G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

[UFOILERFAN]

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

Given the NCAA violation, I don't know that either conference would really target them.

However, their location is pretty ideal for the G-MAC. Which, has to make the G-MAC at least consider them - even if they are currently displaying a giant wart.

They fit better in the G-MAC footprint than the GLVC's.

Since they will be independent after this school year, they could apply to D2 next February and be able to start in a new conference in the fall of 2019. Probably not the first school to be on probation and then change divisions. NCAA is currently busy with the D1 basketball mess.

[BlueBlood]

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

Since they will be independent after this school year, they could apply to D2 next February and be able to start in a new conference in the fall of 2019. Probably not the first school to be on probation and then change divisions. NCAA is currently busy with the D1 basketball mess.

BTW- their violation was that an assistant coach let an injured female basketball player live with her while she rehabbed from surgery. I'm not really morally shaken by that.

[kdubnation]

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

BTW- their violation was that an assistant coach let an injured female basketball player live with her while she rehabbed from surgery. I'm not really morally shaken by that.

And the NCAA goes "IMPERMISSIBLE! IMPERMISSIBLE, WILL ROBINSON! IMPERMISSIBLE!"

[UFOILERFAN]

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

BTW- their violation was that an assistant coach let an injured female basketball player live with her while she rehabbed from surgery. I'm not really morally shaken by that.

Yeah, I'm not either.

[crixus]

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

And the NCAA goes "IMPERMISSIBLE! IMPERMISSIBLE, WILL ROBINSON! IMPERMISSIBLE!"

Just wanted to commend you on your Lost In Space gif. :D Although your's is better, I thought I'd share a color version.

[JDonAB92]

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

So, we know that Ashland turned down the G-MAC's invitation to join the league. That means that the conference has ideas of continuing to expand. The conference will have 14 members coming up. It is an odd makeup. One of the schools in the league only offers athletics on the women's side of things. We would need to expand to add another football school in my opinion. We have 9 members that play football. That leaves an 8-team league schedule which is not real ideal because that leaves 3 OOC slots each year. Where is the conference going with this? I am not interested in waiting around on Ashland. I don't like their response to our invitation.

The league has shown that they will ask other schools from other leagues. I do think the league office feels pressure from the football schools to add one or two more schools. They haven't stopped since the initial expansion.

Do we go after a GLVC private institution?

Do we go after a school at another level, ie NAIA, D3?

Do we go after a private school in the MEC?

There are some private D2 schools in TN but none real close to Trevecca.

[BlueBlood]

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

I think the G-MAC sits where it is for now. I'm not sure that they have written Ashland off. In their news release, Ashland said they would review conference affiliation again in 2020. If they are saving a spot for Ashland, they may be saving a spot for UIndy too. UIndy has a nice history with some of the G-MAC schools, and our commissioner is an alumnus. If those schools are at all possibilities, I think the G-MAC waits it out. All things considered, two years isn't a long time.

I think Thomas More, if they do decide to go D2, could be the wildcard. Some on here will probably think that a reclassifying D3 doesn't bring enough value and that the remaining 2-3 spots in the conference should be saved for D2 heavyweights. However, it has been so dang hard for this conference to add schools closer to KWC and TNU. Those two schools are founding members of the conference. The G-MAC's two waves of expansion added new schools that stretched the conference boundaries further away from them (WV, then Northern OH and MI). So, if TMC wants to go D2, I think the G-MAC almost has to add them.

The above assumes that no current G-MAC schools leave the conference. If anybody leaves, that obviously creates more room and possibilities.

[UFOILERFAN]

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

I think that Thomas More will jump to D2 and join the G-MAC although nothing can be said until they are officially off of probation. This will give the conference 10 football playing schools and they will be able to play 2 OOC games at the beginning of the season and make scheduling a whole lot easier. After that, UINDY and Ashland are not really needed but I'm sure they would be accepted immediately if they decide they want in. If other schools pop up along the way it will depend on the current shape of the G-MAC. I don't know that we have to impress anyone else about whether we are a strong league or not, as long as everyone in the conference is happy, who cares???

[Horsepower]

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

I would agree that member "happiness" and good competition among all sports would be the goal. It would be interesting if TMC joins and then UIndy is pulled from the GLVC and USI tries to go D1 that would leave BU on an island.

[unc4life]

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

I know people in the GMAC continue to talk about Indy as a fit, I have been told by several people now that one of the main reasons Ashland stayed in the GLIAC was becuase Indy wasn't ready to join the GMAC yet. Basically if Indy would have agreed to join Ashland probably would have too.

[BlueBlood]

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

I know people in the GMAC continue to talk about Indy as a fit, I have been told by several people now that one of the main reasons Ashland stayed in the GLIAC was becuase Indy wasn't ready to join the GMAC yet. Basically if Indy would have agreed to join Ashland probably would have too.

This is why I think the G-MAC sits where it is for now and just takes a breather. I've said before that I think UIndy and Ashland may be a package deal. Either they both come, or neither come. I don't think Hillsdale would have come without Findlay. I don't think Tiffin would have come without UF and HC. Also, sometimes its just that the timing isn't right. Like I said above, if the G-MAC thinks those two schools are at least possibilities, I think the conference will and should wait it out another year or two.

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Edit: and when I say the timing might not be right, that could mean a lot of things. With the schools, or with the conferences they are coming from. I've said before that if a school wants to join the G-MAC, the G-MAC should want to work with the GLVC or the GLIAC as much as possible so as to avoid destabilizing either conference.

Daeger came from the GLVC and is a UIndy alum. The GLVC and G-MAC offices are down the street from each other. They have their Christmas party together. There is talk of some MIAA schools possibly wanting to join the GLVC. I'm not sure that such a move would actually change the outline of the conference footprint much, but it would certainly put the majority of the GLVC schools on the western side of the footprint, far from UIndy. UIndy may be waiting to see how that plays out. The GLVC may be nicely asking UIndy and the G-MAC to wait so that entry and exit are well timed. Who knows, BU might be involved too, further complicating timing.

While I don't think the G-MAC and GLIAC are quite as chummy, there still has to be some sensitivity to the fact that the GLIAC is a land-locked conference that just lost a lot of Members. They don't have the luxury of choosing schools from a 360 degree panorama. They are bordered by lakes, Canada and the G-MAC (and one those borders is stealing their members). So far, they have done a nice job of back-filling with new members to deal with the loss of the OH schools. For all I know, Ashland may really want to join the G-MAC, but may be trying to be a good citizen and give the GLIAC two more years to line up additional backfill. Or, they may just be waiting on UIndy.

All this to say, I have no idea what back-room stuff is or isn't going on. I'm just throwing the above scenarios out as examples of the type of things that may be complicating a move. I do think that Ashland shelving the conference affiliation issue for only two years is a little suspicious. I really can't remember another school ever publically taking the "we will re-evaluate in two years" approach.

[BlueBlood]

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

Interesting thread on the MEC forum. Speculation that someone is leaving the MEC and MEC has Frostburg in their sites as a possible replacement. Not sure who the exiting school is or if this will impact the G-MAC or not. Interesting though.

[JDonAB92]

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

A quote from the article that initiated the thread:

"Last Thursday, March 8, the FSU athletic department was approached by representatives from an NCAA Division II conference about a potential membership starting at the earliest in the Fall of 2019. The Mountain East Conference will be losing a program and is interested in Frostburg to fill the empty position."

The article does quote the head football coach which would make it seem the information in the piece is valid. Frostburg State is a good D-III athletic program except for both men's and women's basketball. Frostburg's football and baseball programs have been extremely good as of late. They have quality facilities too.

Which school leaves? Money is on Notre Dame either to the GLIAC or G-MAC. These things are generally announced around the second or third week of June.

If they were to bring in Frostburg, then that creates 8 public and 4 privates in that league which is unbalanced.

[Looking For 9]

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

I'm not sure I would take them. GLIAC can have them as far as I am concerned. I also think Urbana may be leaving. Not sure they would join another conference. They are a hurting school.

[BlueBlood]

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

.

Which school leaves? Money is on Notre Dame either to the GLIAC or G-MAC. These things are generally announced around the second or third week of June.

Some seem to think it might be Shepherd to the PSAC, which kind of shocks me. 1) because Shepherd has to be considered one of the MEC's brightest stars, 2) I would expect some degree of solidarity among the WV state schools and 3) because the "P" in PSAC stands for Pennsylvania. The conference was created by the PA state schools for themselves exclusively. They didn't let PA private schools into the conference until 10 years or so ago.