(04-07-2018 02:46 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-07-2018 02:27 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 08:07 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 02:03 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 01:52 PM)AZcats Wrote:  I will agree this is a good idea, but. There are so many factual errors I don't have the time to list them including some that have been corrected on this board several times previously. What's being labeled as rumor is more like fantasy and will remain so until credible sources are linked.

Perhaps it would be best to not cite a rumor unless it's accompanied by a link referencing the source of the information. And the source couldn't be a message board.

Actually news sites and all that. My local paper in town did a write up about Arkansas Tech when UCA moved up. UCA wanted Arkansas Tech to move up with them, but our leader was so short sighted at the time. since we have new leadership, and have grown, it could be too late unless there are some major changes coming.

Augustana, SD's name came up again to moving to d1.

Augustana, SD gets Inqueries To join D1

It seems that they are getting feelers if they are interested into joining D1. I get my news source for the schools not from forums, but from news sites.

Does your local paper have a website link to the story about Arkansas Tech, DavidSt? Or can you take photographs of the article(s) with your phone, and put it on here as an attachment???

Local paper have a website, but it seems they do not archive their stories on the web. Don't have the paper now, nor have a phone to make a photo copy.

If I was in Russellville now, I would have that article in less than 30 minutes. Guaranteed.

(04-07-2018 02:46 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-07-2018 02:27 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 08:07 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 02:03 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 01:52 PM)AZcats Wrote:  I will agree this is a good idea, but. There are so many factual errors I don't have the time to list them including some that have been corrected on this board several times previously. What's being labeled as rumor is more like fantasy and will remain so until credible sources are linked.

Perhaps it would be best to not cite a rumor unless it's accompanied by a link referencing the source of the information. And the source couldn't be a message board.

Actually news sites and all that. My local paper in town did a write up about Arkansas Tech when UCA moved up. UCA wanted Arkansas Tech to move up with them, but our leader was so short sighted at the time. since we have new leadership, and have grown, it could be too late unless there are some major changes coming.

Augustana, SD's name came up again to moving to d1.

Augustana, SD gets Inqueries To join D1

It seems that they are getting feelers if they are interested into joining D1. I get my news source for the schools not from forums, but from news sites.

Does your local paper have a website link to the story about Arkansas Tech, DavidSt? Or can you take photographs of the article(s) with your phone, and put it on here as an attachment???

Local paper have a website, but it seems they do not archive their stories on the web. Don't have the paper now, nor have a phone to make a photo copy.

Your local library does have an archive. You should be able to get a picture of the article there. You may have to get a photo copy from the microfiche machine. If you cannot, then you fabricated your story to begin with. How do you not have an iPhone??? Plus, you can still take pictures with the old flip phone, so that isn’t even an excuse.

(04-08-2018 12:53 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-07-2018 02:46 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-07-2018 02:27 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 08:07 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 02:03 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  Perhaps it would be best to not cite a rumor unless it's accompanied by a link referencing the source of the information. And the source couldn't be a message board.

Actually news sites and all that. My local paper in town did a write up about Arkansas Tech when UCA moved up. UCA wanted Arkansas Tech to move up with them, but our leader was so short sighted at the time. since we have new leadership, and have grown, it could be too late unless there are some major changes coming.

Augustana, SD's name came up again to moving to d1.

Augustana, SD gets Inqueries To join D1

It seems that they are getting feelers if they are interested into joining D1. I get my news source for the schools not from forums, but from news sites.

Does your local paper have a website link to the story about Arkansas Tech, DavidSt? Or can you take photographs of the article(s) with your phone, and put it on here as an attachment???

Local paper have a website, but it seems they do not archive their stories on the web. Don't have the paper now, nor have a phone to make a photo copy.

Your local library does have an archive. You should be able to get a picture of the article there. You may have to get a photo copy from the microfiche machine. If you cannot, then you fabricated your story to begin with. How do you not have an iPhone??? Plus, you can still take pictures with the old flip phone, so that isn’t even an excuse.

Look, I am not the only Arkansas Tech alum mentioned that Tech had some talks in the past to go D1. It is being mentioned a lot on the D2 message board by other fellow Tech alums.How many of us heard the exact same thing that I posted about them?

Wheelock College merges with Boston U. 2018

D3 Johnson State merges with Lyndon State to become Northern Vermont University

(04-08-2018 10:14 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-08-2018 12:53 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-07-2018 02:46 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-07-2018 02:27 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-04-2018 08:07 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  Actually news sites and all that. My local paper in town did a write up about Arkansas Tech when UCA moved up. UCA wanted Arkansas Tech to move up with them, but our leader was so short sighted at the time. since we have new leadership, and have grown, it could be too late unless there are some major changes coming.

Augustana, SD's name came up again to moving to d1.

Augustana, SD gets Inqueries To join D1

It seems that they are getting feelers if they are interested into joining D1. I get my news source for the schools not from forums, but from news sites.

Does your local paper have a website link to the story about Arkansas Tech, DavidSt? Or can you take photographs of the article(s) with your phone, and put it on here as an attachment???

Local paper have a website, but it seems they do not archive their stories on the web. Don't have the paper now, nor have a phone to make a photo copy.

Your local library does have an archive. You should be able to get a picture of the article there. You may have to get a photo copy from the microfiche machine. If you cannot, then you fabricated your story to begin with. How do you not have an iPhone??? Plus, you can still take pictures with the old flip phone, so that isn’t even an excuse.

Look, I am not the only Arkansas Tech alum mentioned that Tech had some talks in the past to go D1. It is being mentioned a lot on the D2 message board by other fellow Tech alums.How many of us heard the exact same thing that I posted about them?

I am an Arkansas Tech alum AND a member of the ATU Athletic Department (football letterman) and I have never heard any D1 talk. Also, it has never been posted on the D2 message board. I was in Russellville in 2004 and 2006 and had a chance to visit some admin / faculty friends and the subject was never mentioned. You keep talking about this 'The Courier' article from 13 years ago and have been asked to show it many times and you refuse everytime.

Again, it's been 13 years since central arkansas accepted the Southland invitation and ATU has not done anything to prepare for your fictitious D1 move. We only have 10 sports with the last one added was softball in 2002 which should be a major clue that a D1 move is not happening. Whenever we do add a sport will not indicate a D1 move either and neither is the new Multi-sport building. That facility is only replacing one that is 90 years old and slated for razing. Really, to base an argument on what someone might have said in an "article" 13 years ago (I'll repeat that - 13 years ago) is a little off when absolutely nothing to support it has been done in those 13 years. There is no rumor, no one has talked about it in 13 years; ATU has no desire for going D1.

Just added Concordia Alabama to the list since they are closing their doors.

UTD Considered Moving Up To D2 from D3

Updated with the announcement of Virginia Wise leaving MEC to join SAC.

Park University is opening a campus in Gilbert AZ, starting athletics in the 2nd year. Park University's main campus is an NAIA member north of Kansas City. The Gilbert site was built for fellow NAIA member St Xavier (IL) to open a satellite campus, but Illinois financials forced them to bail after only one year.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc...494554002/

Updated that UT-Tyler have been invited to the Lone Star Conference for 2019-20 season.

Some updates from the NAIA:

Eight new NAIA Members:
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...embers.htm
Columbia International University (S.C.) (NCCAA)
Cottey College (Mo.) (NJCAA)
Florida National University(USCAA)
Green Mountain College (Vt.) (D3)
Lincoln College (Ill.) (NJCAA)
Ottawa University (Ariz.) (Startup)
The Pennsylvania State University Schuylkill (USCAA/PSUAC)
Thomas More College (Ky.) (D3)

Rust joins the Gulf Coast Conference
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...member.htm
The GCAC is an HBCU conference so this is a good fit for them.

(04-17-2018 01:08 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  Some updates from the NAIA:

Eight new NAIA Members:
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...embers.htm
Columbia International University (S.C.) (NCCAA)
Cottey College (Mo.) (NJCAA)
Florida National University(USCAA)
Green Mountain College (Vt.) (D3)
Lincoln College (Ill.) (NJCAA)
Ottawa University (Ariz.) (Startup)
The Pennsylvania State University Schuylkill (USCAA/PSUAC)
Thomas More College (Ky.) (D3)

Rust joins the Gulf Coast Conference
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...member.htm
The GCAC is an HBCU conference so this is a good fit for them.

So 3 members join conferences and 5 more are added to the Indy pool. Seems like the Indy pool should have quite a few regional schools around them to form a new conference.

So NAIA now has 4 schools in Arizona (Ottawa, Benedictine, ACU and Embry-Riddle). If Park starts athletics in Gilbert, they would want NAIA, so that would be 5

(04-17-2018 06:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  So NAIA now has 4 schools in Arizona (Ottawa, Benedictine, ACU and Embry-Riddle). If Park starts athletics in Gilbert, they would want NAIA, so that would be 5

Park is indeed planning on starting athletics, next year. If that's the case I would expect an NAIA application in October. It would follow a similar trajectory as Ottawa in Surprise.

Your implication though is that of an Arizona conference. I've though about that for the last couple of days. I doubt it will come to be. The bare minimum is 6, and at that size you are just 1 school failure or association change from a failed conference. And all schools would have to support the same sports, or you would still have sports that aren't in an officially recognized conference. Meaning you'd still have to rely on other conferences affiliations for scheduling. Now if you get to 7, THEN you've got my attention. However I don't see other existing candidates in Arizona. There's an art school in Tucson, but it's really small...

I think the likely outcome will be for the metro Phoenix schools to become travel partners. ACU paired with Ottawa in the GSAC, and Benedictine-Mesa with Park in the Cal Pac.

(04-17-2018 05:24 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 01:08 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  Some updates from the NAIA:

Eight new NAIA Members:
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...embers.htm
Columbia International University (S.C.) (NCCAA)
Cottey College (Mo.) (NJCAA)
Florida National University(USCAA)
Green Mountain College (Vt.) (D3)
Lincoln College (Ill.) (NJCAA)
Ottawa University (Ariz.) (Startup)
The Pennsylvania State University Schuylkill (USCAA/PSUAC)
Thomas More College (Ky.) (D3)

Rust joins the Gulf Coast Conference
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...member.htm
The GCAC is an HBCU conference so this is a good fit for them.

So 3 members join conferences and 5 more are added to the Indy pool. Seems like the Indy pool should have quite a few regional schools around them to form a new conference.

I think that's pessimistic. What 5 do you see as independent?

It seems Thomas More is looking at where they will go right now. Seems Thomas More may stay at D3 level. They are the only schools that I know the conference for.

Ottawa Arizona seems a no brainer to join the same conference with the Arizona and California schools, but all I have for them is The Sooner conference as a football affiliate.

Columbia International seems to pursue the AAC.

Florida National was sued by FIU for trademark infringement, and FIU lost the case. This is a for profit school which seems they are the Sun Conference.

(04-17-2018 07:24 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 05:24 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 01:08 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  Some updates from the NAIA:

Eight new NAIA Members:
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...embers.htm
Columbia International University (S.C.) (NCCAA)
Cottey College (Mo.) (NJCAA)
Florida National University(USCAA)
Green Mountain College (Vt.) (D3)
Lincoln College (Ill.) (NJCAA)
Ottawa University (Ariz.) (Startup)
The Pennsylvania State University Schuylkill (USCAA/PSUAC)
Thomas More College (Ky.) (D3)

Rust joins the Gulf Coast Conference
http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip...member.htm
The GCAC is an HBCU conference so this is a good fit for them.

So 3 members join conferences and 5 more are added to the Indy pool. Seems like the Indy pool should have quite a few regional schools around them to form a new conference.

I think that's pessimistic. What 5 do you see as independent?

"Thomas More has been approved for membership in the Mid-South Conference starting in the fall of 2019.
Columbia International enters the NAIA as a member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference and Ottawa will compete in the Golden State Athletic Conference and Sooner Athletic Conference for football only.
The other five schools will be members of the Association of Independent Institutions."

Columbia International University (S.C.) Could be AAC, SSAC or Sun conferences
Cottey College (Mo.) Could be AMC, Heart or even KCAC. AMC already has a women's college (Stephens in Columbia)
Florida National University Sun or SSAC
Green Mountain College (Vt.) NIAC
Lincoln College (Ill.) Tough one. But Lincoln Christian is also an Independent, and could pair up to be a travel partner.
Ottawa University (Ariz.) Likely GSAC to be a travel partner with ACU
The Pennsylvania State University Schuylkill Tough one.
Thomas More College (Ky.) Has an invitation in hand from the Mid-South.

(04-17-2018 07:23 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 06:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  So NAIA now has 4 schools in Arizona (Ottawa, Benedictine, ACU and Embry-Riddle). If Park starts athletics in Gilbert, they would want NAIA, so that would be 5

Park is indeed planning on starting athletics, next year. If that's the case I would expect an NAIA application in October. It would follow a similar trajectory as Ottawa in Surprise.

Your implication though is that of an Arizona conference. I've though about that for the last couple of days. I doubt it will come to be. The bare minimum is 6, and at that size you are just 1 school failure or association change from a failed conference. And all schools would have to support the same sports, or you would still have sports that aren't in an officially recognized conference. Meaning you'd still have to rely on other conferences affiliations for scheduling. Now if you get to 7, THEN you've got my attention. However I don't see other existing candidates in Arizona. There's an art school in Tucson, but it's really small...

I think the likely outcome will be for the metro Phoenix schools to become travel partners. ACU paired with Ottawa in the GSAC, and Benedictine-Mesa with Park in the Cal Pac.

Not implying an Arizona conference - the four schools are split among two conferences already, which is a good set up - Non Arizona schools get a two for one trip.

I do expect more schools to follow the Benedictine/Ottawa/Park model - Arizona is vastly underserved when it comes to residential private universities, and athletics is a good way to build a campus.

(04-18-2018 11:12 AM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 07:23 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 06:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  So NAIA now has 4 schools in Arizona (Ottawa, Benedictine, ACU and Embry-Riddle). If Park starts athletics in Gilbert, they would want NAIA, so that would be 5

Park is indeed planning on starting athletics, next year. If that's the case I would expect an NAIA application in October. It would follow a similar trajectory as Ottawa in Surprise.

Your implication though is that of an Arizona conference. I've though about that for the last couple of days. I doubt it will come to be. The bare minimum is 6, and at that size you are just 1 school failure or association change from a failed conference. And all schools would have to support the same sports, or you would still have sports that aren't in an officially recognized conference. Meaning you'd still have to rely on other conferences affiliations for scheduling. Now if you get to 7, THEN you've got my attention. However I don't see other existing candidates in Arizona. There's an art school in Tucson, but it's really small...

I think the likely outcome will be for the metro Phoenix schools to become travel partners. ACU paired with Ottawa in the GSAC, and Benedictine-Mesa with Park in the Cal Pac.

Not implying an Arizona conference - the four schools are split among two conferences already, which is a good set up - Non Arizona schools get a two for one trip.

I do expect more schools to follow the Benedictine/Ottawa/Park model - Arizona is vastly underserved when it comes to residential private universities, and athletics is a good way to build a campus.

They only have 3 4 year public schools as well. Arizona Western, Eastern Arizona, Central Arizona, Pima and Phoenix College all seemed to be offering some 4 year degrees in some fields. I suspect one or two of them will go 4 year. A lot of the NAIA schools that they get came from the NJCAA that went 4 years. The west coast do need to get some more 4 year schools pretty soon, and I do not mean privates either.