Ashland to the GMAC

[GLIAC Fan]

Ashland does not officially join GMAC until July 1. They could schedule some non conference games against GMAC this spring but right now they are under the GLIAC rules of playing winter and spring sports.

[D2Ohio]

I am surprised that Ashland is not play this spring "non-conference" against the GMAC schools since the Gliac has no schedule for the spring

[UFOILERFAN]

NOVEMBER FOOLS!!!

[D2Ohio]

Maybe this will be the conference (football) in 2022-2023?

1) Ashland
2) UIndy
3) Hillsdale
4) Northwood
5) Findlay
6) Tiffin
7) ODU
8) NDC
9) Walsh
10) LEC

[BlueBlood]

According to Massey Ratings.

1. Gulf South
2. MIAA
3. GLIAC
4. Lone Star
5. SAC
6. GLVC
7. RMAC
8. NSIC
9. GMAC
10. PSAC
11. GNAC
12. GAC
13. MEC
14. SIAC
15. CIAA
16. NE10

[EastStroud13]

This is great news for SR1. Ashland is a strong program joining a strong conference that is now clearly the PSAC's main competition for region superiority, even more so if/when NDC makes their way. Looking forward to the great battles to come.

[D2Ohio]

I did chart this for KWC:

Campbellsville 2 hrs 6 min 133 miles
Lindsey Wilson 2 hrs 9 min 142 miles
Cumberland 2 hrs 14 min 132 miles
Georgetown 2 hrs 47 min 184 miles
Thomas More 3 hrs 204 miles
Univ Cumberlands 3 hrs 51 min 230 miles
Shawnee 4 hrs 42 min 300 miles
Pikeville 4 hrs 58 min 330 miles

I realize KWC has a rich tradition in men's basketball in the NCAA D2 ranks. But I wonder if they would ever consider a move to the Mid-South and NAIA which is a very good conference. There are other NAIA schools throughout KY too. Midway, Alice Lloyd, Brescia, Berea, Asbury, etc...come to my mind off the top of my head especially those for OOC olympic sports. I am not advocating it. I am just wondering if they look at that. Or is there a D2 conference in the south that shortens travel?

When Cumberland and Georgetown were denied D2 admission, it really hurt KWC and TNU hard.

I think that KWC should be at the very least non-football for the GMAC, call themselves independent and play that NAIA schedule plus Kentucky State for football

[Inkblot]

KWC still fits better geographically in the GLVC than in the GMAC.

[JDonAB92]

KWC has it real bad too for travel.

Trevecca Nazarene 2 hours 134 miles
Cedarville 4 hrs 13 min 273 miles
Ohio Dominican 4 hrs 43 min 321 miles
Findlay 5 hrs 22 min 368 miles
Ashland 5 hrs 48 min 398 miles
Tiffin 5 hrs 57 min 393 miles
Hillsdale 6 hrs 12 min 420 miles
Ohio Valley 6 hrs 17 min 400 miles
Malone 6 hrs 38 min 458 miles
Walsh 6 hrs 41 min 455 miles
Ursuline 6 hrs 43 min 464 miles
Lake Erie 7 hrs 4 min 486 miles
ABU 7 hrs 6 min 489 miles

I did chart this for KWC:

Campbellsville 2 hrs 6 min 133 miles
Lindsey Wilson 2 hrs 9 min 142 miles
Cumberland 2 hrs 14 min 132 miles
Georgetown 2 hrs 47 min 184 miles
Thomas More 3 hrs 204 miles
Univ Cumberlands 3 hrs 51 min 230 miles
Shawnee 4 hrs 42 min 300 miles
Pikeville 4 hrs 58 min 330 miles

I realize KWC has a rich tradition in men's basketball in the NCAA D2 ranks. But I wonder if they would ever consider a move to the Mid-South and NAIA which is a very good conference. There are other NAIA schools throughout KY too. Midway, Alice Lloyd, Brescia, Berea, Asbury, etc...come to my mind off the top of my head especially those for OOC olympic sports. I am not advocating it. I am just wondering if they look at that. Or is there a D2 conference in the south that shortens travel?

When Cumberland and Georgetown were denied D2 admission, it really hurt KWC and TNU hard.

[BlueBlood]

[oilerftbll]

It was only a matter of time, it just came faster than a lot of us thought. Welcome Ashland, it will be nice to carry on the rivalry.

[ctrabs74]

NDC in the G-MAC

Ursuline 9 minutes; 4 miles
Lake Erie 31 minutes; 26 miles
Walsh 51 minutes; 52 miles
Malone 54 minutes; 54 miles
Ashland 1 hr 10 min; 72 miles
ODU 2 hr 16 min; 147 miles
Findlay 2 hr 25 min; 154 miles
Ohio Valley 2 hr 39 min; 172 miles
Cedarville 3 hr 3 min; 202 miles
Hillsdale 3 hr 4 min; 197 miles
KWC 6 hr 50 min; 464 miles
Trevecca 7 hr 44 min; 529 miles

Not horrible. But when you look at scheduling, there are a lot more overnight stays. Like baseball in the MEC plays Saturday-Sunday games. You play UC on Saturday and State on Sunday. That is overnight but not missed class time. But pretty much all conference games in baseball are overnight under that format so they are dishing out some money for food and lodging. They play Glenville one day and Concord the next day....that is no easy road trip on the roads, and quite a bit of mileage.

ADD: Tiffin 1 hr 54 min; 106 miles

[JDonAB92]

I did a mileage chart for NDC. They aren't all that bad in the MEC when you look at it. But the way the MEC does their scheduling, they still pretty much have to do a lot of hotel stays. For instance, when they go on the road in basketball to play WV Wesleyan/Glenville State. They play at Wesleyan on a Thursday night and turn around and play Glenville on a Friday afternoon starting at 2PM. There is no way they leave Buckhannon at around 9:30 on a Thursday night, drive 4 hours back to Cleveland, go to class on Friday and turn around Saturday morning and return to Glenville another 4 hours. At least I would not think.

NDC in the G-MAC

Ursuline 9 minutes; 4 miles
Lake Erie 31 minutes; 26 miles
Walsh 51 minutes; 52 miles
Malone 54 minutes; 54 miles
Ashland 1 hr 10 min; 72 miles
Tiffin 1 hr 54 min; 107 miles
ODU 2 hr 16 min; 147 miles
Findlay 2 hr 25 min; 154 miles
Ohio Valley 2 hr 39 min; 172 miles
Cedarville 3 hr 3 min; 202 miles
Hillsdale 3 hr 4 min; 197 miles
KWC 6 hr 50 min; 464 miles
Trevecca 7 hr 44 min; 529 miles

NDC in the MEC

West Liberty 2 hr 31 min; 144 miles
Wheeling 2 hr 33 min; 149 miles
Fairmont 3 hr 17 min; 211 miles
Frostburg St 3 hr 33 min; 222 miles
Charleston 3 hr 43 min; 250 miles
WV State 3 hr 48 min; 255 miles
Glenville State 4 hours; 229 miles
WV Wesleyan 4 hr 3 min; 260 miles
Davis & Elkins 4 hr 21 min; 283 miles
Concord 5 hr 6 min; 338 miles

Not horrible. But when you look at scheduling, there are a lot more overnight stays. Like baseball in the MEC plays Saturday-Sunday games. You play UC on Saturday and State on Sunday. That is overnight but not missed class time. But pretty much all conference games in baseball are overnight under that format so they are dishing out some money for food and lodging. They play Glenville one day and Concord the next day....that is no easy road trip on the roads, and quite a bit of mileage.

[BlueBlood]

No

Take a look at the mileage chart. Likely if NDC goes to the G-MAC, then AB likely goes to the MEC. I made a mileage chart which shows the trip differences for ABU:

MEC

West Virginia Wesleyan 40 minutes 23 miles
Davis & Elkins 39 minutes 27 miles
Fairmont State 52 minutes 32 miles
Glenville State 1 hour 20 min 71 miles
Frostburg State 1 hr 49 min 101 miles
Wheeling Jesuit 2 hr 3 min 116 miles
Charleston 2 hr 10 min 140 miles
West Liberty 2 hr 12 min 113 miles
WV State 2 hr 13 min 145 miles
Concord 2 hr 58 min 184 miles

G-MAC

Ohio Valley 1 hr 58 min 104 miles
Malone 3 hr 20 min 214 miles
Walsh 3 hr 28 min 219 miles
Ohio Dominican 3 hr 38 min 210 miles
Ursuline 3 hr 47 min 233 miles
Lake Erie 4 hr 7 min 231 miles
Ashland 4 hr 8 min 245 miles
Cedarville 4 hr 19 min 250 miles
Findlay 5 hr 9 min 306 miles
Hillsdale 6 hr 25 min 409 miles
KWC 7 hr 9 min 487 miles
Trevecca Nazarene 7 hr 48 min 525 miles

Every trip in the MEC is a same-day trip. No hotel stays. Less gas. Less wear-and-tear on vehicles. Less missed class time. Less meals to feed. More money could be spent on scholarships so that we can get back to being competitive like we were when the WVIAC dissolved. ABU is spending a ton of money right now on sports for travel, food and lodging.

[JDonAB92]

Of course the MEC would have to stop being mad and invite AB.

I don't find the "MEC" as the issue. I argue that it is the leadership of the conference, namely Reid Amos of West Liberty, that tends to hold this. I think you have to move beyond MEC message board posters to get the real feel. I will add the admin at ABU that was around at the time of the demise of the WVIAC and formation of the MEC is gone. Rick Creehan was president and his brother Denny Creehan was named AD and head football coach by his brother. We now have a WV girl in Carrie Bodkins who is an AB alum and was a well-respected head coach in the old WVIAC. Our former AD J.D. Long is her assistant and for a fact was well respected in the old WVIAC. Our current president is older and not brash like Creehan was. We made mistakes at ABU. But Wheeling made the same votes.

ABU has played every single MEC in multiple sports in home-and-home games....all but West Liberty. Our athletic site is not a closed book. It is there to verify. If they held such a grudge, then why schedule us. We play Glenville in football for an annual trophy....that started well after the WVIAC dissolved. In men's basketball, I know we have played every MEC school, even Shepherd, in men's basketball over the years except West Liberty. We do pretty much the same in a lot of sports.

I do believe things will change. D&E being admitted makes me believe that. But today the governor of WV says the will have a $500 million revenue shortage. That is a lot of coin for the state of WV. I don't think a lot of the state schools are going to want to take a conference trip to central NC. I don't think the dollars signs are there. Privates are certainly in the same boat. I saw an article where WV Wesleyan recently cut 37 positions. Times are changing. Many of these presidents and ADs can override Mr. Amos' voice pretty quick at this point.