UCLA - USC to Big Ten

[Buxcies]

Clearly this has to have a trickle down effect right? Seems like Big Ten and SEC will form their own super conferences and split off...

[BCPanther]

Strangely enough, after all that has happened in the last 15 years in this league, this might be the start of the dominoes that split the football and basketball schools.

UNI, SIU, Illinois State, Missouri State join NDSU, SDSU, USD, Montana and Montana State to form a league that plays in what will be the 3rd level of football.

[Red]

This accelerates things for sure. It's basically SEC and Big Ten vs the world.

[VUGrad1314]

The best move for the MVC would be to hold together. If a breakup happens the league will be among the strongest at the second level of hoops. Second level football will continue to be irrelevant (as will second level hoops in all likelihood but in my opinion less so). Any additions should come from the best of lower leagues to further strengthen that conference. Maybe it's time to bring the Dakotas (NDSU and SDSU) in as full members assuming NDSU can't find an FBS landing spot to their liking. There's also an outside chance the MVC could end up luring Wichita State and (depending on what the Big East does if anything) Loyola back to the conference which would further strengthen the league. No reason to bolt and sacrifice hoops and the rest of the athletics department to chase glory at a level of football no one but the fanbases care about when we can have that right here and still have a really strong league in everything else. We can be the Sun Belt with better hoops. We already are. Admittedly the Wichita State return possibility grows dimmer if the Big 10 has a second wave of expansion and the Big XII finishes off the PAC 12 instead of further weakening the AAC, And the A-10 recruiting benefits may still be too much for Loyola to pass up. Again it all depends on what happens and how much shuffling occurs. The MVC can and will still be a fine conference if we just stay together. My central premise that there would exist no reason for any MVC schools to leave remains my firm conviction especially when this could be another great opportunity to further strengthen the league.

[unipanther99]

When their conferences fall apart, lets just bring Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Memphis, and Cincy back into the MVC. Murray fans, it's time to start recruiting up in football.

[BUFanatic]

When their conferences fall apart, lets just bring Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Memphis, and Cincy back into the MVC. Murray fans, it's time to start recruiting up in football.

If we’re including Big 12 Schools don’t forget Kansas, Tulsa, and Iowa State

Really though this indicates something I’ve been fearing for a about 7/8 years now. If Bradley wants to stay in the MVC and it does raise football’s priority, I really think BU would be almost forced to resurrect football, even if they played at Peoria Stadium or Dozer Park (correct me if I’m wrong but I believe the biggest football stadium with berm seating in the area is EP High school? I know Pekin should be bigger but that’s too far away). Of course I would love to see this but it would create a financial and administrative nightmare.

BC to your point, this is the scenario I fear for BU, however I feel that it would be the MVC kicking out non-football playing members. I personally can’t see founding a new league as you described considering that all those (except the Dakotas and Montana) have second priority to FBS teams… (Iowa/Iowa State/MN, Illinois, Missouri, and even the Dakotas/Montana might be groupies in between Iowa/Iowa State/Nebraska)

[unipanther99]

Even if things get that crazy, I'm not sure why the MVC would need to kick out non-football schools. There are ways to adjust the funding model (like WSU in the AAC).

But that's way down a rabbit hole that implies UNI and other MVFC schools will be a part of a league that can command some actual TV revenue. I'm skeptical.

[Adunk33]

So, we know most of what informs/drives realignment is football with men's basketball in a somewhat distant second. That said, there is money still to be had with basketball, which leads me to mention the ACC. Many have said it's going to be whatever the new Big10 and SEC are vs everyone else. I could see a world where the ACC holds strong and at least initially we have four "power conferences." Duke and UNC aren't getting left out of whatever the new world looks like and the ACC is one of the most consistent basketball conferences out there.

The fourth? I don't see the PAC folding quite yet. I could see where they stay afloat for now by poaching from the Mountain West (SDSU, Nevada, Colo State, Boise?). Who knows if and how long that would be sustainable. Then the B12 probably gets divided up into the SEC and B10.

Thinking of football, the bottom feeders of the B12 will have to hope they have another redeeming quality that would make them desirable for one of these new power conferences. For example, Kansas football is absolute garbage but their basketball is elite. So, someone would snatch them up. Probably the B10.

For football, I see an initial future of 4 "Power Conferences"- SEC, B10, ACC, PAC (to keep some administrative leadership on the west coast). Schools that don't make it into one of those conferences are now "FCS" level, but the opportunity to get "promoted" is higher since the conferences will always want the hottest ticket-which is why in this pretend new model, I could see NDSU actually moving up.

For basketball, I see 5 "Power Conferences"- SEC, B10, ACC, PAC, and Big East. The BE will bring in Loyola, SLU, and every other school that fits their conferences culture. The new 5 conferences will then lead to an FBS/FCS-like split in basketball. Should it stay together, I think The Valley would be a top tier league in the second division.

I kind of like the idea of promotion and relegation in college sports, especially with this impending divide. It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

[Adunk33]

All that said, my PAC theory is probably way off since I'm now seeing Oregon and Washington have applied to the B10....

New Theory! The B1G will absorb most of the PAC and the PAC schools will be the "B10 West" division.

Carry on...

[TylerDurden]

This move seems to indicate that the B1G is working to create the entity that ultimately will lead to the restructuring of/break away from the NCAA as we know it.

If we start viewing the B1G (and the SEC, because it's likely they'll ultimately function under the same umbrella) like it's the NFL, NBA or MLB in expansion mode, it will make sense. They'll pick and choose from other leagues until the other current power leagues get on board. They'll be legal issues to overcome and TV contracts, but if the money is there, those things will happen.

Think of the failed Super League concept in European Soccer where the elite clubs would play each other in a money grab "competition". That's kind of what this feels like to me, albeit with a better chance of coming to fruition.

The NCAA should be scared. This poses a significant threaten the NCAA basketball tournament as it currently exists.

Everyone is going to need a plan because this could quickly dismantle the current financial structure the majority of schools/conferences depend on.