Conference Realignment - where will we be in 5 yrs?

[DoubleJayAlum]

Missouri Tigers set to join SEC shortly.

I really think this is the move that will eventually trickle down to the MVC. Either allowing 2 quality additions via the destruction of the A-10 after Big East basketball breaks away cherry picks a few schools. Or the Big East survives and raids a few conferences and then at tail end a few Valley schools move.

Either way I think once the Tigers move things are going to get a little more interesting for some of the mid level leagues.

I think you may be on to something. I'd see it happening like this:
1. Big 12 takes Louisville (and maybe WVU and another Big East team) to replace Mizzou/get back to 12 teams.
2. Big East blows up and Temple, Xavier and Dayton join Big East castoffs.
3. SLU, after losing the only other midwestern schools in the A10, wants in the MVC.

The problem is that the schools that have the most to offer and would be the best fit in the MVC in terms of geography and basketball dedication will jump to join the Big East castoffs. Unless we are going to stretch all the way to Philly, what else would be left in the A10 that would be appealing?

[Haha]

Well best case if Big East breaks from football after UL, UC, WVU leave (granted BigEast could pull off the raid and this is just fantasy) is Xavier going to Big East basketball conf, while Temple and Umass leave for some sort of east coast football conf. At that point A-10 which in my opinion is top heavy and very weak at the bottom falls apart.

Granted Dayton would be on the short list but I would have to imagine so would Butler, Richmond, VCU, GMU.

So my hope would be that some combination of Dayton/SLU/Butler gets left in the cold. Thats hoping for a lot and granted Butler's Horizon would be fully intact so they wouldn't technically be left out. Regardless pipe dream in my view would be that 2 of 3 are left and they decide that Valley would be a good place to go.

Now if Big East does break and goes basketball only who is to say they would want more than 10 to 12. To me 10 is perfect size (I like 12 for Valley only IF quality is added) and since the Big East basketball only would already have plenty of quality in large markets why would they want to go past that? So the hope would be that 10 is ideal for them and thus leaving some nice low hanging fruit for the Valley.

One could argue that the A-10 would grab up maybe some Valley schools or CAA schools to rebuild but once you suck out a couple of the top end of the A-10 the bottom is really really crappy. So to me if the A-10 gets raided for more than just 2 of the big dogs then the middle of the pack guys are going to look to bail.

[MVCfans]

The latest on Mizzou. It will be interesting to see what happens from here and how far the trickle down goes to other conferences.

The New York Times is reporting Missouri's decision to officially apply for membership in the Southeastern Conference is "inevitable and imminent."

The newspaper, citing an official familiar with school decisions involving conference affiliation, reported Monday night that Mizzou officials expect to get enough votes among SEC presidents to become a member, although the school would still need to be formally invited to join the conference.

Missouri curators, who must approve any change in conference alignment, are scheduled to next meet at the University of Missouri, Kansas City on Oct. 20-21.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... c-imminent

[BirdmanBB]

So if they do get accepted we are probably looking at the big 12 inviting Louisville I would think. Maybe Missouri was just really holding out for the big 10 and figured it just wasn't going to happen. Now that this is all happening I bet it puts a lot of the important schools that the big east wants on hold.

For example, Boise might think they have an outside shot at joining the big 12.

The other possible team for the big 12 is WVU. If this happens and the big east really tries to keep football alive, no doubt there will be a greater chance that the valley is effected by all of this as the CUSA, MAC and MWC get raided. I could see teams like Utah St. on the move. I know football is down for them but I wonder if the CUSA would have interest in WKU.

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

So if they do get accepted we are probably looking at the big 12 inviting Louisville I would think. Maybe Missouri was just really holding out for the big 10 and figured it just wasn't going to happen. Now that this is all happening I bet it puts a lot of the important schools that the big east wants on hold.

For example, Boise might think they have an outside shot at joining the big 12.

The other possible team for the big 12 is WVU. If this happens and the big east really tries to keep football alive, no doubt there will be a greater chance that the valley is effected by all of this as the CUSA, MAC and MWC get raided. I could see teams like Utah St. on the move. I know football is down for them but I wonder if the CUSA would have interest in WKU.

I agree with that. Good post.

Louisville will be in the Big XII soon and very possibly West Virginia. Boise will go Big East in football, the Big XII has no interest in them. Neither does the Pac-12.

A couple of Valley schools are headed to Cusa almoist by default. Should be exciting for the lucky few that get selected.

[DoubleJayAlum]

A couple of Valley schools are headed to Cusa almoist by default.

Huh? Why?

[SubGod22]

A couple of Valley schools are headed to Cusa almoist by default.

Huh? Why?

If CUSA is open to looking at non-football schools, it's possible they could target a Valley school or two. And I've read where they are open to looking at schools with no football.

[ihsi]

Is CUSA a better basketball league than the Valley? Memphis is sort of pedestrian without Calipari. UAB and Tulsa would finish in the middle of the Valley. Am I missing someone?

[TylerDurden]

A couple of Valley schools are headed to Cusa almoist by default.

Huh? Why?

+1

[SubGod22]

Is CUSA a better basketball league than the Valley? Memphis is sort of pedestrian without Calipari. UAB and Tulsa would finish in the middle of the Valley. Am I missing someone?

Last years RPIs.
Memphis - 28
UAB - 31
Marshall - 54
UTEP - 59
Southern Miss - 63
UCF - 69
Tulsa - 81
East Carolina - 96

That looks better. And going back, it looks like they pretty consistently have at least 5 teams in the top 100. The bottom few are bad, but having more teams at the top help.