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Rumor: Mercyhurst to Division I?

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  • Rumor: Mercyhurst to Division I?

    Matt Brown, one of the foremost reporters on conference realignment, responded to a rumor of Mercyhurst and several NE10 schools moving up by saying, "Mercyhurst is legit, but I don't think the other three are nearly as serious or far along in that process."

  • #2
    Knowing what I know about Mercyhurst, I doubt it. The rumor or conversation likely started because they already play several NEC schools in D1 hockey. The travel costs would be insane for a school of their financial capacity.

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    • #3
      They can't beat Shippensburg and several other PSAC schools in football, are a small school without a big following, and want to go Division I? Certainly would seem a stretch to me, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Ship69 View Post
        They can't beat Shippensburg and several other PSAC schools in football, are a small school without a big following, and want to go Division I? Certainly would seem a stretch to me, but I suppose stranger things have happened.
        Division 1 is only about scholarship levels, so if they want to discount 54 football scholarships go right ahead. I don't think they'll find the additional students to offset that discounting scheme. I believe football is the only sport the NEC has a minimum scholarship level for.

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        • #5
          Looking at their facilities they'd need major updates especially to the football stadium & basketball arena. Not to mention discounting additional tuitions for scholarships. As it stands right now they'd have the smallest FB/BB facilities in all of Division 1. Only selling point would be hey we're division 1 you won't make the playoffs but you can play money games against big boys and get blown out lol. Don't see that happening. Now if you said WCU/IUP and they had alumni backing I'd see it more of a reality but they're tied to the state and won't ever get the opportunity.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by shipfbfan1 View Post
            Looking at their facilities they'd need major updates especially to the football stadium & basketball arena. Not to mention discounting additional tuitions for scholarships. As it stands right now they'd have the smallest FB/BB facilities in all of Division 1. Only selling point would be hey we're division 1 you won't make the playoffs but you can play money games against big boys and get blown out lol. Don't see that happening. Now if you said WCU/IUP and they had alumni backing I'd see it more of a reality but they're tied to the state and won't ever get the opportunity.
            I believe the NEC now requires 54 scholarships for football. There's no way IUP or West Chester can do that.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

              I believe the NEC now requires 54 scholarships for football. There's no way IUP or West Chester can do that.
              If they charged an athletic fee I believe they would be able to with not being under the PASHEE umbrella. Is it smart no but with WCU having over 15k they could charge $100 per student and that's $1.7 million for the 54 scholarships for football and the additional ones needed for both M/W basketball. I see that IUP is well below the 12k students they had a few years back so I agree they are in no way ready for the leap even if they broke off from the PASHEE especially since they'd need upgrades to their FB stadium. At least WCU has a FCS ready stadium and has capacity to bring in a larger name school like Delaware, Nova as with standing room only you can have 8-9k there. Hollinger is a different story they'd have to move the game off campus if it was a large program traveling or play on the road.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by shipfbfan1 View Post

                If they charged an athletic fee I believe they would be able to with not being under the PASHEE umbrella. Is it smart no but with WCU having over 15k they could charge $100 per student and that's $1.7 million for the 54 scholarships for football and the additional ones needed for both M/W basketball. I see that IUP is well below the 12k students they had a few years back so I agree they are in no way ready for the leap even if they broke off from the PASHEE especially since they'd need upgrades to their FB stadium. At least WCU has a FCS ready stadium and has capacity to bring in a larger name school like Delaware, Nova as with standing room only you can have 8-9k there. Hollinger is a different story they'd have to move the game off campus if it was a large program traveling or play on the road.
                I can never see the logic in being a lousy or mediocre small Division I school rather than a good, competitive D2 school, but I guess money talks. I guess they all think they can be the next St. Peter's in the NCAA tourney or something.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by shipfbfan1 View Post

                  If they charged an athletic fee I believe they would be able to with not being under the PASHEE umbrella. Is it smart no but with WCU having over 15k they could charge $100 per student and that's $1.7 million for the 54 scholarships for football and the additional ones needed for both M/W basketball. I see that IUP is well below the 12k students they had a few years back so I agree they are in no way ready for the leap even if they broke off from the PASHEE especially since they'd need upgrades to their FB stadium. At least WCU has a FCS ready stadium and has capacity to bring in a larger name school like Delaware, Nova as with standing room only you can have 8-9k there. Hollinger is a different story they'd have to move the game off campus if it was a large program traveling or play on the road.

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                  • #10
                    Compared to LIU and maybe a couple of other NEC schools, Farrell is probably the Taj Mahal by comparison.

                    Compared to, say, Central Washington or even Villanova, not so much...
                    Cal U (Pa.) Class of 2014

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by ctrabs74 View Post

                      Compared to LIU and maybe a couple of other NEC schools, Farrell is probably the Taj Mahal by comparison.

                      Compared to, say, Central Washington or even Villanova, not so much...
                      Hahahahaha exactly in the NEC they'd be top 2 stadium for football, however outside of the NEC and maybe Georgetown & Delaware State they'd be bottom of FCS. Basketball wise that's a whole different story. If IUP didn't have FB to worry about they'd be more ready for the D1 leap for hoops.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
                        Knowing what I know about Mercyhurst, I doubt it. The rumor or conversation likely started because they already play several NEC schools in D1 hockey. The travel costs would be insane for a school of their financial capacity.
                        Nebraska Omaha dropped football to go D1. Mercyhurst could do the same. They currently have 13 men's and 13 women's programs. They're already incurring the travel costs for men's and women's ice hockey, wrestling, men's and women's water polo.

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                        • #13
                          Bryant abruptly left the NEC yesterday to join the Big South for football and American East for all other sports. Maybe this Mercyhurst link is legit. Unless New Haven jumps ahead with their feasibility study and makes the leap.

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                          • #14
                            It was mentioned 'hurst could possibly consider dropping fb to move up to DI. They recently dropped a lot of money into their athletic fields so its very doubtful if that would happen. I could see the move but as a former coach, it is a long process to move divisions and there are several specific pieces that must be in place (or at least there was a while ago) such as enrollment size, facility size, sports offered, etc. It would be a financial investment and then finding a conference to let them in, then they'd only be provisional for a couple years at that. Hurst FB travels overnight even if the game is a couple hrs away.

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                            • #15
                              It would be a way to raise their public profile and I believe that's what Mercyhurst is interested in. If they think they can pull it off, they just might do it.

                              How has that worked out for UNO?

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