New Expansion Poll Thread

[TBS_20]

Apparentally you missed the stability part because youre talking about stability.

[ColonialBulldog]

Should the MVC expand during the next round of alignment I think if St. Thomas comes so will NDSU and SDSU. Can't really keep them out due to distance if you're adding St. Thomas. St. Thomas, NDSU, SDSU, and NKU.

This isn't accurate. I don't think people realize that UST would be the 2nd shortest road trip (3.5 hours) for both UNI and Drake by a good half hour. By comparison, it takes a full 7 hours to get to Fargo for both Iowa schools. That would be tied with SIU for the 2nd longest trip for Drake when you look at current Valley members. Also, it's a good 4.5 hours to Brookings from Des Moines. Plus, MSP is obviously one of the largest commercial hubs for airlines with flights to basically every city in the Valley..

Belmont and Murray were excellent no-brainer additions. My vote is we stay put until a school similarly shows that they are too good to be left out. I will say that I'm really really hoping that NKU is not the next addition. The geography of this conference has shifted south and east and I'm starting to get jealous that fans of 9 out of 12 teams can make easy daytrips to at least 4-5 other conference games.

[BCPanther]

Should the MVC expand during the next round of alignment I think if St. Thomas comes so will NDSU and SDSU. Can't really keep them out due to distance if you're adding St. Thomas. St. Thomas, NDSU, SDSU, and NKU.

This isn't accurate. I don't think people realize that UST would be the 2nd shortest road trip (3.5 hours) for both UNI and Drake by a good half hour. By comparison, it takes a full 7 hours to get to Fargo for both Iowa schools. That would be tied with SIU for the 2nd longest trip for Drake when you look at current Valley members. Also, it's a good 4.5 hours to Brookings from Des Moines. Plus, MSP is obviously one of the largest commercial hubs for airlines with flights to basically every city in the Valley..

Belmont and Murray were excellent no-brainer additions. My vote is we stay put until a school similarly shows that they are too good to be left out. I will say that I'm really really hoping that NKU is not the next addition. The geography of this conference has shifted south and east and I'm starting to get jealous that fans of 9 out of 12 teams can make easy daytrips to at least 4-5 other conference games.

Exactly. People have no idea how far away the Dakota schools actually are. I know I've beat it to death but Fargo is closer to Winnipeg than it is to the Twin Cities.

Every UNI Football trip up there is a flight except for USD which is right on the very edge of the bus/flight line and we're by far the closest to them in the MVFC. That's before you get in to how awful being in an all sports league with NDSU is.

[Sir Sci]

Apparentally you missed the stability part because youre talking about stability.

Nah, I read that too.

People replying "nobody" or "none of these" aren't insulting you or your poll, and they're not misreading your intent. The point is that we're all excited about Belmont and Murray State, and I think mostly good with UIC... but most people here, at least with what we know right now, don't want the MVC to expand beyond 12 - that's not a misunderstanding of your post or poll, it's their answer to your poll.

[VUGrad1314]

I say this as perhaps the biggest proponent of MVC Expansion prior to this last phase: At this point I do not support further expansion beyond the 12 members we already have. The league is losing its flagship member but has recovered well with the three additions we have made. Moreover, integrating three new additions at once is a lot and there are no obvious additions to be made right now.

The reason I pounded the table so hard for MVC expansion this past go round was because we had such an obvious fit for a candidate school that wanted an invite BADLY in Murray State. I said multiple times that if numbers were the holdup we should just find whatever 12th within some reason to get Murray in. That's how much I believe they will be a good addition to the league.

While I preferred Belmont I wasn't sure if waiting was going to bear fruit. They seemed very happy in the geographically cozy OVC and unwilling to strive for more. Fortunately new leadership also brought with it a paradigm shift in their thinking and we got both, plus a high potential add in UIC. If the Flames get serious (and I believe they will) they could really enhance the overall depth of the league towards potentially 2-3 bids annually. We might be there already with Murray State and Belmont coming in (at least as far as two bids goes).

Regarding future expansion, there exists at present no obvious candidate that screams ADD ME! There is no historically successful program beating down our door to get their program in. While I like the performance of SDSU, the performance (this year not withstanding) and potential of NKU (although their commitment to be a successful Valley member might be lacking if the reports are to be believed) and Oral Roberts (although I don't like their cultural fit and I don't think the presidents do either) as well as the potential of St Thomas Bellarmine and Milwaukee if they ever get serious about hoops again, none of these schools is an obvious add at this time.

Of course, that could change in the next 5-10+ years based on a program's performance or other realignment events could necessitate a move by the MVC. Future realignment could also potentially shake something unexpectedly great that can't be ignored loose; but until then, I would say we are good and it's prudent to wait right now and see how this 12 team league looks with our new members.

I'm with BCPanther and what appears to be the prevailing attitude on this board and of the MVC brass\presidents: I have no problem with going bigger eventually but it has to be for high quality no brainer adds that enhance the quality of the league. If we remain a league on the periphery of multibid status, then going beyond 12 makes zero sense unless we're absolutely sure the school(s) being considered will get us over the line towards more bids. Without that, there is no reason to expand. I am bullish on the league's future and confident that with Murray State and Belmont in tow and if UIC can rise to their new conference status and if some of the struggling programs (cough Valpo) can get going, we can have a truly special period of years coming up in the Missouri Valley Conference. And that optimism is across the board and covers the entire portfolio of MVC sports not just men's basketball although that one is of course the most important.

[BEARZ77]

There will still be some shake-out in the coming years where I could see a team[s] from maybe CUSA , AAC, or similar maybe consider the MVC. The issue there right now, but maybe not later, would be FBS vs FCS football, but that could change . Till that becomes more clear, 12 is a very good number .

[VUGrad1314]

There will still be some shake-out in the coming years where I could see a team[s] from maybe CUSA , AAC, or similar maybe consider the MVC. The issue there right now, but maybe not later, would be FBS vs FCS football, but that could change . Till that becomes more clear, 12 is a very good number .

That would be exactly what I mean by other realignment moves potentially making something irresistible for the MVC attainable. That would likely move the needle for the MVC. I doubt any FBS school goes FCS just for basketball strength but that would be the kind of move the MVC should be in the market for. There is only one potential example of such a move that I could possibly see happening right now though and even then it's nowhere near definite. I just hope Missouri State doesn't chase the FBS dream because that would be a real blow to the league.

[TBS_20]

There will still be some shake-out in the coming years where I could see a team[s] from maybe CUSA , AAC, or similar maybe consider the MVC. The issue there right now, but maybe not later, would be FBS vs FCS football, but that could change . Till that becomes more clear, 12 is a very good number .

all of conference USA and the AAC are FBS schools except Wichita. Very doubtful anyone considers the MVC except Wichita who I believe will get a MWC invite with Gonzaga

[Adunk33]

I'm on the stick with 12 until someone leaves again train. 14 feels like it would dilute the league. I know power conferences have a bunch of teams but I feel there's also a lack of "conference pride" in those leagues. For example, MVC fans root for MVC teams to do well in the NCAA tournament. I don't think Boston College is rooting for Duke in March.

[VUGrad1314]

There will still be some shake-out in the coming years where I could see a team[s] from maybe CUSA , AAC, or similar maybe consider the MVC. The issue there right now, but maybe not later, would be FBS vs FCS football, but that could change . Till that becomes more clear, 12 is a very good number .

all of conference USA and the AAC are FBS schools except Wichita. Very doubtful anyone considers the MVC except Wichita who I believe will get a MWC invite with Gonzaga

I used to be right there with you in the Wichita State will eventually get a Mountain West invite camp but considering the fact that the coach that got them into the AAC is gone and they haven't won a tournament game since they were in the MVC there might be enough bloom off the rose for them that the Mountain West might not consider expanding into the Central Time Zone for a basketball add to be worth it. If they were still making runs doing better overall then perhaps but I'm wondering if maybe we're witnessing another down cycle for the Shockers. I think Gonzaga is the only basketball team the MWC is interested in but of course what the Big XII does after Texas and Oklahoma formalize their departure dates will matter a lot. If the Mountain West loses Boise State to the XII and SMU doesn't get an invite I could see the Mountain West poaching the AAC of SMU and Tulsa and adding North Dakota State (FB Only) and looking for a program like Wichita State to balance that out. But that might be the only way they get out of the AAC if they are looking to exit.

I do believe if it came to it the MVC would take them back and I do think (especially with the previous association even though there was no doubt some bad blood between the two sides) they would be the type of addition the MVC would go beyond 12 for.

Would the Shockers really want to do that even if the AAC is further depleted? Joining a Mountain West that also adds Gonzaga is one thing but going back to a conference they turned their nose up and sneered at on the way out the door? That would be an admission that their move out of the MVC was a mistake and as we know decisionmakers are prideful and don't like to admit mistakes.

Additionally, as somebody else said in a previous thread when I brought this up, Wichita State might prefer the markets and national footprint\exposure of the AAC anyway even in its depleted state and even if most of their media deal probably gets eaten up in Jet Fuel (especially when the AAC gets a haircut in like 2031 or so). That's the earliest I could see this happening anyway because that would probably be enough time to soothe any lingering hard feelings on either side and until then the money is still pretty good for Wichita State.