(non-MVC) Realignment News

[VUGrad1314]

Augustana to receive virtual tour and Summit League membership vote in May.

https://letsgodu.com/2020/05/04/augusta ... his-month/

Sounds like Augustana will be joining the Summit League after all. They need a baseball school and although St Thomas already has the votes and the support it's possible their special vote could be delayed by the Pandemic also this article fails to consider the notion that a school like Western Illinois might be considering a move to benefit their bottom line and overall competitiveness (such as to the OVC) which would necessitate the SL adding both St Thomas AND Augustana in order to maintain it's baseball auto bid. If both St Thomas and Augustana join the SL with no defections it would mean that they are at that spooky dreaded 11 number which again further lessens non conference opportunities. Though it might actually help the MVC if leagues like the SL went to 20 games as it would open up more opportunities for MVC schools to get bought and then surprise a P5 on the road.

[BCPanther]

Augustana to receive virtual tour and Summit League membership vote in May.

https://letsgodu.com/2020/05/04/augusta ... his-month/

Sounds like Augustana will be joining the Summit League after all. They need a baseball school and although St Thomas already has the votes and the support it's possible their special vote could be delayed by the Pandemic also this article fails to consider the notion that a school like Western Illinois might be considering a move to benefit their bottom line and overall competitiveness (such as to the OVC) which would necessitate the SL adding both St Thomas AND Augustana in order to maintain it's baseball auto bid. If both St Thomas and Augustana join the SL with no defections it would mean that they are at that spooky dreaded 11 number which again further lessens non conference opportunities. Though it might actually help the MVC if leagues like the SL went to 20 games as it would open up more opportunities for MVC schools to get bought and then surprise a P5 on the road.

Western Illinois is fucked. They're a pretty bad geographic outlier in the OVC too. That's even before we talk about cratering enrollment and a budget crisis. I'm guessing if they make a move it's to D2.

[VUGrad1314]

If WIU should move to D2 what does the MVFC do in response? Would a move by WIU be the nudge the MVC (and MVFC) need to move on Murray State?

[VUGrad1314]

It will also be very interesting to watch the financial situations at schools like Tulsa and Akron. It may necessitate these schools to make a move. If hypothetically a school like Akron were to drop to FCS would there be mutual interest between them and the MVC or would that be too much of a stretch of the footprint\too much travel for Akron? (I would think the latter concern would be more than offset by shedding the FBS scholarships but maybe not).

[BCPanther]

If WIU should move to D2 what does the MVFC do in response? Would a move by WIU be the nudge the MVC (and MVFC) need to move on Murray State?

Nope. With North Dakota coming in it puts the MVFC right back at 10. They could lose one more (cough, Youngstown State, cough) and be thrilled to be at 9 and have a round robin back.

[patnb]

If WIU should move to D2 what does the MVFC do in response? Would a move by WIU be the nudge the MVC (and MVFC) need to move on Murray State?

Nope. With North Dakota coming in it puts the MVFC right back at 10. They could lose one more (cough, Youngstown State, cough) and be thrilled to be at 9 and have a round robin back.

Only potential issue is that makes it 5/4 MVC/SL teams. The SL finally has a 5/5 split with UND coming in, making them feel "more in control". They wouldn't want to give that up. I wouldn't be shocked if there was a push for Augie to go MVFC rather than PL should WIU move to a new home/division.

I'd be "okay" with the MVC adding MSU and them joinging the MVFC and going to a 12 team conference with a 6/6 split with cross over games. Patty V has hinted that's the end goal anyway.

Best cast though, is YSU kicks rocks and we get back to 9 team conference.

[VUGrad1314]

I think St Thomas would join the MVFC way before Augie does. Much larger endowment probably in much better position to make that leap. Much more likely to be competitive. YSU unfortunately has nowhere to go.

Something I could see:

Murray State to MVC\MVFC

WIU to OVC (replaces Murray State)

St Thomas and Augustana (assuming Augustana has the financial stomach for that) to the MVFC

There's your 6\6 split. Unfortunately for the MVFC, it becomes way more watered down in that scenario. It loses one competitive program and only adds one program that could be competitive (St Thomas) and two likely filler programs (Murray State and Augustana). The Dakotas probably wouldn't be super in love with that, nor would the upper tier MVC football playing programs (UNI and Illinois State) be too keen on it I'm sure. The idea of the SL starting its own football league becomes a realistic possibility if they get to 6 SL members.

[patnb]

I think St Thomas would join the MVFC way before Augie does. Much larger endowment probably in much better position to make that leap. Much more likely to be competitive. YSU unfortunately has nowhere to go.

Something I could see:

Murray State to MVC\MVFC

WIU to OVC (replaces Murray State)

St Thomas and Augustana (assuming Augustana has the financial stomach for that) to the MVFC

There's your 6\6 split. Unfortunately for the MVFC, it becomes way more watered down in that scenario. It loses one competitive program and only adds one program that could be competitive (St Thomas) and two likely filler programs (Murray State and Augustana). The Dakotas probably wouldn't be super in love with that, nor would the upper tier MVC football playing programs (UNI and Illinois State) be too keen on it I'm sure. The idea of the SL starting its own football league becomes a realistic possibility if they get to 6 SL members.

The last thing the MVFC needs to add is top level programs. We already have 4 top 10 teams every season with NDSU, SDSU, UNI and ISUr floating in the top 10-14 every week. If the conference is expanding it needs to add bottom level teams to create schedule balance.

Right now, take UNI for example, UNI plays North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Illinois State all on the road in the same season. There is zero reason to add another top level program.

Murray State, from that standpoint, would be the ideal add.

I'm not sure Augustana has the budget ability for MVFC ball. It's a school known for producing nursing graduates with and enrollment of 1,800 and a 4k seat stadium. The school is so landlocked inside Sioux Falls they can't grow at all. They literally can't expand without buying out entire residential neighborhoods to do so. The cost of that is impossible to comprehend. The cost of going D1 is already a massive jump for them, to add 40 more football scholarships - and need to make up for that with women's scholarships (especially because of their Title IX set up) would be killer.

I'm honestly not convinced St Thomas could do it either, though they are probably closer than Augie would be. Remember they are going from literally zero athletic scholarships at D3 (and yes I know you can game the system some) to 63 fb, 13 mbb, 15 wbb, 15 vb, 11.7 baseball 26 TF/XC, 19 soccer, 4.5 tennis, 10 golf, 14 womens soccer, 12 softball, etc. is a MASSIVE jump to make from zero athletic scholarships. No longer can you really hide athletes under academic and need based scholarships like they have been. The NCAA oversight staffing requirements for D1 are much different than D3. They'd have to probably double their AD staff, etc. Football stadium seats 5k - and with temp seating I'd guess they max around 10-12, but temp bleachers on the track is far less than ideal.

[VUGrad1314]

Then it would seem that our best hope is the WIU\Murray State trade. I have been skeptical of the prospective new SL schools being able to financially stomach the costs associated with a D1 move up (especially if football is involved as well) especially in Augustana's case. They have extremely well-heeled donors but even so I think the financial commitment is too great. St Thomas is way closer than Augie I agree and even then it's a massive amount of money as you said. If Murray State gets into the MVC (and by extension the MVFC because they have been clear that football will be a part of this move it will come at the expense of another school's spot (again I think WIU would become a full OVC member if they remain a D1 program. Failing that, they could vote to allow YSU to go but I don't know where they would land. Maybe the Big South? That could be good for them. They would probably get the auto bid quite frequently out of that conference but it probably wouldn't be great for recruiting for them.

[mvfcfan]

Personally the best option for the MVC publics would be a conference consisting of the 5 MVC publics, the 4 Dakota schools, and Murray State. I would miss playing Bradley and Evansville in particular, but being in a conference where we compete against the same schools in football and basketball would be ideal. Three of the 4 Dakota schools had 20 win seasons so I don't think it would be much of a drop off especially when you throw Murray into the mix.

I agree that if Murray State is ever added that WIU is likely going to go to the OVC. SIUE, EIU, and SEMO are all closer to WIU than anyone in the Summit League. WIU is also rivals with EIU, so being in the same conference would be ideal.