PSAC replaces Cheyney with Shepherd (W.Va.)
WEST GOSHEN » The fallout from the demise of Cheyney football had farreaching implications. And earlier this month, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference addressed a big one.
The NCAA’s largest conference made official what was long rumored: that Shepherd University in West Virginia will be joining the PSAC starting with the 2019-20 academic year, returning the conference to 18 full members.
“It’s a new wrinkle for the PSAC, but Shepherd is a pretty good fit academically, athletically and geographically. It really made sense,” said West Chester Athletic Director Terry Beattie.
When Cheyney football was axed last December in a cost-cutting move, it eventually necessitated an exit from the PSAC as CU decided to drop its NCAA Division II status. It all becomes official on June 30th.
For the 2018-19 year, the league will have just 17 members, which translates into scheduling headaches — especially for football. And despite a nationwide search to fill the open date left by Cheyney’s departure, West Chester football was unable to find another opponent on Oct. 13th and will be playing just 10 regular season games this fall.
“The problem was that date is in the middle of conference play pretty much around the country,” explained WCU head coach Bill Zwaan.
According to Zwaan, West Chester discovered this winter that just two Division II programs were free that weekend — Central State (Ohio) and North Carolina-Pembroke.
“We talked to both and at different times we thought we were ready to schedule a game,” he explained. “But in the end they wound up playing each other and we were left out.”
Playing 10 rather than 11 games could potentially impact the Golden Rams’ chances of earning a bid to the 2018 NCAA Division II Playoffs, but Zwaan prefers to look on the bright side of the temporary situation.
“It could hurt us,” he acknowledged. “It doesn’t allow us to have any mistakes and lose a game we shouldn’t lose. For example, at eight wins it’s much harder to get into the playoffs than nine or 10.
“But in some ways it could be a positive. The thing about the Cheyney game was that it always hurt our strength of schedule. Plus it was always a tough week in the sense that making sure the kids were practicing hard, trying to get better and putting their full focus into the game. It’s just a natural tendency for kids to look at a game like that and not, maybe, work as hard as you want them to.
“And we get an off week in the middle of the season, which could end up being a positive.”
Located an hour south of Shippensburg in Shepherdstown, W.Va., Shepherd becomes the first out-out-state school admitted into PSAC as a full member. The school sponsors 13 of the PSAC’s 23 sports, and has a rich tradition of success, particularly in football.
“Across the board I think you will see an impact in our conference — especially in football because they are a regular top regional program,” Zwaan said.
“They certainly bring an overall strong athletic program, which makes the conference stronger,” Beattie added.
“We were in favor of it. It will test us in all of the sports, but that’s what we are in it for: to play the best and get prepared for conference and national tournaments.”
Shepherd captured eight conference titles during its five-year tenure with the Mountain East Conference. In 2015, the Rams earned a trip to the NCAA DII Football Championship Game.
“I was in favor of it, but I am concerned because they are a very good football program,” Zwaan said. “And from a financial standpoint, they are another team we are going to be playing that has two to three times as much scholarship aid. That’s always a concern.
“It makes the PSAC East much tougher. Now, with Shepherd in the mix, we are going to be playing four or five straight weeks of really tough football. Whatever team comes out of the East is going to be a good football team, but also a beat-up football team.”
Last season Shepherd football went 10-1, the baseball and softball programs were in the national tournament, and the volleyball program is typically very good. The school was invited to join following a vote of approval by the PSAC Board of Directors on May 31. The board is made up of the conference’s university presidents.
“I had conversations with (WCU) President (Chris) Fiorentino about it,” Beattie said.
The PSAC did not disclose whether the vote was unanimous — but there is almost always some concern and hesitation whenever the league ponders big changes.
“Every time somebody leaves or comes in, it puts things out of balance,” said former WCU Athletic Director Ed Matejkovic.
“There were all these dire predictions when Gannon and Mercyhurst came in (back in 2008), but that’s worked out well.”