St. Thomas 'involuntarily removed' from MIAC

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St. Thomas will no longer be a member of the MIAC.

Here's the statement from the conference in full:

After extensive membership discussions, the University of St. Thomas will be involuntarily removed from membership in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The MIAC Presidents' Council cites athletic competitive parity in the conference as a primary concern. St. Thomas will begin a multi-year transition immediately and meanwhile is eligible to compete as a full member of the MIAC through the end of spring 2021.
St. Thomas is one of seven founding members of the MIAC and will leave the conference in good standing with a long and appreciated history of academic and athletic success.

The Star Tribune reported the nine votes required to remove the Tommies from the conference were apparently secured this week.

St. Thomas president Julie H. Sullivan called it a difficult day for our community.

"We've had a long history with the MIAC and believe our presence strengthened the conference," she said.

University officials will begin looking into joining another conference.

"As many people know you need to be invited to other conferences," she said. "So we will begin discussions with other conferences, and ascertain their interest as well as ascertain the fit for us, and ultimately make a decision."

College presidents and athletic officials have been discussing in secret changing bylaws to cap enrollment to push out the school that helped founded the MIAC 99 years ago. Enrollment, which is twice as high as the next football competitor, as well as dominance in most sports, including football, were the impetus for the discussions. 

The Star Tribune reported Wednesday morning that St. Thomas, St. John's, St. Benedict and "possibly" Bethel oppose the move.

“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,” St. Thomas athletic director Phil Esten said in a statement to the paper in April.