Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

[boatcapt]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

You were telling us how they've been playing most of the same schools for 90+ years between the WVIAC and the MEC. Doesn't sound like a history of leaving when they don't get their way.


The PSAC and LIU Post parted ways when full-time, i.e sponsoring more than football in the conference, options became available.

Yes...And up to now they did not have a history of cutting and running. Now they do. Just as the PSAC before Post had a history of never "cutting" a member, associate or otherwise and before recently, the PSAC never had a history of a member dropping athletics.

Will the PSAC and Shepherd "part ways" if a PA based school becomes available? Will they part ways when (if) the conference contracts and having a team in WV becomes superfluous to the PSAC's needs? Only time will tell...

[Stea1th]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

The MEC's business model has been to stay at 12 teams and focus on quality rather than quantity and schools that didn't have the quality were indeed told no thank you. It appears now that they should have focused instead on inviting every school to join them regardless of size, location and quality.

Sarcasm is noted.

Given that the OH schools that would have shown interest are the ones that moved to the GMAC and are similar in almost every way to NDC, I guess its a miracle that we were ever invited to join. I guess that makes Urbana an even bigger miracle.

[Ram040506]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

I'm talking about Shepherd leaving the MEC because they didn't get their way. What is Shepherd going to do if the other PSAC Presidents vote against something that they want? I mean, Shepherd is the "Most Western" school in the PSAC...wonder what Shep would do if the PSAC realignment that may come in the not too distant future includes them moving from the East to the West? Shepherd does now have a history of leaving when things don't go their way.

As for the PSAC getting rid of Post, true, they were an Associate member so it was easy to get rid of them. But still, they were the only non-PA school ever in the PSAC and the conference did get rid of them when better in-state options became available.

Shepherd is leaving because its a better opportunity for the athletic department as a whole. Not because they didn't get their way and are pouting/leaving because of it.

[Stea1th]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Shepherd is leaving because its a better opportunity for the athletic department as a whole. Not because they didn't get their way and are pouting/leaving because of it.

Completely understood.

[boatcapt]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Sarcasm is noted.

Given that the OH schools that would have shown interest are the ones that moved to the GMAC and are similar in almost every way to NDC, I guess its a miracle that we were ever invited to join. I guess that makes Urbana an even bigger miracle.

What part of "their business model has been to stay at 12 teams" didn't you understand? If you have 12 teams and a 13th (or 14th or 15th) school contacts you, you politely say no thank you even if they have the qualities you would want in a new member.

[boatcapt]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Shepherd is leaving because its a better opportunity for the athletic department as a whole. Not because they didn't get their way and are pouting/leaving because of it.

Some would disagree...It's because the MEC refused to bring in a dancing partner for Shepherd...or it's because the Commissioner was giving everything to WLU and conversely doing nothing for Shepherd...

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Shepherd is gone. Ship sailed. Time to move on or the MEC will be hitting the iceberg soon.

[Ram040506]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Some would disagree...It's because the MEC refused to bring in a dancing partner for Shepherd...or it's because the Commissioner was giving everything to WLU and conversely doing nothing for Shepherd...

I would say those particular points are more in the process of doing your Pro's and Con's list. Both of those being on the Con side and yes contributing to reasoning to leave the conference. But not the end all be all your making it out to be. Your as bad as the news is today, just manipulating talking points and other data to support whatever you want the end result to look like.

[Stea1th]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

schools that didn't have the quality were indeed told no thank you.

you politely say no thank you even if they have the qualities you would want in a new member.

My bad. I get it now.

[Ram Tough]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Yes...And up to now they did not have a history of cutting and running. Now they do. Just as the PSAC before Post had a history of never "cutting" a member, associate or otherwise and before recently, the PSAC never had a history of a member dropping athletics.

Will the PSAC and Shepherd "part ways" if a PA based school becomes available? Will they part ways when (if) the conference contracts and having a team in WV becomes superfluous to the PSAC's needs? Only time will tell...

It is very easy to cut an associate member. But if Shepherd is full time and stays compliant within the PSAC, there would be no way that they could be kicked out.

[boatcapt]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

My bad. I get it now.

Two different points...Schools that didn't have the attributes were told no thank you as were schools that have the attributes the conference would have been looking for since the conference was already the size they wanted to be, they said no thank you. Same answer to both...different reasons. Don't want them vice don't need them.

[Stea1th]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Two different points...Schools that didn't have the attributes were told no thank you as were schools that have the attributes the conference would have been looking for since the conference was already the size they wanted to be, they said no thank you. Same answer to both...different reasons. Don't want them vice don't need them.

Oh no - I get it. When schools that would have helped us and Urbana out inquired - they were all told "no thank you" (for either reason "A" or reason "B").

[boatcapt]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Oh no - I get it. When schools that would have helped us and Urbana out inquired - they were all told "no thank you" (for either reason "A" or reason "B").

Who were these schools of whom you speak? The Presidents of NDC and Urbana could have/should have tried to convince the majority of their fellow board members that the conference should expand to add additional football playing schools. They either didn't or weren't successful at it. The Board of Directors has the authority to direct the Commissioner to do what ever they want...If they want him to start contacting schools and express the conferences interest in expanding, they can direct him to do that...If they want him to make a statement that the MEC is looking to expand to 16 teams (or any intermediate or even larger number), they can direct that as well. If the Commissioner fails to carry out the directions of the Board, then the Board can (and should) fire him.

People want to blame "the conference" (myself included) when the conference is actually made up of the Presidents of each of the member schools...including theirs. Get the majority to see your point of view (or 2/3 in some specific cases) and your schools idea wins the day, don't convince the majority, and you lose. In the case of expanding the conference beyond 12, assuming NDC, Urbana and Shepherd were in favor, all they needed to do was convince four of the remaining nine Presidents. They apparently didn't do that.

[Stea1th]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

Who were these schools of whom you speak?

Six OH D2 schools made conference changes the past two years. Which ones or how many of those actually inquired with the MEC before choosing the GMAC, I'm note sure. You would probably know better than me, as you were the one who came on here and said your source confirmed that some of them inquired and were told "no thanks". At the time that you made those claims, you were pretty pleased that they had been pushed away.

[Ram Tough]

Re: Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

If ANY football playing school was turned down by the MEC, it was a foolish decision.