Throwback Thursday: Changing Conferences
A sneak peek at a chapter in Warriors, plus some Q&A
The following is an excerpt, adapted from Warriors: The John Carroll Men’s Soccer Story, coming fall 2024.
On April 5, 1954, the presidents of Baldwin-Wallace, Case Tech, John Carroll, and Western Reserve announced the formation of the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
The four presidents: the Very Rev. Frederick Welfle, S.J. (John Carroll), Dr. John L. Knight (Baldwin-Wallace), Dr. T. Keith Glenning (Case Tech), and Dr. John Mills (Western Reserve), put the plan into motion as a basketball conference. The alliance also was the first step toward what became the Division III lifestyle for Carroll. Athletic scholarships were banned, as were freshman from playing in varsity contests.
In a true disappointment for fans and athletes, the initial PAC agreement also banned postseason competition. As the legendary Chuck Heaton ’38 wrote in The Plain Dealer, “Carroll will have to give up its football and basketball ambitions and curtailment will be felt in the cage sport as the Streaks have been playing very rugged schedules since the war.”
Athletic director Herb Eisele was thrilled with the move, telling Heaton: "It will solve our scholastic problems and the competition with the local schools should mean a lot," Eisele said. "Coaching will be the main job again just like in high school and I think we will all like it."
While the era (1955-1989) produced positive memories and championships for many of John Carroll’s teams, time eroded JCU’s reasons for joining the PAC. Baldwin-Wallace never ended up joining the conference, being replaced by Detroit’s Wayne State University in the inaugural class. Case Tech and Western Reserve eventually merged, and Case Western Reserve left in 1984. Eventually, the conference that was meant to regionalize opponents for John Carroll included just one other Ohio institution (Hiram College).
Just over 13,000 days later, on November 15, 1988, OAC President Dr. J. Phillip Roach announced that John Carroll and Hiram College would be welcomed back to the conference. It would be JCU’s second stint, and Hiram’s third; the Terriers were previously OAC members from 1920-35 and 1951-71.
“These well-established and prestigious institutions add luster to an already bright conference that is recognized as one of the premier Division III conferences in the NCAA," Roach said during his announcement.
Q&A: What Now?
It is a historic day for John Carroll. After 35 years in the OAC, JCU will take their 24 varsity teams to the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).
There are some frequent questions on a day like this. Check them out below, and feel free to send any you may have in the comments.
Q. When is this happening?
A. John Carroll will complete a final full academic year in the OAC before formally joining the NCAC in fall 2025.
Q. Why is John Carroll leaving the OAC?
A. John Carroll is interested in growing their enrollment, endowment, and brand. Accomplishing those goals will secure their future. This decision will certainly help.
Many institutions are seeing what John Carroll sees: an upcoming enrollment “cliff” that puts schools across the country in jeopardy in the next decade. The NCAC gives JCU the best chance to thrive in a changing landscape.
Q. What do you think about the move?
A. I think it is possible to be both excited and sad. As a John Carroll alumnus and former employee, I grew to love the OAC for all of its rivalries and quirks. I will specifically miss the Baldwin Wallace and Mount Union matchups across all sports, the Marietta baseball and basketball games, and the legendary tilts with Ohio Northern men’s soccer. And yes, I will even miss Ohio Northern’s fans, as ruthless as they are sometimes.
I’ll especially miss the wonderful people that make Division III sports happen: the sports information directors, department staffers, athletic trainers and other support staff who I got to know over the years. They all helped me grow as a professional.
That said, the NCAC is a quality conference with excellent schools and athletic programs. I look forward to visiting all of the new campuses in 2025-26 and beyond.
Q. So they’re just giving up on the Baldwin Wallace and Mount Union rivalries?
A. There is nothing stopping these schools from scheduling each other in non-conference matchups. I sincerely hope they do.
Q. What does this mean for John Carroll men’s soccer?
A. Since 2000, there have been 16 occasions where multiple NCAC men’s soccer teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The conference is respected, the competition is tough, and the Blue Streaks should continue their rich tradition of success in men’s soccer.
The NCAC will be their third home, and future generations will likely have the same level of positive memories that alumni from the PAC and OAC eras have.
Q. Seriously, though. Isn’t John Carroll just doing this for football?
A. I cannot say this strongly enough: no.
This isn’t about media contracts, or College Football Playoff berths, or NIL funding. John Carroll is not leaving for the same reasons that USC, Oregon, Texas, and Oklahoma moved from their conferences.
The only people that truly believe this is about football are fans connected to one program, and I promise you this, they think about John Carroll way more than John Carroll thinks about them.