Go WEST young man (and NORTH)

[Ron Boerger]

IMO both, especially if they heard Centre and Oglethorpe are also seeking exits after the Millsaps move. 

The general view is that Trinity was the leading force when the two schools left for the SAA and that the Pirates weren't all that enamored with the move from the beginning.  What seemed like a genius move for football after the ASC claimed two SCAC schools suddenly was not after they retained their bid with the Gallaudet afilliation, and with Millsaps further solidifying that picture suddenly the additional travel costs and hassle of SAA membership weren't worth it.  Southwestern is opening their on-campus football stadium this fall so football is a big part of the equation, and I have a feeling the SAA's stubborn refusal to allow the Texas schools to have their share of championships (one minor sport last season (XC), one this season (VB), 18 sports, 25% of the schools in Texas, do the math) didn't help their cause. 

It's one thing to spend a lot of money and time on travel if you're successful (Trinity, which won the SAA Commissioner's Cup by a record margin), another if you're not (Southwestern placed sixth of eight, barely edging out much smaller Oglethorpe).  The SCAC gives both Southwestern and Millsaps (a distant eighth and last in the SAA standings) a more even playing field upon which they can compete.  And if the SAA can't retain four of its charter members in a single season, its future is dim as there's virtually no way to say "we are a premium academic/athletic conference" if they have to accept schools that don't meet that qualification to survive.

Hanberry has done amazing work pulling the SCAC's chestnuts out of the fire dating back to the original split of the SAA in 2012, to the point they now have the luxury of turning prospective members away (he states in the interview that 12 schools is where he'd like to see things remain, at least in the short term).  One wonders how different the landscape in the South/Texas would be had he taken the job the SAA offered him at that time. 

[Kuiper]

Big transfer news:

Trinity TX's Samuel Theiss is transferring to University of Massachusetts (D1)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbDnGDZFudq/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Theiss started his college career at University of San Diego (D1) and transferred to Trinity where he played the last couple of years, leading them to the D3 national championship game. 

Big shoes for Trinity to fill in the scoring department.

[D3Navy]

Big transfer news:

Trinity TX's Samuel Theiss is transferring to University of Massachusetts (D1)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbDnGDZFudq/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Theiss started his college career at University of San Diego (D1) and transferred to Trinity where he played the last couple of years, leading them to the D3 national championship game. 

Big shoes for Trinity to fill in the scoring department.

Pretty sure he graduated. Perhaps he's playing as a graduate student at Massachusetts.

[Ron Boerger]

He was listed as a junior last season, so you'd have to think that graduation or no Trinity expected him back this season.  That's a big loss. 

[D3Navy]

He was listed as a junior last season, so you'd have to think that graduation or no Trinity expected him back this season.  That's a big loss. 

He's pictured in cap and gown, diploma in hand, with other players on their Instagram page.

[Kuiper]

I posted that Theiss was graduating months ago, but like Tufts with several of its graduates from last year's national championship team who had a year of remaining eligibility (either because of missing a season for medical reasons or because they were redshirted while playing in D1 at the start of their college career), I'm sure Trinity would have welcomed Theiss back at Trinity for a 3rd year as a graduate student and may have hoped it would happen.

This will put more weight on the shoulders of Joey Perryman up top for the team.

[Kuiper]

Pacific and Willamette Merger Plan Becomes Official

The Claremont Colleges model is coming to the Northwest.

Two of Oregon's oldest private universities are a step closer to becoming one institution.

Governing boards from both Willamette and Pacific universities signed a binding agreement this month to merge the two schools, according to a press statement released from the universities Tuesday. This comes after the schools announced a tentative plan to join forces in December 2025.

Mergers between universities and colleges are becoming more common as schools navigate difficult financial waters. Many higher education institutions in Oregon and across the U.S. are facing declining enrollment, rising costs, sluggish support from state legislatures and uncertainty about federal funding sources.

The financial situation for colleges is so bad that three of the country's top credit agencies forecast a negative outlook for higher education this year.

Willamette and Pacific have not been immune.

Willamette has suffered from unstable enrollment for more than a decade and has reported operating deficits since 2016. Pacific's reported finances are balanced, but the school recently underwent a restructuring effort to streamline the university. More than 100 positions were either eliminated or changed, according to the school newspaper, the Pacific Index. A Pacific spokesperson said the school laid off a total of 10 people in the restructure, or less than 1% of the university's workforce.

Willamette University and Pacific University Formally Agree to Merge

When unified, the new university, provisionally named the University of the Northwest, will offer academic programs spanning the liberal arts and sciences, business and management, law, education, optometry and healthcare, computing and data science, and art and design. It also will bring together a network of more than 73,000 alumni.

***

Plans call for the two universities, whose current main campuses are about 50 miles apart, to come together under a single board of trustees as they transition to a single entity that ultimately would be operated as what's being called a "collegiate university." Under that structure, both universities would maintain their character, identities, and historic campuses while operating under a shared administrative structure as a single institution.

Pacific, Willamette, and PNCA would continue to operate with their current names as colleges within the combined university on their respective campuses. They would maintain separate admissions requirements, academic programs and intercollegiate athletics.

[Kuiper]

Starting my previews of teams as rosters are released.

Pomona-Pitzer

Lots of talent graduated last season for a team that went 10-5-3 and lost in the SCIAC tournament to Redlands 2-1 under first year coach Clint Moore.  Biggest loss is probably Niclas Ulrich, who led the team in goals and assists while holding down the fort all four years as a stalwart center back.  His service on free kicks led to a lot of goals for the Sagehens.  GK Jaspar Broad also departs after starting two straight years following his transfer from Colorado College, where he was an All-SCAC performer.  With two other senior goalkeepers leaving, the only returning goalkeeper is junior Gavin Honey, who has played 31 minutes in his college career.  I wouldn't be surprised if Freshman Jack Shepherd is in the mix for the starting spot, although he is several upperclassmen ahead of him in the queue.  While the team loses some talent, they have a strong senior group, led by Guy Fuchs, who is kind of a metronome-type midfielder who comes back to retrieve the ball, and forward/midfielder Aidan MacLennan who tied for the team lead in goals last season and was 2nd team All SCIAC.  Seb Lee Jara is a strong defender and goal scorer in his own right who is likely to help make up for Ulrich's departure on defense along with Charles Leonhard.  Kieran Veloria is an X-factor at MF who makes nice runs and has nifty moves. 

Pomona-Pitzer has an ambitious road trip on the second weekend of the season, traveling to Ohio to play Kenyon and Denison.  That will be a real test of this team's level and their first foray outside of Region X since before Covid.