Time to Leave the PSAC?

[jrshooter]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

Let's go to the videotape with the top five teams in the D-II poll as of last week.

No. 1 Minnesota State -- Northern Sun
Mary: 0-4 this year, 3-30 previous three years.
Minnesota-Crookston: 1-3 this year, 1-32 previous three years.
Concordia St. Paul: 2-2 this year, 5-28 previous three years.

No. 2 Northwest Missouri -- Mid-America
Missouri Southern: 0-4 this year, 3-30 previous three years.
Northeastern State: 0-4 this year, 6-27 previous three years.
Nebraska Kearney: 2-2 this year, 4-29 previous three years.

No. 3 Texas A&M-Commerce -- Lone Star
UT-Permian Basin: 0-4 this year, 4-18 previous two years (entered in 2016).
Western New Mexico: 0-3 this year, 7-15 previous two years (entered in 2016).

No. 4 Indiana (Pa.) -- PSAC
Millersville: 0-4 this year, 8-25 previous three years.
Lock Haven: 1-3 this year, 8-25 previous three years.
Seton Hill: 0-4 this year, 8-25 previous three years.

No. 5 Ferris State -- Great Lakes
Michigan Tech: 2-2 this year, 15-16 previous three years.
Northern Michigan, 1-3 this year, 9-23 previous three years.
Northwood: 0-2 this year, 15-18 previous three years.

So, here's what we have. One of these conferences, the Great Lakes, is fairly devoid of "gimme" games. The Great Lakes also weeded out some weak-sister programs in the last few years -- Lake Erie, Walsh, Malone, Davenport.

Outside of that, everyone else has weak sisters. Generally weaker than the PSAC's bottom feeders.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

I'm going to assume that this is an IUP-inspired conversation. When I'm doing consulting one of the questions I usually ask folks is, "Okay if you choose that path, what then?" If IUP were to leave the PSAC, where would they go? There isn't a "better" conference within a reasonable distance. Even then most are full of private schools who play by different financial rules outside of the 36 full scholarship equivalencies limit for football. Would IUP coaches, players, parents, and fans rather travel to Slippery Rock to play a Thursday night basketball game or Hillsdale, Michigan? Charleston, West Virginia? Allendale, Michigan? The same could be said for moving up to FCS. The only conference who would probably take IUP is the Northeast Conference - and the same thing goes. All but one school is private. Would IUP coaches, players, parents, and fans rather travel to Slippery Rock to play a Thursday night basketball game or Fairfield, Connecticut? I can tell you that outside of St Francis and maybe Mount St Marys nobody in Pittsburgh has heard of or cares about those teams so you're not going to increase attendance just because you're playing D1 Bryant instead of Kutztown.

[IUPNation]

Time to Leave the PSAC?

This isn't only a PSAC issue, it's a D2 issue.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

I'm going to assume that this is an IUP-inspired conversation. When I'm doing consulting one of the questions I usually ask folks is, "Okay if you choose that path, what then?" If IUP were to leave the PSAC, where would they go? There isn't a "better" conference within a reasonable distance. Even then most are full of private schools who play by different financial rules outside of the 36 full scholarship equivalencies limit for football. Would IUP coaches, players, parents, and fans rather travel to Slippery Rock to play a Thursday night basketball game or Hillsdale, Michigan? Charleston, West Virginia? Allendale, Michigan? The same could be said for moving up to FCS. The only conference who would probably take IUP is the Northeast Conference - and the same thing goes. All but one school is private. Would IUP coaches, players, parents, and fans rather travel to Slippery Rock to play a Thursday night basketball game or Fairfield, Connecticut? I can tell you that outside of St Francis and maybe Mount St Marys nobody in Pittsburgh has heard of or cares about those teams so you're not going to increase attendance just because you're playing D1 Bryant instead of Kutztown.

I didn't read this as being an IUP thing at all. I read as a 'why are so many programs in the PSAC terrible at football' topic.

[jrshooter]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

Why are so many Northern Sun programs terrible at football? Why are so many Mid-America programs terrible at football? (Perhaps they have their own version of the Dixon Trophy.)

[BlueBlood]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

Plus, you need to watch what you wish for. A season with 6 should-wins and 4 true measuring-stick games isn't a bad schedule for an elite team. Realistically, that is similar to what most high-level D1 teams play.

[IUPNation]

I'm going to assume that this is an IUP-inspired conversation. When I'm doing consulting one of the questions I usually ask folks is, "Okay if you choose that path, what then?" If IUP were to leave the PSAC, where would they go? There isn't a "better" conference within a reasonable distance. Even then most are full of private schools who play by different financial rules outside of the 36 full scholarship equivalencies limit for football. Would IUP coaches, players, parents, and fans rather travel to Slippery Rock to play a Thursday night basketball game or Hillsdale, Michigan? Charleston, West Virginia? Allendale, Michigan? The same could be said for moving up to FCS. The only conference who would probably take IUP is the Northeast Conference - and the same thing goes. All but one school is private. Would IUP coaches, players, parents, and fans rather travel to Slippery Rock to play a Thursday night basketball game or Fairfield, Connecticut? I can tell you that outside of St Francis and maybe Mount St Marys nobody in Pittsburgh has heard of or cares about those teams so you're not going to increase attendance just because you're playing D1 Bryant instead of Kutztown.

[KnightNation]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

You can wish this for football as much as you want but that decision will never solely be based off of Football and I have a real hard time thinking the conference office is gonna let any of the PASSHE schools leave any time soon!

[jrshooter]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

You can wish this for football as much as you want but that decision will never solely be based off of Football and I have a real hard time thinking the conference office is gonna let any of the PASSHE schools leave any time soon!

There's the gist of it. No such decision is going to be totally driven by football, or by football and basketball. The PSAC is concerned with the full spectrum of intercollegiate sports.

[BADinPA]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

Actually, it could be a better financial decision to change the structure of the conference. My speculation is that playing higher caliber teams each week would draw more people. Staying in the PSAC with restructuring the opponents may net out to be a good decision. For example IUP plays California or Slippery Rock it appears to me there are more people showing up and generating more revenue. To the poster discussing FCS, I am not advocating it. I like the idea of the PSAC being like the Premier League in Futbol.

[HuskyNation24]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

Actually, it could be a better financial decision to change the structure of the conference. My speculation is that playing higher caliber teams each week would draw more people. Staying in the PSAC with restructuring the opponents may net out to be a good decision. For example IUP plays California or Slippery Rock it appears to me there are more people showing up and generating more revenue. To the poster discussing FCS, I am not advocating it. I like the idea of the PSAC being like the Premier League in Futbol.

I only like this in theory, but in the ultra competitive world of recruiting, how would the teams in the lower division be able to recruit kids to play there when they might have offers or options to play for an upper division team? If (for example) a kid was deciding between playing at Lock Haven or Bloom, you know those kids would choose Bloom 10 times out of 10 to play against the higher competition. Especially if it means that they will be playing for a PSAC title or playoff berth because they are in the top tier.

[BADinPA]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

I only like this in theory, but in the ultra competitive world of recruiting, how would the teams in the lower division be able to recruit kids to play there when they might have offers or options to play for an upper division team? If (for example) a kid was deciding between playing at Lock Haven or Bloom, you know those kids would choose Bloom 10 times out of 10 to play against the higher competition. Especially if it means that they will be playing for a PSAC title or playoff berth because they are in the top tier.

I am uncertain if is any different than it is today.

[GhostOfHomer01]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

I only like this in theory, but in the ultra competitive world of recruiting, how would the teams in the lower division be able to recruit kids to play there when they might have offers or options to play for an upper division team? If (for example) a kid was deciding between playing at Lock Haven or Bloom, you know those kids would choose Bloom 10 times out of 10 to play against the higher competition. Especially if it means that they will be playing for a PSAC title or playoff berth because they are in the top tier.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

Yeah ... that's how they did it. Lol

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Time to Leave the PSAC?

Actually, it could be a better financial decision to change the structure of the conference. My speculation is that playing higher caliber teams each week would draw more people. Staying in the PSAC with restructuring the opponents may net out to be a good decision. For example IUP plays California or Slippery Rock it appears to me there are more people showing up and generating more revenue. To the poster discussing FCS, I am not advocating it. I like the idea of the PSAC being like the Premier League in Futbol.

Rock and Cal are the only two big buzz games for IUP. A guy beside me Saturday asked if Mercyhurst was in our conference.