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  • For some reason, I can't update my prior post. Lets see if this works:

    Cedarville part of new athletic conference venture - Cedarville University Athletics

    10 years ago this month.

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    • I've had time to think - and the Northwood addition still make no sense at all to me. They are literally smack dab in the middle of the GLIAC.

      Scenarios where I guess it makes more sense:
      1) other MI schools are also coming (whether that be Davenport of a current NAIA)
      2) TNU and KWC are leaving
      3) NU wants to add a bunch of sports that the GLIAC doesn't offer (Men's Lacrosse, Wresting, Bowling, etc)
      4) NU caught wind that other schools are leaving the GLIAC and it proactively made sure it had a home.

      If none of those are in the works, I'm still completely puzzled.



      Comment


      • Originally posted by BlueBlood View Post
        I've had time to think - and the Northwood addition still make no sense at all to me. They are literally smack dab in the middle of the GLIAC.

        Scenarios where I guess it makes more sense:
        1) other MI schools are also coming (whether that be Davenport of a current NAIA)
        2) TNU and KWC are leaving
        3) NU wants to add a bunch of sports that the GLIAC doesn't offer (Men's Lacrosse, Wresting, Bowling, etc)
        4) NU caught wind that other schools are leaving the GLIAC and it proactively made sure it had a home.

        If none of those are in the works, I'm still completely puzzled.


        A private school, with football, wanted to join the G-MAC. When Malone dropped football it caught some people off guard. They do not want that to happen again.

        Comment


        • Originally posted by BlueBlood View Post
          I've had time to think - and the Northwood addition still make no sense at all to me. They are literally smack dab in the middle of the GLIAC.

          Scenarios where I guess it makes more sense:
          1) other MI schools are also coming (whether that be Davenport of a current NAIA)
          2) TNU and KWC are leaving
          3) NU wants to add a bunch of sports that the GLIAC doesn't offer (Men's Lacrosse, Wresting, Bowling, etc)
          4) NU caught wind that other schools are leaving the GLIAC and it proactively made sure it had a home.

          If none of those are in the works, I'm still completely puzzled.


          Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I honestly think this move has more to do with the GLIAC than the GMAC. I would bet NU caught wind of a Ferris or GVSU moving up, and sensed an implosion of the GLIAC as a result. The move makes no sense to me either, if I were NU, I would have been hyper focused on trying to help the GLIAC survive by adding some schools.

          I would bet TNU and KWC are eventually gone, but no idea when. Someone has to do the travel math eventually and realize there is another option for both those schools (KWC to GLVC? TNU to GSC?)

          Comment


          • Originally posted by UFOILERFAN View Post

            A private school, with football, wanted to join the G-MAC. When Malone dropped football it caught some people off guard. They do not want that to happen again.
            I understand that argument. I just wish that if the conference was looking to add private schools with football, they would have gone with Uindy, NDC, or the Indiana NAIAs before Northwood.

            Comment


            • Originally posted by Uindy18 View Post

              I understand that argument. I just wish that if the conference was looking to add private schools with football, they would have gone with Uindy, NDC, or the Indiana NAIAs before Northwood.
              Me too, but apparently those schools aren't ready to join.

              Comment


              • Originally posted by UFOILERFAN View Post

                Me too, but apparently those schools aren't ready to join.
                Guess so, I always wish I knew whether or not schools approached conferences or if conferences approached schools about joining. One one hand, conferences operate at the member school's discretion. But on the other, if I was the GMAC commissioner, I would at least have a mental list of schools that I want or do not want in my conference.

                Comment


                • Originally posted by Uindy18 View Post

                  Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I honestly think this move has more to do with the GLIAC than the GMAC. I would bet NU caught wind of a Ferris or GVSU moving up, and sensed an implosion of the GLIAC as a result. The move makes no sense to me either, if I were NU, I would have been hyper focused on trying to help the GLIAC survive by adding some schools.

                  I would bet TNU and KWC are eventually gone, but no idea when. Someone has to do the travel math eventually and realize there is another option for both those schools (KWC to GLVC? TNU to GSC?)
                  Travel is not much different for KWC or TNU in either conference set up. Though for TNU, 6 hour trips South are much better than 8 hour trips north in winter! Adding Northwood makes KWC/TNU situation worse without a doubt! For KWC travel time average for GMAC is almost 6 hours and would be the same for Gulf South. GLVC travel time is almost 5 hours. IF USI and Indy leave GVLC, it jumps to over 5 hours.

                  I agree that I wish Indy were joining GMAC instead of Northwood. When it comes to NAIA - from a KWC/TNU perspective maybe Marion, Cumberland, Georgetown, or Campbellsville. Of course the KY schools tried moving up before and failed. Not sure if the appetite is there to try again.

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by WKYDave View Post

                    Travel is not much different for KWC or TNU in either conference set up. Though for TNU, 6 hour trips South are much better than 8 hour trips north in winter! Adding Northwood makes KWC/TNU situation worse without a doubt! For KWC travel time average for GMAC is almost 6 hours and would be the same for Gulf South. GLVC travel time is almost 5 hours. IF USI and Indy leave GVLC, it jumps to over 5 hours.

                    I agree that I wish Indy were joining GMAC instead of Northwood. When it comes to NAIA - from a KWC/TNU perspective maybe Marion, Cumberland, Georgetown, or Campbellsville. Of course the KY schools tried moving up before and failed. Not sure if the appetite is there to try again.
                    I do not think it would be for the NAIAs in KY. I could see the NAIAs in Indiana go, but I think it only happen under a couple of circumstances. First, Uindy to the GMAC. Second, the GMAC would have to add either 2 or all 4. I think Marian and Saint Francis would only go as a pair, and the same for Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor. Do I think any of this would happen? Probably not, or at least not anytime soon with COVID making budgets tight.

                    My point is that if you made me king of lower level college sports , I would essentially destroy the MSFA in NAIA by:

                    Send the Indiana schools(Marian, Saint Francis, Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor) to the GMAC with Uindy and NDC
                    Send the Michigan ones (Lawrence Tech, Madonna, Concordia-Ann Arbor, and Siena Heights) in the GLIAC along with Lewis
                    Send Saint Ambrose and Missouri Baptist into the GLVC along with KWC.
                    TNU moves to the GSC
                    Keep NU in the GLIAC
                    Leave the NAIA Illinois teams to fend for themselves in NAIA.
                    Last edited by Uindy18; 06-11-2021, 04:58 AM.

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by Uindy18 View Post

                      I understand that argument. I just wish that if the conference was looking to add private schools with football, they would have gone with Uindy, NDC, or the Indiana NAIAs before Northwood.
                      The issue with trying to get those schools is you have to have some bait to get them to bit. Adding Northwood, although not a 'powerhouse', makes the conference more stable and makes it more attractive for the big fish, UIndy.

                      As far as Northwood leaving the GLIAC, it's overdue. Word is they were ready to pull the trigger before that massive flood hit Midland. Once that happened, they went into rebuild mode. Now that they're past that, it was time. For them, why stay in a league with multiple schools that boast 20,000+ students and is becoming more irrelevant every week it seems? Plus, yes they have a long trip to Nashville, but they also have lengthy trips now to the Upper Penninsula schools, and even over to Wisconsin-Parkside. It probably adds more travel overall, yes, but as far as 'fit', the G-MAC makes much more sense than the GLIAC for them.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by GetOily View Post

                        The issue with trying to get those schools is you have to have some bait to get them to bit. Adding Northwood, although not a 'powerhouse', makes the conference more stable and makes it more attractive for the big fish, UIndy.

                        As far as Northwood leaving the GLIAC, it's overdue. Word is they were ready to pull the trigger before that massive flood hit Midland. Once that happened, they went into rebuild mode. Now that they're past that, it was time. For them, why stay in a league with multiple schools that boast 20,000+ students and is becoming more irrelevant every week it seems? Plus, yes they have a long trip to Nashville, but they also have lengthy trips now to the Upper Penninsula schools, and even over to Wisconsin-Parkside. It probably adds more travel overall, yes, but as far as 'fit', the G-MAC makes much more sense than the GLIAC for them.
                        I can understand some of the move for Northwood, and the GMAC, but I can't help for wondering why now? I mean they could have gone with the rest of the GLIAC defectors a few years ago, or with Ashland last year. I had not considered the role of the flood, but I still have a feeling that there is more to this story in the GLIAC.

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                        • Last edited by BlueBlood; 06-11-2021, 03:32 PM.

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                          • Comment


                            • It looks like Ohio Valley University has officially moved on. Their logo is still showing on the G-MAC website and I suppose it likely will until 6/30 for contractual purposes. However the OVU athletic site is now displaying the NAIA and River States logos. And the River States website already shows them as a member.

                              OVU clearly limped out of the conference. Ursuline (despite not having men's sports) almost beat them in the all-sports rankings (OVU had 33.5 pts and Ursuline had 31). I think they will do much much better in the NAIA.

                              Two significant items:

                              -this continues the trend of the lower-performing all-sports schools leaving the conference at the same time that the G-MAC is adding higher-performing all-sports schools.

                              -the WV era for the G-MAC is now officially over.

                              Comment


                              • Sometimes a move is good for these schools.

                                I agree that OVU will do much better in NAIA. They are clearly not at the same level as the other GMAC schools.

                                I know that overall D&E was not very competitive in the GMAC, but they actually did considerably better last year in the MEC. They had the 4th most points in the MEC Commissioners Cup standings. They achieved that position despite getting zero points for football. In the Learfield standings, they were 2nd, only behind Charleston (and were ahead of NDC!).

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