G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

[Brandon]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

I also am very happy with the G-MAC and the future. Let the fake D2 schools (big state schools) have their conferences and we will have a fun fair experience.

This is a common mistake that people make.

My school is D2. Any school bigger than mine should be D1. Any school smaller than mine should be NAIA or D3.

"Big" state schools are as much or more "D2" as Kentucky Wesleyan is.

[Looking For 9]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Explain why you think big state schools are more D2 than say G-MAC schools. Who are the little schools (under 2000) that are D1 ?

[BlueBlood]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Come on Looking - this is easy bar trivia. Presbyterian.

[Looking For 9]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

got me.. you found one..any others? Not sure their kids enjoy their conference.

[BlueBlood]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

got me.. you found one..any others? Not sure their kids enjoy their conference.

Ha, I just know that they are the standard answer when someone asks about a really small D1. However, I used to live in the northeast. The Patriot League and NEC are riddled with Cedarville size schools.

[Looking For 9]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

My comments were more about a conference being schools that meet certain metrics size being one. How many levels does football have?

[Brandon]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Explain why you think big state schools are more D2 than say G-MAC schools. Who are the little schools (under 2000) that are D1 ?

Neither is "more" D2 than the other. D2 is diverse. D1 is diverse as well.

I encourage you not to focus on enrollment. The biggest factor is the budget.

I guess I also should have asked what you consider to be a big enrollment.

[Looking For 9]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Let's look at what is happening with colleges. Private schools are closing or leaving ,some closing, dropping sports from conferences with large state schools. Recruiting students and justifying larger funding is the life blood of state schools. The business models are, as you say, diverse. How many state schools have closed or even gotten smaller. Being in a conference should be an asset to students and part of their life experience. The GLVC and it would appear the GLIAC did not meet that goal. It seems many states have found that having different levels of high schools sports is a good way to go. I think driven mostly by size. I think most understand that size and yes where the budget comes from can be important to who you play several times a year.

[BlueBlood]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Just noticed that OVU women's lacrosse only played 3 games and then cancelled the rest of their games (including all G-MAC games). Their roster only shows 14 players, which really isn't enough.

[BlueBlood]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Ouch. I just checked their roster again. 4 seniors. You really need at least 20 on the roster. So, if they don't lose any underclassmen, they still need to recruit 10 for next year. And honestly, if you just had your school cancel your season, you might not be sticking around for next year to see if it's a go. Not a good situation.

[Tech Boys]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Curious as to what happened and sad to see this. The average D2 women's lax roster size is 22, OVU has 14. Hopefully it's best case that too many players had injuries leaving not enough active players for games.

[BlueBlood]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

Curious as to what happened and sad to see this. The average D2 women's lax roster size is 22, OVU has 14. Hopefully it's best case that too many players had injuries leaving not enough active players for games.

It's their first year to field a team. They announced adding it two years ago, so they should have two years of recruits by now. It looks like two years of recruits is only 10 players. I think they tried to play with a combo of their recruits and a couple senior athletes who already wrapped up their collegiate eligibility in their sports. A couple of the seniors also appear on the soccer roster.

But, like I said earlier, even if all underclassmen stay (probably unlikely), they need about 10 more recruits for next year.

[UFSwimDad]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

I asked the question on the GLIAC board to an Ashland alumn on what his thought were on how the reaction to a move to the GMAC would be. His response:

If the reaction to talk of a conference move last year is any indication, it would be an ugly situation. Personally, I would probably stop going to games and donating for a few years. It would hurt.

Our situation is much different than the other Ohio schools that left, most of whom were NAIA schools until recently and are used to conference moves and big changes on the schedule. The GLIAC is our conference, and going back to its previous incarnation in the MIFC, has been for as long as most of the fanbase can remember. It'd be like Duke leaving the ACC. Are they an odd ball in a league full of huge state schools? Sure, but they still have success and that's where their history is.

Honestly I was a bit shocked at the way the Hillsdale alumni took their move in stride. That won't happen at AU.

AU is a D2 national powerhouse across the athletic department. The GLIAC is a conference with other powerhouses. The GMAC is not. Our home is in the GLIAC.
Multi-Quote This Message

If this is how most of the alumni feel then it would seem to be very difficult for the admin to move to the GMAC.

[Looking For 9]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

GLIAC site is very good. It list all of their national championships and ranking over the years. If you take out the teams that are leaving... national powerhouse conference
may be a bit of an over statement.

[kwcpantherfan]

Re: G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

GLIAC site is very good. It list all of their national championships and ranking over the years. If you take out the teams that are leaving... national powerhouse conference
may be a bit of an over statement.

The average alumni of a school such as Ashland may not realize that right now. Three or four years from now when they realize that the teams that moved from the GLIAC to the G-MAC are stronger athletic programs than the schools that replaced them in the GLIAC they may be in for a reality check.

Frankly, while I would accept Ashland if they did choose to move to the G-MAC, at this point we don't "need" them. So if they want to look at our conference still as being a joke then they can just stay right there in the GLIAC and play all their games in the UP of Michigan and enjoy competing with those swollen state schools that are left up there.