Here is another possibility for the future regarding the GLIAC, and one that may not be as far off as people may think. There are still a regular number of teams making the jump from the NAIA to DII. I think it is possible that in the future, you will see entire, or nearly entire conferences make the jump from NAIA to the NCAA DII level.
One of the conferences I could see making that move is the WHAC, or at least the majority of the schools in the conference (Cleary would be the one I could see not jumping because of their small enrollment, even through they just announced the addition of men's and women's basketball.) What impact would this have on the GLIAC? I think you very well could see a huge shift in the entire Great Lakes region landscape if this were to happen.
If it were to happen, I think you would see a couple major changes happen alongside.
First, this would be the point the GLIAC schools in the LP very well could consider moving to DI, meaning GVSU, Ferris, Wayne State and SVSU. I think if the 4 schools all moved at the same time it would be attractive to the Horizon League which would then expand its footprint into other areas of Michigan (mainly GR), and increase the size of the conference from the current 11 members to 15 members, at which time the conference may also include Chicago State, bring the membership to 16 schools. Adding the GLIAC schools would create or resume several natural rivalries across sports, with Oakland-Wayne State resume their history from the days of the GLIAC. I could see a Horizon League with east and west divisions. The east division would be Robert Morris (Pa), Youngstown State, Cleveland St, Oakland, UofD Mercy, Wayne State, SVSU, and Ferris State. The west division would include GVSU, Chicago State, Purdue FW, IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Wright State, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Green Bay. (GVSU would go west because they are a more southern location than Ferris, and it would require either splitting GVSU-Ferris or NKU-Wright St. GVSU and Ferris, given their proximity would still be able to schedule non-conference games as needed against each other to help fill open schedule spots, and those contests would likely be fairly well attended, more so than an NKU-Wright St contest because those schools lack a natural history.
Beyond the shift of the public GLIAC schools to DI, I think you would see a shift of the private schools in Michigan to the WHAC, or likely the WHAC and GLIAC merge. Hillsdale and Northwood would leave the GMAC for the new WHAC-GLIAC thus significantly decreasing travel for their programs.
This would leave the UP schools and UW-Parkside on an island. I think they could stay with the GLIAC-WHAC schools, although I don't see those schools really wanting trips to the UP.
One of the conferences I could see making that move is the WHAC, or at least the majority of the schools in the conference (Cleary would be the one I could see not jumping because of their small enrollment, even through they just announced the addition of men's and women's basketball.) What impact would this have on the GLIAC? I think you very well could see a huge shift in the entire Great Lakes region landscape if this were to happen.
If it were to happen, I think you would see a couple major changes happen alongside.
First, this would be the point the GLIAC schools in the LP very well could consider moving to DI, meaning GVSU, Ferris, Wayne State and SVSU. I think if the 4 schools all moved at the same time it would be attractive to the Horizon League which would then expand its footprint into other areas of Michigan (mainly GR), and increase the size of the conference from the current 11 members to 15 members, at which time the conference may also include Chicago State, bring the membership to 16 schools. Adding the GLIAC schools would create or resume several natural rivalries across sports, with Oakland-Wayne State resume their history from the days of the GLIAC. I could see a Horizon League with east and west divisions. The east division would be Robert Morris (Pa), Youngstown State, Cleveland St, Oakland, UofD Mercy, Wayne State, SVSU, and Ferris State. The west division would include GVSU, Chicago State, Purdue FW, IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Wright State, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Green Bay. (GVSU would go west because they are a more southern location than Ferris, and it would require either splitting GVSU-Ferris or NKU-Wright St. GVSU and Ferris, given their proximity would still be able to schedule non-conference games as needed against each other to help fill open schedule spots, and those contests would likely be fairly well attended, more so than an NKU-Wright St contest because those schools lack a natural history.
Beyond the shift of the public GLIAC schools to DI, I think you would see a shift of the private schools in Michigan to the WHAC, or likely the WHAC and GLIAC merge. Hillsdale and Northwood would leave the GMAC for the new WHAC-GLIAC thus significantly decreasing travel for their programs.
This would leave the UP schools and UW-Parkside on an island. I think they could stay with the GLIAC-WHAC schools, although I don't see those schools really wanting trips to the UP.
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