Conference Shake Up 2.0

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

If I were Tulsa, I'd take a MWC invite over a BE invite. However, I'd like to have the basketball program back in the MVC so I hope they don't make that decision. I'm also hoping for a MVC western division--and Kate Upton, a Ferrari, and my own island in the Carribbean.

[SubGod22]

If we ever get an E/W split, the West could be insanely strong. Wichita, Creighton, UNI (as long as Jake is there), Tulsa (if they join I think they're going to be strong soon). The East right now looks to be getting better with Bradley moving in the right direction and ISU should be ok. I don't know if SIU can turn it back around and have no faith in ISUb or UE ever really doing much.

West - Wichita, Creighton, Tulsa, Missouri State, Drake, UNI
East - Illinois State, SIU, Bradley, Indiana State, Evansville

If we added another eastern team (Belmont, Milwaukee, Murray State) they'd be plugged in there. If we added a western team (NMSU, Denver, Arlington), UNI gets moved to the East. Outside of NMSU, none of them are no brainer type decisions from a strictly athletic sense. School number 12 would be a wildcard right now depending on how things go elsewhere.

IF NMSU gets a football only to the Belt, the MVC could step in and help their other sports (Basketball and Baseball are strong).

Denver would gladly back out of the Summit and join the MVC if we were to offer. I think Elgin and company should have an eye on them. If nothing happens for a few years to cause additions to the MVC, Denver will have some time to prove they're committed and if they'd be a good add or not.

Arlington is much like Denver. A school that has recently committed resources to basketball and has been making improvements. I also like the thought of this because it would get the MVC into Texas and the Dallas area. We already recruit Texas pretty well, but this couldn't hurt.

Tulsa is already in in my scenario above. If they stay in CUSA or take a full membership to the MWC, they don't join and any expansion is put on hold unless NMSU gets the invite from the Belt.

Milwaukee would need some deeper digging. Been a solid program but I don't know about the athletic department as a whole. A number of Valley schools have recruited Wisconsin and could be appealing.

Belmont has had fine basketball success and is located in Nashville. I do wonder about them being a small private and if they could hang and grow. But worth looking at.

Murray State doesn't bring a positive location but does have a recent basketball success. I don't know much about them as a whole though.

I'm not really sure if anyone else is really worth talking about. ORU will get mentioned and I'm sure they'd join if asked, but they're having financial issues I believe and would be a risk right now.

SLU isn't coming here unless the A10 gets picked apart by the BE or a BE split that leaves them out. Same could be said for Butler, Dayton and Xavier. We'd all love one or all of those three, but they're in a good place and unless all hell breaks loose and somehow one of them is left out.

[SubGod22]

I got a list of western schools that the WAC could look to. Football could be an issue for some as it's believed that they'd probably have to drop football in order to help the WAC and add whatever sports would be necessary for the conference. But the list is:

UC San Diego (administration wanted into the Big West)
Cal Poly Pomona
Chico St
Dixie St (football an issue)
W Washington
Montana State-Billings
UC-Colorado Springs
Metropolitan State of Denver
Regis (Denver Jesuit school)
Colorado Mesa (football an issue)
CSU-Pueblo (football an issue)
Alaska-Anchorage
Alaska

The guy that gave me this list also thinks Washburn should drop football and move up. I'd love to see it happen.

[ShockTalk]

I got a list of western schools that the WAC could look to. Football could be an issue for some as it's believed that they'd probably have to drop football in order to help the WAC and add whatever sports would be necessary for the conference. But the list is:

UC San Diego (administration wanted into the Big West)
Cal Poly Pomona
Chico St
Dixie St (football an issue)
W Washington
Montana State-Billings
UC-Colorado Springs
Metropolitan State of Denver
Regis (Denver Jesuit school)
Colorado Mesa (football an issue)
CSU-Pueblo (football an issue)
Alaska-Anchorage
Alaska

The guy that gave me this list also thinks Washburn should drop football and move up. I'd love to see it happen.

With 6 or 7 current members leaving, plus NMSU (as soon as they can find a home), the WAC has become a non-issue and future botton third conference. It's too bad.

[SubGod22]

That's for sure, but it's also the only vehicle for any D2 school in the west. I wouldn't mind seeing more competition out there and it would start with a few more schools.

[SubGod22]

And for fun, or reference, here's a link to a map with all D2 schools.

[rrshock]

What other sports does Dallas Baptist play? Could they possibly move to D-1 and be a full member?

[SubGod22]

I know they play basketball. I'm not sure what else. I know I looked it up previously when they were being talked about for baseball. I'll get back to you on that if nobody beats me to it. But if they moved up in everything, it wouldn't be in the MVC and we'd lose baseball.

[SubGod22]

Dallas Baptist:

Men - Baseball, Basketball, XC, T&F, Golf, Soccer, Tennis

Women - Basketball, XC, T&F, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball

They have club sports in Bass Fishing, Cheerleading, Ice Hockey and Swimming.

[Ta town]

Dallas Baptist has an undergrad enrollment of 3,500 and total of 5,600 and has increased something like 15 plus years in a row. This puts them on par or larger than all the other Valley private schools except Creighton which is around 7800 total I believe. I would be all for DBU as a full member if they ever moved up despite the expected growing pains. To me if they invest and try to compete in basketball like they do in baseball then it wouldn't take long before they would be fine. Also not from a market standpoint cause it really doesn't matter for schools in the Valley but from a recruiting standpoint it would be nice to have the Valley's toe dipped into north Texas. More people live in the DFW area than all of Missouri and it's one of the fastest growing areas in the United State. The Valley already recruits Texas pretty well but to have a team in the area can't do anything but help.

BTW, they play, in Newman U's league, the Heartland conference.

[SubGod22]

Taking them on as a full member would be a huge risk for the MVC. But I'm all for getting into North Texas which is why I'm watching to see if Arlington continues to improve as they've been investing more into basketball. I hope the MVC is past the point of calling up D2 schools as members (see Evansville and Missouri State)

[Ta town]

Taking them on as a full member would be a huge risk for the MVC. But I'm all for getting into North Texas which is why I'm watching to see if Arlington continues to improve as they've been investing more into basketball. I hope the MVC is past the point of calling up D2 schools as members (see Evansville and Missouri State)

I would be for UTA and DBU today. Thats just me though and my like of the DFW area.

[SubGod22]

Coach K Hates Realignment

[Veritas]

Any chance Tulsa might rejoin the MoVal? When was Butler a member?

http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/12/07/12/MVC-may-soon-be-forced-to-think-of-expan/landing.html?blockID=831923&feedID=3794

[SubGod22]

Any chance Tulsa might rejoin the MoVal? When was Butler a member?

http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/12/0...23&feedID=3794

Thanks for the link. The only way Tulsa joins the Valley is if they accept a BE football only invite. I've heard some rumors that they were offered and declined but I don't know how credible that is.

Butler was a member from 1932-34.

I'm still hoping we can say screw the bus league and land NMSU if they get a Sun Belt football only invite. But I could be happy with Tulsa and Arlington. Arlington hasn't proven itself long term but has taken steps and I believe finished around 115 in the RPI last season. Denver was top 100. Whatever administrator has kicked around the idea of UNO needs to be shot. Others I can understand, but don't like them all. I've talked about Milwaukee and Wright State before as well. But I'd love to add a Texas school if possible. And I've been big on if we add, we need to expand the footprint. Which is why I like Tulsa, NMSU, Milwaukee, Denver, Arlington, Wright State and Belmont as ones to look at. That opens up Tulsa, OK, Las Cruces, NM/El Paso, TX, Denver, CO, Dallas, TX, Dayton, OH and Nashville, TN. Each would add a new state.