Updated 1/6/18: MVC Expansion Poll

[MissouriValleyUnite]

I agree adding just to add dilutes the league across the board. Nebraska-Omaha, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, & Illinois-Chicago are adding just to add. It has to be teams with a realistic shot at adding NCAA Tourney units if not improving the league aggregate. Only Murray St, N Kentucky, Wright St, & Belmont might fit that criteria in our footprint. I wouldn’t entertain anything beyond Murray + NKU/WSU/Belmont either.

[VUGrad1314]

I'll level with you guys this really boils down to two things for me: 1. I want the MVC to regain multibid status and 2. I want Murray State in the MVC. I am up for any solution that makes that happen. 11 team league and 20 game double round robin? I'm all for it but it seems as though that's a non-starter. So we need a 12th. Belmont keeps standing us up, Dayton and SLU have their sights set higher that leaves NKU as the only program that makes real sense.I believe firmly in NKU's potential as a program and feel that they have the commitment and the chops to be a leading member of this conference. A move like this will probably allow them to keep their coach awhile longer. If we ever could get a suitable program to come along like Belmont if we were already at 12 I would love Wright State too. Passionate fanbase generally solid program good coach ideal NKU travel partner. Has played some MVC schools recently and has history with Loyola Valpo and NKU as former conference mates and further solidifies the MVC in southwestern Ohio.

[Adunk33]

Without reading all of the lengthy posts, I'll add my two cents regarding the enevitible expansion. I believe as early as next year we will add 2 teams and go to 12. Who those two teams are, who knows. If the geographical center point of the MVC is somewhere around Normal/Peoria I would imagine a team north and a team south. So, Murray State I think would be a very likely candidate. I don't think you'll see a Denver, or Grand Canyon type school. Its just too far away and doesn't make sense.

The reason of adding the two teams is not because of conference prestige like some of you allude to. Rather, it is about scheduling. With most of the P5/6 conferences going to a 20-game conference schedule, it will be difficult to fill out a schedule. P5 will want to play other P5's and buy games, rather than a quality non-p5 opponent. The godfather of the MVC, Barry Hinson spoke to this towards the beginning of the season. He truly believes that we, for lack of a better phrase, need to sh*t or get off the pot. If we don't expand, we'll get left behind.

As far as a team leaving the conference, we are a long way from it. It took Wichita and Creighton 5-7 years of continued success before they received the invites. So 5 years from now if a team has 5 NCAA tournament appearances, at least 1 S16 run, maybe an NIT championship, they'll snag an invite to the new conference USA (The American Athletic Conference.) Illinois State and UNI would be the most likely candidates for that fantasy.

[VUGrad1314]

I doubt very strongly any Valley teams will be at risk of being poached for some time. The conference is too even and looks like it will be for awhile. Most of the conferences above the MVC are looking at schools out east and I'm really not sure how stable the AAC is with realignment appearing poised to impact the Big XII in a significant way. Even if only a couple of teams leave like Texas and Oklahoma, the B12 will still have a strong enough group of teams and brand to pick off any AAC teams it pleases. Of that happens the AAC will have been eviscerated, losing much of it's football and basketball power. It's conceivable that many of the teams from the old Conference USA would be left behind by the old Big East teams seeking to regain P5 status. This would cause the AAC to frantically backfill from current C-USA schools. Does adding schools like Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State to the likes of East Carolina Tulane Tulsa et Al really make for a more attractive conference for an MVC school? I think not.

[VUGrad1314]

I don't think the MVC cares about making sure they add one school in the South part of the footprint and one in the north part. I think they are just focused on getting the best two programs that they can within the footprint or without expanding it too much. If that means two programs that push the footprint to the South so be it. Quite frankly pretty much all of our best options are that way anyway unless we're bringing in the Dakotas, and yes it would have to be multiple Dakota schools one does not make any sense.

[Aces44]

It feels like Wright State hits more of the target points than what we care to admit.
But truthfully I haven’t done much research. Anyone care to expand on why Wright State isn’t on the voting list.

[mvfcfan]

It feels like Wright State hits more of the target points than what we care to admit.
But truthfully I haven’t done much research. Anyone care to expand on why Wright State isn’t on the voting list.

An insider released a list about which schools the conference is looking at for expansion. All of the schools listed are the ones in this poll.

FYI I changed my vote back to SDSU from NKU. SDSU is probably the better choice (I know I'm in the minority on this) if we can indeed get them. Regardless I'm still all for NKU if that's the route the MVC chooses.

The thing for me is that SDSU has a long history of being good at basketball. In a comparison with NKU, SDSU has by far been the more successful basketball program. From 1959 to 2004 the longest stretch they went without making the D2 tournament was 5 years. Then add in the fact that they have made the NCAA tournament 4 times this decade along with 3 regular season conference championships. If we can get them to join with Murray State that's the route I hope we go.

After much thinking I actually think SDSU would indeed accept an invite. It has been proven that having the tournament in your backyard is not a reason to leave or join a conference (see Saint Louis U). Media and TV exposure is a big reason however. SDSU would get way more exposure in the MVC then they ever will in the Summit League. Also an invite gets their football and other sports into (basically) the same conference. They can also still play USD and NDSU in non-conference play. Then there's also the question of how long the Summit League will be a stable league. There are several schools that might bolt if they got the chance and really no one to replace them with. If they were to turn the MVC down it would be very short sighted.

[sixth ace]

It feels like Wright State hits more of the target points than what we care to admit.
But truthfully I haven’t done much research. Anyone care to expand on why Wright State isn’t on the voting list.

MSU's traveling partner..... that would lean to UTA

[Aces44]

The only true travel partner for MSU is SEMO and that makes little to no sense
Wright State is in a similar sized town as the rest of the conference and would draw somewhat from Cindy and Cbus.
Idk, but SDSU is actually a good fit but they shouldn’t leave without the rest of
The Dakota’s and as Scott Nagy already realized WSU is much like SDSU but 20 degrees warmer.

[mvfcfan]

In all seriousness Drake and Missouri State could be travel partners if SDSU was added. Drake is only a half hour farther than SIU (5.5 hrs vs 5 hrs according to Google Maps) from MOSU. SDSU and UNI are also 5.5 hours apart. I don't think the distance matters too much, it's just more of a deal that we have to have travel partners and an even amount of members for scheduling.