Mountain West dangerously close to dissolving

[Kyle_Saluki_17]

I would find it quite funny if the G5 gets separated from the P5 and ends up being mixed again with FCS, or at least with the MVFC being on the same level. It would make that $5 million entry fee a massive waste of money for sure.

[TylerDurden]

Oregon State and Washington State?

I think they have a chance but they've already been left behind. I didn't do a deep dive through who is left, but you'd think schools who have some big backers/politicians on their side would be in the mix.

IMO, there are fewer candidates for those two spots than there were bubble teams for last year's NCAA tournament.

While some of the G5 schools have great local fanbases, not many of them move the TV needle.

I would think they would want to go back to teams that we already a part of their group and not let anyone new in. They also have the largest athletic budgets of anyone not in a power conference.

Oregon State, Washington State, San Diego State, Boise, Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, UNLV, Colorado State and the service academies in a battle royal for two spots.

I do not see them adding Boise, UTSA, UNLV, or Colorado State.

Memphis is good, but there are already 2 Tennessee teams and Mississippi being so close.

Tulane is close to LSU so that doesn't help, but they have been on the rise for football recently.

If they add 1 service academy I think they add 2 and it would be Army Navy because of the rivalry despite Air Force being better than Navy.

San Diego State is my choice for a team not named Washington State or Oregon State due to being in California in a big city.

I don't think any of this matters currently because I don't see private equity firms being allowed in even with an "infusion" of money. It would take a little longer, but handling it all themselves would be better in the long term and I think wanting control would win out over wanting money now.

RE: Wazzu and Oregon State. Agreed on the budgets *currently* being the largest of those remaining and that their history in the Pac12 would make some feel more comfortable with them. But using the television influence argument, they don't need either because Oregon and Washington are already in the fold. It's at least part of the reason that they are isolated right now.

That said, logic rarely wins the day when politics become involved and there will be politics involved in something this significant. My best guess if this actually happens, is the conference commissioners, investors and TV folks already have accounted for the political wrangling around the edges. They have the money-makers in the fold already so they aren't particularly concerned with whoever "wins" the last couple of spots. If it's WSU or OSU, fine. If it's Memphis, Liberty or someone else, fine as well.

There aren't any no-brainers left for a super-league once you include the four major football conferences.

[Mikovio]

It would devastate some G5s that rely on bodybag games. But the NFL has balked at private equity ownership shares so you would think college presidents would too. But then there’s greed.

[TylerDurden]

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... ate-equity

Something of a pushback against private equity investments, though it doesn't actually have a quote from either commissioner.

Translation: The numbers from private equity aren't big enough...yet.

[BCPanther]

Hawaii added as the 8th full member and all schools have committed until 2032. The Mountain West survives.

Per McMurphy, the next goal is to get NIU and Toledo in as football members to get them to 10 for football.

Still think Toledo ends up here.

[lime]

I wouldn’t have any interest in NIU, but I think you definitely kick the tires on Toledo.

[IllinoisState]

I wouldn’t have any interest in NIU, but I think you definitely kick the tires on Toledo.

That's what I would wish for. I just hope that if this were to happen that the MVC feels the same way.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

I wouldn’t have any interest in NIU, but I think you definitely kick the tires on Toledo.

Exactly where I stand. From a consistency and fan support standpoint, there isn’t a better realistic option that will become available to the MVC than Toledo.

[BCPanther]

I wouldn’t have any interest in NIU, but I think you definitely kick the tires on Toledo.

NIU doesn't have the budget to be a serious candidate. This is all about football for them, it's the only sport where they even really attempt to compete. The Horizon League will add them in a second to get back into 'Chicago'.

Toledo fits perfectly budget and success wise across all sports, they play baseball, strong WBB and VB programs and they don't meaningfully expand the footprint. We couldn't have asked for a better #12 to make themselves available.

[TOPSTRAIGHT]

Toledo NET ratings:

2021-79
2022-86
2023-82

NIT--2019, 2021, 2022, 2023

Travel--

to Valpo- 3 hours
to UIC----3H 40m

to Indiana St.--4H 25m
to Illinois-------5H


QUESTION.

Would extra travel to Toledo be a concern (red flag) to other MVC teams??

Might Toledo get an A10 invite?