(02-20-2019 05:21 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  In this alternate history scenario, the MVC never drops football though does accept the drop to I-AA.

MVC 1986 (I-AA)
Full: Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Southwest Missouri, Western Illinois
NFB: Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Tulsa, Wichita State

In the mid-'90s, Tulsa leaves for the WAC as in our timeline, but with the focus of the conference on FB over BB, they are replaced by Youngstown State, and Evansville is never added. In the '00s, NDSU and SDSU are picked up as FB affiliates, followed a few years later by UND and USD. The departures of Creighton to the Big East and subsequently Wichita State to the AAC are answered by offering full membership to the 4 Dakota schools. This incidentally guts the Summit League, forcing most of its remaining members to join the WAC. Loyola-Chicago and Valparaiso remain in the Horizon League. Thus by the present, we have this:

MVC 2019 (FCS)
Full (East): Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Youngstown State
Full (West): Missouri State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State
NFB: Bradley, Drake

The divisions are only for football scheduling, as there is no CCG.

Also in 2019, we have:

Horizon: Cleveland State, Detroit, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, IUPUI, Loyola-Chicago, Milwaukee, Oakland, UIC, Valparaiso, Wright State

WAC: Cal Baptist, Chicago State, CSU Bakersfield*, Denver, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Omaha, Oral Roberts, Seattle, UMKC, Utah Valley, UTRGV

* destined for Big West; to be replaced by Dixie State

Revised scenario! I have just learned that Creighton and Bradley were invited to the Midwest City/Collegiate Conference (now the Horizon League in our timeline) in 1985, but Creighton's declining put the kibosh on it. Here let's say it happens! Several MVC schools act in the same manner as in our timeline: West Texas leaves the MVC in 1986, Tulsa football goes I-A independent, Wichita State goes I-A independent briefly before dropping football, and Drake stops offering FB scholarships and goes independent before joining the Pioneer League in 1991. Due to the MVC's need for FB schools, Northern Iowa and Southwest Missouri join earlier than in our timeline, and Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois are invited.

MVC 1987 (I-AA)
Full: Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Southwest Missouri, Western Illinois
NFB: Drake, Tulsa, Wichita State

MCC 1987
NFB: Bradley, Butler, Creighton, Dayton, Detroit, Evansville, Loyola-Chicago, Notre Dame, St. Louis, Xavier

AMCU 1987
NFB: Akron, Cleveland State, Green Bay, Northern Illinois, UIC, Valparaiso, Wright State, Youngstown State

~~~~~~

The MCC would soon add DePaul and Marquette, while the AMCU/Mid-Con (renamed in 1989) adds Milwaukee. In the '90s, Akron and NIU leave the Mid-Con for the MAC. The Mid-Con staunches the bleeding with the additions of Buffalo (leaves in 1998), Chicago State, Northeastern Illinois (athletics disbanded in 1998), UMKC, and, later, IUPUI and Oakland. Drake is picked by the MCC to replace Notre Dame after the Irish leave for the Big East in 1995. In the mid-'90s, Tulsa leaves the MVC for the WAC as in our timeline, but with the focus of the MVC on FB over BB, they are replaced by Youngstown State, and Evansville remains in the MCC.

MVC 1998 (I-AA)
Full: Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Southwest Missouri, Western Illinois, Youngstown State
NFB: Wichita State

MCC 1998
NFB: Bradley, Butler, Creighton, Dayton, DePaul, Detroit, Drake, Evansville, Loyola-Chicago, Marquette, St. Louis, Xavier

Mid-Con 1998
NFB: Chicago State, Cleveland State, Green Bay, IUPUI, Milwaukee, Oakland, UIC, UMKC, Valparaiso, Wright State

~~~~~~

In 2005, DePaul and Marquette defect to the Big East, and the MCC recruits Valparaiso from the Mid-Con. Chicago State leaves the Mid-Con in 2006 (and would later end up dropping down to the DII GLVC due to financial problems). In 2007, NDSU and SDSU join the newly renamed Summit League for non-football sports and the MVC as FB affiliates, followed 2 years later by UND and USD.

MVC 2009 (FCS)
East: Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Youngstown State
West: Missouri State, North Dakota*, North Dakota State*, Northern Iowa, South Dakota*, South Dakota State*
NFB: Wichita State

* = FB only. The divisions are only for football scheduling, as there is no CCG.

MCC 2009
NFB: Bradley, Butler, Creighton, Dayton, Detroit, Drake, Evansville, Loyola-Chicago, St. Louis, Valparaiso, Xavier

Summit 2009
NFB: Cleveland State, Green Bay, IUPUI, Milwaukee, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Oakland, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UIC, UMKC, Wright State

~~~~~~

The 2013 departures of Butler, Creighton, and Xavier to the Big East are devastating to the MCC, which reluctantly strays outside its Midwestern footprint and adds Belmont. To keep the number of Catholic and non-Catholic schools even, the conference resorts to inviting the A-12's Duquesne, which politely declines. Wichita State defects from the MVC to the AAC in 2017. Rumors of the 4 Dakota schools taking their football out of the MVC and joining with some Big Sky schools to form a "Great Northern Conference" spook the MVC, which responds by offering full membership to the Dakota schools. The Summit picks up Fort Wayne and Omaha to compensate. The MCC finally finds a 10th member (and a Catholic one) when St. Thomas is booted up from DIII. Thus by the present, we have this:

MVC 2020 (FCS)
East: Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Youngstown State
West: Missouri State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State

MCC 2020
NFB: Belmont, Bradley, Dayton, Detroit, Drake, Evansville, Loyola-Chicago, St. Louis, St. Thomas, Valparaiso

Summit 2020
NFB: Cleveland State, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, IUPUI, Milwaukee, Oakland, Omaha, UIC, UMKC, Wright State

Incidentally:

A-12 2020
NFB: Davidson, Duquesne, Fordham, George Mason, George Washington, La Salle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's, VCU

A-Sun 2020
NFB: Bellarmine, FGCU, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Northern Kentucky, Stetson

OVC 2020
Full: Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Murray State, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin
NFB: Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville

Pioneer 2020
FB: Butler, Davidson, Dayton, Drake, Marist, Morehead State, Presbyterian, San Diego, St. Thomas, Stetson, Valparaiso

WAC 2020
NFB: Cal Baptist, Denver, Dixie State, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Oral Roberts, Seattle, Tarleton State, Utah Valley, UTRGV