Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Consolidation Conference

Collapse

Support The Site!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #46
    Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

    Money always talks. Just a guess but if your infamous Mr. West down on the Hilltop wanted to leave the MEC ... WLU would be leaving the MEC.
    That is certainly possible. And I wouldn't be surprised if after the fact there weren't posters here saying that the PSAC had had interest in WLU for 15 years! I think we are conflating due diligance conversations that happen regularly between schools and conferences with active interest. Heck, I've been told of conversations WLU has had with D1 conferences going back to the early years of their basketball success. WLU dutifully took the call, asked questions and decided not to move forward. Does that mean a poster can say that WLU is actively considering moving to D1? Can these conferences say we have been "after" WLU for over 10 years? I guess if they are so inclined, but to do so would be to grossly overstate the level of interest by both parties.

    Comment


    • #47
      This is a re-write of my previously deleted post. I didn't feel it was appropriate to include names:

      Yes, indeed. I lived in a local area of MD between 2015 and 18. While there, I was involved in high school athletics. One of the schools in my area had an AD who had worked in the Shepherd athletic office in the 2010-15 time frame. We became friends of a sort...maybe not best buddies, but someone you could have truthful conversations with. We talked more than a few times about Shepherd, the WVIAC break-up, how the MEC was formed as well as WLU (big fan of their basketball program...very confused about their football program!). To paraphrase several conversations over the course of several years, this person said that Shepherd was very happy being one of the founding members of the MEC. After the UVa-Wise debacle, this person had initially advocated that the WVIAC develop a formula for athletic department budgets for member schools that insured a comperable level of commitment among the member schools but that when that was voted down by the non-football playing schools, it became clear that the only option was for the football schools to leave the WVIAC and form their own conference. That the new conference received a lot of inquiries from some pretty surprizing places in OH, PA, MD and VA and that the at that point the MEC probably could have gone to 16+ schools. That the decision was made to stick to 12 members all playing football. Knowing I was a fan of WLU, this person provided that Wheeling was indeed sponsored by WLU due to their intense basketball rivalry. My source said that Wheeling not only committed to starting football, but that the commitment was that they would start the process within one year of joining the MEC. Once in the conference, they began lobbying for the conference to provide them money so they could start football.

      On several occasions I asked about new teams coming to the MEC and the possibility of teams leaving. This person said in general that the MEC had established a non-interfear process in that they wouldn't actively solicit new members instead relying on schools to contact them if they wanted to join. My source said that in general, it was common for schools and conferences to put out feelers to each other even though neither had any real desire to have the school join (conference) or for the school to leave. Source said these were like contingency plans so if something grave happened, the school or conference at least had contact numbers. My friend said the GMAC was the MOST aggressive, out and out inviting schools to join even if the school had said it had no interested. He said that was considered very bad form by the other area conferences including the MEC. This person relayed one conversation they overheard between the MEC commish and the GMAC's that was very heated concering the GMAC's on going and aggressive offers to NDC and Urbana. Concerning Shepherd specifically, said that while he/she was there there was no desire on Shepherds part to leave the MEC but that there were a couple of influental donors that were constantly beating that drum. He said that these donors had gotten in the ear of the new President big time when she was hired and that that was largely the reason a new AD was hired (who whole heartedly supported Shepherd moving to the PSAC). I called my source when Shepherd possibly moving to the PSAC story popped up. source said that it was a shock to them because during the time he/she was at Shepherd, beyond the two vocal donors, this was not even on the radar. Sources opinion was that this was all the new AD's and the two donors who convinced the school president that moving to the PSAC was a good idea.
      Last edited by boatcapt; 06-30-2020, 10:59 AM.

      Comment


      • #48
        If you ever want a prime example of how badly the 'high profile' donors can F up an athletic program ... look no further than Pitt. They call the shots in Oakland. Heather Lyke essentially works from them.

        Comment


        • #49
          Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
          If you ever want a prime example of how badly the 'high profile' donors can F up an athletic program ... look no further than Pitt. They call the shots in Oakland. Heather Lyke essentially works from them.
          I heard that. Big donors can be great (money can really help a program) but can also really hurt a program. Rumor among us WLU fans is that the reason our football coach has been permitted to stay on the job after years of ball shriveling abject failure is his friendship with our big donor. Another example is the Univ of MD and their "cash cow" donor Plank (founder of Under Armor). He was insturmental in getting Ralph Fridgen fired as the football HC even though "Fridge" has the Terps in a bowl almost every year and getting the train wreck known as Randy Edsel hired. Maryland was the first and marque Under Armor sponsored school and Plank wanted a HC that would look good in TV commercials...Let's just say Fridge came by his nickname honestly!!

          Comment


          • #50
            Originally posted by boatcapt View Post

            I heard that. Big donors can be great (money can really help a program) but can also really hurt a program. Rumor among us WLU fans is that the reason our football coach has been permitted to stay on the job after years of ball shriveling abject failure is his friendship with our big donor. Another example is the Univ of MD and their "cash cow" donor Plank (founder of Under Armor). He was insturmental in getting Ralph Fridgen fired as the football HC even though "Fridge" has the Terps in a bowl almost every year and getting the train wreck known as Randy Edsel hired. Maryland was the first and marque Under Armor sponsored school and Plank wanted a HC that would look good in TV commercials...Let's just say Fridge came by his nickname honestly!!
            As a long-time ACC fan ... still can't believe they left.

            MD just always seemed to be right at the door step of taking that giant step in football but we only ever saw flashes here and there.

            Comment


            • #51
              Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

              As a long-time ACC fan ... still can't believe they left.

              MD just always seemed to be right at the door step of taking that giant step in football but we only ever saw flashes here and there.
              Yea...MD in the Big 10 still doesn't feel right. Miss the games on tobacco road and the basketball rivalry with Duke was INTENSE! Many times I left Cole so horse I couldn't talk after SCREAMING DUKE SUCKS and F*CK DUKE all game long!!

              It had always come down to recruiting. The DMV is considered by many to be one of the top 5 recruting places in the nation after FL, Cali, TX and I think Alabama. I'm not a big fan of Locksley but he is supposed to be a great recruiter with the DMV being his prime wheel house. He has a couple of big gets so far so well see if he can keep the local 4 and 5 star recruits home. If he can, Maryland has potential to be really good.

              While our deep pocketed donor has caused the coaching mess at MD...the positive side of his giving is that Marylands football facilities are first rate only laging slightly behind the likes of Bama, Ohio State and Oregon.
              Last edited by boatcapt; 06-30-2020, 01:26 PM.

              Comment

              Ad3

              Collapse
              Working...
              X