What’s next for D2, NAIA and Georgetown College

By Dave Schmidt, THE SENIOR REPORTS – www.theseniorreports.com

 

UPDATE – 7-1-13 – Today the Great Midwest Athletic Conference announced on Twitter “Check out the new look G-MACsports.com. As we officially welcome our new members, we will be updating the site throughout July.“  Interesting to still see listed as an associate member on the G-MAC site is Georgetown College.  We also visited the NAIA’s Mid-South Conference web site which still lists Georgetown as a full member.  We have tried since last July when this article was originally written for confirmation on Georgetown’s future status. 

 

So we can assume what we had mentioned on our site recently – Georgetown did not apply for D2 membership this year, but indications from this that they will apply next year.  A very reliable source had indicated to us that Georgetown recently hired a consultant to do the work on the application for next (2014) summer.  Had Georgetown applied for D2 status this year they would have been released from the Mid-South Conference, per past actions with West Virginia Tech.

 

Do we see this as a done deal for next school year? Nope.  Why? Because Georgetown had to recently re-open the search to name a new President after two candidate finalist dropped out at the last minute.  It has been a rough a year or two for Georgetown and it still looks like things are very shaky at every level. 

 

We are disappointed that neither the school or G-MAC would reply to our request on this issue.  We did not contact them this while writing this update.

 

July 17, 2012 – Last Friday was a very interesting day in the membership process of the D2 in the NCAA.  Eight of ten schools were invited to join the process and two were left out with choices to make in the future. 

 

Cal Sate San Marcos is not new to getting a “rejection slip” in this process; third time was not the charm.  Some self-reported eligibility issues reported to the NAIA proved to be the “nail in the coffin”.  From all sounds coming out of CSUSM they will most likely try again next year.  CSUSM also changed AD’s during the school year and in an intense process like this it can be tough to get the OK, it is a tough process.  The D2 folks have wanted to add members on the West Coast, so they will most likely get the ok some day.

 

Georgetown College getting rejected by the D2 folks seemed to shock a lot of observers.  Taking time to evaluate this process, GC jumped into the D2 application process after they had been approved just a year ago to pursue the D3 process.  The sudden change most likely didn’t helping in the preparation of the over 600 pages most schools submit in a D2 application.  But just looking from the outside, the GC faithful including athletic staff members were not at all happy with possibly leaving the NAIA.  Losing both the athletic director and a future Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach taking off because they were not happy didn’t help.  Ask any AD who goes thru this process; everyone needs to be on the same page during the application process.  A new AD brought into the process at a late date makes it very tough.  It is time for all of the GC folks to take a deep breath and sit down and actually see what is best for the future of athletics and make plans.  Too many things happened over a short time and evidently the NCAA didn’t like what they saw in the application.

 

Not since Mount Vernon Nazarene was rejected has there been just a big surprise as this. GC now finds themselves in a PR nightmare with fans and alumni over the failure to get in.  MVNU decided to remain in the NAIA after being rejected; now GC needs to decide if they will re-try next June.  My suggestion is that before they even consider that they need to “rebuild some bridges” inside athletics and administration.  Waiting a year might be the best consideration.

 

During all this excitement the Dakota Athletic Conference and American Mideast Conferences both disbanded. Would you have believed that five years ago that would have happened?  Not in anyone’s wildest dreams (Or nightmare). Other NAIA conferences are struggling to replace departed members with members not of the same caliber programs as the ones they are losing.  The members they are taking now would most likely not have even been accepted in the past.  Talking with NAIA schools around the country that is there biggest worries; losing quality members and not being able to replace them.  The “get tough” policy the NAIA and conferences enforced on members who applied to the NCAA hurt conferences instead of helping them.  Forcing them out early of a conference didn’t allow conference administrations to fix the problem; it just made it happen faster.  Instead those schools found an easy option for post-season play as the NCCAA and USCAA had absolutely no problem admitting those schools in limbo.

 

This year another eight quality NAIA schools gained the first step in the D2 membership process and making the change.  The question now is how many more schools in the future will make that move?   I think that question will be answered in how the NAIA adjusts to the changes taking place. That is why I think a change in the operation is needed now and most likely should have happened when the “EXODUS” started. In talking with some of the remaining quality NAIA members they don’t want to leave; but may be forced to because of a lack of vision in the association. I have to agree, the time to change is now!  In the future should only four or five members leave per year, there is going to be a competition void for some member schools.

 

The future of the NAIA maybe discovered in next year’s D2 membership process.  How many schools will apply?  I think the rush is over where double-digit schools apply; but be sure there will be some who will.  The key will be if the NAIA adjusts and gives schools a reason to stay put.  Take a look at our site – www.theseniorreports.com/12inandout.htm and read comments made by AD’s who schools have been accepted.  You will see the reasons we have talked about.