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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 19:08:25 GMT -6
Very well said kevinudm
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Post by nodak on Mar 19, 2019 16:55:44 GMT -6
Robert Morris doesn’t play hockey in the NEC, but in Atlantic Hockey. So that doesn’t affect them.
The NEC has men’s and womens lacrosse, but there is plenty of options elsewhere like the ASUN and SoCon and others who need lax teams. There are new ones starting lax like Akron, CMU, Bellermine, Air Force and others and Cleveland St and Detroit also are in women’s lax league as affiliates. Utah just started a men’s team but doesn’t have a league yet.
The NEC is usually the lower DI conference in the NE and many schools have left because they don’t want to associate with it.
Robert Morris has built a new arena on campus, which indicate that they are an aspiring program. Pennsylvania is a great recruiting ground for that sport but the MVFC would have more scholarships. If Robert Morris is ambitious enough, like Quinnipiac and others, they will move from the NEC. The MVFC will be facing recruiting new football teams if the Dakota form their own fb conference.
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Post by nodak on Mar 19, 2019 17:03:11 GMT -6
Western Illinois would accept a HL bid in a minute, as that doesn’t affect their MVFC affiliate status, which they treasure. But the basketball program has been putrid so the HL isn’t likely to take them.
The only team normally in bus range for them now in the Summit is Fort Wayne. A school in Illinois that is losing enrollment needs to cut costs like they have cut employees. Bus leagues like the HL of OVC make so much more sense, but DII probably makes more.
If the OVC loses Murray St, Belmont and maybe Jax St, the OVC might swoop in just for numbers.
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Post by nodak on Mar 19, 2019 17:14:40 GMT -6
Just wanted to add that think the MVC takes Murray St and UALR, as that would add two more states and fan bases.
UALR just added wrestling, and then did a study that football was too expensive. Central Arkansas has an FCS team nearby anyway, Little Rock needs a more prominent basketball team and the MVC could be the place. The Sun Belt just doesn’t emphasize basketball enough and UALR has closed the door on football. The reasons for staying in the SunBelt have evaporated.
The Mo St President heads the expansion committee and he has made remarks that he will be advocating for a school near Springfield, so Mo St doesn’t have such a bad travel partner situation.
Obviously Belmont would be preferable to the MVC, but UALR could do.
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Post by nodak on Mar 20, 2019 18:10:34 GMT -6
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Post by nodak on Mar 20, 2019 22:08:06 GMT -6
Abut yet the MVC took Loyola, which had done nothing for forty years, on the precondition that they spend more for mbb. It worked out.
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Post by nodak on Mar 21, 2019 16:59:42 GMT -6
So will Murray St’s shellacking of Marquette get the MVC expansion bandwagon going again?
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Post by kevinudm on Mar 21, 2019 21:25:29 GMT -6
So will Murray St’s shellacking of Marquette get the MVC expansion bandwagon going again? Murray St. seems to be in a pretty good place right now. They're in a conference where they are a good geographic and cultural fit. Murray St. football is a middle-of-the-pack performer in the OVC and is not ready for a move up to the MVFC. Murray St. basketball has a great rivalry going with Belmont and they've got a bunch of cupcakes to help boost their W/L record. This year the OVC has two Tournament teams and Belmont almost won their game today. Despite Loyola's run last year, the MVC is not what it used be when it had Wichita and Creighton. This year Bradley was a 15 seed in the NCAA and Loyola lost their first game in the NIT. And Drake's reward for being MVC regular season co-champ is CIT game tomorrow at SUU. Changing conferences is expensive. You typically pay a departure fee to leave and a joining fee to the new conference. You leave behind any pending tourney money and aren't eligible for previously earned monies in the new conference. Travel expenses go up and rivalries are lost. It's hard to see Northern Iowa becoming a natural rival for the Racers. Murray St. has a good thing going and shouldn't mess with it. Even if the MVC wanted the move, it's hard to see what's in it for Murray St.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 11:39:08 GMT -6
Only coaching moves have been announced to this point. Final Four weekend is coming up. If nothing happens in the ensuing 2-3 weeks after that, I don't think any expansion/realignment will take place at the mid-major level this off season.
EDIT:
Realignment/expansion in the recent past has occurred in May. The HL was the exception, adding IUPUI in July, IIRC. So let's give it until the end of May.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2019 2:24:23 GMT -6
Only coaching moves have been announced to this point. Final Four weekend is coming up. If nothing happens in the ensuing 2-3 weeks after that, I don't think any expansion/realignment will take place at the mid-major level this off season. EDIT: Realignment/expansion in the recent past has occurred in May. The HL was the exception, adding IUPUI in July, IIRC. So let's give it until the end of May. RECAP: Since this post, Bellarmine announced it would move up to Division 1 and been invited to the ASun (June 18) UMKC announced it would return to the Summit League (June 20) UCONN announced it would join the Big East (June 27) Purdue Fort Wayne announced it would join the Horizon League (August 6) Seems as if expansions and realignments are happening later and later in the off season. Don't know if it's to work out all the kinks, i.e. entrance/exit fees negotiations, longer vetting processes, etc. It also seems that the HL is becoming the worst at it. The last two expansion announcements of the HL have occurred in the beginning of the new school fiscal year (July 1 and beyond).
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Post by HLFanaticus on Aug 27, 2019 11:04:53 GMT -6
Pretty nice and compact. If there is further expansion of this League, it appears to me that it will be within the six states that we already occupy. Otherwise the Horizon will begin to shift in a particular direction. The HL may want a school in Illinois to partner up with UIC and bring balance back to the western side of the league. As I see it though, there are really no other non-football playing D1 conferences that this conference can choose from.
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Post by motorcitysam on Aug 27, 2019 14:15:20 GMT -6
Good post, HLF.
One thing I like about the Horizon is the geographic footprint. Keeps down the travel costs and allows for convenient road trips for fans.
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Post by vugrad1314 on Aug 27, 2019 16:01:28 GMT -6
I remember SIU-Edwardsville being mentioned as a possible candidate at one time if they're looking for a western add in Illinois. Otherwise, even though it's not in Illinois and they haven't yet announced their intention to move to D1, I wonder if USI in Evansville could be the answer to balancing out the western side of the conference. Bellarmine seems to be a bit too far east to bring about the kind of geographic balance the league is seeking. I'm still not ruling out RMU as an addition, especially if balance in the west isn't the foremost concern for the conference. Even though it's not in a state within the current HL footprint, it is so close to Youngstown State that it doesn't really stretch the footprint that much, nor does it signify a significant shift in direction. Plus, opening up new recruiting territory (Western PA specifically) is good for the conference, and would be something the university presidents would probably be interested in.
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Post by ougrizz05 on Aug 27, 2019 18:00:00 GMT -6
I remember SIU-Edwardsville being mentioned as a possible candidate at one time if they're looking for a western add in Illinois. Otherwise, even though it's not in Illinois and they haven't yet announced their intention to move to D1, I wonder if USI in Evansville could be the answer to balancing out the western side of the conference. Bellarmine seems to be a bit too far east to bring about the kind of geographic balance the league is seeking. I'm still not ruling out RMU as an addition, especially if balance in the west isn't the foremost concern for the conference. Even though it's not in a state within the current HL footprint, it is so close to Youngstown State that it doesn't really stretch the footprint that much, nor does it signify a significant shift in direction. Plus, opening up new recruiting territory (Western PA specifically) is good for the conference, and would be something the university presidents would probably be interested in. I think SIU Edwardsville brings nothing but geography. I like the potential of a successful D2 that has invested in sports like USI or Bellarmine. I don't expect them to duplicate NKUs success but I think they have more potential to be successful based on their D2 success and investment. Also, from the outside looking in, both seem to have some community support too.
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Post by commissioner on Aug 27, 2019 18:13:55 GMT -6
I don't know that the league will expand. 11 teams gives you 20 conference games--that's a good number. You don't have to have travel partners. As Big D always says, just adding another team doesn't do much for the conference.
If they are looking, here are pretty much all the possibilities absent a major geographic reach: - Robert Morris (discussed ad nauseum; would have to do something with football) - Bellarmine (just entering D1) - Southern Indiana (still hasn't indicated an intent to move up) - Western Illinois (though in Illinois, stretches the footprint more than Bob Morris, Niagara, or Canisius, and as much as Lipscomb; small market, no history) - Eastern Illinois (would have to re-home football) - Chicago State ('nuff said) - Morehead State - Lipscomb - Niagara and Canisius (not likely) - Omaha (too far)
Schools that wouldn't be interested: MAC schools MVC schools Conference USA schools Belmont Other OVC schools Duquesne
Are any of those that might conceivably be interested really worth the candle? How much potential do you think Bellarmine has? Lipscomb?
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