Northwood to GMAC?

[BeachinLaker]

I’ve been watching this thread with extreme interest. The GLIAC is certainly in trouble and without adding a football school or two it will be difficult to continue forward. Of particular interest is the discussion on GVSU moving up to D1. A few years back I was told by a very high ranking official at GVSU that moving to D1 would be financially impossible. Most schools that make that jump rely heavily on endowments and other large donations to make the jump possible. In his own words, “ Most of you are not rich yet and you’re certainly not dead”. GVSU, being a relatively new institution, does not have the benefit of decades of donations via wills, trusts and endowments. I’m reminded of the wealthy donor that gave $300,000,000 to the University of Michigan athletic department. To my knowledge, GVSU doesn’t have that guy. Now, I personally no not of what I speak. I’m just repeating what I was told. Perhaps there are other avenues to obtain the necessary funding.

GVSU doesn't have that guy, but neither does the vast majority of regional state universities. You don't go to regional state universities to become a millionaire.

GVSU has the benefit of local billionaires that are invested in the region. I'm sure if Grand Action 2.0 saw a use for a Division 1 university in the Grand Rapids area, they would make it happen. Everything they do is with an eye toward local economic growth.

[4nick8]

Hillsdale has always been that way. They were suspended from the MIAA 60 years ago so they quit that conference

[bigmrg74]

Gorram Hillsdale getting too dang big for them britches and taking off to go be with Ohio schools. That's been the real problem here.

[Uindy18]

I’ve been watching this thread with extreme interest. The GLIAC is certainly in trouble and without adding a football school or two it will be difficult to continue forward. Of particular interest is the discussion on GVSU moving up to D1. A few years back I was told by a very high ranking official at GVSU that moving to D1 would be financially impossible. Most schools that make that jump rely heavily on endowments and other large donations to make the jump possible. In his own words, “ Most of you are not rich yet and you’re certainly not dead”. GVSU, being a relatively new institution, does not have the benefit of decades of donations via wills, trusts and endowments. I’m reminded of the wealthy donor that gave $300,000,000 to the University of Michigan athletic department. To my knowledge, GVSU doesn’t have that guy. Now, I personally no not of what I speak. I’m just repeating what I was told. Perhaps there are other avenues to obtain the necessary funding.

Ya, the " school x to division 1" rumors will always be around as long as your school is halfway competitive in most sports. It went round the Uindy campus often when I was there, and we are no where near as dominant as GVSU has been over the last decade. Honestly, I hope GVSU stays and the GLIAC figures out a way to stave off complete collapse. Best way to do seemingly would be to push hard for expansion with the NAIA schools of Michigan, and maybe even purse Lewis out of the GLVC (they are in the Chicago area and would pair nicely with UW-P and P-NW)

[Thelakerman]

I’ve been watching this thread with extreme interest. The GLIAC is certainly in trouble and without adding a football school or two it will be difficult to continue forward. Of particular interest is the discussion on GVSU moving up to D1. A few years back I was told by a very high ranking official at GVSU that moving to D1 would be financially impossible. Most schools that make that jump rely heavily on endowments and other large donations to make the jump possible. In his own words, “ Most of you are not rich yet and you’re certainly not dead”. GVSU, being a relatively new institution, does not have the benefit of decades of donations via wills, trusts and endowments. I’m reminded of the wealthy donor that gave $300,000,000 to the University of Michigan athletic department. To my knowledge, GVSU doesn’t have that guy. Now, I personally no not of what I speak. I’m just repeating what I was told. Perhaps there are other avenues to obtain the necessary funding.

[D2Ohio]

I highly doubt anyone in the GLIAC, the conference who has been raided of football schools by the GMAC and is hanging on by a fingernail, is going to do anything to help out the GMAC in scheduling top-notch football opponents.

Understand that, I see it benefiting GLIAC (6 conference games) more than GMAC (8 conference games) to get crossover games during the conference portion of the schedule

[WVIAC-F-EVER]

The gmac is in a different region in football...

this to get an automatic, you have to look at the other conferences you are competing against

psac 1 non conference; nfl type scheduling annually; championship game - result 3-4 teams in annually

mec 1 non conference; result 1 team in annually with a second possible if only 2 losses or less

ne10 2 or 3 non conference; result 1 team gets if they are 1 loss or less

gmac will be at 2 or 3 non conference once Ashland and northwood join; bottom of league could kill strength of schedule by playing other regional opponents; playing strong gliac could cost them at large bids... to many non conference games... if psac and mec at at 1, you need to be at 1 and you need to get more football teams so you can nfl schedule

[Uindy18]

I would say the main issue with a GLIAC/GMAC scheduling agreement is the current one with the GMAC and the GLVC. It would be tough to swing both, but it would even be more interesting if all three sat down together and established a tri-conference scheduling agreement of some sort that could handle much of the out of conference games. Take Indianapolis for instance. I could see something where Uindy plays full a GLVC conference schedule, gets a pre arranged game against 1 GLIAC, and 1 GMAC school, and then is on their own to find one or two other games.

[Tech Boys]

I don't see why they couldn't or wouldn't work together.

The G-MAC and GLIAC currently cooperate together for a volleyball cross-over event.
The G-MAC and GLVC have a football scheduling alliance and share a bowl game
The G-MAC and MEC run a swimming championship together
The G-MAC and Conference Carolinas run a bowling championship together.
The G-MAC has affiliate members from the MEC, PSAC and GLIAC

In fact, the two WV schools that left the G-MAC for the MEC are still affiliate members of the G-MAC.

Cooperation is always necessary for some sport. Best to cooperate as much as you can - and you never know when you will need a return favor.

Just to note that the G-MAC affiliate member from the GLIAC is incoming full member Ashland for wrestling. This might have been more about helping a future full member than working in cooperation with a neighboring conference. Obviously the G-MAC cooperates with the GLIAC, they are in the same region for about every sport sponsored by both conferences except football.

[KleShreen]

I don't see why they couldn't or wouldn't work together.

The G-MAC and GLIAC currently cooperate together for a volleyball cross-over event.
The G-MAC and GLVC have a football scheduling alliance and share a bowl game
The G-MAC and MEC run a swimming championship together
The G-MAC and Conference Carolinas run a bowling championship together.
The G-MAC has affiliate members from the MEC, PSAC and GLIAC

In fact, the two WV schools that left the G-MAC for the MEC are still affiliate members of the G-MAC.

Cooperation is always necessary for some sport. Best to cooperate as much as you can - and you never know when you will need a return favor.

I highly doubt anyone in the GLIAC, the conference who has been raided of football schools by the GMAC and is hanging on by a fingernail, is going to do anything to help out the GMAC in scheduling top-notch football opponents.

[UFOILERFAN]

For sure. When I first started writing it, I was just thinking - look, the G-MAC and GLIAC are already working together on something. Then, I kept thinking of more and more things the G-MAC collaborates with other conferences on. There is no reason the G-MAC (and GLVC for that matter) and GLIAC couldn't work together with regard to football scheduling.

The G-MAC and GLVC are working together on football scheduling this fall and next, although I don't know what the addition of Northwood does to next year's arrangement.

[BlueBlood]

The GLVC is in on that Volleyball event. Basically, all three conferences bring all their teams to Indianapolis, and play non-stop for a 2 or 3 days

For sure. When I first started writing it, I was just thinking - look, the G-MAC and GLIAC are already working together on something. Then, I kept thinking of more and more things the G-MAC collaborates with other conferences on. There is no reason the G-MAC (and GLVC for that matter) and GLIAC couldn't work together with regard to football scheduling.

[Uindy18]

I don't see why they couldn't or wouldn't work together.

The G-MAC and GLIAC currently cooperate together for a volleyball cross-over event.
The G-MAC and GLVC have a football scheduling alliance and share a bowl game
The G-MAC and MEC run a swimming championship together
The G-MAC and Conference Carolinas run a bowling championship together.
The G-MAC has affiliate members from the MEC, PSAC and GLIAC

In fact, the two WV schools that left the G-MAC for the MEC are still affiliate members of the G-MAC.

Cooperation is always necessary for some sport. Best to cooperate as much as you can - and you never know when you will need a return favor.

The GLVC is in on that Volleyball event. Basically, all three conferences bring all their teams to Indianapolis, and play non-stop for a 2 or 3 days

[BlueBlood]

I don't believe anyone in the GLIAC or GMAC is interested in helping each other out, tbh.

I don't see why they couldn't or wouldn't work together.

The G-MAC and GLIAC currently cooperate together for a volleyball cross-over event.
The G-MAC and GLVC have a football scheduling alliance and share a bowl game
The G-MAC and MEC run a swimming championship together
The G-MAC and Conference Carolinas run a bowling championship together.
The G-MAC has affiliate members from the MEC, PSAC and GLIAC

In fact, the two WV schools that left the G-MAC for the MEC are still affiliate members of the G-MAC.

Cooperation is always necessary for some sport. Best to cooperate as much as you can - and you never know when you will need a return favor.

[KleShreen]

In theory for football, if GLIAC is at 7, GMAC is at 9, one team will not be playing each week during conference play, if the politics work out, could work due to geography to get an extra game

I don't believe anyone in the GLIAC or GMAC is interested in helping each other out, tbh.