Updated 1/6/18: MVC Expansion Poll

[UTArlingtonMaverick]

"I am leery of adding any school that is beholden to a larger university system. I feel like that puts a ceiling on the potential success of that program and in most cases that ceiling is fairly low. I feel like the parent school likely wants those schools to do well but not so well that they outshine\embarrass the flagship in athletics."

A comment about this. UT Arlington (UTA) is not "beholden" to either the UT System or UT Austin. UTA is IN the UT System, but this notion of somehow being beholden or held-back by the System or UT Austin does not make any sense. All UT System universities share a system administration and the same board of regents. Outside of certain cooperative agreements here-and-there between the universities where there are some synergies, each university has its own president and acts on its own. And trust me, nobody in UT Austin's administration is even remotely concerned by any athletic possibilities at UTA any other UT System university, such as UTEP, UTSA, or UTD.

Probably like most people, I will be surprised if we jump from the Sunbelt to the MVC. However, I will leave these decisions to the men in charge and support either way. The MVC is a nice, historic conference with reputable universities and some good basketball. However, the Sunbelt is a great home, too, with the western Sunbelt being a nice geographic fit. Also, Georgia State and Texas State are very much peer universities, with the latter being a good in-state rival. However, there are no constants in college sports.

[BCPanther]

"I am leery of adding any school that is beholden to a larger university system. I feel like that puts a ceiling on the potential success of that program and in most cases that ceiling is fairly low. I feel like the parent school likely wants those schools to do well but not so well that they outshine\embarrass the flagship in athletics."

A comment about this. UT Arlington (UTA) is not "beholden" to either the UT System or UT Austin. UTA is IN the UT System, but this notion of somehow being beholden or held-back by the System or UT Austin does not make any sense. All UT System universities share a system administration and the same board of regents. Outside of certain cooperative agreements here-and-there between the universities where there are some synergies, each university has its own president and acts on its own. And trust me, nobody in UT Austin's administration is even remotely concerned by any athletic possibilities at UTA any other UT System university, such as UTEP, UTSA, or UTD.

Probably like most people, I will be surprised if we jump from the Sunbelt to the MVC. However, I will leave these decisions to the men in charge and support either way. The MVC is a nice, historic conference with reputable universities and some good basketball. However, the Sunbelt is a great home, too, with the western Sunbelt being a nice geographic fit. Also, Georgia State and Texas State are very much peer universities, with the latter being a good in-state rival. However, there are no constants in college sports.

Agree with all of this. UNI is very much under the thumb of the Iowa Board of Regents and it hasn't inhibited success and I'm sure there are other examples in the league.

[Mikovio]

I do think it's a legitimate concern. The most famous example of the Big Brother campus stifling a satellite is when Tuscaloosa board members (led by Bear Bryant's son) killed the UAB football program. (It got reinstated after a huge backlash.) Champaign board members also got a UIC chancellor fired once because they were poaching students from the main campus. I think if Porter Moser had his success at UIC instead of Loyola, the Champaign board members might stick their noses into his salary the budget and maybe he leaves for St. Johns a couple years ago like he was close to doing. It's not the biggest factor but all things equal satellites are at a bit of disadvantage.

[BEARZ77]

Mizzou boosters and lobbies tried to keep Missouri State from becoming such for years, and eventually were able to limit some of the programs /degrees MSU could offer as part of the final agreement. It generally is an issue of wanting to control the state funding and making sure the flagship institution doesn't have to compete for funds with other state institutions.

[UTArlingtonMaverick]

Interesting about UAB (remember that) and Missouri State. If there is real concern about the flagship holding back another university in the state, the MVC should only consider private universities or flagships.

I am not trying to sell UT Arlington (UTA), because I am not convinced myself we should make a conference change. That said, being in the UT System has been a blessing for UTA, and I don't ever see UT Austin or the UT System stifling development.

There are numerous reasons for this:
1) UT Austin has an ego sky-high, but they are not insecure. Our athletic budget will never in a million years approach theirs. They are not threatened or scared of us, no matter how much success we may have. For instance, we beat them in men's basketball a few years ago, and we were back on their schedule two years later.
2) The North Texas legislative delegation has significant power. UTA is an R-1 university and very much valued as an economic engine by the region.
3) The UT System is far-flung. If Texas-Austin started acting ugly against any other system institution, this likely would be noticed by all. Legislators team-up.
4) Texas is not some back-water like Alabama with only 3 or so significant universities.
5) Most of UTA's budget comes from tuition and legislative formulas. There are no control levers on the UT Austin campus.
6) The regents have a track-record of supporting UTA.

Take a look at this building under construction right now on the UTA campus. Does this look like a place that is being held back?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=84VqRmrIF ... e=youtu.be

Take a look at this building that opened two years ago.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDOdTwgNXE

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Rank these options

Murray State and Belmont

Murray State and NKU

Murray State and Wright State

NDSU and SDSU

Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

To me its Murray State and Belmont number 1 based upon competition AND proximity. NMSU and then Grand Canyon (you need to get over GCU being for profit when college athletes can et paid supposedly come September) are next because Phoenix while already the 5th biggest city is still up-and-coming and NMSU has a damn good program. Every other option has too many questions. UTA is too far away from GCU or NMSU to be travel partners so they're out. Nobody else that's reasonable is coming. Denver doesn't have a close travel partner and for some reason the MVC wants that. They would rather save money than to take the next step for more money. I'd add all four.

[BCPanther]

Rank these options

Murray State and Belmont

Murray State and NKU

Murray State and Wright State

NDSU and SDSU

Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

To me its Murray State and Belmont number 1 based upon competition AND proximity. NMSU and then Grand Canyon (you need to get over GCU being for profit when college athletes can et paid supposedly come September) are next because Phoenix while already the 5th biggest city is still up-and-coming and NMSU has a damn good program. Every other option has too many questions. UTA is too far away from GCU or NMSU to be travel partners so they're out. Nobody else that's reasonable is coming. Denver doesn't have a close travel partner and for some reason the MVC wants that. They would rather save money than to take the next step for more money. I'd add all four.

UT-Arlington and Grand Canyon

UT-Arlington and Belmont

Belmont and Grand Canyon

UT-Arlington and Murray State

Murray State and Belmont

NDSU and SDSU

Murray State and NKU

Murray and Wright State

I don't think NMSU is a possibility now that the WAC is stable and they seem to have figured out football long term.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Dallas and phoenix are a 15 hour drive apart. no way they add both a dallas team and gcu team. unless no travel partners how it should be. UCSD is transitioning to D1 so they could be an option with GCU, as well. That of course leads us back to satellite schools although Berkley lets UCLA have its glory so why stop lowly UCSD which resides in a big market. SD is the 8th biggest city in the US?

[BCPanther]

Dallas and phoenix are a 15 hour drive apart. no way they add both a dallas team and gcu team. unless no travel partners how it should be. UCSD is transitioning to D1 so they could be an option with GCU, as well. That of course leads us back to satellite schools although Berkley lets UCLA have its glory so why stop lowly UCSD which resides in a big market. SD is the 8th biggest city in the US?

It's an amazingly cheap and easy flight from Dallas to Phoenix. Plus, I'm not sure travel partners are really here to stay with the new commish.

[Adunk33]

I have not read the whole thread, so apologies if this has been picked up on else where but UT-Arlington appearing to pick up some steam.

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2021/6/ ... o-sun-belt