G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

[JDonAB92]

Sad to report that former Cedarville men's basketball player and former Poca (WV) HS standout Jason Cuffee passed away last night. He played for Cedarville during the early days of the G-MAC....I believe as a transfer from Liberty U. He was a fireman/medic for Charleston (WV) fire department. He died while on duty.

[BlueBlood]

If the G-MAC decides to shift all Fall sports competition and championships to the Spring semester, it will be an incredibly busy Spring on G-MAC campuses.

[BlueBlood]

Well, AB has now reappeared on the G-MAC site as an Associate Member. So. I'm guessing the G-MAC will keep men's lacrosse for at least this year.

[BlueBlood]

It will be interesting to see if men's lacrosse moves from a G-MAC-sponsored sport to an MEC-sponsored sport.

The G-MAC inherited the old ECAC D2 lacrosse league a few years ago. The ECAC was a collection of the PSAC, GLIAC and WVIAC schools that played lacrosse. The WVIAC schools are now in the MEC and the GLIAC schools are now in the G-MAC, but its the same collection of schools that it was years ago (minus UIndy, as the GLVC now sponsors lacrosse).

Anyway, with AB and D&E now in the MEC, the MEC now has numbers. They have AB, D&E, and Frostburg (and on again off again Wheeling). The PSAC has Mercyhurst and Seton Hill. The G-MAC has Lake Erie and Walsh (and on again off again OVU).

So, I'm guessing the league banner may change again, even if the schools in the league stay the same.

[BlueBlood]

When Cedarville, Walsh, Malone, etc transitioned, I recall the schools indicating that the extra cost were almost all on the admin staffing side. The NCAA is more structured and is more report and compliance intensive. The NCAA also dictates a minimum number of admin positions, and requires a full time compliance officer.

[Tech Boys]

This quote is from an interview with the Lee University President prior to the 2013-14 school year, which was Year 2 for Lee in the move from NAIA to D2. Every school's transition to D2 is different but this might give some insight to the process.

Link to full interview: http://www.goleeflames.com/documents..._Web.pdf?id=48

9. how will we pay the higher costs of being in NCAA? will these additional expenses create tighter budgets for our academic programs?

Actually, we believe the overall costs of being in NCAA DII will not be higher. This is a common misperception, and I addressed it in my Q and A with the faculty in April. I won't repeat all the details here, but there are several aspects of NCAA DII membership which will actually cost less than we have been spending as NAIA members.

Our cost of athletic scholarships, for example, has gone down in the new fiscal year budget, as all our coaches have brought their total financial aid dollars into compliance with the stricter NCAA limits. There are also considerable savings in the cost of postseason travel. We will talk more about this as we go along, when I can show you actual numbers, but our athletic budgets for 2013-14 were set several months ago, so we already know that our costs will not be higher.

[boatcapt]

I would imagine that NAIA schools have bigger fish to fry right now. But for discussion, what is the actual cost of moving from NAIA to DII? NAIA football teams can offer up to 24 schollys while DII can go to 36 but the operative word is CAN vice MUST. NAIA school has a coaching staff so presumably would not need to incure "new" costs of hiring coaches. Team already has equipment and uniforms so no additional cost there. Likewise training facilities and game day sites.

Costs I can identify:

1. DII application fee - $33,000
2. DII additional fee at two years into the transition process - $14,900
3. Conference application/membership fee from the DII conference sponsoring the transitioning school - Varies by conference. For the MEC it is $1,000.

As near as I can figure, the actual cost is roughly $34,000.

[BlueBlood]

[UFOILERFAN]

I hope not, if Walsh and Ashland had decided to go the MEC route we would have been down to 6 football schools. To me, it just emphasizes that we need more schools and I don't know who that would be.

[BlueBlood]

Really don't see anyone else being interested either.

[UFOILERFAN]

I recall posters on this board saying with great authority that the GMAC had contacted NDC and told them they had a standing invitation to join. And then each successive year that they had it on good authority that the move was a done deal and was going to be announced any day.

I'd say at this point there is a reason they haven't moved. Either NDC doesn't want to be in the GMAC or the GMAC doesn't want them. Will it happen in the future? Maybe...but then again equally maybe not.

I'm leaning toward NDC not wanting to join. Still kind of surprised Ashland made the move. Really don't see anyone else being interested either. If location doesn't make the GMAC desirable then nothing else is gonna work.

[boatcapt]

I recall posters on this board saying with great authority that the GMAC had contacted NDC and told them they had a standing invitation to join. And then each successive year that they had it on good authority that the move was a done deal and was going to be announced any day.

I'd say at this point there is a reason they haven't moved. Either NDC doesn't want to be in the GMAC or the GMAC doesn't want them. Will it happen in the future? Maybe...but then again equally maybe not.

[BlueBlood]

[UFOILERFAN]

Actually, other than nearly everyone on the message board thinking it's an obvious move, there has been no indication that NDC is interested in going to the GMAC. For that matter we haven't heard that the GMAC has approached NDC. GMAC always seems to be happy where they sit.

[boatcapt]

Hummm...Crying some crocodile tears there?? Doesn't seem that NDC plays an "Ohio GMAC heavy" OOC schedule even when the cruel, cruel MEC let them do so...Last three years NDC football has chosen to play one GMAC Ohio team, NDC Men's Basketball has chosen to play ONE GMAC Ohio team and Women's Basketball has played two GMAC teams over the last three years.

But buck up Stea1th...NDC will get to play the same number of former GMAC teams this year in football in the form of their tilt against AB AND in men's and women's basketball they will get to play FOUR games against former GMAC teams in the form of two games vs AB and two games vs D&E. Heck...that's NINE games vs former GMAC teams. That's more than DOUBLE the number of "GMAC teams" that NDC played when the evil MEC let NDC do their own scheduling over the last three seasons.