Lackawanna is officially the 18th member

[iupgroundhog]

Fair analysis. I looked at their stats from this past season. They only reported attendance for one home game and it was 353.

Is there a difference in opinion between the East and the West? The West was affected by Mercyhurst's departure and the teams were left with an open date. I'm thinking the East teams might not be thrilled to play Lackawanna and certainly don't want to lose to them.

[Fightingscot82]

Is there a difference in opinion between the East and the West? The West was affected by Mercyhurst's departure and the teams were left with an open date. I'm thinking the East teams might not be thrilled to play Lackawanna and certainly don't want to lose to them.

It should be interesting what their roster looks like when they transition from Flip This Recruit College to PSAC football. They'll probably lose that appeal, although playing D2 ball would be a better test for many instead of the JUCO circuit and that may be their angle. Kind of an athletics version of the more independent Penn State branches - stay if you want to, but many will jump for bigger stages.

From my perspective, I'd rather take back Lock Haven than pick up St. Vincent. The only attractive additions to me in the traditional PSAC West footprint would have been St Francis (instead of dropping to D3) and Penn State Behrend (move up to D3 and add football).

[IUPNation]

This isn’t the Big Ten and we aren’t angling to get PSAC games carried on a specific tier of cable package. I don’t really see that the size of the “media market” matters if the invited school ends up sucking. I struggle to see the appeal of adding Lackawanna from both an on-field view and a stability view. They’re still a glorified community college trying to increase their student base by buying up a failing private school elsewhere in the state and their student body and alumni base will likely support an average crowd of about 50 people at home games. I’m hopeful that I’m wrong and the board knows what it is doing but I’m not a fan of the move.

Well..there isn’t another college in Scranton that plays foosball so if they can get local support it might work.

East Dennyville had NEPA to itself..now it doesn’t. I’m sure there will be some stern words coming from the press box in the coming years.

[RocknTheSnackBar]

Well..there isn’t another college in Scranton that plays foosball so if they can get local support it might work.

East Dennyville had NEPA to itself..now it doesn’t. I’m sure there will be some stern words coming from the press box in the coming years.

ESU smartly gave up on recruiting there. Hardly any talent and renowned for flameouts. In fairness the august Scranton Times wayy overrates them

[RocknTheSnackBar]

It should be interesting what their roster looks like when they transition from Flip This Recruit College to PSAC football. They'll probably lose that appeal, although playing D2 ball would be a better test for many instead of the JUCO circuit and that may be their angle. Kind of an athletics version of the more independent Penn State branches - stay if you want to, but many will jump for bigger stages.

From my perspective, I'd rather take back Lock Haven than pick up St. Vincent. The only attractive additions to me in the traditional PSAC West footprint would have been St Francis (instead of dropping to D3) and Penn State Behrend (move up to D3 and add football).

LC was pretty happy being a big fish in the JUCO pond. Not sure the Bryant McKinnie angle will play with a D-2 recruit. And the Scranton talent pool is pretty diluted for another PSAC school to pick at

[TheBigCat2192]

Well..there isn’t another college in Scranton that plays foosball so if they can get local support it might work.

East Dennyville had NEPA to itself..now it doesn’t. I’m sure there will be some stern words coming from the press box in the coming years.

You’re right that there’s no other team in Scranton proper. However, Wilkes University is about 30 minutes down the road in Wilkes-Barre with a D3 team and Misericordia has a team in Dallas which would be roughly the same “media market.” Maybe Lackawanna will get local support and things will work but given that neither of those two have been overwhelmed with local support I’m doubtful. I don’t think the average person on the street knows or cares what the difference is between D2 and D3 so I don’t think Lackawanna joining a higher division is going to help make people more excited either.

[Bart]

You’re right that there’s no other team in Scranton proper. However, Wilkes University is about 30 minutes down the road in Wilkes-Barre with a D3 team and Misericordia has a team in Dallas which would be roughly the same “media market.” Maybe Lackawanna will get local support and things will work but given that neither of those two have been overwhelmed with local support I’m doubtful. I don’t think the average person on the street knows or cares what the difference is between D2 and D3 so I don’t think Lackawanna joining a higher division is going to help make people more excited either.

Keystone College in Lackawanna County 11 miles from Scranton
Kings College Wilkes-Barre

[ctrabs74]

This isn’t the Big Ten and we aren’t angling to get PSAC games carried on a specific tier of cable package. I don’t really see that the size of the “media market” matters if the invited school ends up sucking. I struggle to see the appeal of adding Lackawanna from both an on-field view and a stability view. They’re still a glorified community college trying to increase their student base by buying up a failing private school elsewhere in the state and their student body and alumni base will likely support an average crowd of about 50 people at home games. I’m hopeful that I’m wrong and the board knows what it is doing but I’m not a fan of the move.

That that up with the Commissioner who chose to raise the issue in whatever interview he did.

[IUPNation]

They can't be any worse than the worst programs we have now...they didn't have much further to fall.

I suspect they will try to come out with a bang.

[Fightingscot82]

They can't be any worse than the worst programs we have now...they didn't have much further to fall.

I suspect they will try to come out with a bang.

I think they'll come on strong at first until their reputation as an east coast "Flip This Recruit" destination starts to dwindle.

[ctrabs74]

They can't be any worse than the worst programs we have now...they didn't have much further to fall.

I suspect they will try to come out with a bang.

Lackawanna could probably beat Millersville, so... there's that, I guess.

[Fightingscot82]

Lackawanna could probably beat Millersville, so... there's that, I guess.

I think it depends on how many players hoping to flip to D1 offers stick around. I don't really like that model or their open admission policy (you must have a HS diploma or GED), but what's the difference between Lackawanna's model and Penn West with a 94% acceptance rate and 28% transferring to another school before graduation.

[RocknTheSnackBar]

I think it depends on how many players hoping to flip to D1 offers stick around.

This. They'd be .500 ot better if they played this season with the ten or so FCS and lower lever D-1 prospects they usually have. I don't see them getting that same athlete to play PSAC.

[boatcapt]

I think it depends on how many players hoping to flip to D1 offers stick around. I don't really like that model or their open admission policy (you must have a HS diploma or GED), but what's the difference between Lackawanna's model and Penn West with a 94% acceptance rate and 28% transferring to another school before graduation.

Wonder what effect the new D1 rule where JUCO time doesn't effect D1 eligibility will have? If a player is looking for a D1 offer, better to transfer to a different JUCO than to "waste" seasons at a DII.

[TheBigCat2192]

Wonder what effect the new D1 rule where JUCO time doesn't effect D1 eligibility will have? If a player is looking for a D1 offer, better to transfer to a different JUCO than to "waste" seasons at a DII.

That’s not a permanent rule change yet. The NCAA granted a one-time waiver last year while also appealing the court ruling in favor of the Vandy QB that brought it about.

This is from an ESPN article published shortly after the waiver

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors on Monday approved a blanket waiver granting an additional year of eligibility to former junior college transfers in similar positions to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, opening the door for a wave of college athletes across all sports to spend one more year in college athletics.

According to an NCAA memo, the waiver extends an extra year of eligibility in 2025-26 to athletes who previously "competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years" and otherwise would have exhausted their NCAA eligibility following the 2024-25 season.