Updated 1/6/18: MVC Expansion Poll

[UNDfan]

There has been more chatter about Augustana SD is moving up to the Summit. Their AD even said the MVFC was possible for their fb. They have a billionaire backing them, T Denny Sanford, so anything could be possible. They might take Murray St's MVFC spot.

Most observers thought they follow Drake to the Pioneer League.

[VUGrad1314]

I think if the MVFC tries that the MVC will make football an MVC sport (the conferences are technically separate) and they add Murray State in on their own.

That's it! All of that jigsaw matching was irrelevant because the MVC has the ultimate trump card and can do what they want! There's no threat to Murray State's MVC spot! It's there whenever both sides want it!

And if they did that WIU either stays with the SL Stays with the MVC (FB only)or they join the OVC In either of the latter two scenarios the SL goes after UNC (but that might risk running off Denver)

[uniguy]

I’m warming up to Northern Kentucky as an option for a 12th team although I’m not quite there yet.

Also I just read the last few pages of this thread and you can count me as someone who thinks maybe Murray would have been the better choice (although I still think both are good fits). That isn’t a knock on Valpo as I think they’ll do fine. But Murray’s facilities, support and history make me feel like they may have been a better choice. I still think “both” is the best choice.

And don’t come at me comparing Valpos first few years to UNI. I get it, but that is a but of a straw man argument. It isn’t about Valpo vs. UNI, or which program is better, or who did better when they joined. That is irrelevant or at least a different discussion. UNI is now an established member of the league. It is about who was a better choice at the time Valpo was added based on strength of the program and fit for the league.

[uniguy]

Oh, and I know this isn’t an objectively good reason to want expansion, but I love the idea of 12 teams giving us another full day of Arch Madness. Thursday would no longer be an afterthought.

[mvfcfan]

Oh, and I know this isn’t an objectively good reason to want expansion, but I love the idea of 12 teams giving us another full day of Arch Madness. Thursday would no longer be an afterthought.

I'm pretty sure the MVC worked it out so that they could have 4 games on Thursday if they expanded. I don't see expansion happening, but Belmont and St Louis are not happening. At this point it looks like Northern Kentucky is really starting to stick out as the best 12th option. They are having another great season, they have a great facility, and they seem to be able to get people to come to their games.

[uniguy]

Oh, and I know this isn’t an objectively good reason to want expansion, but I love the idea of 12 teams giving us another full day of Arch Madness. Thursday would no longer be an afterthought.

I'm pretty sure the MVC worked it out so that they could have 4 games on Thursday if they expanded. I don't see expansion happening, but Belmont and St Louis are not happening. At this point it looks like Northern Kentucky is really starting to stick out as the best 12th option. They are having another great season, they have a great facility, and they seem to be able to get people to come to their games.

As of now, if we were going 12, I would say Murry and NKU would be my choices. If I were made "king of the MVC" though I would just add Murray with the intention of going to 12 when that 12th team emerges. I think NKU is the second best realistic option right now, but IMO they haven't gotten to the point where they pass that threshold of "obvious choice" for me. I think having an open spot for interested teams to aspire to wouldn't be a bad thing. If we were in that kind of a proactive position in the mid-2000s when we were at our peak we could've added a program like a Butler or SLU (or who knows maybe even a Dayton or Xavier) and who knows what would have happened in that scenario.

As for Arch Madness, in the scenario where we go to 12 teams I can't imagine they wouldn't go to a full four game schedule on Thursday. Just means adding one session and doing some of the press dinner stuff the night before. Pretty much a no brainer to me, but who knows?

Thursday Afternoon
8v9
5v12

Thursday Night
7v10
6v11

Friday Afternoon
1v8/9
4v5/12

Friday Night
2v7/10
3v6/11

Saturday Semifinals
Sunday Finals

[PurpleAcesFootball]

I'm issuing a challenge.

Disclaimer: I want the Valley to add Belmont and Murray State. I hope that brings the profile of the Valley up enough to potentially compete for two bids annually. As it is constructed now, the MVC will be a one-bid league for the foreseeable future. It's possible with the new NET rankings, adding two more members won't even matter as the metric might have been designed to shut out mid-majors from March Madness. (But that may be another thread for another day.)

Here is the challenge. If you are a "add Murray State only and go to 11 members" supporter, I'm challenging you to tell me how you work the schedule. It is possible to do. I just don't think some of you have really thought about all that would entail from a scheduling standpoint. It's not as easy as it seems.

[RacerJoeD]

(In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Murray State fan. Not only that, but I am an outspoken advocate for Murray State's inclusion into the MVC. This is my bias.)


Hold on, the Big Sky has an 11 team conference, as does the Big South, MAAC, and Mountain West. This isn't something never done before.

So how do you schedule it? Well, that's already been done too. In fact, its already being moved towards.

You can utilize an off balance 18 game schedule. Thats what the Big South, MAAC, and Mountain West do.
You can utilize a 20 balanced schedule. That is what the Big Sky does.

And 20 game schedules are already announced for the Big Ten and the ACC.

This isn't rocket surgery here.

And that is before you get into the pod scheduling model Mark Adams is proposing and using for Conference USA.

You're telling me that there are already conferences in Division 1 basketball doing this kind of thing, but it's just too difficult for the MVC? I find that hard to believe.

[Redhawk]

(In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Murray State fan. Not only that, but I am an outspoken advocate for Murray State's inclusion into the MVC. This is my bias.)


Hold on, the Big Sky has an 11 team conference, as does the Big South, MAAC, and Mountain West. This isn't something never done before.

So how do you schedule it? Well, that's already been done too. In fact, its already being moved towards.

You can utilize an off balance 18 game schedule. Thats what the Big South, MAAC, and Mountain West do.
You can utilize a 20 balanced schedule. That is what the Big Sky does.

And 20 game schedules are already announced for the Big Ten and the ACC.

This isn't rocket surgery here.

And that is before you get into the pod scheduling model Mark Adams is proposing and using for Conference USA.

You're telling me that there are already conferences in Division 1 basketball doing this kind of thing, but it's just too difficult for the MVC? I find that hard to believe.

The BIG Ten had an 11 team schedule for all sports 21 years in a row after they added Penn St!

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Conferences and schools with waaaaay less money, too