GENERAL: GLIAC Expansion Celebrated By Some, But Not All

BAY CITY - Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference expansion is a bit of a thorny subject (and, frankly, has been for a number of years). It can be particularly thorny depending upon the people involved in such a discussion.

During the last few months, the GLIAC has welcomed two new members to the league in Lake Erie College and Ohio Dominican. The move is of significance for a number of reasons - not the least of which is strengthening the presence of the conference in Ohio. For a number of years, GLIAC officials have spoken often about their desire to expand the conference beyond its current numbers and up to as many as 16 members.

Of course, this is not highly popular among all people affiliated with the GLIAC (either directly or indirectly).

Some of the GLIAC purists are displeased by the decision to continue to expand the conference (fearing, among other things, a diluted competitive product). Others, however, feel expansion cuts down on travel time (missed class time), some of the pain of finding and scheduling non-conference opponents, helps the Ohio schools develop more rivalries in their backyard and expands recruiting bases for GLIAC member institutions.

Consider this comment from Grand Valley State University president Dr. Thomas Haas, who is president and chair of the GLIAC Presidents Council:

"The addition of the these two institutions is the result of tremendous partnership with Presidents Council, the GLIAC office, the GLIAC member institutions and our new members. This expansion will definitely help us achieve our goals of reducing missed class time for our student-athletes and reducing travel costs, while strengthening our league both academically and athletically."

Most of the worries about expansion have tended to come from people worried about football and what national impact expansion could have in that respect. There is a spirited discussion taking place on D2football.com about the GLIAC's expansion.

For full details on the additions of Lake Erie College and Ohio Dominican to the GLIAC, visit: http://www.gliac.org/general_news/2008-09/GLIAC_Expansion_2009

Time will tell whether or not these are good additions to the GLIAC (although I can somewhat understand concern coming from some of the football people). Also, it would be wise for people to think beyond football when considering the impact (long term and short term) that the additions of Lake Erie and Ohio Dominican will have on the conference.

The GLIAC is more than a one-sport league, and that should be taken into consideration in any discussion about expansion.

Whether Lake Erie and Ohio Dominican will be competitive remains to be seen. This move does, however, help the GLIAC begin to strike more of a balance between the larger public schools and the smaller private schools.

Here is an article from the Saginaw News that digs into the issue a bit: http://www.mlive.com/cardinals/index.ssf/2009/06/gliac_eyes_expansion.html

Here is another thought from Brian Lester of the Orange & Black Attack (following the University of Findlay): http://thecourier.typepad.com/orange_black_attack/2009/07/expansion-in-the-gliac.html