If the Big East does split...

[Redbird Ray]

....should we in be in discussion with DePaul and Marquette right now to see if they would like a new, stable home in the MVC? I would really like it for Doug to be proactive here and let these schools know that they have a home in the MVC if they need it. Try to let Butler and SLU know that Marquette and DePaul are being contacted in case something crazy goes down with the Big East, and vice-versa, letting MU and DePaul know about potential "plans" to add Butler and SLU. Butler won't leave the Horizon for the current MVC, but I bet they would consider an MVC with MU, DePaul, and SLU. I know MU and DePaul have long standing rivalries with Cincy and Louisville, but non-football schools don't really have much control in these conference realignment shifts, and the MVC and A-10 are reasonable potential landing spots for these bball schools.

Far-fetched, I know, but a meeting with the AD's of these schools certainly wouldn't hurt. IMO, the Valley should be in a position to try and capitalize on all this conference mayhem, instead of being idle throughout the whole process.

[ShockValue]

I really hope we've had these discussions with others, but I don't think Marquette would ever consider it. I would guess the A-10 would be more attractive to them. Our bigger concern would be that the A-10 could add teams like Depaul and Providence then might cone looking at teams such ad Bradley and Creighton.

[RoyalShock]

I really hope we've had these discussions with others, but I don't think Marquette would ever consider it. I would guess the A-10 would be more attractive to them. Our bigger concern would be that the A-10 could add teams like Depaul and Providence then might cone looking at teams such ad Bradley and Creighton.

That's where you form an entirely new conference. Get the best of the A-10, MVC and Horizon. Combine them with the Big East castoffs and viola! New non-BCS powerhouse basketball conference.

Xavier
Dayton
Marquette
DePaul
Butler
Wichita State
Creighton
Missouri State
St. Louis
Temple
Richmond
Cleveland State or another MVC team.

The MVC teams would dominate in baseball, I suspect.

[MSUDuo]

Royal, where does Temple and Missouri State play football then? I don't think the MVFC would let MSU stay and I don't think Temple would be allowed to stay in the MAC...

[BirdmanBB]

Remaining teams from a big12/big east split could end like this (dream scenario) if Kansas St. and Iowa St. find themselves left out (paired with rivals)....

Iowa St.
UNI

SIU
WKU

ISUr
NIU

MSU
KSU

ISUb
Ohio

[DoubleJayAlum]

Royal, where does Temple and Missouri State play football then? I don't think the MVFC would let MSU stay and I don't think Temple would be allowed to stay in the MAC...

I think you are right on here.

If a powerhouse basketball conference were ever formed, I would bet the members have no football or have non-scholarship football only (like Drake and Butler).

This is the one scenario that blows up the MVC IMO. After having to live through the major realignment once, I don't see the basketball only schools, if they break away and form their own conference, wanting to deal with FB schools and the never ending possibility that they want to break away in favor of a different conference that will better benefit their FB program.

[RoyalShock]

I wasn't considering football in my list of schools and threw it together quickly. My mistake. Though the answer could be football-only conferences.

If the MVC, A-10 and Horizon were to reorganize, that same pool of schools could form a separate football conference. If any realignment were to happen among those conferences, the two sports are going to have to be considered separately due to so many non-football playing schools.

We (they) are going to have to think outside the box.

[Coogles]

If the Big East splits, the remaining schools will more than likely try to stay together.

-Villanova has had talks of trying to join FBS and Big East football, but little news has come of that lately and it's probably going to be tough to do. They'll probably stay BB-only.

-Notre Dame is the wildcard. They probably want to stay independent, but may eventually have no choice but to join one of the new conferences.

That leaves you with between 6 and 8 (DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, & Nova) teams looking to form a new league. They are more likely to add to their membership and form another conference than blow up the group and glean onto existing conferences, IMO.

The most likely candidate for expansion to that group is Xavier. If all 8 stay together they could reasonably stop right there and play a 16 game round robin. If they need more teams (depending on who of the 8 are left), Temple and Dayton are probably the next two to be considered. If they need a fourth, I'd wager the next up would be Butler.

The MVC probably wouldn't be affected whatsoever.

[unipanther99]

Whatever happens, I feel like UNI is going to be mostly tied at the hip with SIU and ISUb. You can probably throw ISUr and MSU in there too, but they still have their FBS dreams. But whatever happens, I feel like the Panthers, Salukis, and Sycamores will be conference foes for a long time.

Even if the long discussed basketball only conference gets going and Bradley, Creighton, and WSU bolt, ISUr and MSU try to go FBS, I think the remaining schools pick the best of the MVFC and the Missori Valley Conference will live on. It may seem a little watered down at first, but imagine how it must have felt when the likes of Louisville and Cincy left years ago.

[Haha]

The MVCF league has 9 soon to be 10 members as is. I don't believe that some basketball only league is going to happen but if it did couldn't the MVCF league just be it's own league for all sports? Even if ISUr and MSU left that would be 8 and they could easily add UND or somebody along those lines to get to 9.