What's the next realignment domino to fall?

[Mikovio]

If you want the MVC to expand, start campaigning with the Presidents of your schools to remove Elgin. He's on record as saying he prefers a 10-team league. He's had two opportunities to expand to 12 and didn't do it. He seems to prefer adding programs that are a reasonably comfortable bus ride from the existing membership.

In his defense, Elgin isn't dictator of the Valley. His idea of a scheduling mandate was just what the conference needed 15 years ago, and it fell apart because new presidents/ADs, who hold the real power, decided to abandon it.

We would have Murray State if the public schools who are in budget crises weren't worried about travel partners. Ask the MSU president. (Hey, maybe if MSU wasn't throwing money at FCS football they could afford not to have a travel partner!) Again, nothing to do with Elgin, who said he's open to it.

[Mikovio]

True ISUr fans support FCS and we actually loved going to Frisco, TX for the National Championship!

Where are those "true ISUr fans" for their home FCS playoff games?

December 6, 2014 1:00 PM No. 10 Northern Iowa* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 41–21 Attendance: 5,575
December 5, 2015 1:00 PM Western Illinois* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 36–19 Attendance: 6,124
December 11, 2015 6:30 PM No. 12 Richmond* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) ESPN3 L 27–39 Attendance: 5,356

[IllinoisState]

True ISUr fans support FCS and we actually loved going to Frisco, TX for the National Championship!

Where are those "true ISUr fans" for their home FCS playoff games?

December 6, 2014 1:00 PM No. 10 Northern Iowa* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 41–21 Attendance: 5,575
December 5, 2015 1:00 PM Western Illinois* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 36–19 Attendance: 6,124
December 11, 2015 6:30 PM No. 12 Richmond* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) ESPN3 L 27–39 Attendance: 5,356

Studying for finals.

[uniguy]

I dont think SFA has enough to gain by joining the MVC to warrent making a move.

Is it worth a skyrocketing travel budget, and leaving a league with established regional rivals in basketball and football to join a league that is marginally better at basketball?

[mvfcfan]

Yeah I don't think football is holding anyone back too much especially at the FCS level. At least the MVFC is actually capable of getting more than 1 bid into the tournament. We're typically getting 3-4 bids and we actually have a chance of winning a national championship. When any of the privates in the MVC have a chance of winning a national championship in basketball please let me know. At least the 5 schools in the MVC that have football are actually competing for something.

I also don't get the love for SFA. They had a good basketball team 2 years ago (but their conference is terrible) and their football team is okay, but nothing great. At least with NDSU and SDSU they are both usually ranked in the top 10 for football and I have no doubt that their basketball teams would be able to compete in the MVC.

And NDSU and SDSU are actually within driving distance for teams like UNI and Drake. SFA isn't within driving distance for anyone. Neither is GCU and NMSU.

[Redhawk]

True ISUr fans support FCS and we actually loved going to Frisco, TX for the National Championship!

Where are those "true ISUr fans" for their home FCS playoff games?

December 6, 2014 1:00 PM No. 10 Northern Iowa* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 41–21 Attendance: 5,575
December 5, 2015 1:00 PM Western Illinois* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 36–19 Attendance: 6,124
December 11, 2015 6:30 PM No. 12 Richmond* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) ESPN3 L 27–39 Attendance: 5,356

That's an average of 5685 for those 3 FCS games which compares to the 5953 avg "true fans" at a Bradley basketball game. Based on that postseason success the Birds averaged 10156 per home football game in 2016. While most of us Redbird fans prefer MVC bball to MVFC football to say that there is no
support for FCS football is uninformed and ludicrous.

[mvfcfan]

True ISUr fans support FCS and we actually loved going to Frisco, TX for the National Championship!

Where are those "true ISUr fans" for their home FCS playoff games?

December 6, 2014 1:00 PM No. 10 Northern Iowa* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 41–21 Attendance: 5,575
December 5, 2015 1:00 PM Western Illinois* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 36–19 Attendance: 6,124
December 11, 2015 6:30 PM No. 12 Richmond* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) ESPN3 L 27–39 Attendance: 5,356

Studying for finals.

It's also December and cold, so 5-6K is actually not that bad. That's actually pretty decent.

[Redhawk]

I also don't get the love for SFA. They had a good basketball team 2 years ago (but their conference is terrible) and their football team is okay, but nothing great. At least with NDSU and SDSU they are both usually ranked in the top 10 for football and I have no doubt that their basketball teams would be able to compete in the MVC.

And NDSU and SDSU are actually within driving distance for teams like UNI and Drake. SFA isn't within driving distance for anyone. Neither is GCU and NMSU.

SFA, GCU and NMSU are not viable options for the Valley for a number of reasons but mostly because
of distance. NDSU & SDSU however are not that far away than two former Valley members that no
one ever thought were too far away:

Normal to Tulsa is 562 miles. Brookings, SD is 61 miles further or less than another 60 minutes drive.
Normal to Wichita is 581 miles. Fargo, ND is 116 miles further so less a than 2 hour drive further.
The Valley also replaced Creighton & Wichita with a much closer Loyola & Valpo which helps with the travel budget.

With 12 schools the pod schedule system would take effect to limit travel to the Dakotas for the cash strapped eastern schools. It could work if the public/privates ever agree on the details.

[Mikovio]

Yeah I don't think football is holding anyone back too much especially at the FCS level. At least the MVFC is actually capable of getting more than 1 bid into the tournament. We're typically getting 3-4 bids and we actually have a chance of winning a national championship. When any of the privates in the MVC have a chance of winning a national championship in basketball please let me know. At least the 5 schools in the MVC that have football are actually competing for something.

Are you serious? You're seriously comparing a championship tournament boasting Kansas, Duke, Texas, Kentucky and every big name on the planet with a championship over schools like *glances at 2016 FCS playoff bracket* Eastern Washington, St. Francis (PA), Samford, and Charleston Southern? I don't think anyone is confusing James Madison v. Youngstown St. with Alabama vs. Clemson. Nobody knows those schools! The only household name I see in the FCS bracket is Villanova, and it sure as hell isn't because of their FCS football. Somebody flipping through the channels might stop if they see the Nova name, until they realize it's lower division football. Not to mention, bids to the NCAA mens basketball tournament are worth millions. How much is an FCS bid worth?

Some people are just delusional with this FCS stuff.

That's an average of 5685 for those 3 FCS games which compares to the 5953 avg "true fans" at a Bradley basketball game. Based on that postseason success the Birds averaged 10156 per home football game in 2016. While most of us Redbird fans prefer MVC bball to MVFC football to say that there is no
support for FCS football is uninformed and ludicrous.

First, you can't compare basketball attendance with football. Michigan and Ohio State football draw 100k+, but their basketball teams draw 20k. There are reasons for that. Mainly, there are fewer football games, and fewer good seats around a basketball court than a 120 yard football field. Second, ISUr football was coming off its best season ever, playing in its biggest home game ever, and still couldn't draw more than the 18 game average of Bradley at perhaps the lowest point in the program's history. That's what you're telling me.

It's also December and cold, so 5-6K is actually not that bad. That's actually pretty decent.

The weather was actually pretty good for these games.

December 6, 2014 1:00 PM No. 10 Northern Iowa* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 41–21 Attendance: 5,575

>>>>>Weather in Bloomington was 35 degrees at kickoff with overcast skies, and it rose to 37.4 in an hour.

https://www.wunderground.com/history/ai ... reqdb.wmo=

December 5, 2015 1:00 PM Western Illinois* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 36–19 Attendance: 6,124

>>>>>Weather was 40 degrees at kickoff with scattered clouds, still 41 degrees a couple hours later

https://www.wunderground.com/history/ai ... reqdb.wmo=

December 11, 2015 6:30 PM No. 12 Richmond* Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) ESPN3 L 27–39 Attendance: 5,356

>>>>>Unseasonably warm! Weather was 54 degrees at kickoff with overcast skies, rising to 57 degrees!

https://www.wunderground.com/history/ai ... reqdb.wmo=

Sorry, those numbers are just bad. It tell you nobody cares about FCS football. You can inflate regular season attendance with homecoming, "Parents day/Siblings day", "Local band day" and just people looking for an excuse to get drunk and tailgate but with the most consequential games you draw 5k? Pathetic.

[mvfcfan]

You also realize that when Illinois State played NDSU in Frisco, TX that there were over 20000 in attendance right? NDSU might have brought most of the crowd because I know they average around 18000 for their home games, but don't you think they might bring some of that crowd with them in basketball, especially if they were playing in a better conference? Even SDSU is getting 15000 people to show up to their home football games. Northern Iowa on the other hand was also getting around 11000 per game. Illinois State had over 10000 show up for 4 of their 6 home games. Missouri State sucks and they were even getting 12000 per game. Southern Illinois was even drawing pretty good at the beginning of the year. Indiana State is really the only team with attendance issues, but it is FCS football where there is not an attendance requirement. The numbers just don't add up with your saying that FCS football is not important, because for being FCS those are pretty good numbers. There are several MAC schools that can't even do that well.