(10-08-2016 02:23 AM)dxdtdemon Wrote:  

(10-05-2016 11:38 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  CyclonePower,

I'm not saying you're wrong or that Madison does not actually desire to keep the UW schools down in DIII.

But that reasoning is pure bunk. Minnesota provides the perfect counter-example. All of the MN public schools are DII (except god-awful Morris, which should be a private liberal arts college anyway ...), yet the Gophers have never lost a kid they asked to walk-on to a MN public school, initially. Sure, the kid might transfer out if getting passed up on the depth chart.

The real threats they have to worry about (they being Minnesota, Wisconsin) are the FCS Dakota teams, FCS UNI, and NIU (moreso Wisconsin).

Had Wisconsin-Green Bay not made it to March Madness this year, the Wisconsin legislature was going to force them do move down to DII, and has been trying to do the same with Wisconsin-Milwaukee, although they seem to keep raising enough money to stay in DI. I agree with you that the Wisconsin legislature is really short-sighted, and don't understand their reasoning at all. I'm not sure why those two teams haven't joined the MVC or Summit to cut down on travel.

Wisconsin Legislature was not planning on telling GB to drop. It hasn't been trying to force UWM to drop either. I have not heard a peep about the legislature in Wisconsin getting involved in the schools' athletic classifications. GB has had some financial issues, but I haven't heard any serious talk of them dropping down a level. The one school that changed conferences recently was Superior, because it couldn't compete in the WIAC. The other schools were simply too large.

As for GB, it struggles because it is small school in a small market. They draw fairly well if they are successful, but when they stink, the building is empty. As for UWM, they tried to join the MVC, but were turned down. There is war going on between the boosters, the athletic department, and the administration. The AD is a doofus and screwed up the Jeter firing. The President than rejected the AD's choice for a replacement. As a result, most of the team transferred and the major boosters have abandoned the program. In either case, I don't see what joining the Summit would do for them. The conference is more spread out than the Horizon and weak competition would hurt attendance at both schools. As for the MVC, both would gladly join since it would increase revenue. Unfortunately, the MVC doesn't want them.

UW-Stevens Point used to be Wisconsin State. No way they will let UWM take that name.

The WIAC is the best D-3 conference in the country, by far. But, the school are relatively small for public schools. I don't think any of the schools have any desire to move up. Whitewater is the only one that has a chance to be successful at a higher level (it drew 17,000+ last week), but there really is no point. It is in a small town about an hour from Milwaukee. As a D-3 school, it is a sports power and its success have brought it national attention. They do get a few kids who could walk on at UW due to their success (kids want to play and win), but they also lose a few kids who decide to give D1 a try as a walkon. At the d-1 level, Whitewater would struggle and it really doesn't take away any potential walkons at UW.

Parkside is the odd duck. Medium size school in the middle of Kenosha county. Facilities are just okay, not as nice as Whitewater's, for example. They don't play football and they don't really fit with the other WIAC schools. Not big enough and doesn't have the resources to go D1. Hence, the muddle around as the only D2 school in the state. They have been more than competitive at hoops and its probably because Wisconsin produces some pretty good talent and they have no real competition in the area for best non-D1 kids.