Semi OT: NAIA Menlo College drops football

[hebmskebm]

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/02/02/traveling-financial-concerns-blitz-menlo-college-football

Citing travel and financial costs, Menlo College decided to end their football program. They were an NAIA independent, and had considerable difficulty putting a schedule together each year. They played Sac St. last year and lost 59-14. One fewer option available for the Big Sky to play OOC in-region.

[Missingnumber7]

Some areas there is the blurred line of D3/NAIA and it hurts some schools vs others. I played NAIA in Minneapolis and the conference I played in is now D3 because the MN/WI/IL area is primo D3 football area where as much of the rest of the upper midwest is NAIA. Not much difference between the two levels, and to a lesser extent the lower level of D2 as well. Just sucks to see fewer and fewer kids getting an opportunity to do what I did, which is go to a small school and still play the sports you like because they need numbers.

[BisonFan02]

Some areas there is the blurred line of D3/NAIA and it hurts some schools vs others. I played NAIA in Minneapolis and the conference I played in is now D3 because the MN/WI/IL area is primo D3 football area where as much of the rest of the upper midwest is NAIA. Not much difference between the two levels, and to a lesser extent the lower level of D2 as well. Just sucks to see fewer and fewer kids getting an opportunity to do what I did, which is go to a small school and still play the sports you like because they need numbers.

This....I will continue to lobby for my alma mater (Jamestown Coll..errrrrr University of Jamestown) to join Concordia in the MIAC...NAIA football is crumbling since the DAC dissolved the first time.

[bonarae]

Uh oh. Another CA program stopping football, but there are still many CA prep kids playing football... xsmhx

[ursus arctos horribilis]

When it has NAIA right in the title it's probably not FCS board type stuff. Good info., glad you posted it here (on AGS) but it really goes on the other sports forum.xthumbsupx

[Missingnumber7]

This....I will continue to lobby for my alma mater (Jamestown Coll..errrrrr University of Jamestown) to join Concordia in the MIAC...NAIA football is crumbling since the DAC dissolved the first time.

As much as Jamestown could compete in the MIAC, I really think their target student(ND kids) understand the NAIA picture better than D3, although that may change. In talking to the Presentation coach before a game, he commented that they moved to the North Star because of the name recognition of NAIA for the local kids they were trying to recruit. They did play in the D3 UMAC, which was NAIA when I played. I also think the qualification requirements are different as well, and I don't believe that NAIA has a partial qualifier like NCAA has. I also know that you have 10 semesters to play 4 years in NAIA unless that has changed in the past 10 years.