Lincoln is back from the MIAA, where does that put Uindy?

[GorillaTeacher]

Just kidding, they had a ridiculous number of varsity sports, and had no business really offering any of them.

[Gorilla John 92]

They are going to go the UNO, oops Omaha, route. Drop successful programs, start the first collegiate hockey team in Missouri, and say, "Look at Us!".

[Predatory Primates]

They are going to go the UNO, oops Omaha, route. Drop successful programs, start the first collegiate hockey team in Missouri, and say, "Look at Us!".

Pretty sure mo state St Louis U and maybe a couple of others beat em to it.

[bigsig50]

Just kidding, they had a ridiculous number of varsity sports, and had no business really offering any of them.

Spellman was one of the pioneers of leveraging sports and activities to drive enrollment. It's one of several innovative/controversial things he did that saved the school from the brink of literal extinction in the 1980's.

As the school went from NAIA, to D2, and eventually D1, those sports just kinda stuck around. When they moved and Wachler was quoted as saying there were no plans to get rid of any sports I thought he was nuts. He was fired shortly afterwards so I think my feelings were valid. There are only a handful of schools that offered as many sports as Llindenwood offered at the D1 level. Among them are the likes of Michigan, North Carolina, and Harvard.

Not effing Lindenwood, lol.

So, yah, you're right. They had no business offering so many of those sports at the D1 level.

I was surprised they got rid of Gymnastics and Men's Wrestling though. I know wrestling is always an easy target, but it's literally the most storied program at the school. It's the first program to win multiple national championships. I talked to a friend who works with the school still and it appears it was a matter of not being able to get into a conference. They tried getting into the MAC but were rejected.
Gymnastics was a heartbreaking story. They had so much success from day one, had a phenom coach who built the program and earned herself a gig at the University of Washington, and continued to roll with another Natty this year. They raised so much money and had so much support and so much talent in the program. But it's a money pit of a sport. Gym fees are ridiculous and Lindenwood doesn't own their own facility. They have to rent Gym Quarters in O'Fallon. I have to wonder if the owners of Gym Quarters went to the school to offer them a deal to try and keep the program, because having LU host huge meets with the likes of Mizzou and UF coming into town every year had to be great for the sport in the area.

Anyway...


Back to the original topic.....


What's happening with Uindy? Have they got a new AD? Are they staying D2? Staying GLVC? Moving GMAC? Moving GLIAC?

[UISguy23]

Think they go D1

[TheDog]

Back to the original topic.....

What's happening with Uindy? Have they got a new AD? Are they staying D2? Staying GLVC? Moving GMAC? Moving GLIAC?

Looks like UIndy staying put as they focus on healthy enrollment numbers while weathering IU's "inconvenient" renaming push of IUPUI to IU-Indy, along with the impending national enrollment cliff. Brought in a first-class interim AD out of retirement two months ago (Gines - Texas AM/Kingsville, HBCU Delaware State). D1? GLIAC? Looks like D1 exploration no longer the focus and we're not in position to compete regularly with state schools. GLVC? Teams giving us reason to stay in the GLVC have all but left (St Joe, S. Indiana, LW, Bellarmine) - it's now a weak basketball conference as well. Brought in new faces on the staffs for Football and Basketball that will make us stronger wherever we end up.