Portal Season 2025

[IUPalum]

What is the benefit for a team like St Francis or Mercyhurst to schedule a good D2 team?

What's the benefit of them scheduling horrible D3 teams?

[IUPHawks24]

What's the benefit of them scheduling horrible D3 teams?

To get guaranteed wins?

If you're going to play a non Division I, might as well play the worst ones you can find. Balances out the guarantee games.

[bballfan03]

Absolutely nothing! In football Robert Morris lost to Edinboro. Mercyhurst lost to Frostburg State. That just goes to show where their programs are.

Who is really "D1" in Pennsylvania? Obviously Penn State and Pitt. But from there you got some D1's that are successful in a few sports: Temple, Villanova. And then an Ivy league school in Penn that is really in its own grouping. After that some mid-majors or D1 bottom feeders.

Idk if we can call any of the PA schools D1 if the "experts" are referring to Duke as a mid-major because they play in the ACC lol there's gotta be a merger coming soon.. or a big exit

[Chuck Norris]

What's the benefit of them scheduling horrible D3 teams?

Padding their record. It’s the same reason teams from power conferences play a couple games a year against NEC or similar teams. The games aren’t a great look but it’s certainly a better look to win this game than lose it. For an NEC school, playing a strong D2 is all risk, no reward.

[Chuck Norris]

Padding their record. It the same reason teams from power conferences play a couple games a year against NEC or similar teams. The games aren’t a great look but it’s certainly a better look to win this game than lose it. For an NEC school, playing a strong D2 is all risk, no reward.

And quite honestly, what does winning a game against that caliber of D1 do for the D2 team?

[bballfan03]

And quite honestly, what does winning a game against that caliber of D1 do for the D2 team?

Still get credit for a D1 win, on paper. Frostburg State leaned on their win over Hurst for a while.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

And quite honestly, what does winning a game against that caliber of D1 do for the D2 team?

Win, lose, or tie ... it doesn't do anything. We talk about public perception ... but I'm not sure anybody outside a few of us dorks even pays attention. Your average fan at the KCAC, for example, has no idea Gettysburg is a D3 or St. Francis is a D1.

It can give a coach something to talk about for 20 seconds on a recruiting call.

To me, if you're going to play a game (and risk injury) at least make it count in the standings (i.e. for your divisions metrics).

Joe's been playing one of these garbage games a year for several years now. The crowds stink. The games are boring. I understand last year. Mercyhurst screwed everybody over leaving so late, so in many cases it was play a D3 or don't play at all.

[Chuck Norris]

Speaking of Mercyhurst, I do wonder about Gary.

He didn't all the sudden get some 'D1' pay raise. He's making the same as when he was a D2 HC. Add to it now he has to manage a larger staff and live in the crap show world of D1 recruiting (which is a much more year-round endeavor).

I know he's inching toward retirement age. I wonder how much longer he wants to work.

I would think he would want to take at least a shot or two at making the Big Dance. From his perspective that has to be one of, if not the biggest motivation to stick around through the transition. The wait to become eligible for the postseason has to suck.

[IUPalum]

Padding their record. It’s the same reason teams from power conferences play a couple games a year against NEC or similar teams. The games aren’t a great look but it’s certainly a better look to win this game than lose it. For an NEC school, playing a strong D2 is all risk, no reward.

Zero reward playing a D3 school also. Doesn't matter if they win, a lot of bad habits created against terrible schools like that.

[Chuck Norris]

Zero reward playing a D3 school also. Doesn't matter if they win, a lot of bad habits created against terrible schools like that.

I don’t disagree. But if you’re going the non D1 route to fill out the last couple games of your schedule and just want a warm body and a guaranteed win, you’re not scheduling a good D2 team. Most of the teams in these lower level D1 conferences are already going to take a pretty good beating through most of their non conference schedule.

[IUPalum]

I don’t disagree. But if you’re going the non D1 route to fill out the last couple games of your schedule and just want a warm body and a guaranteed win, you’re not scheduling a good D2 team. Most of the teams in these lower level D1 conferences are already going to take a pretty good beating through most of their non conference schedule.

Because they are no better than the decent D2 schools. That just proves the point. Low D1 schools are D1 in name only!

[bballfan03]

Because they are no better than the decent D2 schools. That just proves the point. Low D1 schools are D1 in name only!

Id like to see Nova SE do a tour against low D1 schools. Like a 10-game tour.. see how it ends up. I'd have to think at least 50/50 if not better.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Id like to see Nova SE do a tour against low D1 schools. Like a 10-game tour.. see how it ends up. I'd have to think at least 50/50 if not better.

They'd smoke low-end D1 schools. I'm talking blowout smoke.

[Fightingscot82]

They'd smoke low-end D1 schools. I'm talking blowout smoke.

Once again, my rule of overlap, applies here.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Ernest Shelton / Gannon