Quote:Nine football-playing members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) will withdraw from the league to form a new regional all-sports conference. The new, yet to be named league, will consist of 12 schools from West Virginia and surrounding states.

MetroNews Sports has learned that presidents from the University of Charleston, Concord University, Fairmont State University, Glenville State College, Seton Hill University (located in Greensburg, Pa.), Shepherd University, West Liberty University, West Virginia State University, and West Virginia Wesleyan have contacted WVIAC commissioner Barry Blizzard to inform him of their intentions.

The move will leave the current 15 member WVIAC with six members; Alderson-Broaddus College, Bluefield State College, Davis & Elkins College, Ohio Valley University, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and Wheeling Jesuit University.

http://www.wvmetronews.com/news.cfm?func...ryid=53329

I would think AB would be included in the group with football. AB is restaring football. They have already started building a stadium and have an independant schedule this year. I can see why this is happening though, a lot of those schools do not put money at all into athletics. Well neither does Wesleyan. Has anyone seen their football bleachers.

AB to restart Football

Quote:AB SCHEDULE
8/27 at Kentucky Christian University
9/3 at St. Vincent College
9/10 at Washington & Jefferson College
9/17 at Waynesburg University
9/23 at Marietta College
10/1 at Geneva College
10/8 at Bethany College
10/15 at Frostburg State University

Yes the 1st year they play all of their games away.

Rendering Of AB Stadium
It's not the biggest stadium in WVIAC but its a start.





West Virgina Wesleyan Stadium

The middle school up the road from me has better bleachers than WVWC, but I think they're beginning to put cash in their program now.


I wonder who the non football schools are going to backfill with...

Also, the article said that the new conference was trying to get to 12 members, so AB may be included

just doing some quick digging, I found 3 schools the leftovers could potentially go after

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_...University

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_College

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Park_University

(06-18-2012 01:16 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  The middle school up the road from me has better bleachers than WVWC, but I think they're beginning to put cash in their program now.


I wonder who the non football schools are going to backfill with...

Just like us, there isn't much to choose from. Bethany is DIII and DIII is non scholarship, and I don't see them adding scholarships. Mountian State is NAIA and Ive never seen them say they were interested in moving up to DII. There are a few schools in Ohio and VA that might be interested.

(06-18-2012 01:18 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  Also, the article said that the new conference was trying to get to 12 members, so AB may be included

This has been talked about as long as the BE split has been talked about. It really picked up steam though a few years after the WVAIC went from NAIA to DII in 1995. Most schools that have played football have started to put money in athletics. The WVAIC is still one of the poorest DII conferences in terms of competition because when they moved up no one had facilities worth a crap. Thats starting to change somewhat. Last year Shephard made it to the simi finals in football and West Libery the last 2 years have made it to the Elite 8 and Final 4 in basketball.

I think AB has the first spot since they are a member of the WVAIC. Also I think thik UV Wise will have the second or 11th member spot. They have some pretty nice facilities for an NAIA school. Also the football members wanted to add them to the WVAIC and the non football members all voted against them. They needed 12 of the 15 schools to vote for them.

Who gets the 3rd spot I don't know


Carl Smith Stadium at UVA Wise


Convocation Center at UVA Wise


Stallard Field at UVA Wise

I've been to a game at UVA-Wise. Its not bad, but it really is in the middle of nowhere.

A lot of the WVAIC is in the middle of nowhere. They wouldn't be the 1st.

(06-18-2012 06:54 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  A lot of the WVAIC is in the middle of nowhere. They wouldn't be the 1st.

True, but I felt like I was going to fall off the edge of the earth going to Wise.

So it's true, the world is flat! But, seriously, you won't fall off until you get to Grundy.

(06-22-2012 07:16 PM)Killer Buffalo Wrote:  So it's true, the world is flat! But, seriously, you won't fall off until you get to Grundy.

Interesting note: Grundy has both a law school and a school of pharmacy

http://www.asl.edu/

http://www.acp.edu/

Ive found a few more candidates that may be interested in the new conference:

Central State University is located in Wilberforce, Ohio. They are a DII indy team right now. Central State is an HBCU, they would join WV State as the only other HBCU of the 9 schools.

Malone University is starting the process of becoming a DII school from NAIA. They will be a full member of DII in 2013. They are located in Canton, Ohio.

(06-22-2012 07:16 PM)Killer Buffalo Wrote:  So it's true, the world is flat! But, seriously, you won't fall off until you get to Grundy.

+1, How "Grungy" got a law and pharmacy school ill never know.

I'd like to see Shepherd move up to FCS in a few years. The university will be about Marshall's current size sooner rather than later so I could definitely see the move working for them. Plus it's only like an hour or so outside of DC. That has to be valuable to someone.

(06-23-2012 01:51 PM)lmckay92 Wrote:  I'd like to see Shepherd move up to FCS in a few years. The university will be about Marshall's current size sooner rather than later so I could definitely see the move working for them. Plus it's only like an hour or so outside of DC. That has to be valuable to someone.

There isn't really a league in the region, unless the Big South would take them... But before that, they'd have to make some very significant upgrades to their facilities.

Cap.- 5,000



Cap.- ???

(06-23-2012 04:51 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  

(06-23-2012 01:51 PM)lmckay92 Wrote:  I'd like to see Shepherd move up to FCS in a few years. The university will be about Marshall's current size sooner rather than later so I could definitely see the move working for them. Plus it's only like an hour or so outside of DC. That has to be valuable to someone.

There isn't really a league in the region, unless the Big South would take them... But before that, they'd have to make some very significant upgrades to their facilities.

Shepherd could always start in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The NEC only allows 40 scholarships right now, up from 32. DII schools if Im not mistaken is allowed 38 scholarships but you can split those and give partital. You can't split at the IA level.

Northeast
Albany
Bryant
Central Conn. St.
Duquesne
Monmouth
Robert Morris
Sacred Heart
St. Francis (PA)
Wagner

Right now there is no school in the NEC with a football stadium over 5,500.

(06-23-2012 06:59 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(06-23-2012 04:51 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  

(06-23-2012 01:51 PM)lmckay92 Wrote:  I'd like to see Shepherd move up to FCS in a few years. The university will be about Marshall's current size sooner rather than later so I could definitely see the move working for them. Plus it's only like an hour or so outside of DC. That has to be valuable to someone.

There isn't really a league in the region, unless the Big South would take them... But before that, they'd have to make some very significant upgrades to their facilities.

Shepherd could always start in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The NEC only allows 40 scholarships right now, up from 32. DII schools if Im not mistaken is allowed 38 scholarships but you can split those and give partital. You can't split at the IA level.

Northeast
Albany
Bryant
Central Conn. St.
Duquesne
Monmouth
Robert Morris
Sacred Heart
St. Francis (PA)
Wagner

Right now there is no school in the NEC with a football stadium over 5,500.

Albany isn't a full member in the NEC (they're football only and likely out the door as they upgrade their program) and there is only one state school and a bunch of privates. I would think Shepherd would have a very hard time getting an invite.


*URI is set to join FB only in 2013

Full Members of the NEC:

Bryant University
Central Connecticut State University*
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Long Island University
Monmouth University
Mount St. Mary's University
Quinnipiac University
Robert Morris University
Sacred Heart University
St. Francis College
Saint Francis University
Wagner College

I think it would be cool if the university decides to invest in athletics and make the jump. I considered transferring to Shepherd and would like to see them succeed. The more universities to oppose WVU, the better.

There is the Patriot League too. But I don't know how Shepherd's academics are. The Patriot League uses an AI (Academic Index) to recruit by. If a recruit doesn't meet standards set by the conference they can't get in that school for athletics.

If UC was a bigger school and public I think they would have a easy time finding a home in IAA.