"HURST OUT OF PSAC?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I was so confused for a second, Frostburg is in Maryland and Shep is in WV. They are an hour and a half drive from one another, with Frostburg being in the Maryland panhandle and Shep right on the Potomac along the border with Maryland. Either way I think keeping them together would be a good idea, as they can form some sort of rivalry over time being outside of PA. Moving Ship to the West would keep things even in terms of numbers but not so even in terms of talent. I'm not exactly sure how good Frostburg is but if they are even an average team they would make the East much stronger than the West.

They wouldn't have been my first choice to poach, but I see the logistics of it. Their football has been pretty decent but basketball is awful. I think the PSAC should have went after Fairmont State.

[Fightingscot82]

The doubt was because this comes up at least once or twice a year. For whatever reason, the rumor is always Mercyhurst leaving the PSAC either for D1 or for a conference with mostly private schools. On paper, the D1 move makes sense since they used to have D1 lacrosse but now have D1 hockey. It also helps distinguish them from the other Catholic D2 school a mile or two away.

But I think this is an ill-advised move. Mercyhurst is a tuition-dependent university. Their endowment would be bottom third in PASSHE (and that includes Cheyney with no endowment). Their enrollment got a boost this fall but its been all over the map. Most of their coverage in Erie is self-promoting puff pieces. As of FY2023, they carried over $66 million in debt. They're not just giving up closer travel, they're giving up cheap travel. Having spent time at an NEC school, I heard complaints about not just the length of the bus trips but the cost of overnight trips in New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut, etc.

Rumor is their coaches have already been told that at this time there isn't additional salary money.

[Ship69]

The doubt was because this comes up at least once or twice a year. For whatever reason, the rumor is always Mercyhurst leaving the PSAC either for D1 or for a conference with mostly private schools. On paper, the D1 move makes sense since they used to have D1 lacrosse but now have D1 hockey. It also helps distinguish them from the other Catholic D2 school a mile or two away.

But I think this is an ill-advised move. Mercyhurst is a tuition-dependent university. Their endowment would be bottom third in PASSHE (and that includes Cheyney with no endowment). Their enrollment got a boost this fall but its been all over the map. Most of their coverage in Erie is self-promoting puff pieces. As of FY2023, they carried over $66 million in debt. They're not just giving up closer travel, they're giving up cheap travel. Having spent time at an NEC school, I heard complaints about not just the length of the bus trips but the cost of overnight trips in New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut, etc.

Rumor is their coaches have already been told that at this time there isn't additional salary money.

I agree. This seems like a head-scratching move to me. With the low endowment and debt you mention, I'm curious as to where they're coming up with the funds for athletics.

[Fightingscot82]

I agree. This seems like a head-scratching move to me. With the low endowment and debt you mention, I'm curious as to where they're coming up with the funds for athletics.

Its just discounting. Its the Bed Bath & Beyond model. Nobody goes there for full price - but if everyone and their mother has a 20% coupon, then you can compete.

[Ship69]

Its just discounting. Its the Bed Bath & Beyond model. Nobody goes there for full price - but if everyone and their mother has a 20% coupon, then you can compete.

Sounds about right. I assume the PSAC has a contingency plan for this, and they'll need to get right on it, considering the wobbly state of a couple of the campuses at present.

[iupgroundhog]

Tell us something we don't know...

I didn't know. I was actually sleeping for the last several hours.

[Iupgh]

They wouldn't have been my first choice to poach, but I see the logistics of it. Their football has been pretty decent but basketball is awful. I think the PSAC should have went after Fairmont State.

The league that is in trouble if FSU leaves is MEC. Especially football. They already have a NC Penbrooke on loan for football and u never know about that situation. Essentially they will lose there 2 best football schools ( ND, FSU) soon after they lost there football bell cow Shepherd. Trouble for sure. There hoops league is top heavy and can survive but football what an awful league without those 3 schools.

[iupgroundhog]

With Frostburg and Mercyhurst, it seems obvious to me that Frostburg would replace Hurst in the West. 1 for 1 (if this happens).

Personally, as an IUP fan, I'd like to see PSAC Football go to a North/South divisional alignment. I think it would partly address the haves/have nots issue. Plus, the travel wouldn't end up being much different.

For example, a Southern Division that would include SRU, Cal, IUP, Frostburg, Shepherd, Ship, WCU, and SHU (just based on geography) would be great, IMO. That division would be more competitive and more interesting.

The North would include Gannon, Boro, Clarion, LHU, Bloom, ESU, Kutztown, and Millersville.

[Fightingscot82]

With Frostburg and Mercyhurst, it seems obvious to me that Frostburg would replace Hurst in the West. 1 for 1 (if this happens).

Personally, as an IUP fan, I'd like to see PSAC Football go to a North/South divisional alignment. I think it would partly address the haves/have nots issue. Plus, the travel wouldn't end up being much different.

For example, a Southern Division that would include SRU, Cal, IUP, Frostburg, Shepherd, Ship, WCU, and SHU (just based on geography) would be great, IMO. That division would be more competitive and more interesting.

The North would include Gannon, Boro, Clarion, LHU, Bloom, ESU, Kutztown, and Millersville.

I'm not sure how Millersville is "North" but then again, Atlanta was in the NL West for over 20 years.

[Ship69]

With Frostburg and Mercyhurst, it seems obvious to me that Frostburg would replace Hurst in the West. 1 for 1 (if this happens).

Personally, as an IUP fan, I'd like to see PSAC Football go to a North/South divisional alignment. I think it would partly address the haves/have nots issue. Plus, the travel wouldn't end up being much different.

For example, a Southern Division that would include SRU, Cal, IUP, Frostburg, Shepherd, Ship, WCU, and SHU (just based on geography) would be great, IMO. That division would be more competitive and more interesting.

The North would include Gannon, Boro, Clarion, LHU, Bloom, ESU, Kutztown, and Millersville.

I think East-West makes more sense from a travel standpoint. Gannon, Boro, and Clarion to East Stroud is a helluva jaunt.

[iupgroundhog]

I'm not sure how Millersville is "North" but then again, Atlanta was in the NL West for over 20 years.

The alignment I proposed is comprehensive. It fits all schools in somewhere. Think about it.

[Finchwidget]

https://www.mercyhurst.edu/d1

https://northeastconference.org/news...cement_24.aspx

It's official now, confirmed by the school and the NEC

[iupgroundhog]

I think East-West makes more sense from a travel standpoint. Gannon, Boro, and Clarion to East Stroud is a helluva jaunt.

Erie to ESU is about 50 minutes longer than Erie to Shippensburg. In my realignment, WCU has some long trips but they can afford it, right? Seriously, though, if you look at the overall travel for all teams it would not be very much different. And the rivalries would be stronger.

[IUP24]

My fault. I don't know why I was thinking they were in WV. Close enough lol.

They have a real nice stadium. My sister lives about an hour or so away from DC in VA. We pass through Frostburg, MD all the time heading her way. Never been on campus, but the town itself looks kind of run down driving through. Reminds me a lot of many of those old, industrial river towns that are "towns" and not "cities." Looks a lot like Wheeling or Charleston (which both claim they are cities), Zanesville, Ohio, etc.

[ctrabs74]

Frostburg is in Maryland. I could be wrong, but I doubt Ship would have any interest in joining the West. And it'd be crazy to split Ship away from Shepherd, which is less than an hour down I-81. Millersville is also a natural rival.

Mercyhurst doesn't seem to have great facilities, and it's not like they've dominated the PSAC in anything. Someone must have delusions of grandeur up there. The Mount and most NEC schools would kill them in basketball unless they get a lot better.

You might have a better shot of Lock Haven moving to the PSAC West (as they did prior to the addition of Seton Hill and UPJ) if the PSAC were able to pluck Frostburg State away (which would probably send more than a few folks in Bridgeport into massive panic attacks).