Beginning July 1, 2017, the GLIAC will be missing a total of six current members.

Hillsdale College, the University of Findlay, Walsh University, Lake Erie University and Ohio Dominican University recently announced intentions to join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) in two years. Malone University, another GLIAC school, will join the G-MAC in 2016.

What does this mean for Grand Valley State?

Competition

Two sports will likely see a significant shakeup year-to-year due to the conference adjustment.

GVSU’s football domination has tapered off in recent years. The Lakers won the conference from 2005-10, but since then the GLIAC has seen various schools take one-year reigns atop the conference.

Hillsdale (2011), Ashland (2012) and Ohio Dominican (2013) hold three of the last four GLIAC titles in football. Last season, the Lakers beat Hillsdale, but fell to both Ashland and Ohio Dominican. GVSU also beat Findlay and Lake Erie, but it stands to reason that GVSU’s football schedule will be easier come 2017.

From 2004-05 to 2014-15, Findlay has won at least a share of seven men’s basketball GLIAC regular season championships. The last time the Lakers held the top podium spot was in the 2007-08 season.

Findlay has struggled in most other GLIAC sports, but the basketball program has been little short of a conference dynasty. The omission of the Oilers in future seasons will allow the GLIAC to open up and welcome new champions.

Travel

The GLIAC currently is home to 12 schools – five of which hail from Michigan. Among the six leaving, Hillsdale is the only school in the Mitten.

It is likely that the GLIAC will put out feelers to find replacement schools for the six bolters, but, as it stands now, Laker athletic squads will see travel time cut down during conference play come 2017. With the exception of Hillsdale, each departing school is from Ohio.

It is possible that new GLIAC teams could come from outside the state, but, right now the Lakers are looking at fewer travel miles in their future.

Opinion

For all the success GVSU athletics have had over the years, it is important to note that much of its accomplishments have come since the turn of the millennium. The Lakers have won 48 individual national championships in school history. Ashland has won over 80.

Conference shakeups always throw a wrench in things. In addition to losing top-tier competition in a select few of sports, the GLIAC is losing a significant amount of historical success, headed mostly by Ashland.

With the exception of football and men’s basketball, these changes are unlikely to make a large difference in GVSU’s day-to-day athletic success. Most of the schools leaving are teams that the Lakers have beaten up on from sport to sport in the past.

Obviously, the full changes won’t be possible to evaluate until 2020 or so, but it is likely the competition that comes in to replace the six leaving schools won’t give GVSU much trouble.

Whether it be 12 teams, 10 teams or 20 teams in the GLIAC, we expect to see the Fieldhouse Arena flooded with new GLIAC Presidents’ Cups for years to come.