G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

[UFOILERFAN]

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

Congratulations, Chargers!!!

[JDonAB92]

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

Last place. That is unreal. I remember days in the WVIAC where we contended for this regularly. This is just sad.

And to respond to above comments. I hope we remain in the G-MAC. However, if given the opportunity, I don't believe we will. I understand the travel/miss class time. With that said, we make this announcement that we are starting yet another sport, or two if you will. Maybe there is a great reason for starting rugby. I couldn't tell you. But if the travel argument is a reason to leave the G-MAC, I would like to know why we are starting men's and women's rugby when there is no school nearby that fields this sport. The closest that I could see is Notre Dame. I can understand the adding a sport to attract students to the school argument. But will the travel and budget of this sport outweigh the benefit of bringing in students? I don't know that answer.

[BlueBlood]

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

There hasn't been an announcement yet, but the Presidents Cup points have already been tabulated on the conference website. Congrats to Hillsdale on a great first year in the G-MAC!

Hillsdale .924
Findlay .791
Walsh .733
Cedarville .580
Malone .579
Ohio Dominican .546
Lake Erie .513
Ursuline .470
Ky. Wesleyan .440
Davis & Elkins .402
Trevecca Nazarene .393
Ohio Valley .318
Alderson Broaddus .300

[BlueBlood]

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

....at one time it seemed like the G-MAC might run the risk of being overloaded with schools and now events could take place that we might be struggling to stay at 10 or 11 members.

Not worried at all. If the footprint becomes more compact, the conference may become more appealing to schools like Ashland, UIndy and BU. Also, remember that NDC and Urbana wanted an OH D2 conference and were part of the planning process when this all started.

My gut tells me that there is likely more movement ahead. I don't think it will be scary movement - just natural moves that make sense.

--

Edit: The OH schools discussed an OH D2 conference way back in 2005 or so. Some were already D2 at the time, most were still in the NAIA AMC conference. The G-MAC got off to kind of a crazy geographic start, due to a series of non-predicted events that left them with schools that were really far away from each other. Those early years were all about survival - for the conference and for the individual schools involved. You are willing to take long bus trips in order to survive.

I do not think the G-MAC will ever become an "OH D2 conference" like the original vision, but I do think that the footprint will eventually contract a bit.

I've posted before on the WV/OH schools. I don't know that an outright switch will every occur, but its obvious to all that there are OH schools in a predominantly WV conference and WV schools in a predominantly OH conference. I do think some movement there is natural.

TNU - I listen to their radio show a sometimes. All of their coaches complain about the long trips. Yes, they would be a really good fit for the Mid-South Conference (conversely, many of the Mid-South schools would also be a good fit in the G-MAC). However, they have invested a lot of money and time in going NCAA. They have a lot of pride in being NCAA. So, I kind of doubt they reverse course. I think they would consider that a major defeat. I do think that they eventually end up in the SAC or GSC - both of which already have TN schools. I always thought the GSC was the front-runner to be their eventual conference. However, UVA-Wise's move to the SAC made me think that is another possible (and maybe even preferred) landing spot.

KWC - Assuming that they want to remain D2 (there are rumblings on here from time to time) - Of all the "distant" schools, I think they are the most likely to remain G-MAC and the one that a potential "bridge" gets built to.

[UFOILERFAN]

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

Thomas More has "officially" been approved as a member of the NAIA...http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/...ew-members.htm

This is not to say that they have "officially" accepted, but looks like that might happen eventually...http://www.nkytribune.com/2018/04/do...th-conference/

Really not surprising, I guess, but at one time it seemed like the G-MAC might run the risk of being overloaded with schools and now events could take place that we might be struggling to stay at 10 or 11 members. This is all conjecture, of course, but I'm retired and have lots of time on my hands. AB could be on its way to the MEC, Ohio Valley apparently needs to get their crap together and Trevecca has to be rethinking their travel situation. IF AB leaves and Ohio Valley continues to mess up, where does this leave D&E in their thought process of being the traveling team of the G-MAC. Also, could Trevecca consider a drop to NAIA where they would be with much closer schools? I'm not really worried about KWC(should I?) but we have the potential of losing schools very quickly in the next few years. The one thing that puts my mind at ease is that I still have great confidence in Tom Daeger and the rest of the crew guiding the Great Midwest.

[JDonAB92]

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

What's funny to me is that by all accounts, AB has been a model member of the G-MAC. I haven't heard one complaint about AB. During the formative years, AB was absolutely one of the strong pillars that the conference was built upon. The heavy lifting for those schools may be over, but it happened and is certainly not forgotten.

We were strong in the WVIAC. However, we spend a lot of money on travel and lodging in the G-MAC and I think that has taken away from money spent on scholarships. Some of our teams have been dreadful lately. Fielding a team and being competitive are two different subjects in my book.

When you start to dig and talk to quality people and administrators, you start to learn some things. I certainly did. We hired a new president in 2011 named Rick Creehan. He wanted to make a lot of changes....which were certainly needed at A-B. But he did it without the proper help of a financial adviser and that proved to be a complete debacle. He resigned in 2015 after some news broke about some financial mishaps. It appears we have been on a better trend with our current president. He seems to have tried hard but inherited a tough situation. But Creehan did not resign without making some terrible decisions in the process.

Unfortunately AB got tainted with some poor decision-making by Mr. Creehan in his first years. One of his first moves on campus was to build a multi-sport stadium and start up football. Nothing wrong with that move. He hired his brother as head football coach. Nothing wrong with that move as I believe that man is a solid football coach and has been at several different D2 schools. A real issue that I believe proved bad is replacing the athletic director at the time (JD Long) and naming Creehan's brother, Dennis as AD as well. JD Long was a very good athletic director for AB and made some great hires as head coaches that led us to success during some tough years at the school. JD was well respected in the WVIAC as well. He was a solid volleyball and softball coach at AB. He graduated from AB. He just did a good job as AD. That move turned a lot of alumni off. It did me, and I have to be careful here as JD is a friend of mine. But friend or not, I felt the nepotism involved in the hire was the s.h.i.t.s. Their was an immediate outcry from a lot of alumni when this move occurred, and JD was brought back to AB within a week as an associate AD who also taught classes. It was just two years ago that JD Long was the G-MAC faculty member of the year and was up for a national award. Sooooooooo........it was not just me, or AB alums, or WVIAC administrators that felt highly of JD Long. It showed in the G-MAC......keep that in mind!!!!! I quit giving my financial support as soon as this happened. I had given money to AB athletics in consecutive years for over a decade. But I was not going to support this type of tom foolery. I gave back to Coach Zimmerman and his program in other ways.

Then at the WVIAC president's meeting in March of 2012, the presidents were to vote on WVIAC expansion. The school to add was UVA-Wise. The football schools were going to vote them in and the schools without football were not. If all the football schools and AB (which was forming football) voted for UVA-Wise, then they would be added to the WVIAC. President Creehan had told the football schools that he would vote to allow them in. All looked good. But then the president talked to his brother. Denny was not in favor of UVA-Wise getting in because they recruited heavily in the Norfolk/Richmond/Tidewater area much as the same that AB was doing at the time. So the rug was pulled out of the WVIAC football schools in a move that was looked at as self-serving and not in what was originally promised. Behind the scenes, the move for football schools to breakaway from the WVIAC took place.

What is never mentioned because I personally think a lot of the MEC posters just don't know is that AB was invited to join the Mountain East. Former Glenville athletic director Janet Bailey told me that AB was invited to join over Wheeling Jesuit in 2012 because AB had football. This occurred once Seton Hill got an immediate invite to the PSAC and left the original MEC squadron. Wheeling also voted against UVA-Wise going into the conference and they didn't have football. There was one condition: Dennis Creehan had to either resign as AD or resign as head football coach. The NCAA was frowning on AD's being head coaches. The league AD's and presidents also did not like the fact that a head football coach was not only going to be AD at the school, but he was the brother of the president. President Rick Creehan wouldn't remove his brother from one of the positions because "he didn't want other league members telling him how to run his school". Again, a move made out of nepotism that was done to protect a brother rather than probably doing what was in the best interest of AB. It was self-serving and I don't know how else to put it. It made AB look completely ridiculous. We are still having problems regaining that trust as Denny Creehan is still AD. I was actually hoping that last year he would get the Edinboro head football job as he was a finalist for it. He didn't. And here we are. Wheeling Jesuit was the last team added to the MEC. This isn't revisionist history. This is how it went down from a well-respected AD in the league at that time.

As far as the West Liberty posters, their president resigned recently under serious ethics violations. Robin Capehart was found to use state funds illegally and unethically. Those state funds were directed towards West Liberty. He took money from that and used it for HIS private company that makes 3rd-rate movies. He was caught by the state auditor. His faculty and student body called for his resignation and gave him a vote of no confidence. Mr Capehart was the ringleader of the formation of the MEC. He nominated his communications director at West Lib, Reid Amos, to be commish. He wanted a huge say in how things were done. West Lib posters are the worst attackers of AB. But yet, their president was using state funds for his own private company.

The G-MAC is a better league than the MEC. However, for a little school like AB, the travel and lodging are costing a lot of money. I know the Trevecca basketball coach told our staff that the same thing is happening to them as an athletic department. I personally don't feel that AB will get invited to the MEC as long as Denny Creehan and Reid Amos are involved. Maybe necessity eventually changes that compass. That is just opinion based on people that I have talked to.

[BlueBlood]

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

What's funny to me is that by all accounts, AB has been a model member of the G-MAC. I haven't heard one complaint about AB. During the formative years, AB was absolutely one of the strong pillars that the conference was built upon. The heavy lifting for those schools may be over, but it happened and is certainly not forgotten.

[ABjo]

[BlueBlood]

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

I want AB to stay G-MAC. However, if they do ever go MEC, I'll very much enjoy watching some of the over-obsessed anti-AB posters go into full meltdown mode.

[BlueBlood]

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

The TMC/NAIA stuff is pretty interesting. Usually you apply to the NAIA and they accept you. TMC says they were invited to join the NAIA and the Mid South Conference, and they are not sure if they will accept or not. It's just a weird situation. Sounds like they would still like to catch on in an NCAA conference, and view NAIA as their backup plan.

I will say that if they do go NAIA, the Mid South is a nice conference and a seemingly good fit for TMC.

[BlueBlood]

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

Looks like Cedarville has signed some size for next season. I don't know anything about them but I see from their page on VerbalCommits they've landed three guys that are 6'9" in the last week.

I'll have to do some digging regarding the high school kids, but Seth Dittmer is easy enough to find basic info on - he is 6'9" PF transfer from UW-Milwaukee. Was a walk-on there, and D1 seems to have been a stretch for him. He played a total of 14 minutes in 2 seasons. Hopefully he finds his groove at CU.

[kdubnation]

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

Looks like Cedarville has signed some size for next season. I don't know anything about them but I see from their page on VerbalCommits they've landed three guys that are 6'9" in the last week.

[BlueBlood]

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

Thomas More is "maybe" going NAIA:

http://www.tmcsaints.com/general/201...20180417pd5yyb

[JDonAB92]

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

I heard it was a facility issue. Outdoor and indoor and that they were asked to upgrade some things. Also some of their multimedia hasn't been what the conference asked. I think the facility issue happened over a conflict over weather makeups. I don't know all the fine details.

Their athletic program has been pretty solid. They went to two NCAA tournaments this year that I know of. Their school has always been good on the academic side...no question about it.

[BlueBlood]

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

I can think of no issues with OVU. I think they are surprisingly competitive. I've had all sorts of questions regarding how a school can stay open with only 400 students (with the majority being athletes). However, I've heard of no fiscal or accreditation issues. Their academic rankings are fine. I'm guessing that they must just have very good support from their church affiliation.