GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

[purduefan11]

I am thinking that there could be some major shifts within these four conferences in the next few years. From what I am hearing, schools are looking to cut travel costs, so here is what I am thinking how it could break down.

GMAC - lose Kentucky Wesleyan, Trevecca Nazarene, Alderson Broaddus, Davis and Elkins (confirmed to be leaving), and Ohio Valley
add Notre Dame College, Ashland, Urbana, Uindy, and maybe an NAIA school like Marian or Indiana Wesleyan
GLVC - Lose Uindy and Lewis
add Oakland City and Kentucky Wesleyan (also try to go after Washburn and/or bring back Lincoln from the MIAA)
GLIAC - lose Ashland and
add Lewis (also look at adding some NAIA Michigan schools)
MEC - Lose Urbana and Notre Dame College
add AB, D&E, OVU, Salem, and Bluefield

Thoughts?

[boatcapt]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

Topic is well discussed on the GMAC board in the GMAC/GLIAC Update thread.

[Sportsnut]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

Be just like the old WVIAC. This would really suck letting all those sub par schools back in.

[boatcapt]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

Be just like the old WVIAC. This would really suck letting all those sub par schools back in.

Yea...Seems like people always want to throw the dead wood back to the MEC as some sort of "make sense deal." We went through a lot to get rid of them in the first place...what makes people think we would take them back?

You could likewise make a pretty compelling case that Bowie should join the MEC and Lincoln (PA) should join the PSAC but I don't see those happening either.

Heck, if distance is the only issue, you could make a compelling argument that Cal might be enticed to join the MEC. Again...probably not going to happen!!

We've discussed this again on the GMAC forum...Just as we have the last five off seasons. Beyond travel distance, there is no real reason for schools to move and if travel distance was SOOOO important to these schools, they would have moved long ago.

[Stea1th]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

Learfield IMG has released their final Directors Cup standings. Last year the MEC only posted one school in the top-100. This year, the number has increased to three. Charleston came in 43rd, Wheeling Jesuit came in 86th, and Notre Dame came in 94th. Seems like nice improvement for the conference on the national all-sports stage. Regionally, the MEC still lags a bit behind the PSAC (a staggering 7 teams in top-100) and the GMAC (4 teams in top-100). So, there is still some work to do. And, with the future competitiveness of WJU somewhat in doubt, at least one other school probably needs to up its game just to make sure that progress is not lost.

[Stea1th]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

I should have added: unfortunately incoming school Davis and Elkins did not score any national points at all, so I don't think we can expect much help from them.

[BlueBlood]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

I should have added: unfortunately incoming school Davis and Elkins did not score any national points at all, so I don't think we can expect much help from them.

D&E was not competitive in the G-MAC (and they seemed to be trending downward). Traveling long distances to not be competitive probably got old. They likely won't be competitive in the MEC either, but at least their trips will be shorter now. Who knows, maybe the change will breath some new life into the program.

I will say this about D&E - their teams at least look the part of a D2 program. When we had Salem and Central St. in the conference, some of their teams and facilities came across as very intermural-ish (and both schools even cancelled parts of seasons after the wheels came off). D&E always came across as a well-run athletic department despite their teams not always being competitive.

[boatcapt]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

D&E was not competitive in the G-MAC (and they seemed to be trending downward). Traveling long distances to not be competitive probably got old. They likely won't be competitive in the MEC either, but at least their trips will be shorter now. Who knows, maybe the change will breath some new life into the program.

I will say this about D&E - their teams at least look the part of a D2 program. When we had Salem and Central St. in the conference, some of their teams and facilities came across as very intermural-ish (and both schools even cancelled parts of seasons after the wheels came off). D&E always came across as a well-run athletic department despite their teams not always being competitive.

Well...Being one of the causes for the demise of the WVIAC didn't convince them to improve their athletics...Not getting invited to join the MEC didn't cause them to at least try harder...Getting the invite and playing in the GMAC didn't breath new life into them...Doubt that moving to the MEC will cause them to go "OH...NOW we get it! You want us to actually TRY to be good!! Well now that we know, we'll make it happen."

MEC will be the third conference that they consistently finish at the bottom in.

[BlueBlood]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

Learfield IMG has released their final Directors Cup standings. Last year the MEC only posted one school in the top-100. This year, the number has increased to three. Charleston came in 43rd, Wheeling Jesuit came in 86th, and Notre Dame came in 94th. Seems like nice improvement for the conference on the national all-sports stage. Regionally, the MEC still lags a bit behind the PSAC (a staggering 7 teams in top-100) and the GMAC (4 teams in top-100). So, there is still some work to do. And, with the future competitiveness of WJU somewhat in doubt, at least one other school probably needs to up its game just to make sure that progress is not lost.

The crazy thing is that not too long ago I remember thinking that NDC/WJU to the G-MAC might make more sense than NDC/Urbana. Oh how a few months changes things.

Congrats on top-100 year for NDC.

[boatcapt]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

Learfield IMG has released their final Directors Cup standings. Last year the MEC only posted one school in the top-100. This year, the number has increased to three. Charleston came in 43rd, Wheeling Jesuit came in 86th, and Notre Dame came in 94th. Seems like nice improvement for the conference on the national all-sports stage. Regionally, the MEC still lags a bit behind the PSAC (a staggering 7 teams in top-100) and the GMAC (4 teams in top-100). So, there is still some work to do. And, with the future competitiveness of WJU somewhat in doubt, at least one other school probably needs to up its game just to make sure that progress is not lost.

Learfield is a strange animal with a weird scoring rules. A team is scored for only 15 sports and four of those 15 MUST be Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball and Women's Volleyball. Beyond that they give you a laundry list of other sports that you can earn points in based on your place in national polls/NCAA seeding. This list of sports includes:

Women's Rowing
Men's Volleyball
Women's Water Polo
Bowling
Fencing
Rifle
Sking
Gymnastics
Field Hockey

Again, the points you get are based on were you are ranked sooooo, if you want to do well, you start a couple of teams in sports were there aren't many schools that participate and you have a pretty good chance at getting "nationally ranked" in that sport, and scoring points for that and move you up in the rankings!!!

Hummm...Wonder if college bowling has beer frames?? Get drunk and earn your school some Learfield points at the same time!!!

[Stea1th]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

For the record, NDC earned its national points in Football, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball and Wrestling.

[Clydes 'N Rams]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

For the record, NDC earned its national points in Football, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball and Wrestling.

Touche' :wink:

[Eagle74]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

To many irrelevant sports are equated into the equation of this ranking. Take a look at the D1 rankings and see where powerhouse Alabama and Clemson are ranked. Only 1 SEC team in the top 10, with Alabama ranked below Princeton? I mean seriously, how many points are added for competitive tiddly winks, lawn darts, and pin the tale on the donkey?

[boatcapt]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

To many irrelevant sports are equated into the equation of this ranking. Take a look at the D1 rankings and see where powerhouse Alabama and Clemson are ranked. Only 1 SEC team in the top 10, with Alabama ranked below Princeton? I mean seriously, how many points are added for competitive tiddly winks, lawn darts, and pin the tale on the donkey?

It's impossible to create a system that really ranks college athletic programs. There is no perfect system yet people continue to try. Often these rankings give wildly different results. For example, the Learfield system had the MEC ranked as:

1. Charleston
2. Wheeling Jesuit
3. Notre Dame
4. West Liberty

While the MEC Comissioner's Cup has the rankings:

1. Charleston
2. Notre Dame
3. Fairmont
4. West Liberty

For reference, Learfield ranked Fairmont LAST in the MEC while the Commisioner's Cup ranked WJU EIGHT in the conference!

So which one is "right?" Probably neither one. They both have different criteria for rankings and they achieve their goal...In Learfield's case it is designed to drive people to their web site and hopefully might entice someone to use their college centric services...In the MEC's case it is designed to give people something to talk about during the off season.

[Tech Boys]

Re: GMAC/GLVC/GLIAC/MEC Realignment

It's impossible to create a system that really ranks college athletic programs. There is no perfect system yet people continue to try. Often these rankings give wildly different results. For example, the Learfield system had the MEC ranked as:

1. Charleston
2. Wheeling Jesuit
3. Notre Dame
4. West Liberty

While the MEC Comissioner's Cup has the rankings:

1. Charleston
2. Notre Dame
3. Fairmont
4. West Liberty

For reference, Learfield ranked Fairmont LAST in the MEC while the Commisioner's Cup ranked WJU EIGHT in the conference!

So which one is "right?" Probably neither one. They both have different criteria for rankings and they achieve their goal...In Learfield's case it is designed to drive people to their web site and hopefully might entice someone to use their college centric services...In the MEC's case it is designed to give people something to talk about during the off season.

That's an apples-oranges comparison. The Commissioner's Cup is based on where a team finishes in the conference standings using only in-conference games. Learfield is based only on how a team performs in the NCAA postseason. Which one is "right"; both of them.