in the field.

[Mister36]

Albert Rundell and Jack Curtis representing MIAC in Gagliardi semi-finalists group

https://d3football.com/notables/2025/12/gagliardi-semifinalists-announced

[USee]

I saw Logan post that Wart got done a diservice, essentially treated like a 2 seed in their own quad. He might be right, but aside from NPI Wartburg just doesn't looke like a very elite 1 seed IMO given the stats above.

That said, the MIAC finds itself in 2 of the 3 toughest quadrants ever according to Logan's numbers. If we get anyone to the quarters or beyond we'll have earned it, great chance to reset the recent national narrative about the conference.

Results so far have done nothing to quiet the discontent with NPI. If anything, this bracket is proving to be even more lopsided than was suspected. NPI loved it some Wartburg, and they didn't survive first contact with a Wheaton team that lost 35-0 to NCC (NPI had Warburg above NCC). Obviously a big obstacle to clear this weekend but if I'm UWRF I can hardly believe my luck with what a mess that quad's turned out to be, and whoever gets out of there gets the winner of the clearly weakest quad in the semifinal.

NPI has its limitations but it also cuts both ways. Under the old system Wheaton is not in this field. Neither is UWlAX and possibly UWW, all 2 loss teams. Wheaton would not have had any regionally ranked wins (the old system) which favored 1 loss teams (win %) over most other criteria. NPI can be tweaked (NCC should NOT be the overall 4 seed) but so far it's an improvement over the subjective rankings of regional committees IMO.

Under the old system, with 40 teams, they definitely get some if not all three of those teams in the field.

Thanks for making my point. Under NPI we absolutely get all three into the field. The old system we might get "some if not all three". Also, the old system had 32 teams so they wouldn't all get in. Don't know what the old system with 40 teams looks like cuz it never happened so pure speculation.

The old system created too much uncertainty and worse, inconsistency, with the criteria for at large picks. Criteria were inconsistently interpreted and applied from region to region every year and it changed from one year to the next with different committee members. This system has its drawbacks (which are not equal to the old system) but we have all but eliminated inconsistency and uncertainty among who gets into the field.

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah -- I'm just not going through the work of projecting out six regional rankings under the old system and figuring out how many end up in the 13 at-large teams. Could be all three.

Those three teams were 5th, 8th and 27th in SOS this year under the old formula. I bet they all get in.

[fredfalcon]

Duffman--No charge (thatI'm aware of) for tailgating. It happens in last 3 lanes on south side of parking lot.

[sju56321]

Well I know what it feels like to be a fan of any miac team other than bethel, going up against sju-no chance-kinda sucks but does open open Saturday afternoon!

[faunch]

d3football.com has their "Quick Hits" predictions posted. ALL are picking River Falls to win - 4 by 3 scores, 3 by 2 scores, & 1 by 1 score.

In giving UWRF 9.5 points...Hope I'm wrong. If the johnnies manage to win it will be like a 49-45 game

[hazzben]

Kaleb Blaha is 23, not 25. His first year at UWRF was 2021. A medical red-shirt year after his second hamstring injury gave him an extra year.

His Sr season in HS was 2019. He's been in a college FB program since 2020. So he's got a Covid year in there. He was year older than Micah Niewald at Fridley, Bethel's AA WR who graduated last year. Devin Williams is 2 years younger than Blaha. So. no gray shirt, just covid and a medical hardship.

[hazzben]

I'm really intrigued about the SJU D against UWRF. They were the only team to hold Bethel under 41 pts. They have speed and a very good D front. It was early and we hadn't really gotten Rundell going yet, but it's a great matchup.

[sju56321]

RF is clearly better-but SJU still has a chance at half. The D front-not too much pressure and their QB has 88 yards rushing. Can SJU contain that in second half? Feeney needs to be better in second half.

[art76]

John Carroll just knocked Mount Union out in OT.

[OzJohnnie]

RF is clearly better-but SJU still has a chance at half. The D front-not too much pressure and their QB has 88 yards rushing. Can SJU contain that in second half? Feeney needs to be better in second half.

We're gonna need a bag of extra fresh magic beans. It's never over until Hilda gets out the spear and shield.

[sjujohnnie]

John Carroll just knocked Mount Union out in OT.

Double OT! Only the 4th time in history that John Carroll has defeated Mount Union.

[sjujohnnie]

RF is clearly better-but SJU still has a chance at half. The D front-not too much pressure and their QB has 88 yards rushing. Can SJU contain that in second half? Feeney needs to be better in second half.

We're gonna need a bag of extra fresh magic beans. It's never over until Hilda gets out the spear and shield.

Hilda is singing at the top of her lungs. Seriously always a gut punch when St John's season comes to an end.