The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

[Stanger86]

Wow, Caden Kirkman is going to Mankato:

https://twitter.com/caden_kirkman/st...ahmcFAZCA&s=19

Figures. Eagins started a trend for the Mavs.

[laker]

Figures. Eagins started a trend for the Mavs.

Just saw that on Twitter.

[vikingfaithful]

Figures. Eagins started a trend for the Mavs.

Margs is unscrupulous... Taking transfers from in conference rivals. Kirkman is a good one. It's like your sister dating a perverted acquaintance of yours. Mavs fans will enjoy his play.

[laker]

Margs is unscrupulous... Taking transfers from in conference rivals. Kirkman is a good one. It's like your sister dating a perverted acquaintance of yours. Mavs fans will enjoy his play.

I just followed him on Twitter. I wonder if he likes chocolate milk?

[vikingfaithful]

I just followed him on Twitter. I wonder if he likes chocolate milk?

Kirkman entered the portal on his own accord, Matt just did the smart thing and offered him a scholarship. He played really well as a true freshman.

[Augieholic]

At least it's not USF.

[MrAugustana]

Wow, Caden Kirkman is going to Mankato:

https://twitter.com/caden_kirkman/st...ahmcFAZCA&s=19

Margs is unscrupulous... Taking transfers from in conference rivals. Kirkman is a good one. It's like your sister dating a perverted acquaintance of yours. Mavs fans will enjoy his play.

Some thoughts....

I’d be curious to hear you elaborate on how MSU winning the Regional (or worse, the National Championship) ultimately benefits Augie. I personally see the negative results of that (better recruiting ammunition for Mankato, growth in fan support, increase in booster donations) but I genuinely struggle to see how Mankato’s success is a positive for Augustana University.

And...

Bringing this back up, as I’ve now seen about 50 tweets of the game-winner (including from people with significant followings like Adam Thielen, etc.) and read it was the #1 play on SportsCenter last night… I’d still love to understand how any of this actually benefits Augustana University (or any other NSIC school that isn’t MSU-Mankato) and warrants cheering for the Mavs rather than a non-NSIC team that doesn’t compete directly in the same geographical footprint. Right now, Mankato is getting more hype and buzz everywhere than it’s gotten in the last 4-5 years combined. Why would a fan of another team that directly competes with MSU be happy about that?

As of now, I’m a Ferris State fan. I genuinely want to hear feedback on why non-Mankato fans are cheering for the Mavs. Other than just “it’s fun because we play against them,” or the aforementioned argument that it’s somehow better for the conference in some not-particularly-quantifiable way.

Even the “stronger league breeds better competition” argument doesn’t make a ton of sense to me. Is a kid from Mitchell, SD or Springfield, MN actually saying, “Well…Augustana seems like a decent school, but since an MIAA won the National Championship for several years, I’d rather go play for a team in that conference. Better competition, after all.” ? I personally doubt it, but maybe I”m wrong on that. I think the league is known for being good either way, and MSU losing in the Regional Championship probably wasn’t going to change that. So unless someone wants to explain that argument more thoroughly, I’m not exactly sold on it either.

And also...

My point is that, if you’re a fan of one team specifically (like I am with Augie, like simple used to be with St. Cloud, like zimmy21 is with Mankato), the success of other in-conference foes is detrimental to the future success of the team I support.

For example, let’s say Mankato wins the National Championship this year, and the next Ryan Bruggeman or Aeron Stevens is being recruited by Brad Bigler. And toward the end of his recruitment, Margenthaler jumps in because one of his transfers doesn’t work out, and fictional future Ryan Bruggeman is a good fit for his Maverick squad. I would contend that it is not beneficial—that it is, in fact, detrimental—for the Mustangs if Margs can say to Newbruggeman, “Why choose SMSU, where you may be competing for a Regional bid (if that), when you can come play for me, where we win National Championships? Oh, did I mention we have a new state-of-the-art locker room because our donors ponied up $X0,000 to renovate since they want to see us win a few more National Championships? Oh, and because of our raised profile, we’ve got some really great NIL options for you here in Mankato because all of the businesses are getting on board thanks to all the buzz in town.”

I personally would have to think that line of thinking will influence a potential recruit. So if I’m an NSIC fan, why would I want that for an opposing program?

To me, it’s less about blind loyalty to my team, and more about the logical conclusion of a rival achieving that level of success and taking advantage of it in a way that is detrimental to the success of the program I support.

It's one thing for players to go to Emporia, but at least they're mostly out of sight, out of mind. It really sucks balls to have to watch Kirkman at Mankato for the next three years.

[Stanger86]

It's one thing for players to go to Emporia, but at least they're mostly out of sight, out of mind. It really sucks balls to have to watch Kirkman at Mankato for the next three years.

Touche

[njmav1]

It's one thing for players to go to Emporia, but at least they're mostly out of sight, out of mind. It really sucks balls to have to watch Kirkman at Mankato for the next three years.

No guarantees in the portal era.

[MrAugustana]

No guarantees in the portal era.

You’re not wrong. But now that he’s used his first transfer, the next time he does it, he’ll have to sit out a year (if I understand correctly), which may not be the most appealing option, even if he does still have a redshirt year to burn. Unless he’s there long enough to grad transfer. Which would then justify my original comment.

[njmav1]

You’re not wrong. But now that he’s used his first transfer, the next time he does it, he’ll have to sit out a year (if I understand correctly), which may not be the most appealing option, even if he does still have a redshirt year to burn. Unless he’s there long enough to grad transfer. Which would then justify my original comment.

My understanding is that the rule that requires the player to sit out a year after the first transfer was put on hold by a court. That might be driving the surge in student athletes entering the portal.

[MrAugustana]

My understanding is that the rule that requires the player to sit out a year after the first transfer was put on hold by a court. That might be driving the surge in student athletes entering the portal.

Update on this as of today, coincidentally...

https://x.com/rossdellenger/status/1...721973910?s=46

[DapperDan]

Update on this as of today, coincidentally...

https://x.com/rossdellenger/status/1...721973910?s=46

Read this earlier today. The future will have some of these guys transferring three or four times during the course of their careers. Puts a whole new meaning on the term one and done.

[Stanger86]

Read this earlier today. The future will have some of these guys transferring three or four times during the course of their careers. Puts a whole new meaning on the term one and done.

A number of kids already do. Heck, did you forget Clayton Vette going from Iowa State to Indiana State to Winona State?! He could've been the first Cream Abdul-Jabbar, but Winona stole him with their NIL money!

[NSU4LIFE]

SDSU transfers worked out for Winona, what could go wrong this go around.

Glad your optimism is back.