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IPFW, who has spent the last 12 seasons as a member of the Summit League, has scheduled a "Major Athletics Announcement" for tomorrow (Tuesday, Aug. 6) at 10 am. There has been no official word what this announcement is about, but sources have leaked that they will announce that IPFW will leave the Summit and join the Horizon League.
https://twitter.com/GoMastodons/stat...55712734994434
The Horizon League already has 10 members, so if this is true, it will expand the Horizon League to 11. It is possible a team is leaving, or more likely, they will look to add a 12th team and divide into 2 divisions.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ngs/_/group/45
This raises other possibilities ...Could the MVC be about to announce further expansion?
Recall that when the MVC added Valparaiso 2 years ago to replace Wichita State, MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin said the MVC would also create a working committee that would study future expansion possibilities for the MVC. Commissioner Elgin made statements that suggested it would be in the MVC's best interest to add 2 more schools and expand to 12 teams. The committee has continued to meet regularly and some expected them to issue their report this past spring or summer. No report has been announced yet. But in 2017 Doug Elgin said this-
"I think if we felt we could take two member institutions that could lift men's and women's basketball — and our other programs, but men's and women's basketball being the priority — I think , we would aggressively pursue expansion."
When Valparaiso was added in 2017, other schools that were considered included Wisconsin-Milwaukee, IUPUI, and UIC (Horizon League), Murray State and Belmont (Ohio Valley Conference), Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun Conference), University of New Orleans (Southland Conference), St. Louis University (Atlantic 10), and Omaha and Denver (Summit). Belmont and St. Louis were not interested.
Other school that might now be interested include Northern Kentucky, South Dakota State, Wright State, and most of the other Horizon League teams (Detroit, Cleveland State, Green Bay, Oakland), as well as several MAC teams like Bowling Green, Kent State, Akron, Ohio U., Miami, Toledo, Ball State, EMU, CMU, and NIU, and other OVC schools.
Many of those schools play football at a higher level than the MVC Football Conference, so that could complicate any switch for them.
But I expect the MVC expansion issue to resurface soon.
On the other hand, the Summit League currently has 9 members, so IPFW leaving with shrink it to 8 teams. UMKC has already accepted an invitation to re-join the Summit League for the 2020-21 school year. They were Summit League members from 2007-08 to 2012-13. They have been in the WAC for the last 6 seasons, and will play one final season in the WAC this year before joining the Summit. Will they look to expand further?
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ngs/_/group/49
Any thoughts about whether now is a good time for the MVC to expand, and who would be the best teams to add?
I preferred Murray State back in 2017, while the MVC ADs and Presidents seemed to prefer another private school. Since Belmont, which was the best private school option then, was not interested, Valparaiso was chosen. It was reported that Milwaukee was the runner-up. But how nice would it have been to have Murray State and All-American Ja Morant in the MVC these past 2 years?
I still prefer Murray State over Milwaukee, though some people think we would benefit from the Milwaukee market (I doubt that is true).
IMO, we should go hard after Belmont and Murray State again. There are a number of other good choices in the list above.
Expanding to 12 members has several advantages. One is that it would allow schools to increase the number of conference games from 18 to 20 or more. Since scheduling is hard, and the big schools refuse to play midmajors, the MVC members would not have to resort to playing so many low-RPI opponents just to fill their schedule. That will help every team's NET and improves the chance of getting more than 1 NCAA bid. IMO, now is the right time to act.
https://twitter.com/GoMastodons/stat...55712734994434
The Horizon League already has 10 members, so if this is true, it will expand the Horizon League to 11. It is possible a team is leaving, or more likely, they will look to add a 12th team and divide into 2 divisions.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ngs/_/group/45
This raises other possibilities ...Could the MVC be about to announce further expansion?
Recall that when the MVC added Valparaiso 2 years ago to replace Wichita State, MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin said the MVC would also create a working committee that would study future expansion possibilities for the MVC. Commissioner Elgin made statements that suggested it would be in the MVC's best interest to add 2 more schools and expand to 12 teams. The committee has continued to meet regularly and some expected them to issue their report this past spring or summer. No report has been announced yet. But in 2017 Doug Elgin said this-
"I think if we felt we could take two member institutions that could lift men's and women's basketball — and our other programs, but men's and women's basketball being the priority — I think , we would aggressively pursue expansion."
When Valparaiso was added in 2017, other schools that were considered included Wisconsin-Milwaukee, IUPUI, and UIC (Horizon League), Murray State and Belmont (Ohio Valley Conference), Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun Conference), University of New Orleans (Southland Conference), St. Louis University (Atlantic 10), and Omaha and Denver (Summit). Belmont and St. Louis were not interested.
Other school that might now be interested include Northern Kentucky, South Dakota State, Wright State, and most of the other Horizon League teams (Detroit, Cleveland State, Green Bay, Oakland), as well as several MAC teams like Bowling Green, Kent State, Akron, Ohio U., Miami, Toledo, Ball State, EMU, CMU, and NIU, and other OVC schools.
Many of those schools play football at a higher level than the MVC Football Conference, so that could complicate any switch for them.
But I expect the MVC expansion issue to resurface soon.
On the other hand, the Summit League currently has 9 members, so IPFW leaving with shrink it to 8 teams. UMKC has already accepted an invitation to re-join the Summit League for the 2020-21 school year. They were Summit League members from 2007-08 to 2012-13. They have been in the WAC for the last 6 seasons, and will play one final season in the WAC this year before joining the Summit. Will they look to expand further?
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ngs/_/group/49
Any thoughts about whether now is a good time for the MVC to expand, and who would be the best teams to add?
I preferred Murray State back in 2017, while the MVC ADs and Presidents seemed to prefer another private school. Since Belmont, which was the best private school option then, was not interested, Valparaiso was chosen. It was reported that Milwaukee was the runner-up. But how nice would it have been to have Murray State and All-American Ja Morant in the MVC these past 2 years?
I still prefer Murray State over Milwaukee, though some people think we would benefit from the Milwaukee market (I doubt that is true).
IMO, we should go hard after Belmont and Murray State again. There are a number of other good choices in the list above.
Expanding to 12 members has several advantages. One is that it would allow schools to increase the number of conference games from 18 to 20 or more. Since scheduling is hard, and the big schools refuse to play midmajors, the MVC members would not have to resort to playing so many low-RPI opponents just to fill their schedule. That will help every team's NET and improves the chance of getting more than 1 NCAA bid. IMO, now is the right time to act.
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