SIU-E to Join Ohio Valley Conference

[tornado]

Not only will they be fully Division I in 2009-2010, but starting in the Fall of 2009
SIU-E will become the newest member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
They will bring the OVC to a total of 12 members along with:
Austin Peay
Murray State
Morehead State
Tennessee Martin
Tennessee State
Eastern Kentucky
Samford
Tennessee Tech
Southeast Missouri State
Eastern Illinois
Jacksonville State

They look to EIU and SEMO as their most natural inter-conference rivalries, and their enrollment of 13,500 places SIU-E among the the top 3 schools in the OVC in enrollment.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/8DE5B3999E7E958D86257461001CB9C6?OpenDocument

[MacabreMob]

So when they make it to the NCAA Tourney, will they be known as SIU-E, SIUE, or something else? But so when SIU-Carbondale makes the NCAA Tourney, will they still be known as SIU or will they become SIU-C, SIUC, or something else?

LOL!

[houstontxbrave]

As an SIUE graduate, this is amazing to me. When I was at the school we were a D2 independent, with no dorms and it was mostly a commuter campus. Now they are begining the venture into D1 in the Ohio Valley. Incredible the progress of that campus and its programs even since my exit in 93.

Now, the OVC does not play soccer or wrestle and it does play football. It will be interesting to see if the soccer program ends up anywhere as both the men and woman at SIUE are nationally competitive atleast in D2. I doubt they will begin a football program but with the movement of the school in the last 20 years football would not surprise me.

Just think in a couple of years they could be part of the bracketbuster, hope they keep that RPI up

If they ever go into anything national my guess is they go by Edwardsville or SIUE.

[squirrel]

SIUE has contemplated seceding from SIUC in recent years, and they will do everything in their power to separate themselves from Carbondale.

The problem is that Edwardsville would always be confused with Evansville, as well.

[thefish7]

Yeah I kinda hope they change to Edwardsville U, or Edwardsville State, or something to that effect. Any famous illinoisans we can name it after?

[houstontxbrave]

Yeah I kinda hope they change to Edwardsville U, or Edwardsville State, or something to that effect. Any famous illinoisans we can name it after?

Houstontxbrave would be a good choice

Ed Hightower, Bill Plaschke and Dewayne Staats all went to SIUE doubt any of those are worthy of a school named after them.

Maybe if Illiinois could keep a governor out of jail or on the verge of being in one they could name it after a governor

[tornado]

Although we reported on this Sunday, it is just now being released by the OVC and being picked up by media

http://www.ovcsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6200&ATCLID=1478675

[patrick_o'brian]

Houstontxbrave would be a good choice

Ed Hightower, Bill Plaschke and Dewayne Staats all went to SIUE doubt any of those are worthy of a school named after them.

Maybe if Illiinois could keep a governor out of jail or on the verge of being in one they could name it after a governor

Well we have James Madison U., William and Mary, George Washington U............What about Barack Obama University at Edwardsville?

[tornado]

Or Ed Hightower U.

http://www.siu.edu/bot/Hightower-bio.html