(non-MVC) Realignment News

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

If the A-Sun rumor is true and Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky are indeed leaving the OVC I wonder if that would give Belmont Murray State and the MVC more mutual interest and appetite for a move. It's possible but of course removing two of the more far flung schools in the footprint might be exactly what Belmont would want and make them feel even cozier in their home conference. Murray State (if their fanbase is any indication) still has the appetite for a move, but we'll see if it all comes together. I don't know what the MVC's feelings on the matter would be even if these schools did become interested at this point.

You sure worry about the OVC a lot. I see the MVC Wannabe Racers are winless on the road this season.

Besides you being a moron there is one thing that's clear, Murray State is not a wannabe. They deserve to be in the MVC and most of us hope that they are sooner than later

[Dawgbit]

If the A-Sun rumor is true and Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky are indeed leaving the OVC I wonder if that would give Belmont Murray State and the MVC more mutual interest and appetite for a move. It's possible but of course removing two of the more far flung schools in the footprint might be exactly what Belmont would want and make them feel even cozier in their home conference. Murray State (if their fanbase is any indication) still has the appetite for a move, but we'll see if it all comes together. I don't know what the MVC's feelings on the matter would be even if these schools did become interested at this point.

You sure worry about the OVC a lot. I see the MVC Wannabe Racers are winless on the road this season.

Besides you being a moron there is one thing that's clear, Murray State is not a wannabe. They deserve to be in the MVC and most of us hope that they are sooner than later

There is only one university where the AD of SIU made the decision to suspend games with (for several years), and that is Murray State Football for thuggish behavior on the field. The star running back for SIU, Tom Koutos had his leg broken, Murray players were taunting with SIU players with "we F***ed up your running back". I have only witnessed one visiting basketball team at the SIU Arena making hand gestures to the SIU student section as they went off court at halftime (and this was when they were leading the game). I personally don't feel that is an image the MVC should be conveying. Character matters, maybe not to Illinois State and Murray State though.

[Salukimadness86]

The MVC does not not need to add anyone else. Period. The wannanbes need the MVC a hell of a lot more than MVC needs them.

[mvfcfan]

Well Murray State is definitely not very good this year, so I'm sure we will be adding them soon (sarcasm). Kind of like how we passed on Valpo and they followed that with an NIT run and then passed on Murray State and they followed with Ja Morant.

We had our chance with Murray State and they were willing to up their spending and buy their way out of the OVC. That was under a different president and A.D. I think we could probably still get them to join, but then again who really knows? I've long questioned why they would want to move. If you can't beat Belmont in Evansville with a home crowd then you weren't going to win in St Louis either. Murray State was always a team I thought would be a great add, but before 2017 I didn't even dream they would actually be interested. I had always thought they had it made in the OVC.

[VUGrad1314]

As a Valpo fan I am sorry. Valpo has been nothing short of an embarrassment since joining this conference and I really don't know if it's going to get better until the mid to late 2020s at the earliest. I'm very sad right now. I really wanted Valpo to be more of a credit to its conference like they have been previously but that was under a different set of coaches. Valpo is no mid major power they don't have the appetite to be one. They just lucked into a family of coaches that loved the school and community enough to stay for a very long time. I don't see Valpo replicating that any time soon. I am already bracing to hear Thursday night in St Louis be called Valpo Night or the Crusader Invitational for the foreseeable future... I'm so embarrassed and dismayed...

[BEARZ77]

To me their issue is they have to find a way to keep their better players. They've recruited plenty effectively since joining the Valley, but can't keep their top guys. My guess is they'll have a hard time keeping Clay and Krikke after this year if history plays out, as they both can play at most schools. While coaching is always a key, again to me a big issue is they need to invest some dollars in facility development. hard to get and keep top talent when they see such a disparity in facilities between them and other schools. You can recruit the undervalued kid initially, but once they have options , bye bye.

[mvfcfan]

As a Valpo fan I am sorry. Valpo has been nothing short of an embarrassment since joining this conference and I really don't know if it's going to get better until the mid to late 2020s at the earliest. I'm very sad right now. I really wanted Valpo to be more of a credit to its conference like they have been previously but that was under a different set of coaches. Valpo is no mid major power they don't have the appetite to be one. They just lucked into a family of coaches that loved the school and community enough to stay for a very long time. I don't see Valpo replicating that any time soon. I am already bracing to hear Thursday night in St Louis be called Valpo Night or the Crusader Invitational for the foreseeable future... I'm so embarrassed and dismayed...

"Indiana Night" might be appropriate. It's not like my Sycamores or the Purple Aces do any better than Valpo.

[NuncEstBibendum]

As a Valpo fan I am sorry. Valpo has been nothing short of an embarrassment since joining this conference and I really don't know if it's going to get better until the mid to late 2020s at the earliest. I'm very sad right now. I really wanted Valpo to be more of a credit to its conference like they have been previously but that was under a different set of coaches. Valpo is no mid major power they don't have the appetite to be one. They just lucked into a family of coaches that loved the school and community enough to stay for a very long time. I don't see Valpo replicating that any time soon. I am already bracing to hear Thursday night in St Louis be called Valpo Night or the Crusader Invitational for the foreseeable future... I'm so embarrassed and dismayed...

Stop beating yourself up over this.

We all have streaks that we aren't proud of. But just for the record, I went to the Valpo high school prom back in the day since thats where she went to school and I hated it.

[RacerJoeD]

The biggest issue (at least for this Racer fan) is that while we have been successful, I watch as the programs in the OVC cut back and get worse each year. And every year it gets harder to keep coaches, keep national buzz, and it is nearly impossible to progress. The is where the MVC comes in. would we win fewer conference titles? probably. Fewer NCA tourney berths? maybe. But if we were successful, would Murray State be a larger national story? you bet.

[VUGrad1314]

It's behind a paywall and I'm still looking for information that looks a bit more officially official so to speak but it sounds like the Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State (alongside Central Arkansas) move to the A-Sun is done or very close.

https://www.timesdaily.com/sports/una_s ... user-share


Additionally, I saw some speculation that other schools could be involved. The names I've seen in speculation to varying degrees of substance are mostly a mix of OVC and SOCON schools.

Chattanooga

Western Carolina

East Tennessee State

Austin Peay

Tennessee Tech

Tennessee State

SE Missouri State

West Florida (D2)

Personally I have trouble seeing any SOCON school make the jump. It's too big a downgrade to men's basketball to make any football boost worth it (unless this really is for FBS but I still doubt that's true) I think it's very possible another OVC school could be leaving which would make things very interesting from an MVC perspective. It could provide Belmont the impetus to jump this time which will give the MVC the Murray State\Belmont combo it has been seeking. I hope it happens! It would be a huge boost!