Thumping

[RockNation]

As predicted it was an ass kicking. I predicted 56-10, it was 55-7. PSAC teams are just not strong in the trenches like the top of the GLIAC and your teams pad your records by playing so many bad teams in your league.

The fact that Slippery Rock needed a goal line stand to beat a bad Wayne State team, and your top teams struggling to beat the likes of NDC, Tiffin, Findlay, etc., teams that were bottom feeders in the GLIAC not long ago, speaks volumes.

Recruit in the trenches better and play some real OOC games and maybe you can get to the point where many on this board believe your league is at (but in reality no where close)

It's mostly due to schollies like the other guys have said. SRU has low 20's. (i believe.)

SRU struggled vs Wayne because of the QB nonsense. Next year will look much better. Is what it is.

But NDC Tiffin Findlay are far better than they were 5-6 years ago, that argument makes no sense. Two years ago SRU thumped Wayne when they were the 2nd best team in the GLIAC. As a whole, yes region 1 struggles, no argument there. Just the detail you used needs to be better. Comes down to scholles and big body depth. Ferris has a lacrosse player at QB... They're dominating with their big guys.

[Matt Burglund]

Number of college football programs by state (state 2021 population):

Michigan: 20 (10.1 million)
Ohio: 39 (11.8 million)
Pennsylvania: 54 (13 million)

I think that's a huge factor in this. The best players in Michigan go to either UM or MSU or out-of-state P5. The next tier down goes to the directional schools (CMU, EMU, WMU) or out of state. Probably some of those kids also go to Ferris and GVSU.

In PA, because there are 10 DIs (including Pitt, PSU and Temple), the trickle-down of talent to the PSAC has a longer way to go. Plus there are six states that border PA, and some of them cross the border to recruit.

I don't think the system in Pennsylvania is set up for non-D1 programs to become national powers. The numbers don't work. They did back in the 1990s, when Frank C recruited against Youngstown State and Villanova and Towson, etc. Most of the PSAC was playing "small college" football at the time. In the past 25 years, the rest of the league has caught up (or passed) IUP. But now there are too many people fishing a pond with fewer fish.

I can't speak to Shepherd's situation. They had ~29 scholarships in 2020.

This isn't excuses. It's the way the commonwealth is set up. We've limited ourselves.

[IUPNation]

Shepherd is gonna get there. Give it another 5-7 years and they should be close. Chauncey is gonna make it happen.

[IUPNation]

Number of college football programs by state (state 2021 population):

Michigan: 25 (10.1 million)
Ohio: 39 (11.8 million)
Pennsylvania: 54 (13 million)

I think that's a huge factor in this. The best players in Michigan go to either UM or MSU or out-of-state P5. The next tier down goes to the directional schools (CMU, EMU, WMU) or out of state. Probably some of those kids also go to Ferris and GVSU.

In PA, because there are 10 DIs (including Pitt, PSU and Temple), the trickle-down of talent to the PSAC has a longer way to go. Plus there are six states that border PA, and some of them cross the border to recruit.

I don't think the system in Pennsylvania is set up for non-D1 programs to become national powers. The numbers don't work. They did back in the 1990s, when Frank C recruited against Youngstown State and Villanova and Towson, etc. Most of the PSAC was playing "small college" football at the time. In the past 25 years, the rest of the league has caught up (or passed) IUP. But now there are too many people fishing a pond with fewer fish.

I can't speak to Shepherd's situation. They had ~29 scholarships in 2020.

This isn't excuses. It's the way the commonwealth is set up. We've limited ourselves.

Harrisburg could mess up a wet dream. We literally have the worst state government in the Northeast for sure and quite possibly in the whole US. A bloated governing body that is vastly overpaid and too many perks.

[Ram040506]

Community really is supportive of the program. Already at around 28 scholarships per the AD, this run this year is going to increase the fundraising efforts. I think in 5-7 years Shepherd is fully funded, just one man's prediction.

[Fightingscot82]

Their location in the state helps a bit. They're not in Beckley.

[Matt Burglund]

Their location in the state helps a bit. They're not in Beckley.

Yep. It's a long par-5 from Ram Stadium to Maryland.

Fun fact, it's a shorter drive from Shepherdstown, West Virginia to New York City than it is from Shepherdstown to Beckley, West Virginia.

[iupgroundhog]

Number of college football programs by state (state 2021 population):

Michigan: 25 (10.1 million)
Ohio: 39 (11.8 million)
Pennsylvania: 54 (13 million)

I think that's a huge factor in this. The best players in Michigan go to either UM or MSU or out-of-state P5. The next tier down goes to the directional schools (CMU, EMU, WMU) or out of state. Probably some of those kids also go to Ferris and GVSU.

In PA, because there are 10 DIs (including Pitt, PSU and Temple), the trickle-down of talent to the PSAC has a longer way to go. Plus there are six states that border PA, and some of them cross the border to recruit.

I don't think the system in Pennsylvania is set up for non-D1 programs to become national powers. The numbers don't work. They did back in the 1990s, when Frank C recruited against Youngstown State and Villanova and Towson, etc. Most of the PSAC was playing "small college" football at the time. In the past 25 years, the rest of the league has caught up (or passed) IUP. But now there are too many people fishing a pond with fewer fish.

I can't speak to Shepherd's situation. They had ~29 scholarships in 2020.

This isn't excuses. It's the way the commonwealth is set up. We've limited ourselves.

Scholarships are a critical necessity. However, if Shepherd offers 28 or 29 schollies and FSU offers the max of 36, that is not enough difference to explain getting walloped 55-7. Same with SRU in 2019. There are definitely other factors involved, competition from other football-playing schools being one of them, that contribute to the disparity and some of these factors may not be overcome with maxing out on scholarships.

[Ram040506]

Scholarships are a critical necessity. However, if Shepherd offers 28 or 29 schollies and FSU offers the max of 36, that is not enough difference to explain getting walloped 55-7. Same with SRU in 2019. There are definitely other factors involved, competition from other football-playing schools being one of them, that contribute to the disparity and some of these factors may not be overcome with maxing out on scholarships.

True, and I think that is the hurdle that the region just might not ever get over unfortunately. Too many options in the area compared to other regions in the midwest. D1 talent consistently trickles down for them, and it rarely does in this area of the country. Too many nets waiting to grab them.

[iupgroundhog]

I think the answer to that is transfers. D1 transfers. If IUP (or other schools) can bring in transfers like Quinton Maxwell, Max Redfield, and Irv Charles they can separate themselves from the pack enough to make a run. But things have to click at the right time.

[Fightingscot82]

[IUPNation]

[IUPNation]

Their location in the state helps a bit. They're not in Beckley.

[IUPNation]

I think the answer to that is transfers. D1 transfers. If IUP (or other schools) can bring in transfers like Quinton Maxwell, Max Redfield, and Irv Charles they can separate themselves from the pack enough to make a run. But things have to click at the right time.

[Ship69]

Number of college football programs by state (state 2021 population):

Michigan: 25 (10.1 million)
Ohio: 39 (11.8 million)
Pennsylvania: 54 (13 million)

I think that's a huge factor in this. The best players in Michigan go to either UM or MSU or out-of-state P5. The next tier down goes to the directional schools (CMU, EMU, WMU) or out of state. Probably some of those kids also go to Ferris and GVSU.

In PA, because there are 10 DIs (including Pitt, PSU and Temple), the trickle-down of talent to the PSAC has a longer way to go. Plus there are six states that border PA, and some of them cross the border to recruit.

I don't think the system in Pennsylvania is set up for non-D1 programs to become national powers. The numbers don't work. They did back in the 1990s, when Frank C recruited against Youngstown State and Villanova and Towson, etc. Most of the PSAC was playing "small college" football at the time. In the past 25 years, the rest of the league has caught up (or passed) IUP. But now there are too many people fishing a pond with fewer fish.

I can't speak to Shepherd's situation. They had ~29 scholarships in 2020.

This isn't excuses. It's the way the commonwealth is set up. We've limited ourselves.

There probably are more Division II programs in Pa. than in any other state and there are a ton of Division III as well. Even with declining high school enrollments, there is a lot of small-college level talent in Pa., but as others have said it's spread pretty thin.