MBB: MAC Freedom League

[cold_case]

Warren "Spahn" Thompson,
You should do what I did: Pick up the phone, call the Scranton athletic dept. and ask them. Now that's a novel idea.
Besides, if Catholic wants a guaranteed automatic every year, why not Scranton? Although it may be tougher for them in the Liberty.

[Warren Thompson]

Warren "Spahn" Thompson,
You should do what I did: Pick up the phone, call the Scranton athletic dept. and ask them. Now that's a novel idea.

Is that what you did (if so, good for you)? On the other hand, why should I have called the "Scranton athletic department," given that I wasn't aware that Scranton was contemplating a defection from the MAC.

You have to accept that there are many -- perhaps too many -- rumors floating around anent venues leaving the MAC. I was simply asking if you have hard evidence that the Royals are looking to leave. (And hard evidence just might be a "novel idea," wouldn't it?)

[Section J Guy]

That is a lot of driving to upstate New York..

[cold_case]

Warren "Zevon" Thompson
Now that you're "aware" why not call the Scranton Athletic Department and ask them. Although I doubt they'll give you a solid answer, yet it's worth a shot.
Is that a novel idea?

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Heh heh, this name thing is fun.  In honor of the Edmonton Eskimos winning the most recent Grey Cup, can I call him Warren "Moon" Thompson?

Scranton can't join a league unless Wilkes and/or King's follow.  Would North Carolina join the Big East and abandon Duke twice a year?  Of course not.  The geography, the competition - Scranton can not possibly leave Wilkes and King's.

wb1313 - you're killin me.  Soon, you'll be purchasing a ring, and when you do, I can explain the 4 C's to ya.

In the meantime, I have to go research the Liberty League...

[saratoga]

Scranton wants out...other schools that may leave current affiliations & band together are Hobart& Wm.Smith, Hamilton, Clarkson & Union...Ithaca may be in the mix as well. Scranton completed a study on this topic several years ago & the recomendation at the time was to leave the MAC for either an existing league or to wait for the right time when a new one may develop. That time may be near. Cold case...I don't think Catholic would have a "gimmie" each year vs. Scranton...especially since they lost to the Royals last season. I do believe Scranton is leaning more in the direction of furthering the rivalry with the Cardinals as opposed to FDU.

[Warren Thompson]

One thing seems pretty clear: the MAC, if it survives, will have a noticeably different look.

Of course, it currently is radically different than when it was initially formed. E.g., between 1913 and 1993, it had as members Columbia, Penn, NYU, Wagner, Seton Hall, Temple, West Chester, Delaware, Bucknell, Rider, Rutgers, LaSalle, and St. Joe's.*

-----------------------------------

* Thomas M. Hanrahan, From National to Regional: An Analysis of Presidential Influence on the Contraction of the Original Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference, 1974-1992. Doctoral dissertation, Penn State University, 2004.

[cold_case]

No, no, no, Saratoga, you misunderstood what I wrote about Catholic. I said they are leaving the CAC to join a new league which is very weak, thus guaranteeing themselves an automatic bid.
I know Ithaca and St. Lawrence are other schools joining this new conference along with Scranton and some of the others you posted. When I was told that Scranton was joining the league with St. Lawrence, I thought it was the Liberty League, since they are currently a member. However, it's a group of schools leaving their current conferences. You should have more insight on this planned "move" than anyone since you know someone who is near and dear to your heart that has hands on info.
As for Warren "Shot heard 'round the world" Thompson, I guess you won't have to spring for the long distance call. You got everything you wanted right here.

[bill]

guys
There may be another reason that Scranton WON'T leave. There is the whole religious conection with Kings.  I don't think Scranton is going anywhere for now, at least not by themselves.....

[saratoga]

Bill: Scranton has NO affiliation with Kings, religous or otherwise. The Royals are a Jesuit Univiversity, Kings is not. Catholic Univ. is also Jesuit so there is a far more common thread with that connection. However, religous affiliations have zero to do with these projected moves.

[Warren Thompson]

Saratoga:

King's is a Roman Catholic institution, "sponsored" by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, the same order that operates Notre Dame. Catholic is not a Jesuit venue; rather, it is a "national" Roman Catholic institution, the only one founded by the American bishops.

[saratoga]

Good point Warren...I guess I believed it was Jesuit because a former President of the UofS later became President of CUA. It is the "other" DC. institution, Georgetown that has a Jesuit affiliation.

[ronk]

Saratoga,
     What is the reason Scranton wants to leave the MAC?

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Warren - way to cite your post.  Is that MLA format?  Either way, you earned "applause" point #29 for your citation.

Aren't trips to every one of the aforementioned institutions in upstate NY 2+ hour bus rides for Scranton teams?  Is that a concern?  Beyond basketball (male and female), there are 17 other varsity sports that are going to be very sick of school buses by season's end.  Additionally, especially without football, does the athletic department have the funding for additional road trips for every sport??

But hey, if they did a study that told them Hobart will draw a bigger crowd to the Long Center than King's... God bless 'em!

[Warren Thompson]

The author of that dissertation is LVC's Director of College Relations. When he began his doctoral work, he was our SID.

Most dissertations aren't worth the paper they're written on, but Hanrahan's is a  notable exception. Especially interesting is his account of the administrative machinations involving the MAC defections to the Centennial (Machiavelli would have been proud).