Another Expansion/Realignment Thread

[TylerDurden]

The way I look at it is it gives you a better share of the market if you have more teams. Obviously the MVC is a midwest conference first and foremost, but better markets = better exposure. That is why Arlington, even though its out of the way, is being considered. The texas market is really desirable. Gotta keep those televised games.

The Texas market is not delivered by UTA, just like the Detroit market is not delivered by Detroit Mercy, the Cleveland market is not delivered by Cleveland State, the Indianapolis market is not delivered by IUPUI, and the Pittsburgh market is not delivered by Robert Morris.

University presidents always talk about things that sound good in theory, but in reality don't pan out. For instance, you'll hear them talk about being in XYZ market to help out-of-state student recruitment in those areas...yet when you look at the student demographics you see that ~90% of the student population is from the home state and immediate surrounding area.

Television market size matters when you have lucrative TV deals. We aren't playing the same game as the B1G or SEC. MVC revenue streams are not the same type or amount.

We can't operate the same way the B1G does just like we can't operate the same way the Horizon League does.

Where did I imply you get the entirety of a market from one school. Not even the powers get that. I am just going off of the material about markets presented by d1 360

When you mention TV distribution you're implying that a school can bring enough to the table to get clearance in that market. In TV, you get distribution in the market or you don't.

[FunchessonPopcorn]

I'm just a guest on this board--but IMHO...

Twelve is the perfect number for many conferences.

--enough so that you are not in panic mode if you lose one

--small enough to not divide up revenue in too many pieces

If you go to 14 or 16--it will be difficult to make room for a future candidate who becomes available and---- might be VERY desirable.

I don’t hate being at 12, but it blocks a true round robin schedule, which to me makes it fall a little short of ideal. The value of it is mostly in having a built in buffer for when a Missouri State sees a need to move on.

These absurd conferences and the travel budgets are one thing, but how can you say with a 20 team setup that whoever emerges as regular season champion has the same legitimacy when the schedules vary so widely. 12 team isn’t absurd like that, but dilutes it just a touch, which to me is an annoyance.

They are going to jack up March Madness over time, for more and more squeezes of juice, to manage their costs. We’re not going to come away from that favorably, because we mostly don’t worship at the same alter the power schools do. So, let’s just make sure Jan and Feb basketball matter as much to us as it possibly can, and quit trying to cleverly gameplan a scenario that is only looking at March, when we’ll likely be kept at arms length as much as credibly possible for the foreseeable future.

[IllinoisState]

I am still fully on the boat of wait for a bit, maybe with the exception of St. Thomas, because the ACC could fall apart and things could get interesting. Ripple effect with the Big East and A10 and then we might be set up to get a school left out.

[MidwestBest]

Isnt it likely that more chaos in the upper ranks of the conferences will hurt us though? If the A10 loses a school and comes calling to Bradley or whatever that would stink.

[IllinoisState]

Isnt it likely that more chaos in the upper ranks of the conferences will hurt us though? If the A10 loses a school and comes calling to Bradley or whatever that would stink.

I don't see a scenario where all the schools we are seriously considering go to a conference better than the MVC. As far as Bradley, Belmont, or Drake, I would expect them to leave if they got asked by the A10 regardless of whether we added 1 - 3 available teams that they like.

[E-Villan]

Isnt it likely that more chaos in the upper ranks of the conferences will hurt us though? If the A10 loses a school and comes calling to Bradley or whatever that would stink.

I don't see a scenario where all the schools we are seriously considering go to a conference better than the MVC. As far as Bradley, Belmont, or Drake, I would expect them to leave if they got asked by the A10 regardless of whether we added 1 - 3 available teams that they like.

Why? Currently, the A-10 is marginally a higher ranked conference. If the A-10 came calling, it would be because they lost schools, most likely SLU and or Dayton. The A-10 without them is a weaker conference with a lot of added expense to play east coast schools.

[IllinoisState]

Isnt it likely that more chaos in the upper ranks of the conferences will hurt us though? If the A10 loses a school and comes calling to Bradley or whatever that would stink.

I don't see a scenario where all the schools we are seriously considering go to a conference better than the MVC. As far as Bradley, Belmont, or Drake, I would expect them to leave if they got asked by the A10 regardless of whether we added 1 - 3 available teams that they like.

Why? Currently, the A-10 is marginally a higher ranked conference. If the A-10 came calling, it would be because they lost schools, most likely SLU and or Dayton. The A-10 without them is a weaker conference with a lot of added expense to play east coast schools.

Only Belmont of those 3 is gaining in enrollment. Having a presence on the east coast could help with enrollment. Belmont seems to want a larger profile so exposure in the markets out east could increase their brand recognition. There will also be only 3 public schools in the conference in 2025 and they might feel more at home there. Most of the schools don't have football or place less of an emphasis on football.

This isn't me saying those schools should go to the A10 or that the A10 is significantly better, but just that it might happen and I'm justifying staying with our current 11 schools for the time being.

[BCPanther]

Belmont is the only one the A10 would even look at and that has more to do with Nashville than it does what Belmont has done/is doing.

They aren't adding a ton to travel budgets to come to Peoria or Des Moines.

[MidwestBest]

once the new pay structure nukes the non revenue sports, how much travel are we realistically talking though?

[VUGrad1314]

Guys stop. The A-10 is not courting Belmont nor will they in the immediate future. Again it took a FINAL 4 and a SWEET 16 appearance within a five year window for the A-10 to decide it was worth taking Loyola to gain a presence in CHICAGO. Nashville is a nice market to have but it isn't Chicago and Belmont's performance has been solid in the MVC but nowhere near that level. There is ZERO chance of a Belmont defection to the A-10 right now. The only true flight risk is Illinois State if they decide they want FBS and the MAC other than that we move forward with what we have and either add one or a few or no one. Speaking of which I would have expected there to be more traction on this than there has been. Anybody know what the holding pattern is about?