G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

[BlueBlood]

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

Starting to wonder if NDC (or Urbana) is coming too. Elliot said 10 Ohio schools. Even with Ashland, I only count 9.

Ursuline
Cedarville
Malone
Findlay
ODU
Walsh
Lake Erie
Tiffin
Ashland

Of course, he could have just been counting Hillsdale as an OH school (He's a southerner)

[UFSwimDad]

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

Today on a Nashville radio show, TNU's AD said that he is pretty sure Ashland is coming as well. He also said TNU is committed to the G-MAC despite being an outlier. Said they would be on the fringe of any existing conference.

https://m.soundcloud.com/nashsportsr...elliott-4-1-17

Well that is about as ringing of an endorsement as one could get in regards to Ashland coming aboard.

[BlueBlood]

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

Today on a Nashville radio show, TNU's AD said that he is pretty sure Ashland is coming as well. He also said TNU is committed to the G-MAC despite being an outlier. Said they would be on the fringe of any existing conference.

https://m.soundcloud.com/nashsportsr...elliott-4-1-17

[BlueBlood]

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

This brings back some memories. It's been a wild and crazy ride.

http://www.ursuline.edu/news/athletic_conference

[BlueBlood]

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

I wish the D2 message board hadn't crashed a few months ago. I'd love to go back and revisit some of our visitors comments.

Its probably just was well.

[ABjo]

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

What seems, obviously, a mistake on the G-MAC website has got me thinking.... It looks like when they added Tiffin as a future member, they accidentally shifted Mercyhurst and Seton Hill from affiliate members to full members. So, I said to myself, "what does that look like on a map?" I must say it looked pretty good. Kind of a bridge between WV and North East OH. Hmmm.....

[BlueBlood]

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



Commissioner Daeger on Ashland sports network at halftime of Ursuline's WBB playoff game.

[BlueBlood]

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

The affects on the GLIAC in those particular sports will be felt, no question about it. But, at the same time, it's not necessarily a death knell for baseball or the other sports you mentioned.

Thanks for clarifying. I feel much better about this now.

Ashland! Ashland! Ashland! Ashland!

[ctrabs74]

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

Good addition It is becoming more and more clear what a big mistake founding schools made by moving. it is also becoming clear there is no need to allow them to come back.

At this point, I'd be willing to guess that Urbana probably regrets not being a part of the G-MAC now given their recent financial and management issues (and the fact that their teams have, for the most part, been doormats in the MEC).

[ctrabs74]

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

As to Ashland:

Would I like them in the conference - Absolutely. They absolutely belong in this conference.

--- However ---

I honestly don't think you can take another GLIAC school. After Tiffin leaves, the GLIAC will have only six schools participating in a couple sports* - the bare minimum needed for a conference to sponsor a sport. You do not want to destabilize the GLIAC.


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*by my count, baseball and men's soccer dip to 6. men's and women's swimming both go to 5. Ashland and new member Davenport are the only remaining schools to sponsor wrestling.

To further elaborate (highlighted schools indicate current and future GLIAC members - for now - after Tiffin's departure):

Current and future GLIAC schools which sponsor men's soccer: Ashland, Davenport, Findlay, Lake Erie, Northern Michigan, Northwood, Ohio Dominican, Purdue Northwest, Saginaw Valley, Tiffin and Walsh.
Current and future GLIAC schools which sponsor baseball: Ashland, Davenport, Findlay, Grand Valley, Hillsdale, Lake Erie, Northwood, Ohio Dominican, Purdue Northwest, Saginaw Valley, Tiffin, Walsh and Wayne State (Detroit).

Conference affiliation (or lack thereof) isn't as major an issue in men's soccer, which does not have automatic qualification for conference champions (similar to football). The MIAA only has five schools which sponsor men's soccer and were still able to qualify teams for the Central Regional (granted, there are only nine men's soccer programs between the MIAA and Great American Conference, hence only two bids for that region in the tourney - but the precedent is there for the GLIAC).

In baseball, when you factor in both Davenport and Purdue Northwest, the GLIAC will have six schools sponsoring the sport if Ashland joins Tiffin in leaving the league in 2018-2019.

As I understand it, conference affiliation isn't as crucial as far as qualifying for NCAAs in individual sports such as wrestling or swimming. There are specific qualifying times for each event in swimming, so participation in a conference championship (or, for that matter, a conference dual-meet scheduled) doesn't necessarily affect qualification for the NCAA tournament. As for wrestling, all teams in a particular Super Region are eligible for the regional tournaments, regardless of conference affiliation (Notre Dame-Ohio won a national championship a couple of years ago despite it's primary conference, the Mountain East, not sponsoring the sport).

The affects on the GLIAC in those particular sports will be felt, no question about it. But, at the same time, it's not necessarily a death knell for baseball or the other sports you mentioned.

[ctrabs74]

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

I think it's becoming more probable with Tiffin joining. Look at how isolated Ashland will be now! It's like TVN now. I agree football wise it would be best for them to stay in the GLIAC but being that far away from the rest of the league and their recent financial problems could point them to the GMAC. Total speculation but makes sense to me

I had posted that about 12 hours before the news of Tiffin moving to the G-MAC became official. If the other comments on this thread are any indication, it looks as though Ashland's position has changed over the past year now that the other two 'Ohio powerhouses' of the GLIAC (Findlay and Tiffin) will be in the G-MAC. Looks like I was wrong and now, given today's news, it appears not to be a matter of if Ashland makes the move, but when.

[alumnifan]

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

IMO, the Bellarmine and UIndy administrations are furious. They know dang well that staying in the GLVC is going to be almost impossible. Bellarmine could go
D1, but the costs would be enormous. Eric Crawford told me he thought Bell going D1 would be a mistake.

UIndy has the G-MAC office in their home town. Their travel costs would be pretty cheap and they would be playing in a better football conference. Back a few years ago, a UIndy poster was complaining about how horrible it was to have to travel to KWC.

Man, the hell I caught from the football board for even mentioning the fact that the G-MAC was going to have a football conference four years ago. KWC is thrilled with the Tiffin move. They have the news plastered on their website.

Also, how much hate have I caught for not liking Lumpty Dumpty. Now, Arrow Flynn is fighting for his life.

Lumpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Lumpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Lumpty Dumpty back together again.

Arrow Flynn's goose is cooked, just like USI's chicken is burned crispy without football.

So sad.....😞😖😟😓😔😒😓😯

[UFSwimDad]

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

I also forgot the article that I ran across in regards to some "super" NAIA conference that many of the schools previously linked to the GMAC joined. I think they are now comfortable as is and have real like competition going for them now.

[BlueBlood]

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

No, I've heard nothing other than the prognostications being tossed about on here.

I used to hear stuff occasionally. I've heard nothing in a long, long time. My NAIA connections are rustier than they used to be, so there's that too.

I think the mass migration to D2 is over (at least for now).

The NAIA conference in IN (Crossroads), which includes Marian, Taylor and IN Wesleyan, is a pretty tight, cohesive group. They have a really nice thing going. They were small, private, faith-based before we were.

I think all of the MSC schools in KY got scared when G-town got double rejected. Again, they are also a pretty cohesive group. I really do think quite a few of them would have tried to move together but-for the G-town snafu.

Schools in those two conferences would be leaving a pretty comfy home to risk the great unknown.

The River States (former KIAC) is more of a mixed-bag of schools than the other two conferences (geographically, historically, institutionally). I'd think there is less commitment/group-think there. Maybe someone there sees this as an opportunity. I've stated my belief before that Asbury would be a nice KY/non-football add, but that's just me prognosticating. On average though, the athletic departments in the River States are less d2-like when compared to the Crossroads and MSC, probably reducing both their interest-level and the G-MAC's interest-level.

All that to say, I've heard nothing. And, at this point, I'd be pretty surprised to see an NAIA step up.

------------------------------------

Wildcard - the OH schools that were in the old MOC/AMC will remember that Mount Vernon Nazarene (non-football) was a school that tried to go D2 with the rest of their conference-mates and had their application rejected. They never applied again and went to the IN Crossroads. They are the only OH school in that conference. I wonder what they are thinking as they watch "the band getting back together". Just a thought - they obviously don't help expand into KY or IN (which I agree should be a priority).

[kwcpantherfan]

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

Agree. BUT, has anyone heard or read about potentional NAIA schools applying? I haven't found word one. As I write this I would guess that perhaps any schools wanting to do so may be keeping it close to the vest. Let me ask this, in the past, when did any of you learn about schools applying to make the jump? My pipe dream for KWC, ( I used the C instead of the U ) would be getting UINDY and Bellarmine. A guy can dream right

No, I've heard nothing other than the prognostications being tossed about on here. I'm pretty sure the Georgetown ship sailed when they were turned down the second time. As for me, I've never found out any real info (just rumor and speculation) on things like that ahead of time. I guess I'm not well connected lol. And I agree, UIndy and Bellarmine would be near perfect adds, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.