Kicking out a program because all their other sports are not D1 is a lame excuse IMO. Hartwick did the MAC a favor when they joined as they were the 6th member needed in order for the conference to continue to sponsor men's soccer as a sport. Not that WVA has been added, the MAC seems to think they no longer need Hartwick so out they go. Conference officials had better not hope a current conference member or WVA (affiliate) decides to drop men's soccer or the conference will be scrambling for a member again.

(02-13-2014 03:50 PM)Policiious Wrote:  Kicking out a program because all their other sports are not D1 is a lame excuse IMO. Hartwick did the MAC a favor when they joined as they were the 6th member needed in order for the conference to continue to sponsor men's soccer as a sport. Not that WVA has been added, the MAC seems to think they no longer need Hartwick so out they go. Conference officials had better not hope a current conference member or WVA (affiliate) decides to drop men's soccer or the conference will be scrambling for a member again.

Unless there is already a replacement lined up.

As far as proper gratitude to Hartwick for the six schools required for AQ, waiting until Hartwick had a landing spot due to two of the Sunbelt's members getting the boot from their conference is more consideration than some conferences would offer ... for instance, the conference that booted the men's soccer teams of those two Sunbelt schools.

(02-13-2014 04:56 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Unless there is already a replacement lined up.

Hopefully this is the case. Still not a good excuse to kick out an existing member. Eight teams works much better than seven.

Belmont?

(02-13-2014 05:28 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 04:56 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Unless there is already a replacement lined up.

Hopefully this is the case. Still not a good excuse to kick out an existing member. Eight teams works much better than seven.

Could be two additions lined up.

I would not be surprised if the preference not to have a split division affiliate was real. Hartwick isn't exactly the Johns Hopkins of soccer, and not everyone in college athletics approves of the legacy single-sport D1 schools, even if they did win their vote among Div3.

(02-14-2014 02:56 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  I would not be surprised if the preference not to have a split division affiliate was real. Hartwick isn't exactly the Johns Hopkins of soccer, and not everyone in college athletics approves of the legacy single-sport D1 schools, even if they did win their vote among Div3.

I'm sure the sentiment of not wanting a split division school was real. It's still a poor excuse for putting the conference sponsorship of the sport in jeopardy. The MAC has taken plenty of affiliates that don't necessarily fit in, in order to keep a sport viable.

Hartwick may not have Johns Hopkins levels of success, but they do have a national championship under their belt, and have produced some professional athletes.

There has to be more to this.

(02-14-2014 03:15 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  I'm sure the sentiment of not wanting a split division school was real. It's still a poor excuse for putting the conference sponsorship of the sport in jeopardy. The MAC has taken plenty of affiliates that don't necessarily fit in, in order to keep a sport viable.

But its only supposition whether or not they are doing that ~ the timing of this announcement was the Sunbelt's, to ease concerns in two of their schools put on the spot ... there is no urgency for the MAC to be making any announcements before the revenue sports seasons come to a close with March Madness. So if there were more pieces to the puzzle, we wouldn't necessarily expect to hear about it until April/June.

JMU has pretty decent soccer and a brand new stadium to boot. Just sayin....

To get to the other side?

.

(02-14-2014 02:37 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  To get to the other side?

.

If by "the other side" you mean the East Coast...then yes.

(02-14-2014 02:13 PM)jmu@uva Wrote:  JMU has pretty decent soccer and a brand new stadium to boot. Just sayin...

A number of.schools that have been suggested as full members have men's soccer teams.

(02-14-2014 05:34 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(02-14-2014 02:13 PM)jmu@uva Wrote:  JMU has pretty decent soccer and a brand new stadium to boot. Just sayin...

A number of.schools that have been suggested as full members have men's soccer teams.

But.....JMU is better. Duh.

I don't think anyone would complain about JMU joining in soccer.

(02-14-2014 06:23 PM)axeme Wrote:  I don't think anyone would complain about JMU joining in soccer.

NO MORE SOCCER ONLY MEMBERS!

West Virginia all-sports!

.

(02-14-2014 09:01 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(02-14-2014 06:23 PM)axeme Wrote:  I don't think anyone would complain about JMU joining in soccer.

NO MORE SOCCER ONLY MEMBERS!

West Virginia all-sports!

.

Ultimatum!

(02-14-2014 09:01 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(02-14-2014 06:23 PM)axeme Wrote:  I don't think anyone would complain about JMU joining in soccer.

NO MORE SOCCER ONLY MEMBERS!

West Virginia all-sports!

If some MAC Presidents think that having a mostly D3 affiliate reflects badly on the MAC as a whole, I guess I could see how schools that don't play men's soocer could weigh in on that question, but for a P5 conference member, I'm not sure why a non-soccer playing school like MiamiU and its supporters should care. If Akron, WMU, Bowling Green, Buffalo and Northern Illinos are happy with WVU as an affiliate, that should pretty much settle it.

(02-14-2014 09:01 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(02-14-2014 06:23 PM)axeme Wrote:  I don't think anyone would complain about JMU joining in soccer.

NO MORE SOCCER ONLY MEMBERS!

West Virginia all-sports!

.

You don't get the larger picture here. Allowing affiliate members, especially those from P5 conferences & MVC is brilliant strategy.

WVA plays Soccer and Mizzou, UNI, Old Dominion wrestle here.

I and many others had hoped that Old Dominion might join the MAC as a full member, if CUSA undergoes continued unrest due to getting raided having ODU in the MAC for at least one sport makes it easier for them to move all sports here.

Oklahoma U's wresting coach has expressed a desire for the 4 member B12 wrestling programs to join the MAC. Adding Oklahoma, Oklahoma State & Iowa State only makes the MAC even stronger in wrestling to the point where it is the equal of the Big 10.

It also means that Mizzou would compete against it's former B12 conference mates in the MAC!

Northern Iowa & Iowa State would develop a heated rivalry, in the MAC!

The OU/OSU Bedlam wrestling match would take place in the MAC!

Two of the 6 men's sports that WVA offers will be played in the MAC

Further benefits if this happens

1) With 2 of it's teams in the MAC is WVA more or less likely to play OOC games with MAC football & hoops teams. I'd say more likely

2) If the MAC ever gets raided and losses membership does having ODU & UNI in the conference for at least one sport make them more or less likely to migrate the rest of their sports to the MAC. More likely I think

3) Does having OU, OK ST & IA ST in the conference for at least 1 sport make them or less likely to play MAC programs in football & hoops. I say more likely.

4) Does having 4 of the current 10 Big 12 programs in the MAC make it easier or harder for the MAC & B12 to reach agreement on future football bowl tie ins. I say easier.

If you want to grow bowl tie ins and have more inter conference games in revenue (hoops & football) with a P5 conference, having 4 of their 10 teams in your conference for 1 sport and 1 playing 2 sports in your conference has to be an advantage. It's about building relationships.

Anyone with eyes can see that the B10 is trying to distance themselves from the MAC. They've basically killed the Pizza Bowl in Detroit. It's time for the MAC to build a relationship with another P5 conference and that is much easier to do when it's members also play in your conference.

^ I was joking guys

(02-14-2014 05:34 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(02-14-2014 02:13 PM)jmu@uva Wrote:  JMU has pretty decent soccer and a brand new stadium to boot. Just sayin...

A number of.schools that have been suggested as full members have men's soccer teams.

Sounds like an entrée into all sports. :)

Kicking out Hartwick actually makes me think UMass is next. Hartwick is located almost exactly between Buffalo and UMass, and would greatly help with travel costs in that sport as a "bridge" school. So maybe UMass won't be coming in for all sports and there was no need for a team like Hartwick, at least in that respect.