St. Thomas will 'involuntarily' leave MIAC, with announcement set for 11 a.m.
St. Thomas is leaving the MIAC after being an original member of the league since 1920.
By PATRICK REUSSE STAR TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
MAY 22, 2019 — 10:32AM
STAR TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso led his team onto the field before the 2014 game against MIAC rival St. John’s.
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The MIAC will release a statement today at 11 a.m., announcing that St. Thomas will “involuntarily” leave the conference no later than spring of 2021, an MIAC source told the Star Tribune.
This is a developing story. Come back to startribune.com for more details.
St. Thomas has been part of the MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) since it’s founding in 1920, but the league’s presidents have reportedly been discussing removing the St. Paul-based school.
Nine of the 13 member schools would have to vote to oust St. Thomas. The college presidents who favored removing the Tommies from the conference apparently had those
nine votes secured this week, with only St. Thomas, St. John’s, St. Benedict and possibly Bethel said to be against this move.
The Star Tribune reported April 5 that some MIAC schools wanted to expel St. Thomas, citing its large enrollment and athletic dominance, particularly in football. Sources told the Star Tribune earlier this month that the presidents seeking to oust St. Thomas would push the MIAC to change its bylaws, instituting a cap on enrollment.
St. Thomas’ undergraduate enrollment is 6,199, about twice that of the next-largest MIAC members that play football.
The effort to push out St. Thomas has been conducted in secret, with officials of the MIAC and its schools declining to comment.
The first public confirmation that the presidents were meeting to talk about the Tommies’ future came in mid-April, via a statement from St. Olaf that said all 13 MIAC presidents were “engaged in a discussion of membership.”
Also in April, St. Thomas athletic director Phil Esten reiterated that the Tommies have no desire to leave the MIAC or move up from Division III.
“As a founding member of the conference, we are proud of our history and heritage in the MIAC, and are committed to the league values and D-III ideals,” Esten said in a statement.
“We are very interested in doing what we can to stabilize conference membership now and into the future.”
St. Thomas is leaving the MIAC after being an original member of the league since 1920.
By PATRICK REUSSE STAR TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
MAY 22, 2019 — 10:32AM
STAR TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso led his team onto the field before the 2014 game against MIAC rival St. John’s.
40
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https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?ur...leave+MIAC,+with+announcement+set+for+11+a.m.
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The MIAC will release a statement today at 11 a.m., announcing that St. Thomas will “involuntarily” leave the conference no later than spring of 2021, an MIAC source told the Star Tribune.
This is a developing story. Come back to startribune.com for more details.
St. Thomas has been part of the MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) since it’s founding in 1920, but the league’s presidents have reportedly been discussing removing the St. Paul-based school.
Nine of the 13 member schools would have to vote to oust St. Thomas. The college presidents who favored removing the Tommies from the conference apparently had those
nine votes secured this week, with only St. Thomas, St. John’s, St. Benedict and possibly Bethel said to be against this move.
The Star Tribune reported April 5 that some MIAC schools wanted to expel St. Thomas, citing its large enrollment and athletic dominance, particularly in football. Sources told the Star Tribune earlier this month that the presidents seeking to oust St. Thomas would push the MIAC to change its bylaws, instituting a cap on enrollment.
St. Thomas’ undergraduate enrollment is 6,199, about twice that of the next-largest MIAC members that play football.
The effort to push out St. Thomas has been conducted in secret, with officials of the MIAC and its schools declining to comment.
The first public confirmation that the presidents were meeting to talk about the Tommies’ future came in mid-April, via a statement from St. Olaf that said all 13 MIAC presidents were “engaged in a discussion of membership.”
Also in April, St. Thomas athletic director Phil Esten reiterated that the Tommies have no desire to leave the MIAC or move up from Division III.
“As a founding member of the conference, we are proud of our history and heritage in the MIAC, and are committed to the league values and D-III ideals,” Esten said in a statement.
“We are very interested in doing what we can to stabilize conference membership now and into the future.”
