Updated 1/6/18: MVC Expansion Poll

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I like the idea somebody posted in this thread of the Summit League reconfiguring and rebranding as a western conference. I think it makes a lot of sense for them to do so.

It makes so much sense for this to not be a conference:

Full Members:

North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Montana
Montana State
Idaho
Idaho State
Northern Colorado
Weber State
Eastern Washington
Southern Utah or Central Washington

Basketball only:

Grand Canyon
New Mexico State

This could be a legit FBS football conference. I haven't looked at any data but this football conference is definitely better than the MAC and maybe Conference USA. The basketball conference would move up in the RPI standings, too

[IllinoisState]

I like the idea somebody posted in this thread of the Summit League reconfiguring and rebranding as a western conference. I think it makes a lot of sense for them to do so.

It makes so much sense for this to not be a conference:

Full Members:

North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Montana
Montana State
Idaho
Idaho State
Northern Colorado
Weber State
Eastern Washington
Southern Utah or Central Washington

Basketball only:

Grand Canyon
New Mexico State

This could be a legit FBS football conference. I haven't looked at any data but this football conference is definitely better than the MAC and maybe Conference USA. The basketball conference would move up in the RPI standings, too

The Big Sky?

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I like the idea somebody posted in this thread of the Summit League reconfiguring and rebranding as a western conference. I think it makes a lot of sense for them to do so.

It makes so much sense for this to not be a conference:

Full Members:

North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Montana
Montana State
Idaho
Idaho State
Northern Colorado
Weber State
Eastern Washington
Southern Utah or Central Washington

Basketball only:

Grand Canyon
New Mexico State

This could be a legit FBS football conference. I haven't looked at any data but this football conference is definitely better than the MAC and maybe Conference USA. The basketball conference would move up in the RPI standings, too

The Big Sky?

Yeah, it's basically two conferences merging.

[VUGrad1314]

What happens to Fort Wayne WIU Denver Omaha Oral Roberts Utah Valley Sacramento State Chicago State Seattle Cal Baptist UMKC and UTRGV in your proposal? I can't see a Summit\Big Sky merger happening, even if it might be good for mid majors.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

What happens to Fort Wayne WIU Denver Omaha Oral Roberts Utah Valley Sacramento State Chicago State Seattle Cal Baptist UMKC and UTRGV in your proposal? I can't see a Summit\Big Sky merger happening, even if it might be good for mid majors.

Make their own conference, join other conferences, get out of D1 because they don't belong. i really don't care.

[BCPanther]

North Dakota is leaving the Big Sky because travel was killing then. It isn't the Valley where they fly everywhere. They were busing to California and Utah.

The Summit makes perfect sense especially when Fort Wayne leaves.

[VUGrad1314]

What happens to Fort Wayne WIU Denver Omaha Oral Roberts Utah Valley Sacramento State Chicago State Seattle Cal Baptist UMKC and UTRGV in your proposal? I can't see a Summit\Big Sky merger happening, even if it might be good for mid majors.

Make their own conference, join other conferences, get out of D1 because they don't belong. i really don't care.

Fort Wayne Utah Valley Oral Roberts and Omaha are absolutely worthy D1 teams. In fact the first three have done as much or more at the D1 level than your precious GCU. Also, Cal Baptist doesn't belong but Central Washington does?

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

What happens to Fort Wayne WIU Denver Omaha Oral Roberts Utah Valley Sacramento State Chicago State Seattle Cal Baptist UMKC and UTRGV in your proposal? I can't see a Summit\Big Sky merger happening, even if it might be good for mid majors.

Make their own conference, join other conferences, get out of D1 because they don't belong. i really don't care.

Fort Wayne Utah Valley Oral Roberts and Omaha are absolutely worthy D1 teams. In fact the first three have done as much or more at the D1 level than your precious GCU. Also, Cal Baptist doesn't belong but Central Washington does?

I just added them because I read they are going to be the next add

[TheAsianSensation]

I like the idea somebody posted in this thread of the Summit League reconfiguring and rebranding as a western conference. I think it makes a lot of sense for them to do so.

It makes so much sense for this to not be a conference:

Full Members:

North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Montana
Montana State
Idaho
Idaho State
Northern Colorado
Weber State
Eastern Washington
Southern Utah or Central Washington

Basketball only:

Grand Canyon
New Mexico State

This could be a legit FBS football conference. I haven't looked at any data but this football conference is definitely better than the MAC and maybe Conference USA. The basketball conference would move up in the RPI standings, too

Many of these programs have come out and said FBS isn't their goal (namely the Montana schools, for starters). They could be a FBS conference, but they'd rather play for titles in FCS.

I'd also quibble with some of the schools....(I'd remove NDak and SDak, and a couple others), but that's another post for another day.

[TheAsianSensation]

Here come the NMSU advocates again. Whens the last time they won an NCAA tournament game? Only reason they have been to the Tournament multiple times the last decade us because the WAC is a horrible conference. They have had minimal competition for the auto-bid. If the MVC wants a team that doesnt win much during March Madness, a closer team to consider is obviously Murray St.

On the other hand, I do trust their ability to get to March more than most.


Remember, the Missouri Valley and AAC are making the exact same amount of money this year from NCAA tournament units. Both conferences earned 5 units. We got all of ours from Loyola; the AAC earned theirs by getting 3 teams in and getting a couple to a second game.

We're not going to get to the Final Four every year. But if we get 2-3 teams in every year, those units are more consistent and add up.

That's really the main goal of expansion. At-large bids. More raffle tickets. Because if we can do this much with one team, imagine what we can do with 2 teams.