Movin' on up, Mercyhurst ...

[wicked]

Stonehill's enrollment is even lower (around 2,500). Mercyhurst will fit in with the Catholic schools in the NEC.

 

[Twirling Time]

There will be tiny schools willing to grab for the brass ring (a berth in the Big Dance) as long as that opportunity exists. That's probably been true for three decades or more but sanity eventually has to prevail. I'm not ready for a 256-team bracket yet.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Mercyhurst-Chicago State is going to be a helluva rivalry.

I'm endlessly fascinated by the NEC, which is like the WAC on diet pills. They manage to stay afloat but get smaller and smaller. Sorta incredible they're the lifeline Chicago State has needed for 30-plus years.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Until this came up yesterday, I'd completely missed the fact that my closest D-I program, Mount St. Mary's, had moved from the NEC to the MAAC. Which was probably a better fit, if only for the fact that it's a no-football conference.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Sacred Heart is headed to the MAAC after this season. I was sorta surprised the NEC has more core members (Central CT, FDU, Wagner, LIU, Saint Francis PA) than noobs (LeMoyne, Stonehill, Mercyhurst, Chicago State). Of course, it is only 4:15 on Friday.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

The NEC has a pretty good bottom-line business model, at least until the NCAA puts the kibosh on programs transitioning up from D-II. The NEC is the only northeast league (OK, fine, east coast league) that will take programs from D-II or indy heck. The America East has been adamant about not taking from the D-II ranks since UMass-Lowell moved up in '13. So until the NCAA ends the game of musical chairs, the NEC will always have enough schools to keep going as the 32nd league in a 32-league Division I...or 33rd this year when the independents had a better ranking than the NEC at KenPom, even though the only independent was Chicago State. Pretty smart of the NEC to steal them!

 

[justgladtobehere]

LIU-Post broke the glass wall as a football member in 2010. And Shepherd (WV) has been in the conference since 2019.

Mercyhurst's two D-I sports have been men's and women's ice hockey.

It just came down that Frostburg is entering as an associate for now -- field hockey only.

Have to get that sweet, sweet field hockey money.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Have to get that sweet, sweet field hockey money.

If there was any to be gotten, the PSAC would probably be the place to get it!