If Missouri State leaves, who do you add?

[unipanther99]

In theory I'm not opposed to Milwaukee, but they seem uncommitted financially to move up. There was a time Green Bay was on the rise, but I think that ship has long sailed. If we remain in this conference, I would like to see a northern expansion. However, I think it's even more important that the Missouri Valley Conference keep it's toes on either side of the river to avoid the appearance we are just another mid-south conference.

[Bulldog4life24]

Others have mostly said this, but I'm partial to taking St Thomas someday bc:
- Only 1 other D1 program in the state
- Large and growing metro area with good recruiting grounds
- a northward expansion, which I think UNI and Drake fans deserve
- Easier travel for flights, etc
- already has proven financial records (their D3 athletics spending was stupid large)

Now, this is predicated on them not being another UMKC in terms of basketball success. Obviously need a few years to see whether that pans out.

[TBS_20]

I would like if they added Chattanooga, NDSU, SDSU, and St. Thomas because they could then combine the MVC and MVFC. SD, ND, WIU, and YSU would be left out and we would have a 10 team football conference with 16 teams for other sports.

Football

Chattanooga
Illinois State
Indiana State
Missouri State
Murray State
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois
South Dakota State
St. Thomas

Basketball

Belmont
Bradley
Chattanooga
Drake
Evansville
Illinois-Chicago
Illinois State
Indiana State
Missouri State
Murray State
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois
South Dakota State
St. Thomas
Valparaiso

[squirrel]

Hard no on St. Thomas. You don't get kicked out of a league solely on being "too good" - undoubtedly they ruffled enough feathers to force the issue. Unity is generally a strength of this league.

[ColonialBulldog]

Hard no on St. Thomas. You don't get kicked out of a league solely on being "too good" - undoubtedly they ruffled enough feathers to force the issue. Unity is generally a strength of this league.

I think your point would make a good general rule of thumb, but in this specific instance you're wrong. If you've been to one MIAC campus, you've been to them all. They all have a ton in common as small Minnesota liberal arts colleges with D3 athletic departments.

By the time St. Thomas was kicked out, their campus and facilities felt more like Marquette or Creighton than they did Concordia or St. Olaf. They were kicked out because they weren't a small D3 college anymore.

[squirrel]

Hard no on St. Thomas. You don't get kicked out of a league solely on being "too good" - undoubtedly they ruffled enough feathers to force the issue. Unity is generally a strength of this league.

I think your point would make a good general rule of thumb, but in this specific instance you're wrong. If you've been to one MIAC campus, you've been to them all. They all have a ton in common as small Minnesota liberal arts colleges with D3 athletic departments.

By the time St. Thomas was kicked out, their campus and facilities felt more like Marquette or Creighton than they did Concordia or St. Olaf. They were kicked out because they weren't a small D3 college anymore.

Nobody else wanted them, either. They approached a number of other DIII and DII leagues and all of them said no, before they decided to apply for the DI waiver.

[usmcsaluki]

None of the above.

[Drakey]

I'm generally opposed to state schools with football programs. This is a basketball league. We need to recruit schools that emphasize basketball.

[BUFanatic]

I would like if they added Chattanooga, NDSU, SDSU, and St. Thomas because they could then combine the MVC and MVFC. SD, ND, WIU, and YSU would be left out and we would have a 10 team football conference with 16 teams for other sports.

Football

Chattanooga
Illinois State
Indiana State
Missouri State
Murray State
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois
South Dakota State
St. Thomas

Basketball

Belmont
Bradley
Chattanooga
Drake
Evansville
Illinois-Chicago
Illinois State
Indiana State
Missouri State
Murray State
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois
South Dakota State
St. Thomas
Valparaiso

Sir you have created a MM Big East.

[tribecalledquest]

Hard no on St. Thomas. You don't get kicked out of a league solely on being "too good" - undoubtedly they ruffled enough feathers to force the issue. Unity is generally a strength of this league.

I think your point would make a good general rule of thumb, but in this specific instance you're wrong. If you've been to one MIAC campus, you've been to them all. They all have a ton in common as small Minnesota liberal arts colleges with D3 athletic departments.

By the time St. Thomas was kicked out, their campus and facilities felt more like Marquette or Creighton than they did Concordia or St. Olaf. They were kicked out because they weren't a small D3 college anymore.

Nobody else wanted them, either. They approached a number of other DIII and DII leagues and all of them said no, before they decided to apply for the DI waiver.

You are looking for something that isn’t there with St. Thomas.

Once they got booted out of the MIAC for dominating the league and - as was mentioned - competing on an entirely different scale ther really weren’t any other D3 places for them to go.

The D2 league up there - the NSIC - already had 16 teams. Adding St. John’s made no sense for them.

At that point the best move for the school was to go D1.

Who knows what the future holds but I can guarantee you a ton of coaches in the Midwest see St. Thomas has a lot more potential than many other mid D1 programs.