|
Post by gbphoenix1 on Jan 28, 2022 9:52:21 GMT -6
My interest in GVSU is three fold.
One, they have the financial ability to do things right. Two, sports seem to be important to their school. Three, the geography of the school makes them a bit of an outlier for other leagues. They would need to upgrade a ton for the MAC. They could conceivably be in the league for a decade plus and give some stability to the membership based on not having a better place to go. Being in the center creates a lot of friction to leave and become on the outskirts of a different league like the OVC or ASun.
One knock on them is they need an on campus arena renovation or need to play hoops at Van Andel.
If we are floating some bottom tier NEC or MAAC names I will take my chances on GVSU instead.
|
|
|
Post by vugrad1314 on Jan 28, 2022 10:38:37 GMT -6
If GVSU is interested and the HL wants to enhance its presence in Michigan they could indeed be a great add. I still think Bellarmine is going to be the one and only addition for them but it's possible there could be more I guess.
|
|
|
Post by commissioner on Jan 28, 2022 12:44:02 GMT -6
I don't believe that GVSU has done anything to begin transitioning to D-1. A number of football recruits reported last fall that they were told that the school would be joining the OVC and playing 1-AA football in 2023, but when the University's AD was asked flat out by the University's student newspaper less than two months ago if they were moving up, she replied, "The short answer, to make this simple, is no.” The paper further reported that GVSU had not received an invitation to join a conference, a pre-requisite to moving up.
GVSU's problem is that it's league, the GLIAC, will soon be down to just 7 football playing members (although the reining D-2 national champ is GLIAC member Ferris State). That means GVSU has to find a bunch a non-conference games, and it's tough--D-1 teams won't play D-2 teams, and D2 teams don't want to play D-3 teams. That's what is driving the talk and any interest the university has in moving up.
So unless they could get football into something like the MVC-Football (which already has 11 teams) it's tough to see them joining the HL.
A P.S.: Here is what the football coach says he told recruits: “They’re talking about the potential move because I addressed it. I addressed it in the room; I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I addressed it. I addressed it with all of our recruits. When they came on a visit, I told them all, like, listen, if you had to ask me as a football coach, there’s a high probability this thing’s (GLIAC) not sustainable. What type of picture am I going to paint: a dying fruit on a tree that’s called Division II football, GLIAC football, in an attempt to try to entice people to come to this university to play football? Or trying to be optimistic and try to provide a picture of like, listen, we’re really good at Division II, but we’re also entertaining looking at some possibilities.”
He says beyond that, players may have heard what they want to hear.
|
|
|
Post by iwokeuplikethis on Jan 28, 2022 12:47:36 GMT -6
I'm 100% sure Matt Brown's sources for HL expansion are HL message boards. I don't know. Matt Brown has been nailing it left and right on realignment this year. He had Belmont to the MVC before anyone else as well as the rumors that the MVC was talking to UT-Arlington before anyone else (and we have every reason to believe that those discussions were quite serious). He also had information about Milwaukee and NKU when they were under consideration early in the process nobody else had shared. I think his record has been good with other conferences as well but he has absolutely nailed the process as far as the MVC is concerned. If he says Bellarmine is under consideration for the HL I believe it plus it makes good sense for both school and conference. Yes, Matt Brown has broken at least a half dozen realignment stories over the past 18 months. It’s to the point where even ESPN articles, CBS articles, etc cite him as a source. And he definitely has sources in athletic departments. Not only does he have some on his podcast (and he’s even written a book on realignment with people from athletic departments as sources), I know people myself who work in D1 athletic departments that talk to him. The Belmont/MVC news, for example, was all Matt Brown. That was nowhere anywhere else until he broke it.
|
|
|
Post by gbphoenix1 on Jan 30, 2022 8:19:44 GMT -6
GVSU football could play as a football only member of a conference like the OVC, ASun or Big South that all want or in some cases need football membership.
It gives those leagues something that is valuable without having to send Olympic sports on a long road trip.
The rest of the GVSU sports profile, except women's lacrosse, fits nicely with the HL.
The bigger question is for a school that has said we like kicking butt in D2 why would they want to move now?
|
|
|
Post by metrosjags1969 on Jan 31, 2022 13:00:54 GMT -6
Here’s an idea for a couple schools…. What about Niagara, Canisius, and St. Francis (PA)? With Robert Morris coming aboard, maybe we shift focus to the Pittsburgh and Buffalo markets? Here's another question; does Robert Morris even stay in the Horizon League? I know they're here because they felt the NEC was too small for them, but are they interested in staying here, or are they motivated to ultimately head to the Atlantic 10? If they leave after we bring those schools in, then that's gonna leave those schools hanging.
|
|
|
Post by rogobob77 on Jan 31, 2022 13:21:47 GMT -6
Here’s an idea for a couple schools…. What about Niagara, Canisius, and St. Francis (PA)? With Robert Morris coming aboard, maybe we shift focus to the Pittsburgh and Buffalo markets? Here's another question; does Robert Morris even stay in the Horizon League? I know they're here because they felt the NEC was too small for them, but are they interested in staying here, or are they motivated to ultimately head to the Atlantic 10? If they leave after we bring those schools in, then that's gonna leave those schools hanging. I don’t see RMU as a viable candidate for the A10, #1 they don’t have the resume for such a leap, and #2, Duquesne is already a league presence in the Pittsburgh area. But the MAAC could be a destination, that conference is reportedly considering adding two schools. RMU had flirted with the MAAC before joining the Horizon.
|
|
|
Post by vugrad1314 on Feb 1, 2022 9:28:19 GMT -6
A great video on UIC's move but also on HL candidates to replace them. Gives a ringing endorsement to Bellarmine calling them really the only candidate within the HL footprint (at most one of 2-3) that make sense. I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX7uBJazdz4
|
|
|
Post by iwokeuplikethis on Feb 1, 2022 13:08:07 GMT -6
A great video on UIC's move but also on HL candidates to replace them. Gives a ringing endorsement to Bellarmine calling them really the only candidate within the HL footprint (at most one of 2-3) that make sense. I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX7uBJazdz4That's a good compilation of data. Horizon League portion starts at 10:30.
|
|
|
Post by freewind on Feb 1, 2022 15:29:19 GMT -6
TLDR: 9. Western Illinois 8. Chicago St 7. St. Francis 6. E. Illinois 5. Morehead St 4. SIUE 3. GVST 2. USI 1. Bellarmine
I would change 4 & 5 around but for the most part i think he nails it. Bellarmine is probably a shoe in as long as they want to come. If we wait a year or two, it's not a big deal, i don't see a lot more movement in the near future.
|
|
|
Post by rogobob77 on Feb 6, 2022 20:15:23 GMT -6
|
|