Augie Stays And Goes

[1stRowFANatic]

Staying D-2, going to the NSIC

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

Press conference at 2:00 pm today. Rob Oliver, pres of Augie, said that they decided to do what was best for Augie, and not to worry about what anyone else has done or will be doing, when making this decision. NSIC provides many regional teams to compete with and is good fit for the institution. They decided to make the move to NSIC because they did not want to wait and see what happened with the NCC.

I think this officially ends the NCC. Kind of sad.

edit: Augie will make application to NSIC, they have not been admited. Yet.

[NightHawk78]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

http://www.augie.edu/news/pressrel/2006/nov/gen1_14.htm

That was a bit of a blindside, IMHO.

I'm a little disappointed that Augie decided to stick with D-2, but good luck with them to get a bid into the NSIC and trying to make something out of D-2. I find it odd that they want to compete for national championships, but are applying for a conference that is close to the old NCC only in basketball. Football will struggle to take the step if they cut schollies to 24 and are in a conference that's fortunate to get just one playoff bid. Augie and the NSIC are a good fit together, but Augie is probably going to struggle to find a new rival that will captivate its fans. Northern and SW Minn. are a few notches below SDSU and USD.......

I guess that Abbott might as well schedule the "USD is moving up to D-1 press conference" since you can put a stick in the NCC.

[JackTwice]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

I think the NSIC is a good fit for Augie. They have been bottom feeders in the NCC for so long now a step down might do them some good. They have been beating NSIC teams in football the last few years in their OOC games so they should transition pretty well into the upper eschelon of that league.

Now, with the fall of the NCC on the short horizon, do the Minnesota schools seperate and form their own conference? There would be St. Cloud, Mankato, Duluth, Marshall, Bemidji, Morris, and Winona. Or do they all join together and make an east/west NSIC?

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

I commend Augie for making a tough, but albeit, correct decision. I think they'll do very well in the NSIC. The NSIC teams are a step below SDSU, NDSU, UND, USD and UNC but it's still the right choice. Augie and Northern have been playing each other for the last 10 years in FB and they seem to have a good thing going there. No doubt Augie will be able to compete for conference championships right off the bat.

What about Minnesota Duluth? They left the NSIC a few years ago for bigger and better waters (NCC). Now the NCC is all but collapsed. What happens to them? Do they get back in to the NSIC along with St. Cloud and Mankato? The 10 current NSIC schools plus Augie and those 3 make for a 14 team conference. Is that even feasible?

[SD4Life]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

Can't say I'm shocked by the news. After all, I predicted Augie would stay D-II and apply to the NSIC on a different thread a couple of days ago.

I have to say I am a bit surprised Augie immediately announced it would seek membership in the NSIC. I thought the NCC would make one last desperate attempt to stay afloat. A core of UNO, UMD, St. Cloud, Mankato and Augie is still a pretty fair D-II conference. Add Neb.-Kearney to appease UNO and a couple of the Minnesota schools from the NSIC -- say, Winona and Bemidji -- and you're set. We can only assume those overtures were made but rejected.

I think the Augie announcement tells us two things:

1. The future conference homes of the NCC orphans are pretty much decided, just not publicly announced. Augie must have been assured that UNO is all but in the MIAA, effectively killing any hope to save the NCC. Duluth, St. Cloud and Mankato have two options now -- follow Augie into a mega-NSIC or head east to the GLIAC, as has been implausibly speculated (implausible at least to me) on some internet boards.

2. The budgets at Augie, UNO, Duluth, St. Cloud and Mankato are a lot tighter than many of us may have thought. I agree with others who have said on this board that these schools are doing the responsible thing by staying D-II.

Augie's decision answers the final big D-I question in the Upper Midwest -- and to SDSU's benefit, I should add. The decision keeps the Sioux Falls media market "in play" for D-I coverage. Now if we can get the Sioux Falls media to ease up on their inexplicable obsession with minor league soccer and the University of Sioux Falls. (I just don't get it, and I say that as a lapsed journalist.)

All that's left unresolved is where UND and USD end up -- the Mid-Con or Big Sky. Any other reshuffling will take place among Division II and NAIA schools in the region. Does the NSIC eventually grow too big and split into two conferences? Which NAIA schools move up to D-II -- Sioux Falls? Minot St.? Dakota St.? etc.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

I have to say that I'm more than a little saddened to see the NCC go. In the day, the NCC was almost a 1AA basketball conference. When kids were being looked at for talent they were often listed as DII worthy or NCC worthy and not necessarily the same thing. I grew up hearing kids being described as a "NCC player" in both basketball and football. I was lucky enough to be one of those players and am frankly going to miss the NCC even though SDSU was no longer in the conference. Augie moving to the NSIC is hard for me to grasp right now. I guess it was inevitable, but still bums me out (NCC thing).

[EQguy]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

Bill Gross (the Augie AD for those of you that don't know) was on Sports Talk today.  He basically hinted at a 14 team NSIC that would include Augie, Mankato, St. Cloud and Duluth.

[jackrabit1]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

If the NCC goes Ti#s up, do you think the Mid-Con should pursue calling itself the NCC?

[Haldersham]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

I wonder if this brief caluculation came into play. Going D1AA for football and fully funding 63 full ride scholarships at $18,000 per ride would cost

are you ready? One million, one hundred thirty four thousand per year. I used the 18 thousand figure as that was what was posted as the Augustana Advantage a few years back. It probably more like 20k currently. Thats a lot of bucks. I agree, the adminstration did what was best for Augustana, and President Oliver could care less about the frozen rabbit tradition that his advantaged undergrads cherish so much.

[dr_jack]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

Smart move by Augie, and a brave and principled one, too. It's a decision that probably won't please some of their big athletics donors who were pushing the D1 move. President Oliver deserves credit for putting the good of the institution ahead of short-term dollars.

[jackrabit1]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

You're right, dr, it takes a lot of guts. Everyone else, it seems, wants to follow the SU's, right or wrong, but Augie is being pretty level-headed about taking their time. Not easy to go against the flow, but I could see them becoming a very strong institution in the NSIC, both academically and athletically.

And if Augie and the Minnesota schools combine with the NSIC, that gives the conference VERY competitive members that will boster the competitive reputation of the NSIC, as well as catch the eye of the Regional committees when it comes to post season play.

[JackJD]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

Someone earlier queried whether the Mid-Con should change its name to the NCC...I hope that is not considered.  It's best to leave the NCC as a great memory for now.  I'd like to see the Mid-Con continue to develop its own reputation which will be enhanced by the SU's.

I agree with others about Augie's move being the right thing for that school.  I had some hope Augie would try the D-1 rout with "no scholarship" football ala Drake, Valpo etc.  And, I wonder if Augie considered simply dumping football and really emphasizing basketball.  Dumping football immediately solves a lot of financial problems and Title IX problems.

MN-Duluth has to be wondering what to do.   That school has continually upgraded its athletic programs and performances.  But, the NSIC is a nice-looking conference with Winona and others.  Will the NSIC become the top DII conference in a few years?  It could if Augie is admitted, Duluth rejoins and everyone else stays (certainly its upper crust would be some of the better teams in DII).

I wonder how the athletics landscape will look 10 years from now.

[NightHawk78]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...ORTS/611150303

Quick highlights before I have to run off to work:

1) The NSIC will NOT raise scholarships limits for football. Augie seems to be able to live with it for now, but would Mankato and St. Cloud be able to do the same? The NSIC probably should be hesitant to add these schools because the conference will end up being divided over FB schollies.

2) Even though Krabbenhoft voted to stay D-2 as a committee member, the secret is out: He wants Sioux Falls to have its own D-1 team.

3) This announcement sounds quite similar to USD's plan to stay D-2 when SDSU and NDSU moved to D-1. I expect Augie to be reconsidering its affiliation in 5-10 years once the Sioux Falls market grows more and they are able to get their finances in a better state.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Augie Stays And Goes

I think that Augie made a good decision but it sure did suprise me. My bet was on them going D-1 and offereing non-schollie football and trying to go for the Mo. Valley.

They may revisit that in a few years!

Whoever said it is right, Abbott can go ahead and schedule the funeral, I mean press conference to move up to D-1!

SUPERBUNNY