Another Expansion/Realignment Thread

[tribecalledquest]

Let's see where ORU is after a generational player like Max Abrams leaves.

[RacerJoeD]

I will go out on a limb and say that the next ten years will be the most tumultuous in the history of college sports.

You could have made that amazing declaration every decade for a century and been correct. Nice try.

For at least the last 30 years, it has been against NCAA rules to pay players.
For at least the last 30 years, it has been against NCAA rules for players to transfer without sitting out unless receiving a waiver from the NCAA.

This is undiscovered country. Here there be dragons.

[Chuck A]

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l ... 0606823434

NKU extends Head Men's basketball coach Darrin Horn, also with enough money to upgrade the pay of his assistants and with a promise to invest in the program. Could this be Northern Kentucky prepping for another possible Valley vetting?

[Campbellproud]

There’s no need to expand. The three adds were perfect. If anything, we just need to drive Valpo out somehow. They hood-winked the Valley with promises to invest and haven’t done crap.

[So iLL 24]

There’s no need to expand. The three adds were perfect. If anything, we just need to drive Valpo out somehow. They hood-winked the Valley with promises to invest and haven’t done crap.

Trade Valpo back to the Horizon for NKU.
Trade UE to the OVC for Cash considerations......

Sign Milwaukee, Oral Roberts, Bellarmine, or St. Thomas.

[unipanther99]

It took UNI a long time after Valley membership to really invest in the program. We played in our football stadium for the first 15 years of Valley membership and paid our coaches next to nothing for a very long time.

Valpo should be granted patience. However, there also should be some long-term vision for what they want to be and how that will be accomplished. Maybe that exists? I don't know. But if not, it should.

[So iLL 24]

It took UNI a long time after Valley membership to really invest in the program. We played in our football stadium for the first 15 years of Valley membership and paid our coaches next to nothing for a very long time.

Valpo should be granted patience. However, there also should be some long-term vision for what they want to be and how that will be accomplished. Maybe that exists? I don't know. But if not, it should.

When a University drops its PREMIER academic program (law school), slashing positions across the board, selling ART pieces to fund campus projects, haven't invested in its PREMIER athletic team, it is hard to "cut them any slack."

When they dropped their law school, they also slowed/stopped current and future boosters from donating, once again drying up cash flow.

[IllinoisState]

It took UNI a long time after Valley membership to really invest in the program. We played in our football stadium for the first 15 years of Valley membership and paid our coaches next to nothing for a very long time.

Valpo should be granted patience. However, there also should be some long-term vision for what they want to be and how that will be accomplished. Maybe that exists? I don't know. But if not, it should.

It's not like a school can be kicked out. I have no problem giving deserved criticism to school officials.

[VUGrad1314]

I am still very open to expansion and think that there are some really great potential adds especially to the west of our footprint. That said, none of these programs boast the consistency and overall resume of Murray State or the potential of Belmont which has me far more hesitant this time. I would be very open to South Dakota State ORU (assuming the presidents deem them a good institutional fit) and St Thomas but still watching Wright State NKU (if they invest) and Bellarmine. Beyond that I don't like much else on the potential list. That is why I was so pro expansion before I was willing to accept any 12th just to get Murray State because I believed in the power of their addition and what it could bring to the league. No potential addition on this list has that cache to me so it's fine to be hesitant and evaluate options but I would say there is a clear primary tier (SDSU ORU and St Thomas) and a secondary tier (Wright State assuming their financials are in order NKU Bellarmine North Dakota State and MAYBE Milwaukee. Beyond those 8 I'm not sure who else is out there who should be considered.

[squirrel]

It took UNI a long time after Valley membership to really invest in the program. We played in our football stadium for the first 15 years of Valley membership and paid our coaches next to nothing for a very long time.

Valpo should be granted patience. However, there also should be some long-term vision for what they want to be and how that will be accomplished. Maybe that exists? I don't know. But if not, it should.

When a University drops its PREMIER academic program (law school), slashing positions across the board, selling ART pieces to fund campus projects, haven't invested in its PREMIER athletic team, it is hard to "cut them any slack."

When they dropped their law school, they also slowed/stopped current and future boosters from donating, once again drying up cash flow.

The selling of art, while announced, was quickly abandoned within a day or two of the announcement, and never occurred.