NSIC Season News?

[MrMustang]

Minnesota schools likely will be online in the Spring semester. that makes football or any sports unlikely

[msumavfan]

No inside info, but who we kidding. Nothing in happening in the NSIC in 2021 either, Minnesota is already locked down by Timmy the Tyrant and it is only going to be more drastic starting November 4.

The overreaction on this is startling. The power grab is not going to be given up voluntarily.

The Minnesota schools are essentially locked down and ripping off their customers (students).

Minnesota isnt and has never been in a lockdown but ok. So we should just open up schools fully while cases are rising rapidly? Great idea.

[msumavfan]

This tweet from Coach Hoffner seems to suggest something is happening in the Spring.

[laker]

This tweet from Coach Hoffner seems to suggest something is happening in the Spring.

Since there will be no spring D2 playoffs, I wonder how many schools will play many games in the spring when there isn't much on the line. I would expect a curtailed schedule- maybe four games or so depending on what kind of winter we have. MSU is usually done with school after the first week in May. New ground to cover with this going on, but they will probably concentrate on fall of 2021.

[UMary1]

To my understanding, the league itself (Presidents) voted for no-football this Fall....but instead in the Spring. This meant all teams were in this "no football" (an agreement reached) together as to not give some programs a competitive advantage of being able to play games and work out roster kinks and so forth.

Some schools weren't thrilled about this (one's looking for potential games while having new coaches and such)..and I get that. MN kinda is driving the bus in the NSIC..and also stunting the ability to see football sooner than later. The cost of testing for the D2 level is still a real issue. I have no idea if the NAIA is doing the same frequency of testing and so forth..so I cannot speak to their gameplay.

My understanding is the league will not be scheduling a spring season for the conference..so the programs will need to go and find game (they haven't had to do this since 2011, imagine the thought..haha) and line everything up. Schools that already have a great thing going and see there's nothing championship to play for....they won't be real motivated for games. Squads who have something to prove, new coaches who wanna start making their mark, or squads that have a lot of questions about the ability of their existing team..would be more motivated for games. These will likely have the feel of a glorified scrimmage but for us fans, something is better than nothing.

To a large degree the planning of all this is very fluid, since potential mask mandates and other such COVID precautions might very well happen in the coming months as states like SD and ND are blowing up big time with the virus.

Thanks for the information Matt. It will be very interesting with out a formal spring season. Will programs see it as a recruiting tool? and feel the pressure to schedule games. Never the less it will be cool to see a spring game when baseball is just starting up.

[ccmoney8]

Hi All,

I hope the week is going well for everyone and you are enjoying the football we are able to watch. I know athletic circles are small and at times information leaks out from word of mouth around different universities. I was wondering if there was any news out there about the NSIC season. Without getting into the politics of it I was wondering if anyone heard anything? Looking forward to Ark St. and App St. tonight. Should be a good game. Also it looks like Mike Van Diest has left the program. I was really looking forward to see him within the program. I like what I am seeing from new DB coach Mitchell White. Should be a fun year.

Welp. Mary has put up its (fall) 2021 schedule. Looks like they've moved on.
https://goumary.com/sports/football/schedule

[SW_Mustang]

No inside info, but who we kidding. Nothing in happening in the NSIC in 2021 either, Minnesota is already locked down by Timmy the Tyrant and it is only going to be more drastic starting November 4.

The overreaction on this is startling. The power grab is not going to be given up voluntarily.

The Minnesota schools are essentially locked down and ripping off their customers (students).

Life has been almost completely normal, save for those who've either gotten sick or have lost their jobs. Private businesses have been exercising their rights to require patrons to wear masks, but that's the only effect I've seen - so I'm not sure what tyrannical power grab you are referencing. I still get a paycheck direct deposited into my account every two weeks, and I'm not sick, so I don't have much to complain about personally.

[WSUWarriorFan]

Since there will be no spring D2 playoffs, I wonder how many schools will play many games in the spring when there isn't much on the line. I would expect a curtailed schedule- maybe four games or so depending on what kind of winter we have. MSU is usually done with school after the first week in May. New ground to cover with this going on, but they will probably concentrate on fall of 2021.

Any how many will keep their studs/starters out if there is nothing to play for? If there is any chance for a normal regular season In 2021 I have a hard time believing schools will want their top players potentially getting injured in the spring. On the flip side it would be a good chance for the backups to move up the depth chart.

[SW_Mustang]

Any how many will keep their studs/starters out if there is nothing to play for? If there is any chance for a normal regular season In 2021 I have a hard time believing schools will want their top players potentially getting injured in the spring. On the flip side it would be a good chance for the backups to move up the depth chart.

I can't speak for every school but it looks like SMSU lost a bunch from the incoming freshman and the outgoing seniors - not sure what the deal is with the freshman, but the seniors probably didn't want to hang around for another year, which I understand.

It could be a few seasons before things really get back on track for many schools.

[UMary1]

I can't speak for every school but it looks like SMSU lost a bunch from the incoming freshman and the outgoing seniors - not sure what the deal is with the freshman, but the seniors probably didn't want to hang around for another year, which I understand.

It could be a few seasons before things really get back on track for many schools.

Hi Mustang,

That is unfortunate you guys had some studs coming in from AZ. Any of those guys jumping ship? At the end of the day you can't really blame these kids for leaving. If other D2 conferences are playing or some power NAIA schools who are playing were in the recruitment process that would be an easy decision. Especially since there is no clear action plan or push from the higher ups within the NSIC.

[SW_Mustang]

Hi Mustang,

That is unfortunate you guys had some studs coming in from AZ. Any of those guys jumping ship? At the end of the day you can't really blame these kids for leaving. If other D2 conferences are playing or some power NAIA schools who are playing were in the recruitment process that would be an easy decision. Especially since there is no clear action plan or push from the higher ups within the NSIC.

Yes, unfortunately.

I don't have a complete list of names, but our roster is almost unrecognizable. I know for a fact that Nick Arvay is officially gone, which stings. I really wanted to see how he would pan out. I don't blame the athletes for doing what they feel is best for themselves, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't suck.

Obviously there are more important things going on right now than small-school college football, but I'm still kinda bummed. Who knows - maybe the bunch that we have now will mesh during the downtime and come back stronger? You never know...

[NSICFballFan]

Yes, unfortunately.

I don't have a complete list of names, but our roster is almost unrecognizable. I know for a fact that Nick Arvay is officially gone, which stings. I really wanted to see how he would pan out. I don't blame the athletes for doing what they feel is best for themselves, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't suck.

Obviously there are more important things going on right now than small-school college football, but I'm still kinda bummed. Who knows - maybe the bunch that we have now will mesh during the downtime and come back stronger? You never know...

Arvay is erratic. Sioux Falls dropped him, then he impulsively signed with SMSU and only lasted a month. Not surprised how that played out. Roster will get hit again in December once semester is over. Attrition is always high at SMSU but especially high this year amongst frosh bc so many out of region recruits. SMSU still has plenty of freshman talent but staff has to find a way to keep them on campus. It's tough when guys you were lifting with one day are no longer at weights, only to find out they ran back to sunshine and warm weather. Team moral likely low. Hopefully some leaders will emerge from that freshman class and pull it together.

[Matt Witwicki]

I think all the schools will experience some level of player departures..but it's not like the grass is greener elsewhere in D2. At this point the Spring is likely going to look much the same across the small college landscape....with 2-4 games being played by schools that may/may not have their top players risking their bodies when the "real season" would begin less than 6 months later. This certainly should be a time that younger players are using to get better and possibly some game reps also. It would actually be nice if this was used as a developmental Spring, meaning having the 1's play the first half..and then the bench players (2's and 3's) play the second half. This would truly make it more development based, while working in new offensive and defensive stuff in gameplay.

It's also gotta be difficult for the coaches to keep the kids spirits up when gameplay has been moved back to Spring and it's not games that could lead to a possible title, and so forth. That said, they should be anxious to play a different team given this build-up.

[SW_Mustang]

Arvay is erratic. Sioux Falls dropped him, then he impulsively signed with SMSU and only lasted a month. Not surprised how that played out. Roster will get hit again in December once semester is over. Attrition is always high at SMSU but especially high this year amongst frosh bc so many out of region recruits. SMSU still has plenty of freshman talent but staff has to find a way to keep them on campus. It's tough when guys you were lifting with one day are no longer at weights, only to find out they ran back to sunshine and warm weather. Team moral likely low. Hopefully some leaders will emerge from that freshman class and pull it together.

I don't know the full details of what happened with USF, but my understanding is that was not on the player and he ended up here as a result of it. It's a bummer, but I also don't want someone on the team if they don't feel like they are a good fit for the culture. They'll never give it 100%.

But yes - my fear was that many of our recruits out of the southwest would get prolonged experience to Marshall and the Minnesota climate and take off as a result. Not having a football season just compounds the problem, but it would have been a problem with or without football. The infrastructure of our school, the offerings of the town, and the Minnesota climate are the three biggest things pushing people away - especially football players.