Future Schedules

[ESU Warrior]

When will the MEC release their schedules for next year?

I am assuming it will include Frostburg, correct?

[boatcapt]

Re: Future Schedules

When will the MEC release their schedules for next year?

I am assuming it will include Frostburg, correct?

Don't know when it will be released. I would presume it will contain Frostburg and Wheeling Jesuit. I think a lot of it will depend on weather UNCP joins for 2019 or weather it will be 2020. If they are fully on board in 2019, it will mean that for all intents and purposes, the MEC will have no OOC games. However, part of the UNCP deal is that they will continue to be able to play WSSU. That would mean that two MEC schools (UNCP and whichever school would have played UNCP on their WSSU week) would have one true OOC date each year.

[Raymond Franze]

Re: Future Schedules

I think a lot of it will depend on weather UNCP joins for 2019 or weather it will be 2020. If they are fully on board in 2019, it will mean that for all intents and purposes, the MEC will have no OOC games.

While UNC-Pembroke is slated to begin MEC competition next year in certain sports, they are due to begin football competition in 2020.

Link to Announcement: UNC-Pembroke joins the MEC as an associate member for football

[boatcapt]

Re: Future Schedules

While UNC-Pembroke is slated to begin MEC competition next year in certain sports, they are due to begin football competition in 2020.

Link to Announcement: UNC-Pembroke joins the MEC as an associate member for football

True. But I get the feeling that the break-up with the SAC is not a happy one and as it was just a scheduling alliance, UNCP is technically free to schedule anyone they want. Just my gut feel but I think UNCP will have a number of MEC schools on their 2019 schedule to go along with WSSU. Will it be a full MEC schedule? Doubtful because some MEC schools are playing the back end of Home and Home agreements (WLU for example has the 2nd year of Bloomburg). But for MEC schools that are looking, I think UNCP would be a logical first call.

[cwfenn]

Re: Future Schedules

If the MEC needs OOC games, the NE10 could be a possibility. With two schools leaving and one coming in they have 9 schools and there will only be 8 conference games.

[timbertopper]

Re: Future Schedules

True. But I get the feeling that the break-up with the SAC is not a happy one and as it was just a scheduling alliance, UNCP is technically free to schedule anyone they want. Just my gut feel but I think UNCP will have a number of MEC schools on their 2019 schedule to go along with WSSU. Will it be a full MEC schedule? Doubtful because some MEC schools are playing the back end of Home and Home agreements (WLU for example has the 2nd year of Bloomburg). But for MEC schools that are looking, I think UNCP would be a logical first call.

Pretty sure Bloomsburg was a one-and-done. They just needed a replacement for Cheyney on their schedule.

[LegalRam]

Re: Future Schedules

True. But I get the feeling that the break-up with the SAC is not a happy one and as it was just a scheduling alliance, UNCP is technically free to schedule anyone they want. Just my gut feel but I think UNCP will have a number of MEC schools on their 2019 schedule to go along with WSSU. Will it be a full MEC schedule? Doubtful because some MEC schools are playing the back end of Home and Home agreements (WLU for example has the 2nd year of Bloomburg). But for MEC schools that are looking, I think UNCP would be a logical first call.

Yeah, from my understanding we are contracted to pay UNCP through 2020.

[boatcapt]

Re: Future Schedules

Pretty sure Bloomsburg was a one-and-done. They just needed a replacement for Cheyney on their schedule.

Didn't know that. Thought it was a two year deal. UNCP would probably be the easy call for WLU as well as for other MEC schools.

[boatcapt]

Re: Future Schedules

If the MEC needs OOC games, the NE10 could be a possibility. With two schools leaving and one coming in they have 9 schools and there will only be 8 conference games.

Next year will effectively be the last year the MEC has open weeks and as I said, a lot of those probably will be taken up by UNCP. After next year when UNCP is "officially" on board for football, the conf will have one OOC game that being the team that would have played UNCP the week they play WSSU.

Only option for in region OOC games for the NE10 will be the first week of the season with the PSAC and the GMAC.

[ctrabs74]

Re: Future Schedules

If the MEC needs OOC games, the NE10 could be a possibility. With two schools leaving and one coming in they have 9 schools and there will only be 8 conference games.

True. But, if past patterns hold true, it appears the NE-10 teams will only play 10 games this season as they have for the last two seasons.

[ctrabs74]

Re: Future Schedules

Didn't know that. Thought it was a two year deal. UNCP would probably be the easy call for WLU as well as for other MEC schools.

I think it also depends on UNCP's existing scheduling obligations (ie. back-end of home-and-home series or existing contracts with SAC schools, etc.).

[ctrabs74]

Re: Future Schedules

Yeah, from my understanding we are contracted to pay UNCP through 2020.

So, that might be the "OOC" game on UNCP's 2020 slate, presuming they're still slated to play WSSU in Week 1 in 2019 and 2020.

[ctrabs74]

Re: Future Schedules

Pretty sure Bloomsburg was a one-and-done. They just needed a replacement for Cheyney on their schedule.

Given the timing of last season's game, that's exactly the case. Shepherd effectively replaces Cheyney on the PSAC's mandated schedule for 2019 (and, yes, it still feels weird to type this), so that's whom Bloomsburg is facing in that slot next season (their other OOC game was Week 1 vs. Stonehill).