Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

[CALUPA69]

Re: Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

I ran down the list with him/her and he/she wouldn't even give me a feel for who. Source did say it might be just the team developing a contingency plan should a number if PSAC schools close/merge/leave and the conf colapses to one division (no east and west). Perhaps a travel distance issue??

Unless someone has a plan for building a new university for 37,320 students, it seems unlikely that these schools will be closed any time soon. The most likely consolidation would be CLARION rolled into EU which would result in a combined student body of 10,059 with a huge cut in faculty and staff costs. I don't see any of the other locations having any incentive for moving. Why abandon 50 years plus of well developed rivalries to start from scratch? Although Harrisburg has done their best to starve the true state system to boost PSU,PITT and TEMPLE, the next true crisis is about a generation away when childless millennial couples will supply the death blow.

[boatcapt]

Re: Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

Unless someone has a plan for building a new university for 37,320 students, it seems unlikely that these schools will be closed any time soon. The most likely consolidation would be CLARION rolled into EU which would result in a combined student body of 10,059 with a huge cut in faculty and staff costs. I don't see any of the other locations having any incentive for moving. Why abandon 50 years plus of well developed rivalries to start from scratch? Although Harrisburg has done their best to starve the true state system to boost PSU,PITT and TEMPLE, the next true crisis is about a generation away when childless millennial couples will supply the death blow.

Meanwhile, 11 of the PSAC public school members saw continuing enrollment slides last year including 3 that saw double digit one year declines. Long term 11 PSAC schools are in the midst of a long term enrollment slide that has seen them shed thousands of students and in fact 5 schools have send over 1/4 of their students from their 2010 level. Only two schools have seen enrollment gains with West Chester leading the way at a 21% gain since 2010 and SRU eaking out a .3% gain over that 8 year period. You put EU and Clairion on your list of schools that should be merged but I would note that Mansfield, Lock Haven, IUP and Ship have seen similar enrollment declines and should also be on your list for merger.

Thus far PASSHE's only concrete answer to addressing this nearly decade long slide is allowing individual colleges to set their own tuition and offering early retirement to professors.

[ESU Warrior]

Re: Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

Meanwhile, 11 of the PSAC public school members saw continuing enrollment slides last year including 3 that saw double digit one year declines. Long term 11 PSAC schools are in the midst of a long term enrollment slide that has seen them shed thousands of students and in fact 5 schools have send over 1/4 of their students from their 2010 level. Only two schools have seen enrollment gains with West Chester leading the way at a 21% gain since 2010 and SRU eaking out a .3% gain over that 8 year period. You put EU and Clairion on your list of schools that should be merged but I would note that Mansfield, Lock Haven, IUP and Ship have seen similar enrollment declines and should also be on your list for merger.

Thus far PASSHE's only concrete answer to addressing this nearly decade long slide is allowing individual colleges to set their own tuition and offering early retirement to professors.

I don't contribute the decline to enrollment on the state system, fully. There is a decline on college enrollment in our country. More students on picking up trades, as there is a large demand for jobs in those fields versus the traditional 4 year college.

[boatcapt]

Re: Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

I don't contribute the decline to enrollment on the state system, fully. There is a decline on college enrollment in our country. More students on picking up trades, as there is a large demand for jobs in those fields versus the traditional 4 year college.

I agree, but schools, both public and private, have been very slow to react to the changing dynamic. Seems like their knee jerk reaction to sometimes massive declines in enrollment is to blame someone or something else...basically anything to avoid having to change what they do and how they do it. Kind of like going through a train tunnel, seeing a bright light and the sound of train wheels hurtling down the tracks toward you, and choosing to believe what you are seeing is simply the light from the end of the tunnel. Doesn't matter how much you wish that it's not a train you see, it is a train and it's going to run over you if you don't do something and SOON!!

[Topper912]

Re: Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

Pikeville would be a good addition. They are a very good NAIA basketball program and have good facilities. Football is decent but nothing great.

Bluefield sucks, please don't invite them.

AB, can rot in hell for all I care, don't invite them either.

As for the others, I don't care either way.

[Stea1th]

Re: Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

Has anyone found a way to see the MEC all sports rankings? I can't find it on the website.

Interestingly, the last Directors Cup standings (which are calculated differently than the MEC all sports rankings) I saw had WJU as the 2nd highest ranking MEC school just behind Charleston. Which, is pretty crazy to think that the school that appears to be completely falling apart in front of our eyes would be one of the MEC torchbearers in the national rankings.

Still no Commissioner's Cup announcement. Weird. Every other conference announced their all-sports winners weeks ago. Its been weeks since the last in-conference competition occurred.

[Tech Boys]

Re: Who will take WJU's spot in MEC???

Still no Commissioner's Cup announcement. Weird. Every other conference announced their all-sports winners weeks ago. Its been weeks since the last in-conference competition occurred.

The Commissioner's Cup announcement in 2018 was on June 26. With conference play usually completed by the first weekend of May, it is odd to have to wait so long.

[Stea1th]

here's what I've heard from "sources" recently. MEC has contacted Ashland about them joining. Ashland said they were interested but not right now. MEC has had talks with AB but both agreed not to move forward for the coming year. They have also talked to Walsh and discussions are on going. MEC has also talked to Pikeville and Bluefield (VA) and both have expressed a degree of interest. Also one unnamed PSAC state school has reached out to them recently to see what the MEC had to offer.

Boatcapt, have you received any updates from your sources?

[boatcapt]

Boatcapt, have you received any updates from your sources?

I get the feeling that my "source" is the same one that has been saying for the last 5 or 6 years that the move of NDC to the GMAC is eminent. Think he is the same one who just the other day said that Mercyhurst and Gannon will be moving to the MEC and quite possibly he is the source spreading the "rumor" that Frostburg is being targeted by the PSAC!!

But to answer your question, no I haven't received an update...of course, I haven't asked either.

Any update from your sources visa vie NDC's pending move to the GMAC??

[Stea1th]

[boatcapt]

I think most of the sources quoted on this board are more wishful thinking than actual going to happen things. A school contacting a conference does not mean that the school is actually interested...often times it is just do diligence with near zero chance of it happening. Same with a conference contacting a particular school...school may be cordial to the conference official and will probably even listen to what the conference has to say, but at the end of the day, almost zero chance of actually moving.

If schools did what was exclusively in their best interest, the conference landscape at all levels would be quite different. Of course, that would all depend on how the president defined "best interest!!!" Probably as many definitions of "best interest" as there "sources" on this message board.

I've said this before, it would be in both conferences "best interest" to combine and become one conference with east and west divisions. Figure out a way to do 10 in-division games and then the 11'th week have a Championship Weekend were 1 v 1, 2 v 2, 3 v 3, etc. You could call it the Great Mountain East Athletic Conference (GMEAC). AND the GMEAC would be one heck of a basketball conference!!!! But it will never happen...too many egos.

[Brandon]

Great post boatcapt.

I always say that "the only thing coaches like more than winning is being employed." Really it's just a snarky way of saying that people act in their own self interest.

NFL scenario: Coach and GM are on the hot seat and have a choice in the draft. They have a decent quarterback, but there is a sure fire NFL star at quarterback as well as an impact defensive end that will help their pass rush and give them a winning record. The quarterback will take a couple of years to develop. What is the best interest of the team? Who do they pick?

In most situations, they'll pick the defensive end because he will help them win a few more games the next year while the

The quarterback was most likely the best choice for the organization. It's why what Kansas City did by moving up and picking Mahomes only to let him sit for a year is so uncommon. It was a move made by a coach very secure in his job.

But to get back on track, I don't believe two conferences would ever merge in the scenario you mentioned. While conference commissioners serve at the behest of the school presidents, those presidents also rely on the commissioners for input and advice. No commissioner is going to endorse a scenario that costs him or her a job.

[boatcapt]

Great post boatcapt.

I always say that "the only thing coaches like more than winning is being employed." Really it's just a snarky way of saying that people act in their own self interest.

NFL scenario: Coach and GM are on the hot seat and have a choice in the draft. They have a decent quarterback, but there is a sure fire NFL star at quarterback as well as an impact defensive end that will help their pass rush and give them a winning record. The quarterback will take a couple of years to develop. What is the best interest of the team? Who do they pick?

In most situations, they'll pick the defensive end because he will help them win a few more games the next year while the

The quarterback was most likely the best choice for the organization. It's why what Kansas City did by moving up and picking Mahomes only to let him sit for a year is so uncommon. It was a move made by a coach very secure in his job.

But to get back on track, I don't believe two conferences would ever merge in the scenario you mentioned. While conference commissioners serve at the behest of the school presidents, those presidents also rely on the commissioners for input and advice. No commissioner is going to endorse a scenario that costs him or her a job.

Yep..."Best interest" is different depending on the position of the person you are talking to. But to my "disinterested" eye, a MEC/GMAC merger makes perfect sense (absent the fact that one of the commissioners would lose his job and therefore, would be STRONGLY against it!!). Football as a whole would be improved under the GMEAC badge, basketball would take a quantum leap forward (from two really good conferences to one great conference) and "down ballot" sports like Wrestling, Swimming, Baseball and Softball would be much more competitive.

As we used to say in the military, It makes sense...Therefore it will never happen!

[Horror Child]

Yep..."Best interest" is different depending on the position of the person you are talking to. But to my "disinterested" eye, a MEC/GMAC merger makes perfect sense (absent the fact that one of the commissioners would lose his job and therefore, would be STRONGLY against it!!). Football as a whole would be improved under the GMEAC badge, basketball would take a quantum leap forward (from two really good conferences to one great conference) and "down ballot" sports like Wrestling, Swimming, Baseball and Softball would be much more competitive.

As we used to say in the military, It makes sense...Therefore it will never happen!

This is intriguing, but how would football be improved under this scenario? There will be more good teams, but there will also be more crappy teams, which actually applies to all sports. Sure it would be easier for football to fill an 11-game schedule, but the entire MEC accomplished that this year and usually does. Except for Urbana and Notre Dame, travel costs would increase for in conference, divisional crossover games. Under a two division format, Urbana and Notre Dame would likely be geographically placed with the current GMAC schools, which just means that they are currently not in the best geographic conference for them. Currently, each conference is eligible for automatic bids in sports that grant them; under a merged conference, that gets reduced to one spot.

[boatcapt]

This is intriguing, but how would football be improved under this scenario? There will be more good teams, but there will also be more crappy teams, which actually applies to all sports. Sure it would be easier for football to fill an 11-game schedule, but the entire MEC accomplished that this year and usually does. Except for Urbana and Notre Dame, travel costs would increase for in conference, divisional crossover games. Under a two division format, Urbana and Notre Dame would likely be geographically placed with the current GMAC schools, which just means that they are currently not in the best geographic conference for them. Currently, each conference is eligible for automatic bids in sports that grant them; under a merged conference, that gets reduced to one spot.

Two 10 team Divisions divided roughly along current conference lines with NDC and Urbana moving to the west and AB moving to the east. That would reduce costs for the current MEC teams by eliminating the need to travel to NDC and Urbana, would reduce costs of current GMAC teams by adding closer by NDC and Urbana. No prescribed "cross over game" giving teams freedom to schedule game 10 as they wish...or not schedule at all. last week of the season would be the championship week with all teams playing their respective counterpart.

All four teams involved in the 1 v 1 and 2 v 2 would benefit from a bump in SOS points by playing an additional +.750 team (probably) while the winner of each of those games would also get a W/L % bump. Perfect scenario would have two 10-0 #1's playing and two 9-1 #2's playing...Final outcome would be one 11-0, two 10-1 and one 9-2. Would it guarantee additional playoff selections? No, but I think it would increase the chances of getting more than two into the playoffs. Would every year match this "perfect scenario?" Probably not but under the current system the two conferences only get one team each in anyway so probably not much harm in trying.

Auto bids are nice but if your conference has to depend on them to get a team into the playoffs, they probably didn't deserve to be in the playoffs anyway.