The Salem board of education voted unanimously about an hour ago to accept an invitation to join the NBC.

Their main argument for the move was the lack of stability within the AAC.

Personally I don't see the gain from the move.

CardsFlyinHigh wrote: The Salem board of education voted unanimously about an hour ago to accept an invitation to join the NBC.

Their main argument for the move was the lack of stability within the AAC.

Personally I don't see the gain from the move.

What year will this begin?

Fall 2011

http://the-review.com/news/article/4746125

Kind of surprising considering decent players and the favorable AAC White schedule just got them in the football playoffs for the first time ever, and it seemed to work well for the women to play up in Basketball and Volleyball in the Red.

The AAC's future is flimsy at best though, with 4 schools already threatening and then lacking the testicular fortitude to actually follow through with leaving. There must still be rumblings about that, or new rumblings.

The football scheduling prerogative of the bigger schools in the Mahoning Valley (I'm talking bigger than Salem, but they still have to deal with it by being in their conferences) has always been to avoid one another (then get blown out in round 1 of the playoffs), with most of the avoidances stemming back to 25-50 year old politics that only really old and spiteful people still care about. Unfortunately, these people are friends with board members. The AAC never really stood a chance because it involves more than 6 schools around there getting along.

wow!

this was discussed a while back, but seemed to be dead in the water. as far as the nbc goes, salem is about the best option available that all could live with. as far as salem is concerned, the aac must be on very thin ice for them to make this move, i think it will much tougher for them than their current situation.

additionally, this ensures nw's departure after next year. i understand minerva and carrollton wanted them out. wonder what direction the indians go next. i would think the pac would be their first choice...

Chances are still good that a new league is coming with Ashtabula Co. schools and smaller Trumbull Co. teams. Teams from AAC White & Blue may be involved. Brookfield is out and most are not happy with the AAC Red trying to dictate. Salem goes to a new situation.

Look for Jefferson to take Salem's place in the White Tier.

A bit of a mixed reaction from the coaches in Salem about the move. Boys bball it should help, girls basketball will be a lateral move and football Salem goes back to being the small fish in the pond they were in the MAC. Baseball will get slaughtered. Volleyball should fare well.

They're not quite as much of a small fish in football as they were in the MAC (though yes, they are the smallest).

Only D2 school in the NBC is Louisville, and they slaughter everyone in that league in football.
Everyone else is D3, and even though Salem is about the smallest D3 there is, it's closer than before. Salem was in their region in 2009 and held their own in terms of the computer points... but then this year was something severely special in Salem too.

MAC had a minimum of 2, and usually 3 D2 schools at all times (usually Howland, Canfield, with Niles bouncing back and forth and EL and Alliance around the 2/3 area during their membership).

Sure, they're the smallest, but the discrepancy is not as bad as it was for god knows how many years before it (though the AAC White was more favorable in terms of this issue). I think they can at least be competitive in the NBC in most things, unlike the MAC.

Here is the total enrollments of the new NBC. Boys and girls combined.

Louisville 786
Alliance 661
Marlington 657
West Branch 636
Canton South 562
Minerva 552
Carrollton 519
Salem 510

...wrestling schedule just got a bit tougher.

Doesn't Salem already wrestle most of these schools anyway?

Salem will be a league member beginning with the start of the 2011-12 season. Salem will replace Northwest, who will withdraw from the NBC at the end of the 2010-11 season.

quaker0764 wrote: Doesn't Salem already wrestle most of these schools anyway?

Some, not all. That's why i used "a bit".

Salem News article:
http://www.salemnews.net/page/content.detail/id/521512.html?nav=5007

CardsFlyinHigh wrote: A bit of a mixed reaction from the coaches in Salem about the move.

I'm interested to see who the 2 Salem coaches were that did not want to move. From his comments in the article, Kopachy seems like he could have voted either way.
I assume baseball may have been one, since they're going to get destroyed.

This move was a well-kept secret it appears; I had not heard any rumblings lately. It could be a little tough for football, but thankfully we are headed in the right direction in that sport and I expect good things to continue. Good competition is what it is all about; we may as well get it on.

Go Quakers!!

i'm not sure i like the move, but i guess time will tell. who do you think salem will schedule as their 3 non-league opponents in football?

The AAC was/has been held together with bubble gum and tape from it's inception. I doubt Salem will be the last. Never liked the tiers that were set up and ever changing make-up from year to year. I thought Salem had it worst as far as travel was concerned also, though not overwhelming. Adding Jefferson is no benefit either. I don't see this house of cards lasting more than a couple years.

gyea36 wrote: i'm not sure i like the move, but i guess time will tell. who do you think salem will schedule as their 3 non-league opponents in football?

Probably from: East Liverpool, United, Beaver Local, Campbell, Struthers, Girard, Liberty etc...

ts1227 wrote: Salem News article:
http://www.salemnews.net/page/content.detail/id/521512.html?nav=5007

CardsFlyinHigh wrote: A bit of a mixed reaction from the coaches in Salem about the move.

I'm interested to see who the 2 Salem coaches were that did not want to move. From his comments in the article, Kopachy seems like he could have voted either way.
I assume baseball may have been one, since they're going to get destroyed.

Wow that was a really well done article

Umm as for the vote.... well.... TS i sent you a pm

CardsFlyinHigh wrote: Wow that was a really well done article

Umm as for the vote.... well.... TS i sent you a pm

Gee, I wonder why?

Got your PM, I had somewhat of a feeling about that but wasn't too sure.

reading those enrollment figures, i'm really surprised at how small salem has become. don't know much about the town other than driving through it my way to the burg, but it seems much larger than a louisville, minerva, and carrollton...

^^^ Salem's class sizes were close to 300 or so in the late '70's and early 80's. Today it's about 160-180, although the sophomore class is bigger with 200. There used to be alot of big industries in Salem such as Deming, American Standard, Eljer, Bliss, Sekely, Blackhawk and they're either totally gone or just a shell of what they once were. When the jobs left, the population started to dwindle--along with class sizes.

You can thank labor unions for Salem's small enrollment numbers.

GoPens wrote: ^^^ Salem's class sizes were close to 300 or so in the late '70's and early 80's. Today it's about 160-180, although the sophomore class is bigger with 200. There used to be alot of big industries in Salem such as Deming, American Standard, Eljer, Bliss, Sekely, Blackhawk and they're either totally gone or just a shell of what they once were. When the jobs left, the population started to dwindle--along with class sizes.

The problem with the treasurers (think it was the treasurers) can't have helped either. Or the less than stellar facilities (I'm not really familiar with the schools but none of them strikes me as a 'oh, that looks nice' type of place). The industry certainly was a big hit, though Butech/Bliss is at least still running for the foreseeable future.

I Wear Pants wrote:

GoPens wrote: ^^^ Salem's class sizes were close to 300 or so in the late '70's and early 80's. Today it's about 160-180, although the sophomore class is bigger with 200. There used to be alot of big industries in Salem such as Deming, American Standard, Eljer, Bliss, Sekely, Blackhawk and they're either totally gone or just a shell of what they once were. When the jobs left, the population started to dwindle--along with class sizes.

The problem with the treasurers (think it was the treasurers) can't have helped either. Or the less than stellar facilities (I'm not really familiar with the schools but none of them strikes me as a 'oh, that looks nice' type of place). The industry certainly was a big hit, though Butech/Bliss is at least still running for the foreseeable future.

Butech is hurting, they're still open but they've cut employees. American Standard has been on the brink for awhile now--their employees almost killed them with the strike. Blackhawk is still going too, under a different name but like Pens said, it's a shell of it's former self. A lot of smaller business are down to nothing--it's not good around here. Eljer was without a doubt the biggest hit. If you think the enrollment looks bad now, just wait a year and if American Standard pulls out of here (which unfortunately seems likely) Salem will be a D5 school within a few years.

The facilities at Salem really aren't that bad, from the outside I can see where your opinion comes from but they aren't terrible to be honest. The sports facilities are some of the best around.

I don't know, it's a shame but the whole town is dwindling. I'm a recent graduate and I don't see it getting much better in the near future--I can tell you one thing, none of us that have gone off to school are going to be coming back to Salem. At least not many, which is a shame. I'd love to but there is nothing here for us.

Unfortunately, a lot of attempts to improve Salem's situation as a city have been shot down by people to stupid to get out of their own way.

Summed it up pretty well. The fact that American Standard has stuck around this long is amazing. It was beyond amazing that the place reopened after that strike (and as you mentioned, you can't go to strike regardless of how crappy the offer when they are simply just looking for a reason to leave town).