Currently, which is the better baseball conference, MAC or Patriot League? And why?
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Last year the Mid American ranked 21st and Patriot 24th. So they’re close. How they rank over five years I don’t know.
If you're considering it for options with regard to baseball, the fact that the Patriot league gives no athletic $$$ may be a concern.
As far as quality of baseball, I'd put the MAC above the Patriot. Kent St is obviously the top team of the bunch....and the MAC's next 3 are probably about the same level as the top 2 in the Patriot. When you're talking mid-major's it usually comes down to pitching and who has 3 quality starters......and I'd guess that the MAC is probably a little stronger in that category.
RJM posted:Last year the Mid American ranked 21st and Patriot 24th. So they’re close. How they rank over five years I don’t know.
For not having looked at that, I was pretty close lol. Kent at #60, Army, Miami, Ball St and Navy within 25 spots of each other 134-159
Probably the MAC, but only because they have Kent St. Patriot has 6 teams, 3 of which are bottom feeders. One of the remaining three usually puts a decent team on the field every year. Army had a good run thru regionals last season.
If I had a choice between the two, I would probably choose Patriot for the academic/service side of it. There isn't a huge difference in the level of baseball to pass it up.
Buckeye 2015 posted:If you're considering it for options with regard to baseball, the fact that the Patriot league gives no athletic $$$ may be a concern.
As far as quality of baseball, I'd put the MAC above the Patriot. Kent St is obviously the top team of the bunch....and the MAC's next 3 are probably about the same level as the top 2 in the Patriot. When you're talking mid-major's it usually comes down to pitching and who has 3 quality starters......and I'd guess that the MAC is probably a little stronger in that category.
That is not true about the Patriot league -- obviously Army and Navy are a different category, but the PA schools certainly give athletic $$ (not sure about Holy Cross)
2019Dad posted:Buckeye 2015 posted:If you're considering it for options with regard to baseball, the fact that the Patriot league gives no athletic $$$ may be a concern.
As far as quality of baseball, I'd put the MAC above the Patriot. Kent St is obviously the top team of the bunch....and the MAC's next 3 are probably about the same level as the top 2 in the Patriot. When you're talking mid-major's it usually comes down to pitching and who has 3 quality starters......and I'd guess that the MAC is probably a little stronger in that category.
That is not true about the Patriot league -- obviously Army and Navy are a different category, but the PA schools certainly give athletic $$ (not sure about Holy Cross)
When my son (and a friend who was a basketball player) were being recruited, both 2015 grads....the Patriots (Army/Navy excluded) didn't give money for anything other than football, and even in football they only had 15 full scholarships to give. Not sure if that's changed, but I'm fairly certain they still don't. I apologize if that's changed
Buckeye 2015 posted:2019Dad posted:Buckeye 2015 posted:If you're considering it for options with regard to baseball, the fact that the Patriot league gives no athletic $$$ may be a concern.
As far as quality of baseball, I'd put the MAC above the Patriot. Kent St is obviously the top team of the bunch....and the MAC's next 3 are probably about the same level as the top 2 in the Patriot. When you're talking mid-major's it usually comes down to pitching and who has 3 quality starters......and I'd guess that the MAC is probably a little stronger in that category.
That is not true about the Patriot league -- obviously Army and Navy are a different category, but the PA schools certainly give athletic $$ (not sure about Holy Cross)
When my son (and a friend who was a basketball player) were being recruited, both 2015 grads....the Patriots (Army/Navy excluded) didn't give money for anything other than football, and even in football they only had 15 full scholarships to give. Not sure if that's changed, but I'm fairly certain they still don't. I apologize if that's changed
Not sure about the past, but this summer the baseball programs were offering athletic $$. To be clear, I have no idea about sports other than baseball.
RJM posted:Last year the Mid American ranked 21st and Patriot 24th. So they’re close. How they rank over five years I don’t know.
Slow day at the office.
2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
Mid-American | 21 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 19 |
Patriot League | 24 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
This is from last year about this time....maybe someone can help:
Thanks for the responses. I've been under the impression as well that none of the Patriot league schools give baseball $$.
To close the loop I googled it and found this:
https://admissions.lafayette.e...ayette-scholarships/
Which says:
Lafayette offers athletic scholarships in 11 sports:
- baseball
- men’s and women’s basketball
- women’s field hockey
- football
- men’s and women’s lacrosse
- men’s and women’s soccer
- softball
- women’s volleyball
and found this from 2016:
https://www.bucknell.edu/about...gue-25th-anniversary
Which said: "By 2012, the league had decided to allow athletic scholarships in all sports,"
2019Dad posted:To close the loop I googled it and found this:
https://admissions.lafayette.e...ayette-scholarships/
Which says:
Lafayette offers athletic scholarships in 11 sports:
- baseball
- men’s and women’s basketball
- women’s field hockey
- football
- men’s and women’s lacrosse
- men’s and women’s soccer
- softball
- women’s volleyball
and found this from 2016:
https://www.bucknell.edu/about...gue-25th-anniversary
Which said: "By 2012, the league had decided to allow athletic scholarships in all sports,"
Cobra4HOF posted:Thanks for the responses. I've been under the impression as well that none of the Patriot league schools give baseball $$.
I can confirm that the PA Patriot League schools offer athletic $$. I'm not sure about Holy Cross.
Context is needed, and why would do these ratings matter? Who cares if they are 24 vs 21 in a non-Power 5 mid- major. Players don't play for conferences, they play for schools with the hope of playing baseball professionally or continuing professionally in a particular major.
Conferences are a business arrangement among a group of colleges that share revenue and marketing to brand themselves. My advice would be to focus on a particular school(s) and the overall baseball & academic opportunity at those school(s). Conferences are irrelevant for the most part.
As always, JMO.
Agree with Fenway completely
I'm a Yankee fan, but I agree with FenwaySouth. The alumni connections from the Patriot League schools will be more helpful to an East Coast kid than those from a regional state school in IL, MI or OH (SUNY-Buffalo, which is also in the MAC, does not play baseball). Miami of Ohio might be the exception. It has a strong alumni base in NYC and DC and it is the best "academic school" in the conference.
