Conference cost cutters

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Economic problems have not spared Division III member institutions. Financial struggles have claimed Colorado College and Blackburn football, are close to claiming UW-La Crosse baseball and are threatening Greensboro College entirely.

Note: Principia also discontinued football but has publicly stated finances were not the reason.

Against that backdrop, some conferences are taking measures to cut costs. The WIAC announced a Cost Reduction Plan especially targeted at cutting travel costs. Elements of the Plan include:

• Later start times to minimize hotel stays
• Conference playoffs limited to six teams
• Restricting teams to no more than one trip during the regular-season outside of an established regional perimeter.
• Exploring the feasibility of scheduling one additional WIAC football team as a nonconference game beginning with the 2011 season.

The Conference’s release cites $250,000 in direct budget savings associated with these moves, but it’s hard to spot exactly how it impacts football or basketball in 2009-2010. The men’s and women’s basketball tournaments were already at six teams last year. Conference Commissioner Gary Karner clarified that the regional perimeter is not defined by the administrative regions (west for football and men’s basketball; central for women’s basketball) so games against the CCIW, MIAC and MWC aren’t effected. The regional perimeter is also not defined by the very broad geographic region that stretches from Texas to California anyway. Of course, the WIAC is much more than three sports, so these actions may very well have a stronger impact elsewhere.

Nevertheless, this is a good move that seeks a conference-wide solution instead of leaving individual institutions to fend for themselves with whatever level of resources they have. Since all these public institutions have the same resource base (Wisconsin tax payers), equity is particularly important.

Members of the Centennial Conference are also working together to reduce costs. Executive Director Steve Ulrich reports that the Conference will limit the size of travel squads to the NCAA championship max plus 20 percent and change starting times to avoid overnight trips. Other measures will impact Conference championships in indoor track and field and golf. Two conference members also had a unique swim meet in which both teams were the home teams.

13 thoughts on “Conference cost cutters”

  1. For the Centennial Conference, that means a travel squad of 62 players for regular-season football games.

  2. It would seem to me that the WIAC schools could save money in the football arena if they were able to find regional Div III opponents to play them as opposed to having to travel to NAIA and Div-II opponents.

  3. Pat,

    If the WIAC decides to schedule and extra (non-conference game) against a WIAC member, how would that be viewed in regards to playoff standings?

    Clearly with the recent news of MUC playing Wisconsin Oshkosh in 2010 &2011 the area of travel has not been greatly affected. This type of scheduling still only requires one trip of this type every two years. I would think some additional OAC and WIAC games would be some attractive match-ups that do not take the schools too far out of region. All OAC members are looking for one game a year to fill their ten game schedule. Hope it starts happening.

  4. Raiderguy:

    If the WIAC teams decide to schedule games against each other to fill their non-conference slots, it wouldn’t be an extra game, like an 11th regular season contest.

    It would take the place of another non-conference game or an open week. It’s been done before in the WIAC and ASC. UW-Whitewater played UW-Eau Claire twice last season, the second time as a non-conference game. I think the selection committee probably views it like any other regional game in their deliberations.

  5. Thanks Gordon,

    I knew they had done this before and I know they can’t play 11 games, but did not know how the second game was viewed for their rankings at the end of the year. Again there are plenty of teams in the area even if we call the OAC “the area” to pick up games without going to Texas or Washington. I realize the reputation of the WIAC can be a little intimidating but if the phrase “you got to play the best to be the best” applies there is good competition in the back yards of many of these schools.
    With what I see as a resurgence of some strength in the MIAC St Thomas, Bethel, St Olaf and Carlton all have put some good teams on the field the last couple of years and appear to be maintaining it. It is not a clearly all St, Johns as it has been in the past. St Johns has been scheduling WIAC schools for quite some time and I think it only helps them in preparation for their own conference play. There would be some pretty good match-ups with those two conferences alone. And travel could be held to a minimum.

    I know the west coast struggles especially because of the small number of D3 schools in the area so this only adds to their frustration when it comes to getting a full 10 game schedule.

  6. Raiderguy — it increases the team’s OOWP, to be sure, to play an extra game against a WIAC opponent. Of course, any IIAC and MIAC school could do the same if it chose.

  7. The Centennial Conference has another unique cost cutting measure. The Conference will have a virtual media day for football through which the media can pose questions to the nine football coaches. I’m curious to see how that will work.

  10. Teams can and should look for a way to cut costs. We are living in tougher times so make tough cost cutting moves.

    On a side note: DID YOU KNOW??? Justin Beaver and Jerrell Freeman are on the Saskatchewan Roughriders regular season roster. Justin is on the practice squad and Jerrell made the active roster. In fact Jerrell blocked a punt for a TD. Here is the story on UMHB’S website.

    http://www.umhb.edu/athletics/football/news.html

  11. We who live in the real world (unlike the Federal Government who can just print money and tax you to death for revenue) must make real world every day decisions on cost cutting and live by a budget. Most of the D3 schools will make smart decisions a few will not. Some will do it wrong like COLORADO COLLEGE.

    Hey Pat!! Can you guys get some coverage on Jerrell Freeman and Justin Beaver. They are just a few D3 Football guys in the pros so some coverage would be a plus if you have time. I know you guys are working on several things right now including Kickoff; which I will buy again.

  12. Yep, definitely when we can. For now I’ve been sending that sort of thing out on Twitter, so we are definitely bringing attention to it but you’re right in that it has not appeared on the site itself to date.

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