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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2014 16:18:22 GMT -6
I'm sure Murray State and Evansville would get the call first, but would they answer? I'm skeptical, especially Murray State. With the affiliation of Belmont I believe reception from either Murray State or Evansville and particularly Evansville, will be a bit warmer. If they read the same thing we do as fans and have heard the same thing as some HL AD's, then the HL becomes that much more appealing. If the League stays unified and again ranks in the upper third of basketball conferences, our chances look pretty good of landing one, if not both schools. Murray State is the wild card, because of their being a founding member of the OVC and having football. They still have mid-major basketball power name recognition and along with Belmont, could push the HL into top ten status.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2014 14:48:54 GMT -6
Expansion has been a clusterfuck of trying to get all HL members on the same page. We have 9 current members and each of them is pushing for schools that suit their individual desires. Valpo and Detroit are pushing for 3 private schools to be added. The schools that play baseball only want to add schools that play baseball. Detroit and Oakland want to expand into the NE. Green Bay and Milwaukee have pushed to add schools from the Dakotas. Wright State wants to add more southern teams. Belmont WILL NOT join without more southern team. YSU wants Robert Morris because they have a history with them and want to expand their recruiting base over there. Several schools want Evansville because they have a history with them. Other schools want Evansville because they get many of their recruits from Indiana and having 2 HL teams in that state again helps their recruiting exposure. Some schools don't care if we expand further. Some only care about travel costs. Some only care about adding the 3 best schools for basketball. There is no combination of teams that will make everyone happy. Every school is going to have to compromise some. If we are going to add Belmont and be able to keep them as a long term member, we are going to have to add 2 other teams from the south. The best options are Murray State, Evansville, NKU, and Lipscomb. I personally wanted Robert Morris because they are a good basketball program and would have made our private schools happy. They won't work to make Belmont happy and they won't work to make our baseball schools happy. I don't see NKU and Murray State both being added because the HL will try to add at least 2 private schools to try to keep Valpo and Detroit happy. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I think the best 3 team scenario would be if we could add Belmont, Murray State, and Evansville. Travel partners would be UWM/GB, Detroit/Oakland, UIC/Valpo, CSU/YSU, WSU/Evansville, and Belmont/Murray State. I really wish we would go big and add Lipscomb and Robert Morris too. It would appease our private schools and we could add another really good program in Robert Morris. Travel partners would also be better: UWM/GB, Detroit/Oakland, UIC/Valpo, CSU/WSU, Murray State/Evansville, Belmont/Lipscomb, and YSU/Robert Morris. Misguided agendas will cause huge problems. I fully understand the Detroits and Valparaisos wanting more privates, I truly do. Belmont is an excellent start in that direction. What does need to be done is getting schools into this league that would benefit the entire conference, which means as you stated, there has to be some compromise from the institutions. I do think there should be more privates involved in the next wave of schools to join. We have 6 baseball schools. Belmont and one other private with baseball would make it 8. Another private would only really matter in voting issues that would concern the Board of Directors and their respective institutions. The Horizon League also has to decide if it really wants to have a wide reaching footprint...from Pittsburgh (Rober Morris) to Nashville (Belmont) or maintain the Great Lakes region and just go south. I am good as well with Belmont, Murray State and Evansville as the best option set. Tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...tock... That's the only thing we have now...time
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2014 10:52:16 GMT -6
There is another reason Belmont would benefit from joining the HL that hasn't been mentioned yet. Their main recruiting base is much more centered in the states that HL teams are located vs. states the OVC teams are located. Over the weekend, Belmont received commitments from 2 more Indiana kids. On their 2014/15 roster they have 6 TN kids, After that they have 5 kids from states where HL teams reside: 3 from IN, 2 from OH, and 1 from IL. They only have 2 from states where OVC teams reside: 1 IL and 1 KY. Just more food for thought. Now that's something I hadn't thought about. That's a good point Big D. Why not move to a league that, among the other benefits already mentioned, will put you in direct interaction with teams you will be recruiting against...and in their own backyards no less! If that were to happen though, the recruits will now be able to see Belmont on a more regular basis on the ESPN family of networks in addition to the HL Network. Another win-win for Belmont if it were to happen.
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Post by kevinudm on Aug 17, 2014 18:10:09 GMT -6
I like Belmont and am glad see them as an affiliate member of the Horizon League. But does that affiliate membership really earn them a place at the top of this site's webpage, as a member institution?:
BELMONT- CLEVELAND STATE- DETROIT- GREEN BAY- MILWAUKEE- OAKLAND- UIC- VALPARAISO- WRIGHT STATE- YSU
The Big Ten Network has added logos for Rutgers and Maryland on their site, but not Johns Hopkins (Men's lacrosse affiliate). Likewise, I don't see the Missouri Valley Conference highlighting Dallas Baptist University or any of its other affiliate members.
As I said, I like Belmont. I'm just concerned that this make the Horizon League look a little "needy."
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Post by HLFanaticus on Aug 19, 2014 20:55:21 GMT -6
kevinudm, as a fan, and this being a fan site, I included Belmont because they are a "part" of the HL. That was my choice. The B1G and The Valley decided, as official sites, not to include those schools you mentioned because they were not full members. That was their choice. But I understand where you're coming from.
Big DWSU, no offense taken. In reality, this site is a "johnnie-come-lately" site, being in existence for far less time than the individual member boards. Even if there is Horizon League news, most of the member boards have their own "HL News" section. They feel more comfortable using their own boards and I get that. I had hopes that this board would be as active and have as much participation as the MVC board. I guess that's not the case. I was reprimanded once before for promoting this board on member message boards so I stopped. I fully understand that as well. Maybe this board will increase in both membership and activity. If so, great...if not, oh well...at least an attempt was made.
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