PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Former Mercyhurst guard Jonathan Anderson has signed with Edinboro.

[boatcapt]

The bathrooms are commercial sized versions of all those great early 70s pastel tiled bathrooms your family had growing up. My favorite part is that the downstairs doesn't have AC, so in the summer, they use garbage cans to prop open exterior doors and run a commercial grade fan pulling in cool air. I went downstairs to visit a coach and felt like I was going to melt like the Nazis viewing the Ark of the Covenant.

Friends house in HS had avacodo green appliances with gold faucets and brown and white tile. It was more than a little scary!!

[Fightingscot82]

I always enjoy the yearly trip to McComb. It's kind of like going back in time.

But, yes, a renovation is certainly needed.

The bathrooms are commercial sized versions of all those great early 70s pastel tiled bathrooms your family had growing up. My favorite part is that the downstairs doesn't have AC, so in the summer, they use garbage cans to prop open exterior doors and run a commercial grade fan pulling in cool air. I went downstairs to visit a coach and felt like I was going to melt like the Nazis viewing the Ark of the Covenant.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Penn West trustees have submitted as their #1 funding request a $52 million renovation of McComb. This on top of many signs pointing to new football turf this summer. This all sounds like they anticipate continuing athletics at least at Edinboro.

I always enjoy the yearly trip to McComb. It's kind of like going back in time.

But, yes, a renovation is certainly needed.

[Fightingscot82]

The two triads are the unknown. Will 'one school' continue to have three football teams, etc. Granted, I fully understand nobody looks at those threesomes as 'one school' -- despite whatever the hell the name is.

One thing to keep in mind is closing down a state-owned school is going to be very difficult. You're talking layers and layers of politics, bailouts, etc. Look at Cheyney.

The weak link of the West triad is Clarion (although Cal and Edinboro are also struggling). Clarion just turned Tippin Gymnasium in to a mini Taj Mahal. So, Clarion is going to continue having varsity sports or it will have the nicest intramural facility in the country.

Could we see another Mansfield (a school drop football)? Absolutely. But, I don't think we'll see an athletic department vanish as a whole anytime soon. Remember, football is keeping another 100 male students enrolled. These days at many of our schools that's a big chunk.

Penn West trustees have submitted as their #1 funding request a $52 million renovation of McComb. This on top of many signs pointing to new football turf this summer. This all sounds like they anticipate continuing athletics at least at Edinboro.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Given all of the PASSHE realignment, conference shifting and division switching, what does the PSAC look like in 2030. Is it even called PSAC ? Are there as many private and OOS schools as PASSHE schools in the conference ? IMO, it's going to be a very erratic and changeable period.

The two triads are the unknown. Will 'one school' continue to have three football teams, etc. Granted, I fully understand nobody looks at those threesomes as 'one school' -- despite whatever the hell the name is.

One thing to keep in mind is closing down a state-owned school is going to be very difficult. You're talking layers and layers of politics, bailouts, etc. Look at Cheyney.

The weak link of the West triad is Clarion (although Cal and Edinboro are also struggling). Clarion just turned Tippin Gymnasium in to a mini Taj Mahal. So, Clarion is going to continue having varsity sports or it will have the nicest intramural facility in the country.

Could we see another Mansfield (a school drop football)? Absolutely. But, I don't think we'll see an athletic department vanish as a whole anytime soon. Remember, football is keeping another 100 male students enrolled. These days at many of our schools that's a big chunk.

[CALUPA69]

Valuable as in every network has a streaming service with 24 hours a day that needs filled with #content. WFMJ out of Youngstown has a PAC football game of the week. If PSAC extended into Pittsburgh it's hard not to imagine something like IUP-Cal in the Coal Bowl on KDKA+'s game of the week sponsored by UPMC presented by Giant Eagle hosted by Mark Madden.

Second point: Conference realignment is everywhere in D1 so what's stopping some conference from offering, say, West Chester a new home because the PSAC East stinks? Or the MEC goes after UPJ after 10 years in the PSAC. If IUP somehow left the PSAC, that could be the start of some dominoes.

Given all of the PASSHE realignment, conference shifting and division switching, what does the PSAC look like in 2030. Is it even called PSAC ? Are there as many private and OOS schools as PASSHE schools in the conference ? IMO, it's going to be a very erratic and changeable period.

[WarriorVoice]

Steve Murray gets a lot of crap on here but the guy's ethical. He's not going to do to another conference what was done to the PSAC. They'll announce with probably a year's notice.

He's not the only one!!

[hawks16]

Valuable for what? The Pittsburgh media barely knows Robert Morris and Duquesne exist. The PSAC having a team in downtown Pittsburgh would do nothing. The league already has the city surrounded.

Besides, we are already stuck with no-football UPJ.

Valuable as in every network has a streaming service with 24 hours a day that needs filled with #content. WFMJ out of Youngstown has a PAC football game of the week. If PSAC extended into Pittsburgh it's hard not to imagine something like IUP-Cal in the Coal Bowl on KDKA+'s game of the week sponsored by UPMC presented by Giant Eagle hosted by Mark Madden.

Second point: Conference realignment is everywhere in D1 so what's stopping some conference from offering, say, West Chester a new home because the PSAC East stinks? Or the MEC goes after UPJ after 10 years in the PSAC. If IUP somehow left the PSAC, that could be the start of some dominoes.

[Fightingscot82]

Your comment made me think of the Mercyhurst situation and wonder if the PSAC had any knowledge/signals of their intentions. If tthe PSAC was blindsided that doesn't speak well of the powers to be at the Hurst.

I've heard several versions. One is he found out when an Erie sports reporter called for comment. Another is he saw a reputable source sharing the rumor, called Mercyhurst and was assured it's nothing, then they jumped days later. Who the heck knows.

[boatcapt]

The Pittsburgh media barely knows Pitt exists until they want to trash the university or the two main athletic programs.

Sports in Pittsburgh is:

1. Steelers
2. Steelers
3. Steelers
4. Penguins
5. Penguins
6. Pirates
7. Some variation and combination of the top 6
8. Hatred for all things Cleveland sports
9. Hatred for all things Baltimore and Cincinnati
10. University of Pittsburgh sports

AND THAT'S IT!!!!!

[boatcapt]

Steve Murray gets a lot of crap on here but the guy's ethical. He's not going to do to another conference what was done to the PSAC. They'll announce with probably a year's notice.

??? Cheyney announced it was leaving the PSAC in March 2018 and the PSAC announced Shepherd was joining the PSAC 3 months later in June 2018!!

[boatcapt]

So I wonder if PSAC intends to invite a team to take Hurst spot or if they'll move East team back to West. Lock Haven used to be in the West. LH and Mansfield are about the same distance in relation to Erie (using that for distance since Gannon/Edinboro are the furthest West Schools)

The most western school in the PSAC is Shepherd. But moving them from East to West only makes sense if the PSAC adds a team. If they don't, it's a wash scheduling wise...8 teams West OR 8 teams East...Either way...Unbalanced.

[gman16506]

Steve Murray gets a lot of crap on here but the guy's ethical. He's not going to do to another conference what was done to the PSAC. They'll announce with probably a year's notice.

Your comment made me think of the Mercyhurst situation and wonder if the PSAC had any knowledge/signals of their intentions. If tthe PSAC was blindsided that doesn't speak well of the powers to be at the Hurst.

[Fightingscot82]

According to PSACs statement a team probably won't be added this year as they're just focusing on redoing schedules as is.

Steve Murray gets a lot of crap on here but the guy's ethical. He's not going to do to another conference what was done to the PSAC. They'll announce with probably a year's notice.