PittsburghBucs
Banned
Posts: 8,695
Joined: Oct 2005
I Root For: Justice
Location:
|
The OVC Skinny
It's said the OVC wants to break into divisions so that the teams don't have to play as many conference games.
If the league went to divisions NOW-
East
E. Kentucky
Jacksonville St.
Tennessee St.
Morehead St.
Tennessee Tech
West
E. Illinois
UT-Martin
SE Missouri St.
Murray St.
Austin Peay
Or, if you prefer
North
E. Illinois
E. Kentucky
Morehead St.
Murray St.
SE Missouri St.
South
Jacksonville St.
Tennessee St.
Austin Peay
UT-Martin
TN Tech
As you can see, SIU-Edwardsville makes a great travel partner for Eastern Illinois.
If the divisions were east-west- ETSU fits in nicely there. If they were north-south- you could put in a Belmont or Lipscomb.
Now, if Paul Stanton is forming a committee, it only makes sense an offer was made.
It makes sense if there was some sort of compromise. The OVC realizes they could put the A-Sun out of business, and frankly you don't want to create bad blood that would prohibit current A-Sun teams from scheduling you in the future.
And to be honest, I think with Belmont and Lipscomb- if one was to leave without the other it would kill one of their NCAA berths. And if my crosstown rival did that to me, I would never play them again. So I think it's a deal with one or the other.
Furthermore, the OVC is a league of public schools of similar size to ETSU. Belmont and Lipscomb are private.
So, the OVC takes ETSU instead of the Nashville schools.
Two problems here. First- this means that you'd be joining a league that is simply not any better than the A-Sun. ETSU's presense may put the OVC ahead of the A-Sun in the RPIs, but really it's a lateral move.
Second- Jacksonville State is a wild card. They want to go D-1-A in football, but they can't by law do it until 2011- the very year the Bucs contract expires with the A-Sun.
But that would leave 11 schools if JSU left and ETSU takes their place.
But I just don't think Belmont would leave and then jeapordize their series with Lipscomb.
That would mean a new school in the "OVC East" (Radford?).
Or, if an offer has NOT been made to ETSU, Belmont and Lipscomb may still be on the table.
It's really a damned if you do and damned if you don't. The least amount of risk is to join the OVC, but the least amount of return also comes with that as well.
Personally, I think I would ask Belmont and Lipscomb if I can get a promise to stay in the A-Sun. If they do, the automatic bid is secure, and I may politely decline the OVC's offer.
It's just not as good for the non-revenue sports, if the A-Sun is stable it will likely evolve to be better in hoops, and I have greater dreams for the growth of ETSU sports than to maybe someday have a football program in the OVC.
|
|
02-08-2008 09:18 PM |
|
bucfan81
Heisman
Posts: 7,283
Joined: Nov 2006
Reputation: 14
I Root For: ETSU
Location: Johnson City
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
Excuse my ignorance, but who is SIU-Edwardsville? Are they a current OVC school or someone the OVC is conidering? Thanks.
|
|
02-08-2008 09:27 PM |
|
PittsburghBucs
Banned
Posts: 8,695
Joined: Oct 2005
I Root For: Justice
Location:
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.
They are supposedly the front runner to join the OVC.
Right now they are a Division II with six teams nationally ranked- including the top Division II softball team in the country.
|
|
02-09-2008 12:14 AM |
|
bucfan81
Heisman
Posts: 7,283
Joined: Nov 2006
Reputation: 14
I Root For: ETSU
Location: Johnson City
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
Thanks, I did not know about them. Is the school a branch of Southern Illinois U ?
|
|
02-09-2008 09:23 AM |
|
PittsburghBucs
Banned
Posts: 8,695
Joined: Oct 2005
I Root For: Justice
Location:
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
They gotta be.
|
|
02-09-2008 03:57 PM |
|
BredsVoice
Water Engineer
Posts: 53
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation: 0
I Root For: Murray State
Location:
|
|
02-14-2008 11:36 AM |
|
etsualumni00
2nd String
Posts: 373
Joined: Jan 2007
Reputation: 3
I Root For:
Location:
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
If NKU joins, that means the OVC only has room for 2 more schools - ie, Belmont and Lipscomb. One won't go without the other, and if that's the case then we're hosed. That means we will be STUCK in a conference with no NCAA tournament bid. If that happens, a senate resolution will be the very least of Paul Stanton's worries.
|
|
02-14-2008 12:03 PM |
|
ETSUfan1
SoCon / ETSU Mod
Posts: 12,623
Joined: Apr 2005
Reputation: 93
I Root For: ETSU Football
Location: Abingdon, VA
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
HOw do you get that NKU will join from that article?
|
|
02-14-2008 01:20 PM |
|
PittsburghBucs
Banned
Posts: 8,695
Joined: Oct 2005
I Root For: Justice
Location:
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
First thing you have to remember is that Jacksonville State hasn't left yet. And while they MIGHT- they won't until 2011, and there isn't a real natural fit for them. Sure there's the Sun Belt, but that is assuming they want 11 football schools, which isn't a really great number.
Second is if NKU is joining, and it's very possible but it would have gone underneath everyone's radar, consider the reason why the OVC is interested in them. A new arena.
Not a new soccer field. Not a new softball park. They will have a new arena.
Third is that ETSU has one advantage over Belmont and Lipscomb. They are a public university with a similar enrollment to the other OVC schools.
Belmont and Lipscomb are private.
They could still fit in with a north-south division. SIU-E could still fit in with an east-west- though you wonder now about the travel partners.
Also, I can't imagine SIU-E would help the RPI of a conference that is already struggling competitively, especially not paired with another ex-Division II college.
But the thing to consider here is if the announcement is that NKU is joining the OVC you would imagine the conference is going to make another decision quickly.
But while SIU-E would be begging for an invite- showing up with candy and flowers at the front door on a moment's notice, so to speak-
"Won't Take the Fall, Paul" is gathering a committee to make a decision and trying the conference's patience.
|
|
02-14-2008 01:49 PM |
|
etsuBucsFan1988
Millennial Grief Counselor
Posts: 2,918
Joined: May 2005
Reputation: 9
I Root For: ETSU Hoops
Location:
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
I have never even heard of NKU....and I was in western KY for 2 years!
|
|
02-14-2008 02:26 PM |
|
BredsVoice
Water Engineer
Posts: 53
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation: 0
I Root For: Murray State
Location:
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
False alarm.
Originally, the article stated that the president was going to make a huge announcement at halftime of their game tonight, that was monumental for the history of the program and the new arena.
Then they changed it.
(This post was last modified: 02-14-2008 03:28 PM by BredsVoice.)
|
|
02-14-2008 03:28 PM |
|
PittsburghBucs
Banned
Posts: 8,695
Joined: Oct 2005
I Root For: Justice
Location:
|
RE: The OVC Skinny
It appears, in re-reading the article, that the "major annoucement" is that NKU will be playing Louisville at their new arena.
Which is not too shabby for a Division II school.
|
|
02-14-2008 03:57 PM |
|
BredsVoice
Water Engineer
Posts: 53
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation: 0
I Root For: Murray State
Location:
|
|
02-14-2008 04:30 PM |
|