G-MAC All-Sports and Conference Business Thread

[boatcapt]

I agree to a degree. MEC is not going to invite teams from way outside their foot print. But that said, their foot print is a 5 to 6 state area. I could see the MEC moving into KY but only with a "pod" of teams. Dont see them bring in an individual team. But I get the feeling that the MEC is happy being the size it is. One niggling issue is UNCP. I think they would like a full member who plays football. There are several options but as they say, it takes 2 to tango. Not saying any plans are in the works but some candidates could be Gannon, Seton Hill, UPike, and Bluefield State.

[Uindy18]

The MECs "base" was WV schools from day 1...but there goal is not to be a one state conference. Unlike some conferences that focus on one state, one "class" (all/mostly private or public) or some that focus on "historic" racial lines, the MEC focuses on competitive commitment of its members...doesn't matter if a school is in WV or not...a public or private...or an HBCU or not, if you have the same level of commitment to intercollegiate athletics and come from a 5 or 6 state geographic footprint, you've got a home in the MEC.

I am sure the commitment to competition is there, but the greatest asset your conference has is that tight footprint. I significantly doubt the MEC would invite a team well out of their footprint (say Trevecca Nazarene for example) just for competition sake.

[boatcapt]

Yes, the MEC has some outlying schools in Frostburg, UNC Pembroke, and NDC, but the base of the conference has become the WV schools that were the base of the old WVIAC. Hence the WVIAC 2.0 comment. And No, I do not think NDC is struggling, but across the D2 level, budgets are tight even at the well off schools. Unless you are Grand Valley or Northwest Missouri, travel costs will always play a big role in who you schedule/what conference you join.

I simply think that the NDC to the GMAC move is more of a when than an if, much like Ashland was. At some point or another, the GMAC will make more sense for NDC. Might be tomorrow might be a decade from now. No one knows really.

The MECs "base" was WV schools from day 1...but there goal is not to be a one state conference. Unlike some conferences that focus on one state, one "class" (all/mostly private or public) or some that focus on "historic" racial lines, the MEC focuses on competitive commitment of its members...doesn't matter if a school is in WV or not...a public or private...or an HBCU or not, if you have the same level of commitment to intercollegiate athletics and come from a 5 or 6 state geographic footprint, you've got a home in the MEC.

[boatcapt]

Even with NDC, the MEC is tight. Folks talk about NDC moving to the GMAC due to travel distance like there is this great disparity. There isn't when you take the conferences as wholes. Yes, NDC in the GMAC would benefit travel to a certain extent, but that benefit is not terribly large and obviously not so large to make it as much of a "No brainer" as some want to make it out to be.

NDCs ascendancy to the top of the MEC football pile began before Shepherd left the MEC and I think it would have continued if they had stayed although Shepherd certainly wouldn't have given it away. While NDC is clearly at the top of the MEC pile right now,, there are several teams that are improving and could nock them from their purch as the top team in the MEC and by extention, one of the top teams in SR1. In no particular order, namely Frostburg, UNCP and Charleston with Fairmont being a season to season thing (dome years very good...some not so much).

I think NDC has found a VERY comfortable home in the MEC. They are at the top OR very competitive in a number of sports but not so dominant as to be boring...the travel distance is not terribly different than other confereconfere...there is a good mix of public and private schools that all see and fund athletics the same (no members funding intercollegiate at an intermural level and none funding it at a FCS level either). They are comfortable were they are playing who they are playing and every year that passes, the bonds and "traditional rivalries" in the MEC grow stronger while those from the NAIA days become more of a distant memory.

[Uindy18]

On the flip side - TNU and KWC have to hate constantly pointing the bus wheels north.

I think you hit the nail on the head there. The problem has to be for TNU and KWC, not so much for the northern schools making the long trek down south.

[kdubnation]

If the only consideration was geography, KWC probably would (and probably should) move to the NAIA. But the geography is not the only consideration. That's why, while I would not be surprised to see us move to a different conference, I don't *think* we will, simply because there's really not a conference that provides a significantly better fit. The GLVC would be slightly better geographically, but other factors make it worse.

Also, with their brand new arena and the addition of more sports I would be absolutely amazed if USI is still in D2 come 5 years from now. All signs point to them joining the Bellarmine bandwagon and jumping to D1, probably in the OVC. And when that happens, the closest D2 school to KWC will be TNU anyway, so the USI 'connection' (if there is such a thing) isn't much of a draw, IMO. The next closest D2 after TNU is Kentucky State, which is in the traditionally HBCU SIAC conference.

Now don't get me wrong, purely from a basketball standpoint I would like to see us back in the GLVC. But we simply cannot compete in other sports - not even close - due to the massive difference in athletic budgets. In the G-MAC we have not been a powerhouse by any means in non-basketball sports, but we're also not a whipping boy across the entire spectrum (minus basketball) either. Baseball, volleyball, soccer (at times), softball have all benefited from G-MAC membership. In some of those cases it's been the difference between not winning a conference game in several years vs. winning only a couple, but that's still an improvement.

[BlueBlood]

I've mentioned on here before that travel to the TNU/KWC combo hasn't seemed to be an issue for the northern schools. Schools hit TNU and KWC on the same trip. TNU is literally in Nashville and I've seen tons of social media posts by different G-MAC schools showing their teams hanging out on the Broadway strip. I think its a trip that a lot of kids look forward to despite the long bus ride. KWC is a stop on the way to Nashville. Now if TNU wasn't in one of America's best cities and was just in small town TN - that might get to people.

On the flip side - TNU and KWC have to hate constantly pointing the bus wheels north.

[Uindy18]

Would TNU be such a bad fit in the GSC?

Geographically, they do not fit terribly. I am just not sure they really fit in competition wise and culturally. GSC is probably the best D2 conference of the south, and TNU probably would not get an invite. I would say they could maybe fit in the Peach Belt, but travel would be a very similar problem to they have now in the GMAC.

[Uindy18]

As has been said multiple times...there are not good options for KWC or TNU. KWC cannot compete competitively across many sports in GMAC and absolutely can't in a conference with state-funded schools. I think Bellermine and NKU going D1 and leaving GLVC removes some of the bad blood but I just don't see GLVC wanting KWC back because of its sports funding issues. Gulf South has even more state-funded schools than GLVC and it as spread out of GMAC. The idea of a "new" mid-south D2 conference of private schools just doesn't make sense. Most you could piece together is Lindenwood, Maryville, McKendree, KWC, Christian Brothers (Memphis), Union (Jackson), TNU, Lee (Cleveland, TN) and Shorter (North GA) and not enough play football for it to be a conference sport.

Why would any of those schools leave GLVC or Gulf South anyway?

I do not think they would. My bet would be KWC to the GLVC (they have USI right across the river and it is another mostly private school conference). As for TNU, I think the geographic fit would be the GSC, but I cannot imagine them getting an invite to there unless the GSC has someone move up to D1 and they are in dire need of a replacement.

[Inkblot]

Would TNU be such a bad fit in the GSC?

[UFOILERFAN]

As has been said multiple times...there are not good options for KWC or TNU. KWC cannot compete competitively across many sports in GMAC and absolutely can't in a conference with state-funded schools. I think Bellermine and NKU going D1 and leaving GLVC removes some of the bad blood but I just don't see GLVC wanting KWC back because of its sports funding issues. Gulf South has even more state-funded schools than GLVC and it as spread out of GMAC. The idea of a "new" mid-south D2 conference of private schools just doesn't make sense. Most you could piece together is Lindenwood, Maryville, McKendree, KWC, Christian Brothers (Memphis), Union (Jackson), TNU, Lee (Cleveland, TN) and Shorter (North GA) and not enough play football for it to be a conference sport.

Why would any of those schools leave GLVC or Gulf South anyway?

This is why I don't think they will leave the GMAC. Their only other option is to go the NAIA route and I don't see that happening either.

[WKYDave]

As has been said multiple times...there are not good options for KWC or TNU. KWC cannot compete competitively across many sports in GMAC and absolutely can't in a conference with state-funded schools. I think Bellermine and NKU going D1 and leaving GLVC removes some of the bad blood but I just don't see GLVC wanting KWC back because of its sports funding issues. Gulf South has even more state-funded schools than GLVC and it as spread out of GMAC. The idea of a "new" mid-south D2 conference of private schools just doesn't make sense. Most you could piece together is Lindenwood, Maryville, McKendree, KWC, Christian Brothers (Memphis), Union (Jackson), TNU, Lee (Cleveland, TN) and Shorter (North GA) and not enough play football for it to be a conference sport.

Why would any of those schools leave GLVC or Gulf South anyway?

[UFOILERFAN]

I'd like to say that I don't think Trevecca and KWC will leave the GMAC but I was wrong about Northwood so I guess I'll just sit here and wait for it to happen.

[BlueBlood]

Davenport will be the only private school left in the GLIAC so they have to be thinking about moving.

[Uindy18]

Well, I guess the crazy thing is that the poster who had early info on Northwood also said that he was told by two GMAC coaches that KWC and TNU were leaving.

Obviously, its not a crazy concept geographically speaking - but it would be a big deal historically/culturally, as both schools put a lot of blood and sweat into the conference.

Ya, i think that was a move that everyone has predicted for awhile. I would be most interested in where they go. KWC could feasibly find themselves back in the GLVC, as for TNU, I do not see any natural fit in D2. Maybe GSC or Peach Belt? They are in an odd spot between like a bunch conferences and a good fit in none of them geographically/culturally.