Updated 1/6/18: MVC Expansion Poll

[DUBulldog]

I have not read the whole thread, so apologies if this has been picked up on else where but UT-Arlington appearing to pick up some steam.

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2021/6/ ... o-sun-belt

One guy wrote a "what-if" article....not sure that means this is picking up steam.

[BCPanther]

I have not read the whole thread, so apologies if this has been picked up on else where but UT-Arlington appearing to pick up some steam.

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2021/6/ ... o-sun-belt

One guy wrote a "what-if" article....not sure that means this is picking up steam.

After another guy FOIA'd emails between Elgin and the administration at UT-Arlington. It's not a ton but there is a bit of fire to the smoke.

[VUGrad1314]

Rank these options

Murray State and Belmont

Murray State and NKU

Murray State and Wright State

NDSU and SDSU

Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

I agree with what has been stated before that neither New Mexico nor Grand Canyon are an option anymore with the WAC stabilizing and adding some basketball quality. SFA and Abeline Christian are nothing to sneeze at from a basketball prospective and will add to what already looks like a solid top of the conference of NMSU GCU Cal Baptist and Utah Valley. There's really no point in them jumping to a more far flung conference. The irony is that the very thing that some say killed the original WAC (expansion into Texas) has saved it now.

Another thing I think we can all agree on is that Murray and Belmont is the number one option and as we (most likely) know would have already been a done deal if both schools were willing to jump in 2017. I'd still take them both if they are willing nowadays and I think it would work out well for both the schools and the conference.

That said the impetus and urgency to expand has lessened significantly with the MVC getting multiple bids this past season with both teams winning a game and having a real chance to do it again. If we're going to do it we need to be sure that it will add to our chances of getting multiple bids. A couple years ago I thought SDSU was such a program but I took the presence of player like Mike Daum as emblematic of a program that was truly ascending to greater heights rather than just being a generational mid major star for their program which appears to be the case. This leaves me less interested in the Dakotas right now.

NKU is all potential but hasn't shown enough. Wright State appears to be more of a known quantity and has great baseball which is a plus for this league but has well documented financial issues. They spend to MVC levels but with their financial issues adding significantly to travel costs which an MVC move would do for them would likely hurt their competitiveness significantly. I'm leery of adding either of them even though they could possibly add a lot. I need to see more from NKU and a rosier financial picture from Wright State to consider pulling the trigger there.

Outside of the Murray Belmont option I don't see a realistic option that feels like the right fit at the right time. I don't like the idea of UT-Arlington as I have stated even if I overestimated the degree to which UT controls them because they simply lack the tradition to make the conference better. One option that is gaining steam in my mind if Belmont truly is and remains the stick in the mud for expansion is Murray State and Oral Roberts. Oral Roberts is coming off a deep tournament run is investing in its facilities its history of success in March is on par with or better than many MVC schools it restores the presence of the MVC in Tulsa has great baseball is private (assuming that matters) and gives Missouri State a travel partner while setting up great travel partner pairings:

Drake UNI
Loyola Valpo
Bradley ISUr
ISUb Evansville
SIU Murray State
Missouri State ORU

That said two potential knocks here are academics and perhaps a desire to see more than one great run in the past 20 years before making a determination. If ORU can make some noise again or become a perennial contender\winner in the Summit they could play themselves into consideration for Belmont's spot. Outside of this I don't know if there are any expansion options that make sense for the conference at this time. I think it's a three team race for two spots unless something changes.

[sullivanMSU]

1) UT Austin has an ego sky-high, but they are not insecure. Our athletic budget will never in a million years approach theirs. They are not threatened or scared of us, no matter how much success we may have. For instance, we beat them in men's basketball a few years ago, and we were back on their schedule two years later.

Wish the same could be said of our 'big brother' Mizzou. We beat them all the way back in 1998 and haven't been scheduled since. Even our former coach, now at the helm there hasn't been able to take down that mountain of ego and insecurity.

[IllinoisState]

Rank these options

Murray State and Belmont

Murray State and NKU

Murray State and Wright State

NDSU and SDSU

Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

To me its Murray State and Belmont number 1 based upon competition AND proximity. NMSU and then Grand Canyon (you need to get over GCU being for profit when college athletes can et paid supposedly come September) are next because Phoenix while already the 5th biggest city is still up-and-coming and NMSU has a damn good program. Every other option has too many questions. UTA is too far away from GCU or NMSU to be travel partners so they're out. Nobody else that's reasonable is coming. Denver doesn't have a close travel partner and for some reason the MVC wants that. They would rather save money than to take the next step for more money. I'd add all four.

1. Murray State and NKU

2. Murray State and Belmont

3. Murray State and Wright State

4. Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

5. NDSU and SDSU

[VUGrad1314]

Rank these options

Murray State and Belmont

Murray State and NKU

Murray State and Wright State

NDSU and SDSU

Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

To me its Murray State and Belmont number 1 based upon competition AND proximity. NMSU and then Grand Canyon (you need to get over GCU being for profit when college athletes can et paid supposedly come September) are next because Phoenix while already the 5th biggest city is still up-and-coming and NMSU has a damn good program. Every other option has too many questions. UTA is too far away from GCU or NMSU to be travel partners so they're out. Nobody else that's reasonable is coming. Denver doesn't have a close travel partner and for some reason the MVC wants that. They would rather save money than to take the next step for more money. I'd add all four.

1. Murray State and NKU

2. Murray State and Belmont

3. Murray State and Wright State

4. Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

5. NDSU and SDSU

Just curious: why NKU over Belmont?

[IllinoisState]

Rank these options

Murray State and Belmont

Murray State and NKU

Murray State and Wright State

NDSU and SDSU

Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

To me its Murray State and Belmont number 1 based upon competition AND proximity. NMSU and then Grand Canyon (you need to get over GCU being for profit when college athletes can et paid supposedly come September) are next because Phoenix while already the 5th biggest city is still up-and-coming and NMSU has a damn good program. Every other option has too many questions. UTA is too far away from GCU or NMSU to be travel partners so they're out. Nobody else that's reasonable is coming. Denver doesn't have a close travel partner and for some reason the MVC wants that. They would rather save money than to take the next step for more money. I'd add all four.

1. Murray State and NKU

2. Murray State and Belmont

3. Murray State and Wright State

4. Grand Canyon and New Mexico State

5. NDSU and SDSU

Just curious: why NKU over Belmont?

I originally would have put Belmont first, but Northern Kentucky now has had repeated success and seems to care more about basketball than Belmont. Plus Kentucky is a big basketball state.

[TBS_20]

The MVC should expand into an 18 team super conference with the MVC and MVFC finally merging (somewhat screw the footprint for media markets and forget about public/private splits for the future of the conference). This would add the 5th, 7th, and 11th media markets in Dallas/Fort Worth, DC, and Phoenix, respectively.

MVC Basketball

East

Bradley
Evansville
Illinois State
Indiana State
James Madison (DC market which is huge and they have amazing football and just won the FCS Championship, I believe. Figured they could get two East Coast teams if they also went out of their footprint to get GCU and UTA)
Loyola-Chicago
Missouri State
Southern Illinois
VCU (the other East Coast team an close to JMU)

West

Drake
Grand Canyon (stop worrying about for-profit and worry about the future of the conference. Plus, they're trying to go back to non-profit)
North Dakota
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
South Dakota
South Dakota State
St. Thomas (up-and-coming transitioning Minneapolis school that was kicked out of their conference for being too good at football. Honestly, I'd take just Murray State and St. Thomas to go to 12 if Belmont, St. Louis, and Dayton decline)
Texas-Arlington


MVC Football (11 teams)

Illinois State
Indiana State
James Madison
Missouri State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Southern Illinois
St. Thomas

Imagine adding the Phoenix (11), DC (7), and Dallas/Fort Worth (5) media markets!

I am aware there is no Valpo. Time to rectify that mistake with St. Thomas. But, more likely Valpo stays and moves to the East with Missouri State moving to the West.

Don't ruin my dream with logic!

[DUBulldog]

The MVC should expand into an 18 team super conference with the MVC and MVFC finally merging (somewhat screw the footprint for media markets and forget about public/private splits for the future of the conference). This would add the 5th, 7th, and 11th media markets in Dallas/Fort Worth, DC, and Phoenix, respectively.

MVC Basketball

East

Bradley
Evansville
Illinois State
Indiana State
James Madison (DC market which is huge and they have amazing football and just won the FCS Championship, I believe. Figured they could get two East Coast teams if they also went out of their footprint to get GCU and UTA)
Loyola-Chicago
Missouri State
Southern Illinois
VCU (the other East Coast team an close to JMU)

West

Drake
Grand Canyon (stop worrying about for-profit and worry about the future of the conference. Plus, they're trying to go back to non-profit)
North Dakota
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
South Dakota
South Dakota State
St. Thomas (up-and-coming transitioning Minneapolis school that was kicked out of their conference for being too good at football. Honestly, I'd take just Murray State and St. Thomas to go to 12 if Belmont, St. Louis, and Dayton decline)
Texas-Arlington


MVC Football (11 teams)

Illinois State
Indiana State
James Madison
Missouri State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
Northern Iowa
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Southern Illinois
St. Thomas

Imagine adding the Phoenix (11), DC (7), and Dallas/Fort Worth (5) media markets!

I am aware there is no Valpo. Time to rectify that mistake with St. Thomas. But, more likely Valpo stays and moves to the East with Missouri State moving to the West.

Don't ruin my dream with logic!

So, each team will split NCAA revenues 18 ways instead of 10? Hard pass

[BEARZ77]

That ain't happening thankfully. Bigger isn't better necessarily, and that wasn't.