FB: Southern Athletic Association

[Ron Boerger]

D3vbwest, who covers "West region" volleyball (no!), got a statement from Trinity AD Bob King saying "As for Trinity, we do plan to stay in the SAA. While Southwestern's departure obviously changes the landscape of our conference, we are deeply committed to the SAA and its remaining members."  More from him here.

[MCScots2013]

17:00 Is Trinity (Texas) going to return to the SCAC as well

Will probably need to go back and re-listen to the podcast to catch a little more of the nuances, but my first thoughts about Trinity, the SCAC and Hanberry:  the door is still open even though it's more of a closing crack. He strikes me as the kind of man that would flat out say "no" to the question of Trinity coming back when directly asked--especially after the Trinity comments floating around (easy out for Hanberry to say, "well, they are happy with the SAA, so we're happy with our current footprint.").  He says they are comfortable with 12, but again, I would expect a flat "no" if they wanted to end expansion.

The ball is in Trinity's court but does sound like they are digging their heels into staying with the SAA.  If Hanberry's timeline description is accurate, who can blame them (Trinity)?  They just got blindsided twice in 7 days with the other two farthest west schools jumping ship. If what was said it true about Centre and Oglethorpe shopping and the SAA is on life support, Trinity has a dilemma--try to get in the SCAC with familiar faces or see what they can do with the ASC.

Hanberry is my kind of dude.  Seemingly a laid back, deal-making open book, and it's obvious his presidents and ADs hold him in a high regard.  Listening to the podcast was a good way to spend 40 minutes this morning.

[awadelewis]

Really off the wall thought: Trinity to UAA with FB as affiliate in either ASC or SCAC?

Trinity does not meet the UAA's standards in basically any dimension.  And why the UAA would want to fly to Texas is beyond comprehension.

Also heard that the UAA has already given Trinity a definitive and uncompromising "No" previously.

Admit that it was an "out there" thought.  But the fact it's been broached in the past gives it some credence.  And would the travel costs in the UAA be made any worse given how geographically spread out the member schools are in that conference?    But... not to be.

The options left for Trinity aren't very good given how they've burned the bridges with the SCAC.  And I figure similar bad blood exists within the ASC schools towards Trinity as well.

[awadelewis]

Sounds like Centre and Oglethrope are shopping.  If so, the SAA might be DOA.

Oglethorpe is in the middle of non-football sponsoring CCS with several D3 GA schools. Centre calling the HCAC? They have 10 schools, 7 of which have football. 2 other KY D3's are there, too.

I can see Oglethorpe looking towards the CCS as they are much closer fit to the CCS profile these days.  But I get the feeling that Oglethorpe has much more serious problems on their radar at the moment.

It's hard to suss out what the people at Centre are thinking.  But Trinity saying in public that they're committed to the SAA might go a long ways towards making that happen given how Trinity and Berry have dominated in the SAA the past few years. 

[MCScots2013]

Saw Third Division's video this morning and he mentioned the chance other SAA schools pressuring them into bringing back football.  Would love to see it but unless a donor dropped a ton of money on it PDQ, I don't see it happening.  And if someone does, it's what? 2029 before they have a varsity team?

[Ron Boerger]

Will probably need to go back and re-listen to the podcast to catch a little more of the nuances, but my first thoughts about Trinity, the SCAC and Hanberry:  the door is still open even though it's more of a closing crack. He strikes me as the kind of man that would flat out say "no" to the question of Trinity coming back when directly asked--especially after the Trinity comments floating around (easy out for Hanberry to say, "well, they are happy with the SAA, so we're happy with our current footprint.").  He says they are comfortable with 12, but again, I would expect a flat "no" if they wanted to end expansion.

The ball is in Trinity's court but does sound like they are digging their heels into staying with the SAA.  If Hanberry's timeline description is accurate, who can blame them (Trinity)?  They just got blindsided twice in 7 days with the other two farthest west schools jumping ship. If what was said it true about Centre and Oglethorpe shopping and the SAA is on life support, Trinity has a dilemma--try to get in the SCAC with familiar faces or see what they can do with the ASC.

Hanberry is my kind of dude.  Seemingly a laid back, deal-making open book, and it's obvious his presidents and ADs hold him in a high regard.  Listening to the podcast was a good way to spend 40 minutes this morning.

Dwayne would figure a way to do it, but I'm not so sure he could get all the administrators to sign off.

I've known the commissioner for decades (back to the '00s when I was a correspondent for D3football).  He's always been courteous, answered questions as much as situations allowed, and has a true and sincere passion for his schools and student-athletes.  He was offered the SAA job when it split, but rather than take the easy route supporting the more academically elite schools stuck with the SCAC through thick and thin - and while the former is true now, there has been plenty of the latter.  Rebuilding the conference from six schools to twelve, now twice, signifies how appealing his ideas are to schools, and as he said on the webcast, he didn't have to send any of them seven figures (or any financial remuneration) to join up.

I don't have the same feeling for the SAA front office, and perhaps I'm not alone in that.  They have never responded to anything I sent them, be it respectful questions or simply acknowledging discrepancies I pointed out in their socials.  And unlike Dwayne, they've never really had to deal with the situation they're facing now.  Replacing one school after it failed is one thing; replacing two (or possibly three or four) is another altogether.  Trinity's public support may help, but if the SAA loses Centre and Oglethorpe the writing is on the wall.

[Ron Boerger]

Saw Third Division's video this morning and he mentioned the chance other SAA schools pressuring them into bringing back football.  Would love to see it but unless a donor dropped a ton of money on it PDQ, I don't see it happening.  And if someone does, it's what? 2029 before they have a varsity team?

Not sure what he's trying to say ... the only SAA school that doesn't support football is Oglethorpe, which isn't exactly swarming in money or facilities.

[MCScots2013]

It was a little before my time of D3 football being on my radar since (the days of tee ball and flag football), but there was a time about 30 years ago with Maryville was stuck on an island and was one of the furthest south programs.  There was Maryville, Sewanee, Rhodes and Centre, E&H in SWVA, Millsaps in Jackson, but there was no Brevard (at least in D3), Birmingham-Southern, Greensboro, NC Wesleyan, Methodist, CNU, Averett, Roanoke, Southern Virginia, Berry, LaGrange, Huntingdon.  I'm sure Pat can rattle off a few more.  Point is: D3 football has definitely grown a ton over the last several decades in the South, but if the SAA doesn't survive, there are some schools with options and some without very good ones.

Someone asked me what I thought about the MC move to the SAA a few weeks ago and my response was something like "I hope it's our forever home."  I still hope that's the case, but dang it's becoming harder and harder just 8 days into full membership.

All I can say for the remaining SAA schools is to add a little more to the travel budget for the foreseeable future.  Good time for MC to start that corporate sponsorship program 

[tigerguy]

Admit that it was an "out there" thought.  But the fact it's been broached in the past gives it some credence.  And would the travel costs in the UAA be made any worse given how geographically spread out the member schools are in that conference?    But... not to be.

The options left for Trinity aren't very good given how they've burned the bridges with the SCAC.  And I figure similar bad blood exists within the ASC schools towards Trinity as well.

ASC is hanging on by a thread so I suspect they'd welcome Trinity with open arms if that becomes Trinity's only option. But it is no secret that Trinity does not view the ASC schools (and in particular, UMHB) as peers, even though the annual athletic matchups would be fun. Trinity might end up not having a choice, though. I have no doubt Trinity would be willing to shell out money for travel costs to join a different conference as a football affiliate, but as others have pointed out, most schools do not have the financial resources to make regular travel to SA viable.

[MCScots2013]

Saw Third Division's video this morning and he mentioned the chance other SAA schools pressuring them into bringing back football.  Would love to see it but unless a donor dropped a ton of money on it PDQ, I don't see it happening.  And if someone does, it's what? 2029 before they have a varsity team?

Not sure what he's trying to say ... the only SAA school that doesn't support football is Oglethorpe, which isn't exactly swarming in money or facilities.

Seems like it could be a piggyback off of Frank Rossi's post this morning on X citing "long standing rumors".

[Patrick Coleman]

I haven't really heard anyone talk about Oglethorpe restarting football.