This series, running from June 27 – August 22, 2013, highlights Truman State University's transition from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association to the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Please refer to the schedule below for each installment throughout the summer series.
Previous:
June 28 – Rich History of Bulldog Athletics in MIAA
July 1 - A New Era Begins: Bulldogs Join GLVC
Notable Links:
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Just as Don Faurot's Bulldogs of the late 20s and early 30s did in the infancy of the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association,
Gregg Nesbitt's Truman troops will be looking to help establish GLVC Football for decades to come.
H.L. McWilliams led the Bulldogs to the first recognized MIAA title in 1924, Faurot took over in 1927 and engineered the 'Dogs to eight of the next nine conference titles before departing for the University of Missouri in 1935. In total, Northeast/Truman won or shared 26 MIAA titles, the most by any league member to date.
Football was introduced as a championship sport in the GLVC last year with the University of Indianapolis (Ind.) claiming the first league title by winning all eight conference games in 2012. The Greyhounds represented the league in the NCAA Division II playoffs, winning a first round home game against Midwestern (Texas) State before falling on the road at top ranked Colorado State-Pueblo.
Indianapolis finished the 2012 season with a 10-3 overall record and was 15th in the final American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll and 16th in the D2Football.com poll.
The Bulldogs and Greyhounds have never met on the gridiron but will do so for the first time in the final regular season game on November 16 in Indianapolis.
History with GLVC Teams: Indianapolis and Kentucky Wesleyan are the two GLVC members Truman has no history with but against the remaining five GLVC schools, the Bulldogs are 60-29-6 (.663) all-time. The majority of the history is with Missouri S&T. The Bulldogs and Miners have played 75 games against one another as former MIAA members with Truman holding a 49-22-4 advantage. Far behind the Miners in terms of games played against Truman is William Jewell with 11. The Cardinals are 6-5-2 against the Bulldogs but the last meeting was in 1961.
Since 2000, Truman is 10-1 against GLVC teams with the only loss coming in overtime in 2008 to Missouri S&T. The Bulldogs swept a home-and-home series with Quincy in 2001 and 2002 and won on the road at both St. Joseph's (Ind.) in 2010 and at McKendree (Ill.) in 2011.
Truman GLVC Schedule: On July 31, the GLVC will host their 2013 Football Media Day with the release of the preseason coaches' poll and interactive social media events. The Bulldogs will play their first conference football game on October 5th on the road at Quincy. It will be the first road game for the Bulldogs within 100 miles of the Truman campus since the teams last played each other in 2002. The next week (October 12) has Truman at William Jewell in Liberty, Mo. with the first GLVC home game set for October 19 with McKendree (Ill.) being the Bulldogs Homecoming game opponent. Missouri S&T returns to Kirksville on October 26 before the Bulldogs hit the road for two of the final three games in November. Kentucky Wesleyan is on
November 2nd followed by senior day at Stokes against St. Joseph's (Ind.) and the regular season finale against Indianapolis on November 16.
Championship Format: The GLVC Football champion is determined by record in the seven conference games played during the season.
NCAA Tournament: There are no conference automatic qualifier spots for the Division II Football tournament. The GLVC is one of four conferences within the "Super Region 4" designation of Division II. They are joined by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Lone Star Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The top six in 2012 that were selected to the Division II Championship were: 1. Colorado State-Pueblo (RMAC), 2. Ashland-Ohio (GLIAC), 3. Chadron State-Neb. (RMAC), 4. Indianapolis (GLVC), 5. Midwestern State-Texas (LSC) and 6. West Texas A&M (LSC).
Upcoming:
July 8 – GLVC Volleyball Preview
July 11 – GLVC Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Preview
July 15 – GLVC Women's Soccer Preview
July 18 – GLVC Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Preview
July 22 – GLVC Men's Soccer Preview
July 25 – GLVC Men's & Women's Swimming Preview
July 29 – GLVC Women's Basketball Preview
August 1 – GLVC Men's Basketball Preview
August 5 – GLVC Men's & Women's Tennis Preview
August 8 – GLVC Women's Golf Preview
August 12 – GLVC Baseball Preview
August 15 – GLVC Softball Preview
August 19 – GLVC Award Season Preview
