MVC Football (a whole leap to FBS?)

by **PretzelDawg** » March 5th, 2024, 12:46 pm

We keep seeing this person or that person hypothesize about conference schools jumping to an FBS conference. Has there ever been a thought about the whole conference making the leap to FBS? We all know that football in the MVC is better or just as good as some FBS conferences right now. Why not just take a whole conference leap to the next level?

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by **TBS_20** » March 5th, 2024, 12:58 pm

That assumes all schools could. I dont think Indiana State or Murray State could. Southern has lost like 50% enrollment. USD and UND I'm not sure about. It would be more likely to see NDSU, SDSU, ISU, and MSU all jump to the CUSA at the same time.

by **MissouriValleyUnite** » March 5th, 2024, 1:02 pm

NCAA by-laws don't have a mechanism for it.

That conference wouldn't be part of the CFP agreement, and thus wouldn't have access to CFP revenues. (Access to CFP revenues is why UMass suddenly wants to leave the A-10 for the MAC.)

An FBS conference requires 8 full FBS members. That would radically change the MVC - there's no way to get to 8 full FBS members without diluting the quality of the basketball to where it's no longer a top-10 league.

But the most important: NCAA by-laws don't have a mechanism for it, so it's not really feasible.

by **TBS_20** » March 5th, 2024, 1:10 pm

MissouriValleyUnite wrote: An FBS conference requires 8 full FBS members. That would radically change the MVC - there's no way to get to 8 full FBS members without diluting the quality of the basketball to where it's no longer a top-10 league.

If the football schools did decide to jump I doubt they would care about what was left behind.

by **MissouriValleyUnite** » March 5th, 2024, 1:25 pm

TBS_20 wrote:
MissouriValleyUnite wrote: An FBS conference requires 8 full FBS members. That would radically change the MVC - there's no way to get to 8 full FBS members without diluting the quality of the basketball to where it's no longer a top-10 league.

If the football schools did decide to jump I doubt they would care about what was left behind.

Um, they don’t hold enough votes. So even if they don’t care how BB looks, it’s irrelevant — the non-FB schools aren’t voting to radically change the league and dilute BB.

This isn’t a real discussion anyway. NCAA by-laws don’t even have a mechanism for a league moving up to FBS, and such a league wouldn’t be privy to the CFP agreement/revenues, which would be the whole impetus for such a move.

by **TBS_20** » March 5th, 2024, 1:58 pm

MissouriValleyUnite wrote:
TBS_20 wrote:
MissouriValleyUnite wrote: An FBS conference requires 8 full FBS members. That would radically change the MVC - there's no way to get to 8 full FBS members without diluting the quality of the basketball to where it's no longer a top-10 league.

If the football schools did decide to jump I doubt they would care about what was left behind.

Um, they don’t hold enough votes. So even if they don’t care how BB looks, it’s irrelevant — the non-FB schools aren’t voting to radically change the league and dilute BB.

This isn’t a real discussion anyway. NCAA by-laws don’t even have a mechanism for a league moving up to FBS, and such a league wouldn’t be privy to the CFP agreement/revenues, which would be the whole impetus for such a move.

I agree with you the mvfc won't jump up. I was talking about joining conference usa. Sorry for the misunderstanding

by **mvfcfan** » March 5th, 2024, 2:19 pm

In theory the MVC could sponsor FBS football if they shut down the MVFC and started actually sponsoring the sport again. When the MVC sponsored football in the 80's it was a hybrid conference with both 1A and 1AA schools. It is true that the MVC wouldn't have any access to playoff money during the current TV contract, but I would think it would be included whenever a new contract is eventually signed. We would also have to add 2 FB schools assuming the current 6 all moved up as the FBS minimum is 8. The MVFC (formerly Gateway) is legally a separate entity, even though the reality is that it's run out of the same office as the MVC.

by **Mikovio** » March 5th, 2024, 3:02 pm

The B1G and SEC have already formed an "advisory partnership" and might decide to just break away entirely. (Maybe they divvy up the B12/ACC like they did the P12 or invite them too.) If that happens this CFP pool of money dries up real fast and basketball will be the only way for mids to achieve notoriety. (Of course this could happen with basketball too at some point but football seems more imminent.)

by **IllinoisState** » March 5th, 2024, 5:15 pm

MissouriValleyUnite wrote:NCAA by-laws don't have a mechanism for it.

That conference wouldn't be part of the CFP agreement, and thus wouldn't have access to CFP revenues. (Access to CFP revenues is why UMass suddenly wants to leave the A-10 for the MAC.)

An FBS conference requires 8 full FBS members. That would radically change the MVC - there's no way to get to 8 full FBS members without diluting the quality of the basketball to where it's no longer a top-10 league.

But the most important: NCAA by-laws don't have a mechanism for it, so it's not really feasible.

It shouldn't matter as long as the schools wanting to move up have the $5,000,000 because I think they could now move up as an independent with the changes.

by **PretzelDawg** » March 6th, 2024, 10:27 am

I get the idea that in theory the whole conference cannot move up, but if the schools individually decided to make the leap and form this new conference, it could potentially be done. Coming in together might save them some of the $5 mil to put into the till. They could also try working a television deal of some type. Any money is better than scant amount of money they get with television rights now anyway.

Will this happen? I find it highly doubtful, but if a group of schools came together like this it would be intriguing.