MVC 10 Members or 12? Front-runners?

[Valleyball]

Travel. Airport 1-2 hours away. Check.

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

You guys are crazy if you don't take NDSU.
New bball arena. Check
Ncaa berth. Check 2009 & 2013
Population. 230,000 & rising and northern Minnesota. Check.
Olympic sports. Multiple ncaa berths. Check.
Funding. economy up here is best in nation. Check.
Football success pushing basketball Check.
Travel. Airport 1-2 hours away. Check.

I'm with you. Especially now that Denver said no. I have you on the list with Belmont, ORU, and let's say Valpo.

[Western4Life]

If there are three additions it would assist the MVFC to add 2 teams (future FBS defection protection & scheduling). Ideally one for the MVC and one for the SL. Several people have stated different mixes but I see it hurting the MVC to take only privates with all 3 additions if expansion reaches 12. Belmont seems to be a lock. Belmont, Murray State, and Valpo/whoever could offer a great chance though to counter any further defection worries. I don't see Evansville going anywhere but that is only intuition.

IL State and NDSU certainly want to make the football jump and MO State was already asked about their interests which they wisely declined at the time etc etc. So it wouldn't be a shocker if expansion went to 12. I feel 10 is best for the MVC split but there are many other factors in play.

If there are three additions I would like to see one public and football addition in the MVC/MVFC. The SL could keep MVFC balance by adding another team, likely Univ of North Dakota. It is best travel wise for the SL and especially for the Big Sky who hates having UND to travel east too. Nothing can happen without further MVC expansion though. If the OVC snags UIPUI and IPFW (please ) the SL needs another school for stability regardless. The foot print is in the Dakotas and some may not like it (Bison) but Western fans would like to see UND added. That can't happen unless somebody like Murray State is offered a full membership in the MVC/MVFC. Western is served very well with its football affiliation and I want to see it and the MVC secure for a long time. Some repeating here but all worthy views I hope.

Has to be sour grapes to see Creighton win in their final Arch Madness for the schools still in the MVC. Great game to watch except being cut away to the Big Ten match-up

[DPruett2333]

The MVC will not be able to replace the loss of Creighton with one school. IMO, they need to add three.

My choices would be: Murray State, Belmont, and Oral Roberts.

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

[purple&orange]

First of all I love the round-robin play that comes with playing everybody twice which only happens when you have 10 teams. There was something really special about having Creighton and Wichita matchup on the final day of the regular season, earning the right to call themselves a true champion of the league. I also believe that it is great for the fans as I would have been disappointed if I was not able to see Creighton or Wichita come to town because of an unbalanced schedule. I was very happy to see both games on weekends this year since I work weeknights because they were games that I wanted to see. Last year I took off from work on the night Wichita came to town because it's great to see the best teams in the Valley come to town, no matter who they may be.

I watched the Belmont-Murray State OVC Title game and it was a high level game. Belmont has a great program and system under Coach Byrd and I think would be the best choice to get the Valley back to 10 teams. Nashville is a great town and although it does expand the footprint eastward, it does add a nice sized market to the tv footprint since that's what drives most of these expansion moves we've seen.

I do believe the Valley needs to be proactive, assuming it is a done deal that Creighton is leaving. However, I'd also like to see what happens to the A-10 once Butler and Xavier leave and if they also lose Dayton and St. Louis as well, it might be a pipe dream but let's contact VCU and see what they have to say. The Valley to me always has been a basketball first league and they are a national brand and if you could get a package deal to bring VCU/Richmond in, it might just work.

I'm biased because UE doesn't have football and the MVC Football league is the least of my concerns, but the A-10 appears to be losing their big names and it adds a mix of public vs private and I do remember Richmond winning a FCS title a few years back for the football crowd, but I know it's a hell of a long way from the western half of the league to Virginia.

[uniftw]

First of all I love the round-robin play that comes with playing everybody twice which only happens when you have 10 teams. There was something really special about having Creighton and Wichita matchup on the final day of the regular season, earning the right to call themselves a true champion of the league. I also believe that it is great for the fans as I would have been disappointed if I was not able to see Creighton or Wichita come to town because of an unbalanced schedule. I was very happy to see both games on weekends this year since I work weeknights because they were games that I wanted to see. Last year I took off from work on the night Wichita came to town because it's great to see the best teams in the Valley come to town, no matter who they may be.

I watched the Belmont-Murray State OVC Title game and it was a high level game. Belmont has a great program and system under Coach Byrd and I think would be the best choice to get the Valley back to 10 teams. Nashville is a great town and although it does expand the footprint eastward, it does add a nice sized market to the tv footprint since that's what drives most of these expansion moves we've seen.

I do believe the Valley needs to be proactive, assuming it is a done deal that Creighton is leaving. However, I'd also like to see what happens to the A-10 once Butler and Xavier leave and if they also lose Dayton and St. Louis as well, it might be a pipe dream but let's contact VCU and see what they have to say. The Valley to me always has been a basketball first league and they are a national brand and if you could get a package deal to bring VCU/Richmond in, it might just work.

I'm biased because UE doesn't have football and the MVC Football league is the least of my concerns, but the A-10 appears to be losing their big names and it adds a mix of public vs private and I do remember Richmond winning a FCS title a few years back for the football crowd, but I know it's a hell of a long way from the western half of the league to Virginia.

The MVFC is completely separate from the MVC, if it is a football school they can deal with that on their own....and this is from a fan of a football school. The MVFC wants no part of a huge footprint - NDSU made it in only because the eastern schools were promised they'd only have to go west at most 1 time per year....turns out they were lied too and that isn't the case. They won't let that happen again.

Richmond is already affiliate members of another football conference (the CAA) so they'll be fine there.


If it's a school with football it will be Murray State and either NDSU or YSU will be encouraged to find a new home for football.

[Shocktop42]

I don't buy the idea that NDSU or YSU would be encouraged to find a new home if Murray State were looking to be added to the MVC.

Four of the 10 schools are in ND/SD/IA. Whle everyone continues to say that the MVC and MVFC are separate (they are), they are also very connected in that the schools that have football need a competitive football home.

Because of that, I don't see Murray State ever being added to the MVC unless they are given entry into the MVFC. No way that the OVC would allow them to say as part of the OVC for football and the MVC for all other sports.

[unipanther99]

I don't buy the idea that NDSU or YSU would be encouraged to find a new home if Murray State were looking to be added to the MVC.

Four of the 10 schools are in ND/SD/IA. Whle everyone continues to say that the MVC and MVFC are separate (they are), they are also very connected in that the schools that have football need a competitive football home.

Because of that, I don't see Murray State ever being added to the MVC unless they are given entry into the MVFC. No way that the OVC would allow them to say as part of the OVC for football and the MVC for all other sports.

I agree, the MVFC is in no position to start kicking out members who have won national championships at the FCS level. I would guess we wouldn't play a full round robin and someone would rotate off the schedule every year.

[RoyalShock]

The MVC will not be able to replace the loss of Creighton with one school. IMO, they need to add three.

My choices would be: Murray State, Belmont, and Oral Roberts.

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Unless those three programs would be consistently good enough to make the MVC a perennial 3-bid league, they wouldn't replace the CU loss from a financial standpoint. They MIGHT help keep the MVC good enough to hope for two bids each year. But that would remain to be seen. Even as meager as it is do we really want to spread out the NCAA tournament revenue allotment among more schools?

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

The MVC will not be able to replace the loss of Creighton with one school. IMO, they need to add three.

My choices would be: Murray State, Belmont, and Oral Roberts.

MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Unless those three programs would be consistently good enough to make the MVC a perennial 3-bid league, they wouldn't replace the CU loss from a financial standpoint. They MIGHT help keep the MVC good enough to hope for two bids each year. But that would remain to be seen. Even as meager as it is do we really want to spread out the NCAA tournament revenue allotment among more schools?

Hey I get it CU has won the tournament the past couple of seasons and came away with the regular season title this time but they aren't irreplaceable. Belmont is a very similar program and imagine how successful they could be if they entered the Valley.

I'm not as great computing numbers and analyzing the financial stuff but from a competition and viewer interest angle subtracting CU while adding Belmont, ORU, and Murray State is an upgrade. And exciting too with the new blood.

Bottom line we have to get past this "Woe is me" attitude and look at this as an opportunity rather than some kind of setback. This is a chance to revitalize the conference and get excited with perhaps 12 schools that want to be here.