What is in the Future for the GAC?

[Mulerider]

Could we see a conference expansion eventually? Could we see possibly a GAC Championship in Football? Could we see maybe added sports?

I am curious. It's exciting to see that Division II Football is getting closer and closer to D1 FCS as far as broadcasting and facilities goes.

[ReddieMade]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I doubt you'll see true expansion. I think you'd see a team or two leave and then be replaced before expansion to anything more than 12 teams, but that's just my opinion.

It wouldn't make sense for the GAC to add teams without A) adding two teams to get to 14 B) making sure those teams fit the geographic footprint of the league and C) ensuring that the two new schools had football. I doubt very seriously that the GAC would take a new member that didn't play football or that wasn't from Arkansas or Oklahoma, due to scheduling, travel, etc. and then on top of that, you'd have to find not one but two schools that fit that bill. There are only so many schools that check off all of those boxes.

All of that to say that the GAC is in a pretty good spot right now IMO. It's still a very young league by comparison in DII but no one can deny it is making strides across the board in terms of competition.

There are no guarantees, but the way the GAC has trended in football in the past eight years since inception suggests that you could certainly see a national champion in football come out of the GAC sooner rather than later. I mean, if Harding doesn't lose their QB in the national semifinals last year I think there's a decent chance they may have won it all right then and there.

[Divisiontwo]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I doubt you'll see true expansion. I think you'd see a team or two leave and then be replaced before expansion to anything more than 12 teams, but that's just my opinion.

It wouldn't make sense for the GAC to add teams without A) adding two teams to get to 14 B) making sure those teams fit the geographic footprint of the league and C) ensuring that the two new schools had football. I doubt very seriously that the GAC would take a new member that didn't play football or that wasn't from Arkansas or Oklahoma, due to scheduling, travel, etc. and then on top of that, you'd have to find not one but two schools that fit that bill. There are only so many schools that check off all of those boxes.

All of that to say that the GAC is in a pretty good spot right now IMO. It's still a very young league by comparison in DII but no one can deny it is making strides across the board in terms of competition.

There are no guarantees, but the way the GAC has trended in football in the past eight years since inception suggests that you could certainly see a national champion in football come out of the GAC sooner rather than later. I mean, if Harding doesn't lose their QB in the national semifinals last year I think there's a decent chance they may have won it all right then and there.

[Mulerider]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I still think we could see at Eastern Texas Team/Southern Missouri Team make it's way in. They would have to be in all sports too.

[Predatory Primates]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I still think we could see at Eastern Texas Team/Southern Missouri Team make it's way in. They would have to be in all sports too.

We'll trade you Lincoln for the closest school to the miaa.

[ReddieMade]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I still think we could see at Eastern Texas Team/Southern Missouri Team make it's way in. They would have to be in all sports too.

I just don't see the GAC messing with the 6 from Oklahoma, 6 from Arkansas thing it has going right now for the sake of expansion. Doesn't make any sense.

[walnut100]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

The only way I could see the GAC expanding to 14 members would be if UCO wanted to jump ship from the MIAA for some reason and Hendrix wanted to move up to D2

I think if there's some kind of expansion it would be more likely current members participating in more sports; only Harding and Oklahoma Baptist run the full slate.

GAC could use more swim teams, wrestling teams and track/field teams especially. Swimmers compete in the NSISC, Wrestlers are independent, and some GAC members in other sports are independent in track and field for some reason while we have affiliate members from NAIA schools. I don't really get it honestly

[Tech Boys]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I like the idea of a 14-team GAC. If it were 2 football schools added, I would prefer it to be two from northern Texas or two from southern KS/MO to keep the current AR-OK balance. Although that is likely in the "slim-to-none chance of happening" column. I once spoke against non-football schools in a football conference but I've since reconsidered. If we are to keep a tight footprint it might mean having non-football members; but I would keep it at no more than two. That's what the MIAA will have next year. I wouldn't mind having Arkansas-Fort Smith and either Cameron, Oklahoma Christian, or Rogers State. Only considering current D2 schools as candidates. A UAFS-RSU pairing would be best due to their proximity to each other. I would require them to have extra sports to make up for not having football and it keeps the AR-OK balance.

On the sports sponsored side, I agree we need more teams in some sports. Since the GAC began some teams were dropped; ECU golf and tennis, OBU golf, SNU women's tennis, and SAU women's tennis. SAU brought back tennis this year and also added their previously dropped men's team. The only growth has been in women's outdoor track & field, now up to 8 teams. The lack of men's soccer and men's tennis teams is why we will have a joint conference with the MIAA in those sports starting next year. In the non-GAC sports; swim & dive has HSU and OBU in the NSISC while OKBU is in the RMAC, OKBU women's lacrosse is also in the RMAC, OBU wrestling is in the GLVC, and Harding, OKBU, and SNU have independent indoor track & field teams. Oklahoma Christian and Rogers State are outdoor track & field affiliates who will be leaving after this spring which drops the men's side in the GAC to 5 teams. There are not enough teams in men's soccer, men's tennis, or men's outdoor track & field for them to be included in the All-Sport Trophy standings. While it wouldn't be a bad thing to add women's teams in the GAC sports, we really need men's teams added. But, how do you add men's teams without running into possible T9 issues?

Tech has been impressive in winning 6 of 7 All-Sport titles with only 10 teams compared to Harding having all teams in the All-Sport standings after they added softball. I'm also disappointed in Tech for not taking advantage of our enrollment explosion and not adding any new teams. I was surprised we won our last two All-Sport titles and it will be a challenge to win any more. With over 9,000 on the Russellville campus, why don't we have soccer, men's cross country, men's tennis, wrestling, or even lacrosse? There is a new public swimming facility adjacent to campus that the high school uses, can't we make a deal to use it for new Tech swim teams? What about rowing? It allows 20 scholarships and we are 1/2 mile from Lake Dardanelle. D2 has only 16 rowing teams with 2 of them going D1 soon which improves the chances for winning a national title like Central Oklahoma did this past May. Dardanelle State Park would also be a great facility for a triathlon team. Another sport I've kind of joked about is rifle. With all of us hunters and rednecks in AR and OK, why not? It is a "D1" co-ed sport. What schools have a bowing alley close by? Bowling is another "D1" women's sport which had D2 McKendree beat Nebraska for the 2017 national title. D2 might be able to have its own bowling championship if enough schools add the sport; there are currently 33 D2 schools with teams.

Yes, adding teams has a cost but I believe it can be used to help increase enrollment; especially for the smaller schools. The average D2 wrestling roster size is 33. Add in student support staff and friends of players and staff that new wrestling team brings the school probably 70-80 new students, all of them paying partial or full tuition and fees.

Question. Only Harding, OKBU, SNU, and affiliates OCU and RSU have indoor track & field. A couple of those school's websites have a GAC indoor track & field championship scheduled but the GAC does not. Is this just something these schools are doing this year and calling it a GAC championship? Hoping someone knows something. Again, the two affiliates are gone after this spring leaving only 3 schools with indoor teams which is not enough to be an official GAC championship sport. And, sorry for the long read; I really did not expect to write so much.

[OldBison]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I like the idea of a 14-team GAC. If it were 2 football schools added, I would prefer it to be two from northern Texas or two from southern KS/MO to keep the current AR-OK balance. Although that is likely in the "slim-to-none chance of happening" column. I once spoke against non-football schools in a football conference but I've since reconsidered. If we are to keep a tight footprint it might mean having non-football members; but I would keep it at no more than two. That's what the MIAA will have next year. I wouldn't mind having Arkansas-Fort Smith and either Cameron, Oklahoma Christian, or Rogers State. Only considering current D2 schools as candidates. A UAFS-RSU pairing would be best due to their proximity to each other. I would require them to have extra sports to make up for not having football and it keeps the AR-OK balance.

On the sports sponsored side, I agree we need more teams in some sports. Since the GAC began some teams were dropped; ECU golf and tennis, OBU golf, SNU women's tennis, and SAU women's tennis. SAU brought back tennis this year and also added their previously dropped men's team. The only growth has been in women's outdoor track & field, now up to 8 teams. The lack of men's soccer and men's tennis teams is why we will have a joint conference with the MIAA in those sports starting next year. In the non-GAC sports; swim & dive has HSU and OBU in the NSISC while OKBU is in the RMAC, OKBU women's lacrosse is also in the RMAC, OBU wrestling is in the GLVC, and Harding, OKBU, and SNU have independent indoor track & field teams. Oklahoma Christian and Rogers State are outdoor track & field affiliates who will be leaving after this spring which drops the men's side in the GAC to 5 teams. There are not enough teams in men's soccer, men's tennis, or men's outdoor track & field for them to be included in the All-Sport Trophy standings. While it wouldn't be a bad thing to add women's teams in the GAC sports, we really need men's teams added. But, how do you add men's teams without running into possible T9 issues?

Tech has been impressive in winning 6 of 7 All-Sport titles with only 10 teams compared to Harding having all teams in the All-Sport standings after they added softball. I'm also disappointed in Tech for not taking advantage of our enrollment explosion and not adding any new teams. I was surprised we won our last two All-Sport titles and it will be a challenge to win any more. With over 9,000 on the Russellville campus, why don't we have soccer, men's cross country, men's tennis, wrestling, or even lacrosse? There is a new public swimming facility adjacent to campus that the high school uses, can't we make a deal to use it for new Tech swim teams? What about rowing? It allows 20 scholarships and we are 1/2 mile from Lake Dardanelle. D2 has only 16 rowing teams with 2 of them going D1 soon which improves the chances for winning a national title like Central Oklahoma did this past May. Dardanelle State Park would also be a great facility for a triathlon team. Another sport I've kind of joked about is rifle. With all of us hunters and rednecks in AR and OK, why not? It is a "D1" co-ed sport. What schools have a bowing alley close by? Bowling is another "D1" women's sport which had D2 McKendree beat Nebraska for the 2017 national title. D2 might be able to have its own bowling championship if enough schools add the sport; there are currently 33 D2 schools with teams.

Yes, adding teams has a cost but I believe it can be used to help increase enrollment; especially for the smaller schools. The average D2 wrestling roster size is 33. Add in student support staff and friends of players and staff that new wrestling team brings the school probably 70-80 new students, all of them paying partial or full tuition and fees.

Question. Only Harding, OKBU, SNU, and affiliates OCU and RSU have indoor track & field. A couple of those school's websites have a GAC indoor track & field championship scheduled but the GAC does not. Is this just something these schools are doing this year and calling it a GAC championship? Hoping someone knows something. Again, the two affiliates are gone after this spring leaving only 3 schools with indoor teams which is not enough to be an official GAC championship sport. And, sorry for the long read; I really did not expect to write so much.

[/QUOTE]

[Tech Boys]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

It could work, but the costs might get in the way. This is also true for all other suggestions made. The MIAA has their exit fee. NSU would be required to add two GAC core sports of women's cross country and women's volleyball. The GAC might also require the schools to add other sports like men's soccer so that the GAC can get the minimum number for AQ status in the sport. Would the Arkie schools be fine with being outnumbered by Okie schools. Although the GAC currently schedules volleyball that suggests we have divisions it has no desire to officially use them. It was clearly stated during the conference's founding that the GAC will be a united single conference and no divisions. No objections to either school but just a few other things that would need to be addressed before any expansion.

[ctrabs74]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

I doubt you'll see true expansion. I think you'd see a team or two leave and then be replaced before expansion to anything more than 12 teams, but that's just my opinion.

It wouldn't make sense for the GAC to add teams without A) adding two teams to get to 14 B) making sure those teams fit the geographic footprint of the league and C) ensuring that the two new schools had football. I doubt very seriously that the GAC would take a new member that didn't play football or that wasn't from Arkansas or Oklahoma, due to scheduling, travel, etc. and then on top of that, you'd have to find not one but two schools that fit that bill. There are only so many schools that check off all of those boxes.

Current Heartland Conference and future Lone Star Conference Arkansas-Fort Smith and Oklahoma Christian would fit that bill. Yes, I know they don't have football, but you could easily add those two non-football schools in all other sports (1) if the GAC were open to the idea of adding non-football schools and (2) UAFS and OCU were interested in having closer road trips to Alva, Durant and Arkadelphia in the GAC instead of continuing their extensive travel to Laredo and San Antonio, and adding in trips to New Mexico, once the Heartland/LSC mega-merger is complete. If you go to a two-division setup with the Arkansas schools in one division (East) and the Oklahoma schools in the other (West), you could make a 14 team basketball league work with 12 divisional games and seven cross-division games; though, admittedly, one downside would be trying to round up three additional non-conference games. (Bear in mind the other Oklahoma school currently in the Heartland, Rogers State, is joining the MIAA.) If nothing else, you still get the equal number of Arkie schools vs. Okie schools to keep divisional play consistent.

I'm not saying that it will ever happen, but then again, I never thought I'd see the day Rogers State would make the jump to the MIAA.

[OldBison]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

Current Heartland Conference and future Lone Star Conference Arkansas-Fort Smith and Oklahoma Christian would fit that bill. Yes, I know they don't have football, but you could easily add those two non-football schools in all other sports (1) if the GAC were open to the idea of adding non-football schools and (2) UAFS and OCU were interested in having closer road trips to Alva, Durant and Arkadelphia in the GAC instead of continuing their extensive travel to Laredo and San Antonio, and adding in trips to New Mexico, once the Heartland/LSC mega-merger is complete. If you go to a two-division setup with the Arkansas schools in one division (East) and the Oklahoma schools in the other (West), you could make a 14 team basketball league work with 12 divisional games and seven cross-division games; though, admittedly, one downside would be trying to round up three additional non-conference games. (Bear in mind the other Oklahoma school currently in the Heartland, Rogers State, is joining the MIAA.) If nothing else, you still get the equal number of Arkie schools vs. Okie schools to keep divisional play consistent.

I'm not saying that it will ever happen, but then again, I never thought I'd see the day Rogers State would make the jump to the MIAA.

[Predatory Primates]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

Rogers state is in Claremore, just North of Tulsa. The main campus has grown quite a bit over the last 10 years. I've done several projects down there.

[johnintx]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

Regular lurker, rare poster:

I think the 12-school format is working fine for the GAC, and I believe the current schools are wary of huge change at this point. We have a good mix of schools (8 public, 4 private) spread evenly between Arkansas and Oklahoma. The existing members have worked hard to avoid situations they experienced in previous conferences. The Arkansas schools, by and large, are competing at a higher level across the board than the Oklahoma schools.

I'd be ok with expansion to 14, and I'm not married to a requirement for football.

NSU fits geographically and institutionally. But, as was mentioned upthread, they would have to pay a buyout to the MIAA and add two required women's sports. I don't see that happening.

UCO isn't coming. They have spent a large amount of $$ on facilities with the idea of competing in the MIAA. They actually fit the profile of a Division I FCS school, but they're not going to compete with the Thunder, OU and OSU for sponsors and fans. They're going to try to be the best MIAA program they can be. They have a very high ceiling in Division II.

I've seen Missouri Southern thrown around as a candidate. I don't see them coming without NSU. And, they would have to buy their way out of the MIAA. Plus, now that Rogers State is being added to the MIAA, they get another short trip for their non-football sports.

Arkansas-Fort Smith fits. It's a public school located smack in the middle of the conference footprint. If the GAC is looking for a non-football school, UAFS is a good place to start.

If we're looking at non-football schools, I'm partial to bringing in Oklahoma Christian. They are a long-time rival of SNU and OKBU from NAIA/Sooner Athletic Conference days. Unlike us and SNU, they chose not to add football. Like Harding, they are associated with the Churches of Christ. Having another school in the OKC area isn't bad, either.

I don't think we'll expand, but we do have options.

[OldBison]

Re: What is in the Future for the GAC?

Regular lurker, rare poster:

I think the 12-school format is working fine for the GAC, and I believe the current schools are wary of huge change at this point. We have a good mix of schools (8 public, 4 private) spread evenly between Arkansas and Oklahoma. The existing members have worked hard to avoid situations they experienced in previous conferences. The Arkansas schools, by and large, are competing at a higher level across the board than the Oklahoma schools.

I'd be ok with expansion to 14, and I'm not married to a requirement for football.

NSU fits geographically and institutionally. But, as was mentioned upthread, they would have to pay a buyout to the MIAA and add two required women's sports. I don't see that happening.

UCO isn't coming. They have spent a large amount of $$ on facilities with the idea of competing in the MIAA. They actually fit the profile of a Division I FCS school, but they're not going to compete with the Thunder, OU and OSU for sponsors and fans. They're going to try to be the best MIAA program they can be. They have a very high ceiling in Division II.

I've seen Missouri Southern thrown around as a candidate. I don't see them coming without NSU. And, they would have to buy their way out of the MIAA. Plus, now that Rogers State is being added to the MIAA, they get another short trip for their non-football sports.

Arkansas-Fort Smith fits. It's a public school located smack in the middle of the conference footprint. If the GAC is looking for a non-football school, UAFS is a good place to start.

If we're looking at non-football schools, I'm partial to bringing in Oklahoma Christian. They are a long-time rival of SNU and OKBU from NAIA/Sooner Athletic Conference days. Unlike us and SNU, they chose not to add football. Like Harding, they are associated with the Churches of Christ. Having another school in the OKC area isn't bad, either.

I don't think we'll expand, but we do have options.