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MaxyJR1

MaxyJR1

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St. Thomas goes 7-3 (6-2) in its first season at the D1 level. Will be interesting to see if this has any affect on local recruiting. Biggest impact might be that is hurts some of the TOP MIAC/D2 programs in state more than the Gophers PWO program.

We have some really good football locally and much of the talent is late blooming and fresh when they come out of HS.

Part of why I'd like to see Campbell move on from ISU is to knock them down a bit in recruiting the area IMO.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
St. Thomas goes 7-3 (6-2) in its first season at the D1 level. Will be interesting to see if this has any affect on local recruiting. Biggest impact might be that is hurts some of the TOP MIAC/D2 programs in state more than the Gophers PWO program.

We have some really good football locally and much of the talent is late blooming and fresh when they come out of HS.

Part of why I'd like to see Campbell move on from ISU is to knock them down a bit in recruiting the area IMO.
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Maybe we can get St. Thomas to the point where they get a lot of the second tier local guys that aren't quite good enough to go to the U out of High School. Let them develop them for a few years and then we go snag them from the portal :)
 


MaxyJR1 said:
St. Thomas goes 7-3 (6-2) in its first season at the D1 level. Will be interesting to see if this has any affect on local recruiting. Biggest impact might be that is hurts some of the TOP MIAC/D2 programs in state more than the Gophers PWO program.

We have some really good football locally and much of the talent is late blooming and fresh when they come out of HS.

Part of why I'd like to see Campbell move on from ISU is to knock them down a bit in recruiting the area IMO.
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It's kind of a weird situation, since UST is non-scholarship. The other regional FCS schools - The Dakota schools and UNI - are all full scholarship FCS, so I don't see UST hurting them a lot.

The D2 schools are partial scholarship mostly, but I've said for years that D2 football is kind of a no-mans land. With a few exceptions, they're state schools without a lot of interest in their football programs. The players are getting some money, but they're largely playing in front of small crowds and get little media coverage.

The school likely to get hurt the most would have to be SJU, maybe Bethel. Non-scholarship, but plays at a very high level. If those kids can play D1 at UST, they'd probably choose that option. The rest of the MIAC, probably less so since they aren't getting top recruits anyway.
 

Now if NDSU and/or SDSU were to get an FBS invite, and UST would move into the Valley, then it could be a different situation. But I don't know if that will happen.
 


Fleck could have some difficult conversations for breakfast with Caruso around this time of year going forward.
MNVCGUY said:
Maybe we can get St. Thomas to the point where they get a lot of the second tier local guys that aren't quite good enough to go to the U out of High School. Let them develop them for a few years and then we go snag them from the portal
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And vice versa I can see kids not getting run for the Gophers going to UST
 



Pioneer League isn't really FCS ... it's really DIII+.

They (the schools in PL) all run their programs under the same conditions, and probably funding levels, as good DIII teams. No (athletic) scholarships allowed.


Not at all the same thing as the Dakota schools.
 

MplsGopher said:
Pioneer League isn't really FCS ... it's really DIII+.

They (the schools in PL) all run their programs under the same conditions, and probably funding levels, as good DIII teams. No (athletic) scholarships allowed.


Not at all the same thing as the Dakota schools.
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There are ways to go to these schools cheaper than walking on or PWO at D1 level. They can still get grants for other things.

I agree that the Pioneer League isn't good and this is all a stretch.
 

Went to the game Saturday cuz I wanted to see Presbyterian. Coach doesn't believe in kicking game. Goes for it on fourth every time, goes for 2, onside kick after every touchdown. In general was a painful game to watch. Like 8 turnovers in the game. Id agree that that league is DIII esque. Size and type of athlete wasnt even close to that of DI programs. Presbyterians starting center was 6' 225lbs.

Also gameday atmosphere was a little disappointing. Was surprised St Thomas doesn't have a band.
 

Speaking of local recruiting, anyone know the stories behind some of the kids still not committed?

Big OL from Maple River (Ethan Fischer) is listed as a 2*, but curious where he might end up. Is he a basketball guy?

Logan Banse 6'4 215lb. DL from Caledonia. Shows interest in MN, WI, IA, but wondering if he is another sport athlete.

Rashad McKinley from Hill-Murray a WR that shows FCS and Nebraska offers.
 



I was there game was brutal. Worst defense in the league so let’s onside kick and give it to UST at midfield or better… 🤦🏽‍♂️
 

Does the winner of the Pioneer League get invited to any playoffs?
 

Roland Brooks said:
Does the winner of the Pioneer League get invited to any playoffs?
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Yes, the FCS and Davidson is in an unseeded game against Kennesaw St. Win and Play #7

St. Thomas played two teams in the field lost both.

Northern Iowa 44-3
Davidson 42-15
 

They didn't for a long time. Then the FCS bracket was expanded and they finally offered an auto-bid to the PL winner.

They routinely play in the first round and lose, but they get in.
 

When U of San Diego had Harbaugh as head coach (yeah, the guy now at Michigan), they were actually pretty good for FCS level. Had a very fast QB, from what I recall. Was kinda fluke thing, but it has happened.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
There are ways to go to these schools cheaper than walking on or PWO at D1 level. They can still get grants for other things.
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100% ... and that's the same as DIII as well. Lot of players at MIAC schools get all kind of "leadership grants", etc.
 

MplsGopher said:
Pioneer League isn't really FCS ... it's really DIII+.

They (the schools in PL) all run their programs under the same conditions, and probably funding levels, as good DIII teams. No (athletic) scholarships allowed.


Not at all the same thing as the Dakota schools.
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Yep. It's basically D1 basketball schools that wanted to keep their football team, but not fund it at a D1 level. I think it's good that this exists.
 

non scholarship league its fake d1, Valparaiso lost to an naia team by 18, down 28-3 at half
 

CycloneGopher said:
Went to the game Saturday cuz I wanted to see Presbyterian. Coach doesn't believe in kicking game. Goes for it on fourth every time, goes for 2, onside kick after every touchdown.

Also gameday atmosphere was a little disappointing. Was surprised St Thomas doesn't have a band.
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I think that coach is fascinating. You can't argue with his success - he won 9 state titles as a high school coach. I wish I'd realized that's who they were playing - I might have gone to see it.

Is it possible UST's band didn't play because they were already off on Thanksgiving break?
 

BigGopher69 said:
non scholarship league its fake d1, Valparaiso lost to an naia team by 18, down 28-3 at half
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I know a couple people who were recruited by NAIA schools. Some of the offers they received were, let's say, interesting. Lot less scrutiny there.
 


If St. Thomas has success at this level, I think they would more likely take kids away from the Dakota schools. if you're a Twin Cities area player and want to stay home, St. Thomas might be an option - but the kid would either have to be able to land an academic scholarship or come from a fairly well-off family. If the scholarship is a deal-breaker, those types of kids will still go to NDSU or SDSU.

Now, if St. Thomas at some point tried to move up to a scholarship conference, that is when they might be fighting the Gophers for certain prospects.
 

How do you go from zero schollys in football to 63, at UST, where you have a lot of sports and which are balanced men's/women's?

Think you have to cut a lot of men's opportunities, frankly, is what it comes down to.


Let alone funding it and upgrading the stadium situation.

Basketball -- the dream one day, Big East -- and hockey, seem like cheaper ways to make a splash for the school's name.

They can claim conf championships in football with Pioneer.
 

MplsGopher said:
How do you go from zero schollys in football to 63, at UST, where you have a lot of sports and which are balanced men's/women's?

Think you have to cut a lot of men's opportunities, frankly, is what it comes down to.


Let alone funding it and upgrading the stadium situation.

Basketball -- the dream one day, Big East -- and hockey, seem like cheaper ways to make a splash for the school's name.

They can claim conf championships in football with Pioneer.
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College Hockey just doesn't mean much in the overall picture. I'm a little surprised they kept it considering they don't have a viable home rink.

O'Shaughnessy is a really nice little stadium, but I'm not sure if they can really expand it. I wonder if they could play a few games at TCO, but that's really not that much larger.
 

I've floated that UST, Cretin, and SPPS should partner on a 10-15k stadium. Nothing fancy, bench seating, decent press box. Maybe purple paneling, depending on how much the two privates kick in.

Probably not even worth that, though, if they have no vision beyond the Pioneer.

O'S can handle those crowds of a couple thousand.
 

I still think the best idea for hockey would be for someone to pony up the cash to replace the ice equipment at the state fair coliseum. That place is part of hockey history in this state.
 

Tommyboy said:
The Pioneer League is glorified DIII football. There are no scholarships unless you are a low income kid that cannot afford school. STU had the same record this year as most years in the MIAC with the same kids. If you look at the offense, their QB's threw more INT then TD's, they did not score 1 passing TD to a WR or TE for the whole season. There QB's had as many running attempt as completions and they still were on the upper half of the conference. The head coach got fired from Macalester after two years then got kicked out of the MIAC for over recruiting kids that did not make it at larger schools. With the Gophers being next door and their location, I would be surprised if they would have a large following moving up. More people attend the MIAC games.
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That's a strange way to describe Caruso.

St. Thomas will be in the Missouri Valley in 5-10 years. That's their goal. This was a wildly successful first season for them because it is about perception. Agree that the Pioneer League sucks, but very few casuals know that. The MIAC is going to get less and less coverage locally and St. Thomas is going to get more. We will start losing more and more walk-on types to St. Thomas who go there for more PT.
 

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