Derek Redd reports Shepherd is leaving the MEC after next year

[Sportsnut]

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

With Shepherd and Wise leaving, the impending departure of Urbana and Notre Dame there doesn't appear to be much future for the MEC. If saving the MEC is bringing back ABU, DE, Salem and Bluefield we could be the worst conference in D2 by far. I'm really surprised politics never got involved and keep Shepherd in the MEC since it is a state school and with them leaving the whole MEC which is mostly made up of WV state schools will be effected. Their departure is certainly not good and other than Frostburg there doesn't appear to have any worthy potential members.

[CALUPA69]

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

With Shepherd and Wise leaving, the impending departure of Urbana and Notre Dame there doesn't appear to be much future for the MEC. If saving the MEC is bringing back ABU, DE, Salem and Bluefield we could be the worst conference in D2 by far. I'm really surprised politics never got involved and keep Shepherd in the MEC since it is a state school and with them leaving the whole MEC which is mostly made up of WV state schools will be effected. Their departure is certainly not good and other than Frostburg there doesn't appear to have any worthy potential members.

I never realized that the MEC was made up of such small, enrollment wise, schools. The total student body count of the entire conference doesn't equal that of the two largest PSAC schools, IUP and WCU. Considering that a number of the members are private and lack the ability to depend on the public sector for any support, it would seem like the conference is always going to be skating on the edge. Add to that the overwhelming presence of WVU and MARSHALL and the long term viability of a largely WV based D2 league seems doubtful. It may not come to pass, but a OHIO/WV D2 league, under an entirely new banner seems like the best choice. Time will tell.

[RamPride]

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

Yeah right... hold that bag.....and see what happens...

[BlueBlood]

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

Yes, since the other OH D2 schools moved to the GMAC, I believe it is where NDC belongs. It might not happen this year or next, but ultimately it seems like the right move for the school. You can disagree with me as to whether that is the right move for NDC. Good people can disagree. Unfortunately, after your attempt to smear me yesterday, I'm not convinced you are good people. I know you are in a bad place right now, but that is no reason to make up stuff about me.

Your point makes sense, and I have said similar things in the past. I think NDC finds its way back to the G-MAC eventually.

Don't let BoatCapt get to you. The posters who have been on here for any amount of time know those weren't your rumors. Face it, he is having a very bad week.

[boatcapt]

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

Yes, since the other OH D2 schools moved to the GMAC, I believe it is where NDC belongs. It might not happen this year or next, but ultimately it seems like the right move for the school. You can disagree with me as to whether that is the right move for NDC. Good people can disagree. Unfortunately, after your attempt to smear me yesterday, I'm not convinced you are good people. I know you are in a bad place right now, but that is no reason to make up stuff about me.

Smear you...THAT's FUNNY! You've "heard" so many rumors that you can't keep them strait any more.

[JDonAB92]

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

I never realized that the MEC was made up of such small, enrollment wise, schools. The total student body count of the entire conference doesn't equal that of the two largest PSAC schools, IUP and WCU. Considering that a number of the members are private and lack the ability to depend on the public sector for any support, it would seem like the conference is always going to be skating on the edge. Add to that the overwhelming presence of WVU and MARSHALL and the long term viability of a largely WV based D2 league seems doubtful. It may not come to pass, but a OHIO/WV D2 league, under an entirely new banner seems like the best choice. Time will tell.

For the record, it isn't trending upwards either. That can be proven with facts. My alma mater has taken a beating on this board for its' enrollment and the thought that "it should be closed" and other nonsense. But taking a look at the latest WV Higher Education Report Card, the trend at the WV public institutions shows a sharp decline in enrollment recently for most of the state institutions.

The 2017 WV Higher Education Report Card did a five-year study in enrollments from 2012-2017. The study shows this:

In 2012, Concord was at 2622 students. In 2017, they are at 2066. That is a -21.2% drop in five years.

In 2012, Fairmont State was at 4114 students. In 2017, they are at 3743. That is a -9.0% drop in five years.

In 2012, Glenville State was at 1891 students. In 2017, they are at 1607. That is a -15.0% drop in five years.

In 2012, Shepherd was at 4289 students. In 2017, they are at 3443. That is a -19.7% drop in five years.

In 2012, West Liberty was at 2712 students. In 2017, they are at 2112. That is a -22.1% drop in five years.

In 2012, WV State was at 2600 students. In 2017, they were at 3373. That is a +29.7% increase in five years.

The only school growing is WV State. Two caveats to that: (1) they were in terrible debt six years ago and this hopefully helps a lot, but (2) they are primarily a commuter school that may have benefited from the fact that many students can't afford to go away to school to many of these other state schools that lost enrollment. And despite all the money and funds that get poured into WVU and Marshall, they both lost enrollment the past five years.

I don't know the trend of UC, WVWC and Wheeling. Those are privates. UC seems to do pretty good. Wheeling's problems have been documented.

You say the MEC schools should merge with the Ohio schools. That is not going to happen. Forget it. At some point, WV schools, both public and private, might need to look at going NAIA. I don't see what is so wrong about that either. The Kentucky schools seem to thrive and enjoy that level. The NAIA has adapted since the WVIAC left to go D2. Over time, it might be wise for WV schools to engage with the Kentucky NAIA schools rather than the private Ohio schools.

[JDonAB92]

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

With Shepherd and Wise leaving, the impending departure of Urbana and Notre Dame there doesn't appear to be much future for the MEC. If saving the MEC is bringing back ABU, DE, Salem and Bluefield we could be the worst conference in D2 by far. I'm really surprised politics never got involved and keep Shepherd in the MEC since it is a state school and with them leaving the whole MEC which is mostly made up of WV state schools will be effected. Their departure is certainly not good and other than Frostburg there doesn't appear to have any worthy potential members.

What is so great about West Liberty? Why knock other schools? West Liberty's enrollment has dropped by 22% over the past five years. West Liberty went to the NCAA in men's basketball. Congratulations. In baseball, they go 21-28. In football, they went 3-8. In men's soccer, they go 5-5-2. Men's tennis goes 10-9. In wrestling, they go 6-7. In women's basketball, they go 13-16. In women's soccer, they 4-11-2. In softball, they go 21-23. In women's tennis, they go 12-8. In volleyball, they go 20-14. I count four sports up there with a winning record. Are we setting the world on fire up there? I am not happy with our athletic department. It stinks right now. But I am not running down other schools.

Ohio Valley had two separate programs earn NCAA bids this past school year. Two. That is more than the following current MEC athletic departments:

West Liberty....1 NCAA bid
Concord......0
Glenville State 1 NCAA bid
Fairmont State 1 NCAA bid that being tennis and lost to Bluefield State ( a school you knock) in the NCAAs
Urbana 0
Notre Dame 1 NCAA bid
And it appears had the same amount of bids that Charleston, WV Weselyan and WV State had. I am not saying OVU is better athletically than any one. But to constantly knock schools makes no sense. D&E had a team earn a NCAA bid. Some of these schools I see get knocked have high academic ratings I might add.

And by the way, do you think Frostburg State is going to come in and make an immediate impact right away transitioning from D3 to D2?

[Sportsnut]

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

I thought I was nice and I did not run down the four schools mentioned. They were not up to the standards the MEC wanted and the MEC schools parted ways to get rid of them. Personally, I just don't want them back! Small schools, poor facilities!. The West Liberty football program is down due to not pulling the plug on the head coach several years ago. Soccer programs are just getting started. West Liberty does have excellent athletic facilities. With lack of growth in WV, I think all of the schools are going to have problems in the future.

[Stea1th]

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

We've passed the 10 o'clock hour on Monday, and still no announcement from the PSAC/Shepherd side. I kind of thought the MEC preemptive announcement would have caused them to scramble and quickly put something together. Apparently not.

[Ram Tough]

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

We've passed the 10 o'clock hour on Monday, and still no announcement from the PSAC/Shepherd side. I kind of thought the MEC preemptive announcement would have caused them to scramble and quickly put something together. Apparently not.

Shepherd has always released things on its terms. See the football signings that are released much later than most programs.

[Stea1th]

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

Your point makes sense, and I have said similar things in the past. I think NDC finds its way back to the G-MAC eventually.

Hindsight being 20/20, NDC (and Urbana for that matter) should not have moved to the MEC when the WV schools came calling. It was a short-sighted move which now has us in a WV-based conference while our traditional rivals have now all successfully regrouped in the GMAC. Think about it. If NDC and Urbana hadn't moved, the MEC probably would have taken AB right from the get-go and we wouldn't have this weird situation where the two conferences overlap unnecessarily. It would be one thing if one conference had the best of the all the schools in OH and WV, and the other had the lesser schools (think Big 10 / MAC), However, that's not the case here at all. Of the 5 "misplaced schools", NDC is probably the only one that is in the top half of its conferences' across-the-board standings. The others are at or near the bottom. So, each conference is made up of the most competitive schools in its home state and the "not the most competitive schools" from the other state (with NDC being the only potential exception) It just doesn't make sense. And, forcing those schools to spend larger travel budgets will not help those schools escape the bottoms of their respective conferences. At some point, reality has to set in for the involved schools and conferences.

[Stea1th]

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

...and, if the MEC had AB and Frostburg (or some other closer school) right from the beginning, and Shepherd wasn't unnecessarily lugging themselves to Ohio, maybe Shepherd would have stayed in the MEC. And if the GMAC didn't have the WV schools, there is probably a decent chance that Ashland would already be in the GMAC. Again, hindsight is 20/20.

[Sportsnut]

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

Your posts make sense Stea1th.

[BlueBlood]

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

If you put yourself back in 2012, it's easy to see why the choice was made. 11/12 football schools in the MEC vs 2/3 in the G-MAC (depending upon who stayed/left). And, while there had been a long-standing plan for the OH GLIAC to come aboard, there was no guarantee it was going to happen.

It's always difficult to decline what's shinier than what you currently have.

[cneagle99]