Quote from: joelmama on February 29, 2024, 11:56:11 AMWouldn't a good solution be to have the HCAC and OAC merge into a 16 team league with two 8 team divisions (move Wilmington to HCAC division and have a couple of crossovers each year?

Wouldn't they lose an automatic playoff berth then?  The 2nd place team would not be guaranteed a spot.  I don't believe the NCAA would recognize it as two separate conferences/divisions/playoff births.

Sounds like Notre Dame College (D2) in Cleveland is shutting down after this semester.  Not a bad D2 program.  Sucks for the athletes and those that just signed letters of intent.  Dartt and Co could probably clean up

Quote from: Kira & Jaxon's Dad on February 29, 2024, 12:54:47 PM

Quote from: joelmama on February 29, 2024, 11:56:11 AMWouldn't a good solution be to have the HCAC and OAC merge into a 16 team league with two 8 team divisions (move Wilmington to HCAC division and have a couple of crossovers each year?

Wouldn't they lose an automatic playoff berth then?  The 2nd place team would not be guaranteed a spot.  I don't believe the NCAA would recognize it as two separate conferences/divisions/playoff births.

Yeah, I think this came up when people suggested the E8 and LL do the same. Why lose an autobid over this?

Quote from: IC798891 on March 01, 2024, 09:12:18 AM

Quote from: Kira & Jaxon's Dad on February 29, 2024, 12:54:47 PM

Quote from: joelmama on February 29, 2024, 11:56:11 AMWouldn't a good solution be to have the HCAC and OAC merge into a 16 team league with two 8 team divisions (move Wilmington to HCAC division and have a couple of crossovers each year?

Wouldn't they lose an automatic playoff berth then?  The 2nd place team would not be guaranteed a spot.  I don't believe the NCAA would recognize it as two separate conferences/divisions/playoff births.

Yeah, I think this came up when people suggested the E8 and LL do the same. Why lose an autobid over this?

The reason to do it would be if both conferences thought they might lose schools in the next five years or so. We definitely will continue to lose small colleges, and it will almost certainly accelerate. Whether that's the right move for these two conferences is not in the scope of my post.

Quote from: D3fanboy on February 29, 2024, 06:07:28 PMSounds like Notre Dame College (D2) in Cleveland is shutting down after this semester.  Not a bad D2 program.  Sucks for the athletes and those that just signed letters of intent.  Dartt and Co could probably clean up

But if they live off campus, they can just commute a mile away to JCU...

Mount Union trying to attract NDC students:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qS4mSzUhuTcF4ic4/?mibextid=WC7FNe

class resumes on Monday, seems like a great time for a S&C coach and/or OC hire to be announced...right guys?

Quote from: Pat Coleman on March 01, 2024, 10:33:47 AM

Quote from: IC798891 on March 01, 2024, 09:12:18 AM

Quote from: Kira & Jaxon's Dad on February 29, 2024, 12:54:47 PM

Quote from: joelmama on February 29, 2024, 11:56:11 AMWouldn't a good solution be to have the HCAC and OAC merge into a 16 team league with two 8 team divisions (move Wilmington to HCAC division and have a couple of crossovers each year?

Wouldn't they lose an automatic playoff berth then?  The 2nd place team would not be guaranteed a spot.  I don't believe the NCAA would recognize it as two separate conferences/divisions/playoff births.

Yeah, I think this came up when people suggested the E8 and LL do the same. Why lose an autobid over this?

The reason to do it would be if both conferences thought they might lose schools in the next five years or so. We definitely will continue to lose small colleges, and it will almost certainly accelerate. Whether that's the right move for these two conferences is not in the scope of my post.

I think northeast Ohio could lose three more (over and above NDC) in the next 10 years.  Ohio, generally, will may lose several more in that time frame.  We have soooooo many small colleges in Ohio and the need for them is shrinking.

Out of curiosity, which schools are you worried about?  I know there have been rumors about Wilmington in the past.  And Defiance has publicly had issues.

Quote from: Dr. Acula on March 19, 2024, 11:18:34 AMOut of curiosity, which schools are you worried about?  I know there have been rumors about Wilmington in the past.  And Defiance has publicly had issues.

lots of fairly small endowments across the Buckeye state.  As far as NEO: Malone, Walsh and Lake Erie seem like they might be in some financial peril.  It definitely seems like a lot of the Ohio D2's have significantly less funding than their D1 and D3 pals

Lake Erie was the one I was thinking of in NEO.

reports from Toledo's pro day are trickling out...Ruby with a 30" vertical....yikes

Quote from: D3fanboy on March 19, 2024, 12:57:48 PM

Quote from: Dr. Acula on March 19, 2024, 11:18:34 AMOut of curiosity, which schools are you worried about?  I know there have been rumors about Wilmington in the past.  And Defiance has publicly had issues.

lots of fairly small endowments across the Buckeye state.  As far as NEO: Malone, Walsh and Lake Erie seem like they might be in some financial peril.  It definitely seems like a lot of the Ohio D2's have significantly less funding than their D1 and D3 pals

Curiosity got the best of me and I had to look it up.  Walsh wasn't listed, but Malone's endowment is $19MM.  For comparison sake, Marietta has a slightly smaller enrollment than Malone and their endowment is $102MM.  Berg has the smallest endowment in the OAC at $51MM.  And to your point, the handful of D2's I looked at were all Berg level or lower. 

Quote from: Dr. Acula on March 20, 2024, 05:07:42 PM

Quote from: D3fanboy on March 19, 2024, 12:57:48 PM

Quote from: Dr. Acula on March 19, 2024, 11:18:34 AMOut of curiosity, which schools are you worried about?  I know there have been rumors about Wilmington in the past.  And Defiance has publicly had issues.

lots of fairly small endowments across the Buckeye state.  As far as NEO: Malone, Walsh and Lake Erie seem like they might be in some financial peril.  It definitely seems like a lot of the Ohio D2's have significantly less funding than their D1 and D3 pals

Curiosity got the best of me and I had to look it up.  Walsh wasn't listed, but Malone's endowment is $19MM.  For comparison sake, Marietta has a slightly smaller enrollment than Malone and their endowment is $102MM.  Berg has the smallest endowment in the OAC at $51MM.  And to your point, the handful of D2's I looked at were all Berg level or lower. 

I dont see how these colleges can sustain the expense of D2 athletics, and they likely wont.  The D2 boom in Ohio that hurt Mount's recruiting over the past 10-15 years seems to be what might doom some of these small colleges...I mean "Universities"

Quote from: D3fanboy on March 19, 2024, 04:42:50 PMreports from Toledo's pro day are trickling out...Ruby with a 30" vertical....yikes

Well that is certainly underwhelming. Did you hear any 40 times?

Wonder if/how Plunk performed. Not exactly sure where he fits in the professional football landscape.