If Missouri State leaves, who do you add?

[BCPanther]

I am still in favor of adding South Dakota State to the MVC and keeping the MVFC at ten. SDSU upset Boise State last night on the road. Not sure it’s a good fit geographically, but they are a consistently good program that would improve the MVC.

They're never leaving getting to play their league tournament basically at home though I agree they're the most 'Valley' school available. They are a flight for everybody except MAYBE Drake. I don't hate them as a replacement but I doubt it happens.

[TBS_20]

That's not an upset. SDSU is a better basketball program than Boise

[Birdfan2018]

That's not an upset. SDSU is a better basketball program than Boise

SDSU was a 6.5 pt underdog, that makes it an upset.

[BEARZ77]

It was also a buy game , as in Boise paid SDSU .

[Birgs]

I'm now convinced more than ever St. Thomas (MN) is the "fit" - geographically feasible for the non-revenue/scholly sports, appease the privates, add what can be MVFC juggernaut on the gridiron.

till wonder why no one ponders Northern Kentucky, Detroit or UW-Milwaukee as hoops-only options.

[Chuck A]

I'm now convinced more than ever St. Thomas (MN) is the "fit" - geographically feasible for the non-revenue/scholly sports, appease the privates, add what can be MVFC juggernaut on the gridiron.

till wonder why no one ponders Northern Kentucky, Detroit or UW-Milwaukee as hoops-only options.

Don't know if you've been paying attention, but at this point (and it's still waaaay too early), it's Bellarmine. They've already won a D1 conference championship in only their second year! They have a good coach with a nice system. They have more than an adequate home court in Freedom Hall and are in a basketball-crazed state in the Louisville market. If the conference is still focusing on solidifying a presence in the south, Bellarmine is the top choice (IMO).

BTW, NKU and Milwaukee have been pondered and were queried by the Valley expansion committee. Both were unable or unwilling to spend money to meet certain Valley requirements.

[squirrel]

And Detroit doesn't have any money and would be a geographic outlier. I'm OK growing the Valley footprint, but it has to be for a school with money and growth potential. Right now, that equates the sun belt (which by definition is technically a much wider region than just the south - it can actually include the plains, mountain region, and places like Idaho, believe it or not).

That's why places like UT Arlington, Grand Canyon etc are in the conversation at the league level.

[BCPanther]

I'm all for taking Grand Canyon before the WCC does.

They will spend whatever dollar amount they have to to compete and every AD in the country should have them on the phone to figure out how to do GameDay Production.

[RacerJoeD]

GCU would be a terrible add.

[BCPanther]

GCU would be a terrible add.

Why?

Tons of money, easy to get to, consistent Top 100 program. They check a lot of boxes.

Might as well be us that takes the for-profit university because somebody is going to as they keep winning.