New GVSU Master Plan Released

[Predatory Primates]

I know people do the D1 vs D2 thing, but man.....I have a hard time believing that more people know who Southeast Missouri State and Tennessee Tech are than Grand Valley State and Ferris State. Maybe they do, I don't know. But I feel like if I was a parent, I'd rather tell people my child is going to Grand Valley State than Southeast Missouri State lol.

SEMO was bad in D2. They just stayed bad.

[KleShreen]

Didn't mean to imply that GV should. It's just that other schools travel that much and they do get student athletes to play. That's also one reason why I wonder why so many D2 teams don't want that one or two long road trips a season. Some schools do it for most road games. Even GV... for as much as we do travel, it seems like it's such a huge budget deal to take that trip. Just think the added costs that moving up along with that travel budget.. holy smokes. So play that card to Admin to justify longer road trips to fill in the schedule.. at least until the GLIAC gets some added schools.

The D1 topic is tough. I'm in the camp that it's hard, if not just irrational, to move up. Still the stigma of the D2 level vs the D1 level exists. Most student athletes and parents put so much weight on being able to say D1 vs D2. It's extreme, but real. It's only a label, but dang, it seems to be a big deal to so many.

I do say that done properly, there are tangible benefits to a school in moving up. Enough to justify the added costs? Doubtful. Frankly, I wonder how things would be if many of the D1 confs moved down to D2? We'll not see that though.

I know people do the D1 vs D2 thing, but man.....I have a hard time believing that more people know who Southeast Missouri State and Tennessee Tech are than Grand Valley State and Ferris State. Maybe they do, I don't know. But I feel like if I was a parent, I'd rather tell people my child is going to Grand Valley State than Southeast Missouri State lol.

[bigmrg74]

The OVC just added Western Illinois.

And practically every school in the league would be basically a UP bus ride or even further away from Allendale, with the only plus is that they wouldn't have to worry about crossing the Mackinaw Bridge in windy and whiteout condition's. Not sure I would want to do that for the volleyball team.

[Redwing]

Apples and Oranges. We have choices/options...Tech, NMU, and LSSU, not so much.

Tech and NMU are where they are and kinda have to roll with their best option. I'm with Kle...why would we CHOOSE to go to a format where our nearest conference or FCS foe would be five hours away? Why would we CHOOSE to spend craptons more $, get clobbered in all of our other sports, and make it so our fans travel less than they already do? We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have half of our annual roadies be three hours or less. We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have weekends like we are now where both golf teams are going to nationals, lacrosse is going to the Final Four, W's & M's T&F will undoubtedly go to nationals for the 20th+ straight year, and softball is rolling to yet another Super Regional. The vast majority of that sails away if we CHOOSE to want to travel like Tech and NMU do.

Can't for the life of me figure out why we would CHOOSE a more expensive option that provides less value to the University and our student-athletes. Just because some of our conference mates currently deal with tougher travel hardly means we should want that for ourselves when we would have make a conscious choice for it to be so.

Didn't mean to imply that GV should. It's just that other schools travel that much and they do get student athletes to play. That's also one reason why I wonder why so many D2 teams don't want that one or two long road trips a season. Some schools do it for most road games. Even GV... for as much as we do travel, it seems like it's such a huge budget deal to take that trip. Just think the added costs that moving up along with that travel budget.. holy smokes. So play that card to Admin to justify longer road trips to fill in the schedule.. at least until the GLIAC gets some added schools.

The D1 topic is tough. I'm in the camp that it's hard, if not just irrational, to move up. Still the stigma of the D2 level vs the D1 level exists. Most student athletes and parents put so much weight on being able to say D1 vs D2. It's extreme, but real. It's only a label, but dang, it seems to be a big deal to so many.

I do say that done properly, there are tangible benefits to a school in moving up. Enough to justify the added costs? Doubtful. Frankly, I wonder how things would be if many of the D1 confs moved down to D2? We'll not see that though.

[tip79]

Apples and Oranges. We have choices/options...Tech, NMU, and LSSU, not so much.

Tech and NMU are where they are and kinda have to roll with their best option. I'm with Kle...why would we CHOOSE to go to a format where our nearest conference or FCS foe would be five hours away? Why would we CHOOSE to spend craptons more $, get clobbered in all of our other sports, and make it so our fans travel less than they already do? We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have half of our annual roadies be three hours or less. We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have weekends like we are now where both golf teams are going to nationals, lacrosse is going to the Final Four, W's & M's T&F will undoubtedly go to nationals for the 20th+ straight year, and softball is rolling to yet another Super Regional. The vast majority of that sails away if we CHOOSE to want to travel like Tech and NMU do.

Can't for the life of me figure out why we would CHOOSE a more expensive option that provides less value to the University and our student-athletes. Just because some of our conference mates currently deal with tougher travel hardly means we should want that for ourselves when we would have make a conscious choice for it to be so.

I agree...

[Irishlaker]

True... then look at MTU and NMU. Lake Superior isn't much better.

Apples and Oranges. We have choices/options...Tech, NMU, and LSSU, not so much.

Tech and NMU are where they are and kinda have to roll with their best option. I'm with Kle...why would we CHOOSE to go to a format where our nearest conference or FCS foe would be five hours away? Why would we CHOOSE to spend craptons more $, get clobbered in all of our other sports, and make it so our fans travel less than they already do? We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have half of our annual roadies be three hours or less. We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have weekends like we are now where both golf teams are going to nationals, lacrosse is going to the Final Four, W's & M's T&F will undoubtedly go to nationals for the 20th+ straight year, and softball is rolling to yet another Super Regional. The vast majority of that sails away if we CHOOSE to want to travel like Tech and NMU do.

Can't for the life of me figure out why we would CHOOSE a more expensive option that provides less value to the University and our student-athletes. Just because some of our conference mates currently deal with tougher travel hardly means we should want that for ourselves when we would have make a conscious choice for it to be so.

[Redwing]

The nearest in-conference opponent for GV would still be a 5-hour bus ride away. That's nuts.

True... then look at MTU and NMU. Lake Superior isn't much better.

[KleShreen]

GVSU makes 12? That would make a nice number, would also make 8 football playing members.

The nearest in-conference opponent for GV would still be a 5-hour bus ride away. That's nuts.

[zimmy21]

The OVC just added Western Illinois.

GVSU makes 12? That would make a nice number, would also make 8 football playing members.

[BeachinLaker]

The OVC just added Western Illinois.

[tip79]

Wholeheartedly agree. TBH, why some people out here are so gung-ho about GV going D1 continues to elude me. We're right were we should be, and unless the NCAA landscape changes somehow there's no benefit for us to move to D1.

Agreed

[Irishlaker]

Just hoping they plan on being part of at least the D2 natty game for the first time in nearly 20 years. Is that in there somewhere? Don't want that SR1 power to come between that and their goals. If GVSU is a football power they should be able to compete for D2 championships the last 20 years. /bait

Wholeheartedly agree. TBH, why some people out here are so gung-ho about GV going D1 continues to elude me. We're right were we should be, and unless the NCAA landscape changes somehow there's no benefit for us to move to D1.

[Turbonium]

Just hoping they plan on being part of at least the D2 natty game for the first time in nearly 20 years. Is that in there somewhere? Don't want that SR1 power to come between that and their goals. If GVSU is a football power they should be able to compete for D2 championships the last 20 years. /bait

[BeachinLaker]

While the OVC is not a good conference, it may be needed to get us into D1. Once there, there’s room for movement once we’ve established ourselves. We’ll see what shakes out. Ideally, MVC/Horizon would happen, but we need to keep our options open.

[GVSU-2019]

It's not a good geographic fit either. Better on the budget when youre a low to mid major like GVSU/Lindenwood

OVC Map below.....

GVSU being in the OVC would suck. However, I live in Nashville, and selfishly I'd be for it just so I could watch GVSU @ TSU