If Missouri State leaves, who do you add?

[usmcsaluki]

Quality > quantity; you don't add just to keep expanding, and now with Murray and Belmont there are absolutely no worthwhile options.

[VUGrad1314]

I think there is one worthwhile option (South Dakota State) and several that could be shortly if they continue their trajectories and\or have their finances in order. Those are: Bellarmine and St Thomas in the former category and Wright State in the latter category (assuming the MVC is willing to add a one-off geographic outlier. They would be a real solid all around choice.) As much as Oral Roberts and GCU would make sense athletically there are institutional concerns that will be near impossible for them to navigate. North Dakota State would be interesting if they weren't so football-centric. I see them taking an FB only invite to an FBS conference one day soon which I think would hamper their ability to be the kind of all around fit the MVC would want. Institutionally though they are a terrific fit. If Missouri State stays I could possibly see the MVC go as high as 16 if enough options emerge. If not I think they could still go as high as 14 with SDSU Bellarmine and St Thomas as the clear frontrunners. Outside of these five that I have mentioned (SDSU St Thomas Bellarmine Wright State and NDSU as a distant fifth) I don't think anybody else really has a shot at an invite in the near or medium term future. As was proven with Murray State markets aren't going to be the be all end all in this decision and success still drives the bus thank goodness which is why SDSU probably has a shot but the markets that Bellarmine St Thomas and (to some extent) Wright State potentially can offer will give them a huge leg up should the MVC choose to expand. My best guess on the expansion scenarios (all but the last assume Missouri State heads to the SBC)

If the MVC adds one school: SDSU

If the MVC adds three schools: SDSU Bellarmine St Thomas (Adds two markets Evens the public private balance and adds one proven program and two programs with a bunch of potential one of whom is already really starting to make good on it)

If the MVC adds four schools (Missouri State stays): SDSU Bellarmine St Thomas and Wright State or NDSU (toss up edge to Wright State if we're going on overall athletic fit but NDSU if we're going on geography since they can easily be a travel partner for SDSU). I suppose there's a small chance all five are added if Missouri State leaves but that would make the geography very weird setting up multiple outlier scenarios. Moreover I think going beyond 14 probably makes the conference too big to hold together well. Going too much beyond 12 is probably a tough enough ask unless it's for the right fits (which Bellarmine and St Thomas I believe would be). I'd have to see what Bellarmine's budget trajectories are and how invested St Thomas is in growing athletically. I very much agree with an earlier point that keeping the MVC firmly implanted on both sides of the river is and should be a priority even as we possibly continue to build our presence southward. All of this is probably 2-5 years+ in the future anyway.

[Campbellproud]

Dropping the two boat anchors would do more to improve the league than adding two more.

[TBS_20]

Which would you prefer if one had to happen? Meaning, staying at 12 was no longer an option.


Grand Canyon and St. Mary's (if Gonzaga leaves the WCC)

They're not close but bring in Phoenix and the Bay Area, two big markets. St. Mary's is often the best Bay area team over Stanford, Cal, and San Francisco. This is the best scenario for stature of the conference.


North Dakota State and South Dakota State

Have most familiarity and come with a top mid-major all around school and the best non-FBS football team but will eventually lose one to the Mountain West through realignment.


Bellarmine and Northern Kentucky

Brings in Louisville and Cincinnati and are regional

[mvfcfan]

Missouri State's football came back down to earth this season, so I doubt they'll be too high on the Sun Belt's list if they want to expand. I'd say WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and FIU are easily ahead of them in the pecking order.

Personally for me, I don't want any expansion beyond 12 teams.

[BEARZ77]

Missouri State's football came back down to earth this season, so I doubt they'll be too high on the Sun Belt's list if they want to expand. I'd say WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and FIU are easily ahead of them in the pecking order.

Personally for me, I don't want any expansion beyond 12 teams.

I don't think you understand what drives expansion very well. That said, I'm fine staying in the Valley and watching what else happens in the next few years.

[BCPanther]

Which would you prefer if one had to happen? Meaning, staying at 12 was no longer an option.


Grand Canyon and St. Mary's (if Gonzaga leaves the WCC)

They're not close but bring in Phoenix and the Bay Area, two big markets. St. Mary's is often the best Bay area team over Stanford, Cal, and San Francisco. This is the best scenario for stature of the conference.


North Dakota State and South Dakota State

Have most familiarity and come with a top mid-major all around school and the best non-FBS football team but will eventually lose one to the Mountain West through realignment.


Bellarmine and Northern Kentucky

Brings in Louisville and Cincinnati and are regional

The Dakotas to the Mountain West is a fantasy. They aren't coming this far east to play in places with no people, no TV market and no recruitable athletes. She thing applies to us going that far West. They're just flat isolated and sick where they're at. The only way they end up FBS is if they alive with the Montana schools and a couple other Big Sky teams decide to blow up their travel budgets to be a western MAC.

[Chuck A]

Which would you prefer if one had to happen? Meaning, staying at 12 was no longer an option.


Grand Canyon and St. Mary's (if Gonzaga leaves the WCC)

They're not close but bring in Phoenix and the Bay Area, two big markets. St. Mary's is often the best Bay area team over Stanford, Cal, and San Francisco. This is the best scenario for stature of the conference.


North Dakota State and South Dakota State

Have most familiarity and come with a top mid-major all around school and the best non-FBS football team but will eventually lose one to the Mountain West through realignment.


Bellarmine and Northern Kentucky

Brings in Louisville and Cincinnati and are regional

If staying at 12 was no longer an option, the only, obvious, championship caliber candidates are BELLARMINE and NORTHERN KENTUCKY. They've been two of the better teams that have recently joined the D1 ranks: Tourney Championships, nice adequate arenas, good coaches, allows solidification of the southern base of the conference.

If VUGrad1314 and others would look at Valley Expansion from a basketball-only position, then they'd see that of the options, Bellarmine & NKU are the only real choices that would at least help keep the Valley relevant and presumably in most years, improve the Conference's ranking. We're talking about the Missouri Valley Conference, NOT the Missouri Valley Football Conference! Football shouldn't figure into the decision, in my opinion.

[BCPanther]

Which would you prefer if one had to happen? Meaning, staying at 12 was no longer an option.


Grand Canyon and St. Mary's (if Gonzaga leaves the WCC)

They're not close but bring in Phoenix and the Bay Area, two big markets. St. Mary's is often the best Bay area team over Stanford, Cal, and San Francisco. This is the best scenario for stature of the conference.


North Dakota State and South Dakota State

Have most familiarity and come with a top mid-major all around school and the best non-FBS football team but will eventually lose one to the Mountain West through realignment.


Bellarmine and Northern Kentucky

Brings in Louisville and Cincinnati and are regional

If staying at 12 was no longer an option, the only, obvious, championship caliber candidates are BELLARMINE and NORTHERN KENTUCKY. They've been two of the better teams that have recently joined the D1 ranks: Tourney Championships, nice adequate arenas, good coaches, allows solidification of the southern base of the conference.

If VUGrad1314 and others would look at Valley Expansion from a basketball-only position, then they'd see that of the options, Bellarmine & NKU are the only real choices that would at least help keep the Valley relevant and presumably in most years, improve the Conference's ranking. We're talking about the Missouri Valley Conference, NOT the Missouri Valley Football Conference! Football shouldn't figure into the decision, in my opinion.

Northern Kentucky was approached in this round. They were not willing to commit to Valley budget or scheduling standards. They just hired one of UNI's deputies as AD and, based on how UNI is running our department right now, that isn't changing anytime soon. She was hired to get the budget in line.

[Chuck A]

Duly noted about NKU and very understandable concerning the new AD's assignment. Since expansion is a "down the road project", there will be plenty of time for budget tightening and growth. The time will also give both programs the ability to enhance their respective resumès.