Point Park

[Sportsnut]

Please, please not Salem.

[boatcapt]

The most natural fits are WV Tech from NAIA and Salem, the final Division II Independent in the continental US.

WV Tech would be fine. As I've said before, this isn't the same Tech that left the WVIAC back in the day. Salem - NO for SOOOOOOO many reasons! There is a reason that they are the only DII independent in the nation and have been bounced out of two conferences.

[Finchwidget]

I know the MEC announced that scheduling agreement with Salem in the wake of Alderson Broaddus' implosion a few months back. I wonder if the Point Park addition has been in the works for a while, or if the MEC was trial running Salem first to potentially give them a second chance and decided they still didn't like what they saw.

[Uindy18]

Any further information out there on the future of Notre Dame? They had an article come out iwith some AB-like relevations. MEC might be right back where they started with 11 schools again.

https://www.clevescene.com/news/with...-flux-43319004

[Tdobson]

Why is Salem so horrible, and unwanted?I attended IUP and one year we played wvu tech in football. I remember they had a great quarterback

[Uindy18]

Why is Salem so horrible, and unwanted?I attended IUP and one year we played wvu tech in football. I remember they had a great quarterback

There is an old negative reputation for Salem based on a lot of dodgy things that have happened since the 1990s. They cut football in 1988, which is still controversial to this day locally. The football history there is interesting though with Jimbo Fisher, Terry Bowden, Bill Stewart, Rich Rodriguez, and other notable names around WV college football all played or coached at Salem.

Admittedly, the on-campus facilities are aging, and the independent status makes it really hard to be successful there. However, they seemed to have squared that circle (at least in the short term) by moving most athletic events off campus. For context, recent MEC invitee Point Park uses the same strategy.

While some push back, one would think that Glenville State, West Virginia Wesleyan, and Davis & Elkins would all be in favor of adding Salem to keep travel costs low. The southern part of the conference (UC, WVSU, and Concord) probably favor WV Tech for the same reason.

[Tdobson]

Why did they cut football and why was it so controversial?

[Uindy18]

Why did they cut football and why was it so controversial?

They cut football when the school changed hands from the church that started it. The Church ran out of money to operate, so they sold it to a japanese company. That company saw the biggest line item, football, and cut it. Since then, it has gone through a few name changes and ownership groups.

It was controversial because of the history of Salem football being so competitive, and local alumni (many of whom played or supported Salem football) were hurt that they cut something that was a big part of a small WV community. There is a short clip the local TV did on it maybe 15 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xls_PbQUUgQ

[Stea1th]

Any further information out there on the future of Notre Dame? They had an article come out iwith some AB-like relevations. MEC might be right back where they started with 11 schools again.

https://www.clevescene.com/news/with...-flux-43319004

I have not seen any further updates since the Cleveland Scene article. It obviously does not paint a good picture. Enrollment has dropped to approximately 940 full time students. 600ish of those are student athletes. Unfortunately, when these doomsday news articles hit, it usually accelerates the decline. Realistically, if a student is down to two or three schools they are choosing from, and they read that article.... You get it. So, even if NDC has a solid plan/path back to fiscal stability - it just got more difficult to implement.

I hate to be pessimistic, but I can't remember too many small colleges that flourish after word gets out that they are in financial straits. If anyone can think of an example, that might make me feel better.

[Uindy18]

I have not seen any further updates since the Cleveland Scene article. It obviously does not paint a good picture. Enrollment has dropped to approximately 940 full time students. 600ish of those are student athletes. Unfortunately, when these doomsday news articles hit, it usually accelerates the decline. Realistically, if a student is down to two or three schools they are choosing from, and they read that article.... You get it. So, even if NDC has a solid plan/path back to fiscal stability - it just got more difficult to implement.

I hate to be pessimistic, but I can't remember too many small colleges that flourish after word gets out that they are in financial straits. If anyone can think of an example, that might make me feel better.

Flourish? Ya, most do not bounce back to anywhere near normal. Some do struggle to hang on for a few more years. AB did that the first time their financial issues came to the surface, but it seemed inevitable in the end.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Yeah, the PSAC was the first thing that crossed my mind. IMHO, it's a better conference overall (no offense to the MEC) and they'd save on travel costs.

That may be Point Park's vision, but I tend to doubt they'd be high on the PSAC's poaching list. The lack of football is a major item.

My hunch all along is Frostburg State would be the target should the day come. I also wouldn't rule out conversations with Fairmont or West Liberty.

While the PSAC has some schools walking the plank (Mansfield, Clarion, etc.), those institutions also have the state to keep them alive. It's highly doubtful any of them actually close anytime in the near future.

As for the above conversation, ES13 is correct in that Gannon, Mercyhurst, UPJ and Seton Hill all but begged to join the conference. Later adding Shepherd was a no-brainer.

The PSAC is too big now with 18 members. All but two (Mansfield and UPJ) have football.

I don't see the PSAC adding anybody anytime soon. If they do, they'd likely add two schools at the same time for football balance.

[frosty55]

Frostburg State will move to the PSAC when its all said and done.

[Ram040506]

Frostburg State will move to the PSAC when its all said and done.

Perhaps down the road. A lot of schools would need to fold for it to happen though. I don't think any of us have a real idea on what this is going to look like 5-10 years down the road.

Maybe the MEC and PSAC with schools closing, end up merging. IF the 16 PSAC becomes say 10 and the MEC 10 becomes 6 or so... maybe that becomes one larger conference. Who knows.

[Tdobson]

So like a mega conference? That could be interesting and I would love to see the divisions.

if psac offered, I could see frostburg and fairmont getting an offer, but not west liberty. Just my opinion

[Ram040506]

So like a mega conference? That could be interesting and I would love to see the divisions.

if psac offered, I could see frostburg and fairmont getting an offer, but not west liberty. Just my opinion

This is based on nothing other than a wild guess. Say the schools in the PSAC that are part of the 3 in one package become one.

So the 10 from the PSAC:
IUP
Rock
Penn West- California being the football school
Penn East- Bloomsburg being the football school
Ship
West Chester
Kutztown
East Stroudsburg
Shepherd
Millersville

In this scenario, the privates go elsewhere with the consolidation and merger (seton hill, mercyhurst, gannon).

MEC I'd say Wheeling, Glenville, Notre Dame close up. UNC Pembroke goes to conference carolina, and Wesleyan gets left out as a private school (and the fact they should be d3). Leaving the MEC with:
Fairmont St
West Lib
Charleston
WVSt
Concord
Frostburg

Range of possibilities in organizing the conference in either an east/west or north/south. Or maybe going to teams of 4 in pods.

South- Charleston, WV State, Concord and Fairmont
West- Cal (penn west), West Lib, IUP, Rock
Central- Shepherd, Frostburg, Ship, Millersville
East- Kutztown, ESU, West Chester, Bloom (penn east)

Fun thought exercise. Private schools all seem like dead weight, would be nice to have them join the GMAC or something. Aren't they all mostly private institutions as well?