D3 sports - filling the St. Thomas void

[Schnauzer]

I wasn’t sure where to post this as it isn’t specific to football but it does include football.

When St. Thomas went to D1, I wondered if someone would fill the void in the MIAC. St. John’s, Bethel, and Gustavus seemed the most likely. St. John’s had the stellar football heritage and decent success in other sports. Bethel had nearly equalled SJU football and gets a monopoly of recruiting a unique profile of religious kids. Gustavus was already a women’s sports juggernaut, enjoyed periods of success in other sports and had proven to be willing to invest in facilities and its athletic programs.

So a few years into life after UST, there may be an answer revealing itself:

Gustavus is asserting itself. Current or most recent season results:

WOMEN:
Volleyball - MIAC champs, nationally ranked top 10
Soccer - MIAC 6th
Basketball - currently 22-1, tied for first in MIAC, nationally ranked 6th
Hockey - currently 19-4, tied for first MIAC, nationally ranked 2nd, 2023 national champions
Softball - 2024 MIAC 5th place
Tennis - 2024 MIAC 2nd place

MEN:
Football - 2023 MIAC championship game, 2024 .500 record (work to do here)
Soccer - tied 1st MIAC
Basketball - currently undefeated MIAC, regular season champs, 21-3 overall
Hockey - currently leading MIAC by 5 points, nationally ranked around 20
Baseball - 2024 5th MIAC, 2023 MIAC champs
Tennis - 2024 undefeated MIAC, MIAC app only goes back to 2017 and there isn’t a GAC men’s MIAC tennis loss dating back at least that far. Nationally ranked every year.

So certainly not UST levels of domination, but overall by 2025 GAC seems to have come the closest to taking advantage of the Tommies’ departure.

 

[Panthadad2]

It's a split. SJU for men and the Gusties for women. Just looking at history, the Tommies really dominated women's sports were a bit less dominant for men.

All-Sports Competition History - Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

A traveling All-Sports Trophy is awarded to the college that accumulates the best all-sports record during the MIAC academic year. The MIAC All-Sports trophies had

miacathletics.com

 

[MaxyJR1]

Gustavus really went in on the facilities with their new indoor, permanent structure, football facility. They are at a bit of a disadvantage in being a college and not a university.

Overall it's definitely Bethel, Gustavus, and St. John's/Ben's at the top. I went on a couple visits to Bethel this Fall and they no doubt have a distinct culture around their programs.

 

[Schnauzer]

It's a split. SJU for men and the Gusties for women. Just looking at history, the Tommies really dominated women's sports were a bit less dominant for men.

View attachment 35785

All-Sports Competition History - Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

A traveling All-Sports Trophy is awarded to the college that accumulates the best all-sports record during the MIAC academic year. The MIAC All-Sports trophies had

miacathletics.com

It is a split historically, but I was thinking more about present and future. Gustavus has remained powerful in women's sports (they finished second to UST in most of the years UST won it). Perhaps this year will prove to be a blip but it looks like they will win the men's all-sport award this year as well. Coupled with the facilities - the future seems bright in St. Peter. That being said, I don't expect SJU to "fall off" in men's sports so perhaps a new level of rivalry will develop. GAC does have work to do with the football program. There is no reason it shouldn't join Bethel and SJU in expectations.

 

[Panthadad2]

It is a split historically, but I was thinking more about present and future. Gustavus has remained powerful in women's sports (they finished second to UST in most of the years UST won it). Perhaps this year will prove to be a blip but it looks like they will win the men's all-sport award this year as well. Coupled with the facilities - the future seems bright in St. Peter. That being said, I don't expect SJU to "fall off" in men's sports so perhaps a new level of rivalry will develop. GAC does have work to do with the football program. There is no reason it shouldn't join Bethel and SJU in expectations.

Don't wish too much domination onto the Gusties. They'll get bounced out of that league. I call it getting "St. Thomased". It's too bad that it seems to be a trend in D3.

 

[Ope3]

Don't wish too much domination onto the Gusties. They'll get bounced out of that league. I call it getting "St. Thomased". It's too bad that it seems to be a trend in D3.

I tend to think St Thomas jumped out of the MIAC rather than were pushed. They hatched a beautiful escape plan to completely side-step the D2 purgatory.

 

[Panthadad2]

I tend to think St Thomas jumped out of the MIAC rather than were pushed. They hatched a beautiful escape plan to completely side-step the D2 purgatory.

I think it was mutual. If I recall correctly, some of the MIAC programs were looking to jump ship and the conference about to fall apart.

Regardless, the Tommies belong in D1. I see their men's BB team is at the top of the Summit and womens is in 4th.

 

[Ope3]

I think it was mutual. If I recall correctly, some of the MIAC programs were looking to jump ship and the conference about to fall apart.

That's fair. Any part of the push by the rest of the MIAC, was welcomed by UST.

 

[Ope3]

Gustavus is asserting itself. Current or most recent season results:

MEN:

Basketball - currently undefeated MIAC, regular season champs, 21-3 overall

Jinx. Outdated.

Carleton handed GAC their 1st L of the MIAC season (the Gusties Regular Season Finale) tonight in Northfield.

St John's can be Co-Champs if they win at Bethel on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Tommyboy]

STU always had a strong track, girls BB, and baseball program, as well as dominating most of the years in football, until they moved up. SJU football benefited from SCSU's football program shutting down, they received a number of players and they rely of the portal football players to make up much of their starters. Despite have over 200 players on the team, their head coach and OC rely on transfer players instead of developing kids, despite not getting out of the second round of playoffs for several years. They had like 7 freshman QB's transfer this year again, after they keep on brining in graduate students and older kids from other schools. Not really in D III student/athlete tradition.

 

[BleedGopher]

I wasn’t sure where to post this as it isn’t specific to football but it does include football.

When St. Thomas went to D1, I wondered if someone would fill the void in the MIAC. St. John’s, Bethel, and Gustavus seemed the most likely. St. John’s had the stellar football heritage and decent success in other sports. Bethel had nearly equalled SJU football and gets a monopoly of recruiting a unique profile of religious kids. Gustavus was already a women’s sports juggernaut, enjoyed periods of success in other sports and had proven to be willing to invest in facilities and its athletic programs.

So a few years into life after UST, there may be an answer revealing itself:

Gustavus is asserting itself. Current or most recent season results:

WOMEN:
Volleyball - MIAC champs, nationally ranked top 10
Soccer - MIAC 6th
Basketball - currently 22-1, tied for first in MIAC, nationally ranked 6th
Hockey - currently 19-4, tied for first MIAC, nationally ranked 2nd, 2023 national champions
Softball - 2024 MIAC 5th place
Tennis - 2024 MIAC 2nd place

MEN:
Football - 2023 MIAC championship game, 2024 .500 record (work to do here)
Soccer - tied 1st MIAC
Basketball - currently undefeated MIAC, regular season champs, 21-3 overall
Hockey - currently leading MIAC by 5 points, nationally ranked around 20
Baseball - 2024 5th MIAC, 2023 MIAC champs
Tennis - 2024 undefeated MIAC, MIAC app only goes back to 2017 and there isn’t a GAC men’s MIAC tennis loss dating back at least that far. Nationally ranked every year.

So certainly not UST levels of domination, but overall by 2025 GAC seems to have come the closest to taking advantage of the Tommies’ departure.

Good post and research, interesting to see Gustavus take that next step in many sports.

To add on to your men's tennis note on Gustavus, they have won 37 consecutive MIAC titles, dating back to the 1986 season. They are a traditional Top 15 D3 tennis program year after year.

Go Gophers!!

 

[MaxyJR1]

Jinx. Outdated.

Carleton handed GAC their 1st L of the MIAC season (the Gusties Regular Season Finale) tonight in Northfield.

St John's can be Co-Champs if they win at Bethel on Saturday afternoon.

Gustavus beat St. John's so they will host playoffs throughout the MIAC tournament.

 

[WoodburyTim]

STU always had a strong track, girls BB, and baseball program, as well as dominating most of the years in football, until they moved up. SJU football benefited from SCSU's football program shutting down, they received a number of players and they rely of the portal football players to make up much of their starters. Despite have over 200 players on the team, their head coach and OC rely on transfer players instead of developing kids, despite not getting out of the second round of playoffs for several years. They had like 7 freshman QB's transfer this year again, after they keep on brining in graduate students and older kids from other schools. Not really in D III student/athlete tradition.

Damn. This had a chance of being a really good thread.

 

[SJUgopher]

I tend to think St Thomas jumped out of the MIAC rather than were pushed. They hatched a beautiful escape plan to completely side-step the D2 purgatory.

This is true. This a was a clever marketing scheme by them and members of MIAC to not have to move up in steps.

 

[SJUgopher]

STU always had a strong track, girls BB, and baseball program, as well as dominating most of the years in football, until they moved up. SJU football benefited from SCSU's football program shutting down, they received a number of players and they rely of the portal football players to make up much of their starters. Despite have over 200 players on the team, their head coach and OC rely on transfer players instead of developing kids, despite not getting out of the second round of playoffs for several years. They had like 7 freshman QB's transfer this year again, after they keep on brining in graduate students and older kids from other schools. Not really in D III student/athlete tradition.

Dominating most of the years… my first 25 years of life you beat us like 3 times.

 

[Gopherchase]

Facilities et al matter but St. Thomas capitalized on same by hiring coaches while they were upgrading that could make the most of that in the high profile sports football and men’s hoops.