NSIC 2024....Outlook..

[FullThrottleSD]

That largely depends on how many games the Wolves win. If you are going to be sub .500 then the complaints about not having enough local guys or a low team GPA seem to become louder. Weird how that works...

As an old Coach once told me - 'You can put any 11 out and lose'

If we're going to lose - I'd rather have guys that will go to class and not waste my donation for a scholarship- that is awarded to cover their tuition...ya know for classes...

[Matt Witwicki]

As far as I know, each school can only carry 99 on their rosters!!!

While I'm not a rules/compliance expert by any means (or trying to be)..but plenty of NSIC teams have over 100 players on their squad..some around 120, per verbal feedback I've gotten. I think the total number is really more of a judgment by the program and school as to what's a manageable number for gear, lockers, and such..with everyone on the squad understanding just 11 guys start on either side of the ball.

[MrMustang]

As far as I know, each school can only carry 99 on their rosters!!!

St Johns has about 275 kids. 3 for every number - student athletes

[MrMustang]

While I'm not a rules/compliance expert by any means (or trying to be)..but plenty of NSIC teams have over 100 players on their squad..some around 120, per verbal feedback I've gotten. I think the total number is really more of a judgment by the program and school as to what's a manageable number for gear, lockers, and such..with everyone on the squad understanding just 11 guys start on either side of the ball.

My experience at SMSU was we had a president that demanded after covid football become an enrollment builder. we brought in 60 plus kids one year. Most were not serious about football nor D2 caliber.

Also we didn't have enough lockers or room in the locker rooms or the training rooms for 125 kids so then the experience was not a good one.

So did we not only lose a bunch of the kids who were only recruited for enrollment, but some who had a chance to make it but had a bad experience.

The the President fired Sauter anyway because none of it was because of the president

[Stanger86]

My experience at SMSU was we had a president that demanded after covid football become an enrollment builder. we brought in 60 plus kids one year. Most were not serious about football nor D2 caliber.

Also we didn't have enough lockers or room in the locker rooms or the training rooms for 125 kids so then the experience was not a good one.

So did we not only lose a bunch of the kids who were only recruited for enrollment, but some who had a chance to make it but had a bad experience.

The the President fired Sauter anyway because none of it was because of the president

It's really interesting looking back through the signing classes. We probably never got a chance to fully realize what the classes from 2016 and forward could have been just because of how the pandemic affected things. However, those were some brutal classes. I can maybe only identify one or two key difference-makers per class in some of them, which explains the lack of success on the field.

The high point for Sauter in recruiting almost definitely came in 2013. Go back and look at that class, which produced offensive difference-makers Gimbel, Stevens, Payne, Huot, Stratmoen and Thissen. That's an insane haul for one class! In other classes since, it feels like we're lucky to get three or four key guys in a class.

But the shift for me definitely came with the 2020 class. That was when you saw us really start to go away from the Midwest, likely thanks largely to the McClure addition. In a 41-man class, 26 of them came from California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii.

Then in the next year, they brought in actually over 70 kids by my count. It actually had some good players from the Midwest (Austin, Hedenstein, Nebelung, Sherwood), but again it was heavily focused far away from home, with 39 guys coming from those states. Some good players, yes, but retention becomes much more difficult than it already is when that's your focus in recruiting zones.

[MrMustang]

It's really interesting looking back through the signing classes. We probably never got a chance to fully realize what the classes from 2016 and forward could have been just because of how the pandemic affected things. However, those were some brutal classes. I can maybe only identify one or two key difference-makers per class in some of them, which explains the lack of success on the field.

The high point for Sauter in recruiting almost definitely came in 2013. Go back and look at that class, which produced offensive difference-makers Gimbel, Stevens, Payne, Huot, Stratmoen and Thissen. That's an insane haul for one class! In other classes since, it feels like we're lucky to get three or four key guys in a class.

But the shift for me definitely came with the 2020 class. That was when you saw us really start to go away from the Midwest, likely thanks largely to the McClure addition. In a 41-man class, 26 of them came from California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii.

Then in the next year, they brought in actually over 70 kids by my count. It actually had some good players from the Midwest (Austin, Hedenstein, Nebelung, Sherwood), but again it was heavily focused far away from home, with 39 guys coming from those states. Some good players, yes, but retention becomes much more difficult than it already is when that's your focus in recruiting zones.

good synopsis

[WSUWarriorFan]

My experience at SMSU was we had a president that demanded after covid football become an enrollment builder. we brought in 60 plus kids one year. Most were not serious about football nor D2 caliber.

Also we didn't have enough lockers or room in the locker rooms or the training rooms for 125 kids so then the experience was not a good one.

So did we not only lose a bunch of the kids who were only recruited for enrollment, but some who had a chance to make it but had a bad experience.

The the President fired Sauter anyway because none of it was because of the president

Can't imagine the costs involved with having that many people on a team.

[Predatory Primates]

My experience at SMSU was we had a president that demanded after covid football become an enrollment builder. we brought in 60 plus kids one year. Most were not serious about football nor D2 caliber.

Also we didn't have enough lockers or room in the locker rooms or the training rooms for 125 kids so then the experience was not a good one.

So did we not only lose a bunch of the kids who were only recruited for enrollment, but some who had a chance to make it but had a bad experience.

The the President fired Sauter anyway because none of it was because of the president

Is 125 not pretty normal in the nsic. 110 to 125 seems to be what most miaa teams carry anymore.

[laker]

Is 125 not pretty normal in the nsic. 110 to 125 seems to be what most miaa teams carry anymore.

I was told several years ago that MSU Mankato was limited to something like 90 because of locker space, etc. Unlike D3 St John's where they are way over 100. Although many Johnnies never get onto the field for even one down, they are the ones who later donated huge sums of money because they were on the team.

[Thunder]

As an old Coach once told me - 'You can put any 11 out and lose'

If we're going to lose - I'd rather have guys that will go to class and not waste my donation for a scholarship- that is awarded to cover their tuition...ya know for classes...

I'd prefer to not lose...

[FullThrottleSD]

I'd prefer to not lose...

https://nsuwolves.com/sports/football/schedule/2023

Absolutely- winning is much better. 10/10 would recommend winning over losing - but, when you don't win and far too many players (not all) act like jerks on the field and the sideline AND they are bad students (not all)- it makes me wonder what my donation is really going to...

So, like I wrote- If we are going to lose- (see the link above) I'd rather them at least be an OK student and go to and pass classes.

[4THEPAW]

I don't see next season being any better for the Wolves, they have arguably the hardest schedule in the league in 2024!!

[BulldogFan]

I don't see next season being any better for the Wolves, they have arguably the hardest schedule in the league in 2024!!

Agreed. Probably start the season 1-6, then two winnable games, then probably two more L's. My guess is it's a 2 win season for them.

[4THEPAW]

Agreed. Probably start the season 1-6, then two winnable games, then probably two more L's. My guess is it's a 2 win season for them.

They are always good for 1 solid upset at home, see the game vs WSC last year.

[Matt Witwicki]

During this window of time with the UIU-scheduling-situation..I think we will see this year-to-year..last year I stated in our NSIC Preview that Northern State had the easiest schedule (per the results of teams from the year before) and that SMSU had the most difficult, if I recall that correctly. You'll never avoid the top half squads on your NSIC schedule, but who you don't play (which 2 squads aren't on your NSIC schedule in a given year) can really impact your SOS overall and number of quality wins. Certainly that shines a light on a schools OOC game as well. To be perfectly clear, the NSIC teams have no control over who the NSIC books for them in-conference..that's random.

What teams a squad opens with can also create a risk/reward situation = Northern had BSU and UMD in W1 and W2 last year..which was a really tight slate but one that would've been high reward also. All the NSIC schools can use a $$ game, while also getting a nice test..but certainly there's a risk in those also if the loss is really discouraging. That said, I'm pleased to see the NSIC squads who are scheduling really ambitously this coming year. It's going to be fun to see schools rep against FCS, etc.