For what it's worth. But it's looking more and more like this is it

https://twitter.com/happeninghoops/statu...7635419137

Happening Hoops‏ @happeninghoops
MVC appears to be visiting Murray State on Tuesday and Valparaiso on Wednesday.
6:51 PM - 23 Apr 2017

coincides pretty well with a mid May deadline for it to happen for next season.

We're thinking this is an expansion to 11 with 20-game schedules? Or is this The Realignment Hunger Games again?

Everything I have seen points to 11 and 20

(04-24-2017 02:06 PM)CenterSquarEd Wrote:  We're thinking this is an expansion to 11 with 20-game schedules? Or is this The Realignment Hunger Games again?

Unless something is happening that we don't know of ,which is certainly possible considering how well they have done on keeping things quiet, I think they moght keep it at 11 for a few years and see how things play out.

(04-24-2017 02:17 PM)BirdstheWord Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 02:06 PM)CenterSquarEd Wrote:  We're thinking this is an expansion to 11 with 20-game schedules? Or is this The Realignment Hunger Games again?

Unless something is happening that we don't know of ,which is certainly possible considering how well they have done on keeping things quiet, I think they moght keep it at 11 for a few years and see how things play out.

Well if there is a move to a 20 game conference schedule then there is no need to go past 11. Still would have a round-robin schedule. Interesting. Wonder if there will be other conferences going to a 20 game conf schedule.

Additional detail, having tracked down the source of Hoops tweet. Valpo having a BoR meeting Wednesday before MVC officials arrive.

"Tours are mostly a formality to ensure what has been said checks out and to finalize smaller details."

Jon Rothstein initially tweeted on WSU>AAC day that MVC was targetting Murray State & Valparaiso for an 11/20 league. Despite dozens of permutations of rumors and speculation since then, looks like it all comes full circle to the first article hours after Wichita's announcement being bang-on.

Honestly, I think the 11-team, 20-game model is going to be the next big thing (the 10-team, 18-game model seems pretty popular right now). If this move happens, the OVC may well stay at 11 and the Horizon might add IPFW and IUPUI to get to 11 as well.

I am pretty sure the original list included Belmont. The MVC would have been happy with any combination of one, two or all three of these. From the very first day Cory Curtis (Nashville TV) reported Belmont had issues with travel and scholarship requirements with the MVC. Seems they dropped out of the process very early. Whatever screening to get down to three was done weeks or months before Wichita State left. The emergency meeting was almost certainly to present the action plan and get approval to execute it (Belmont had already dropped out, given the timing of comments from Bryd and Curtis).

There have been five other sources all pointing at the same direction as Rothstein all along.

Note: I do think ESPN was involved in the pre-screening (likely how Rothstein knew what he knew). Six schools were supposedly on first pass the evaluation list "according to industry sources" (like who else beside ESPN and/or CBS programmers can that be?). The three schools above, plus Omaha, Northern Kentucky, and North Dakota State. NKU had only one good year, and like UNO did not have the athletic metrics in either financial support or performance to advance. Also NDSU is tied to the other Dakota schools, and not ready to leave their rivalries. That Drake and Illinois State felt safe in moving men's tennis to the Summit confirmed for me that no tSL schools were on the final target list - the move coming after the vote to execute the plan. Other names showing up after April 8th were spurious, they were not on the action plan list, and that was not going to expand after the approval vote. An aside UMKC did signal interest in moving, but that is something quite different, a flag raising operation - acknowledgement the WAC move has not worked out for them.

Things should happen quickly now. I figure the visits will be followed by a report and commentary, and a final confirming decision. This will require a discussion late this week, and probably a phone conference vote. With turnaround requirements and BoR notices and such, my WAG is the invites will be out formally next week sometime; my over under is May 3rd.

Murray State definitely has to stay in the OVC for Football in 2017. It's simply way too late to change that.

(04-24-2017 06:45 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Honestly, I think the 11-team, 20-game model is going to be the next big thing (the 10-team, 18-game model seems pretty popular right now). If this move happens, the OVC may well stay at 11 and the Horizon might add IPFW and IUPUI to get to 11 as well.

Mo St doesn't seem to get respect from the MVC. When the MVC lost Creighton, schools like ORU and UMKC got site visits as possible a way to placate the Shockers regionally. Now, no games are being played to give Mo St a true travel and regional partner. It appears that the MVC has given Mo St a one way ticket out with the way they have been respected.

The number 11 might show the MVC expects to lose another school.

(04-24-2017 06:52 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:45 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Honestly, I think the 11-team, 20-game model is going to be the next big thing (the 10-team, 18-game model seems pretty popular right now). If this move happens, the OVC may well stay at 11 and the Horizon might add IPFW and IUPUI to get to 11 as well.

Mo St doesn't seem to get respect from the MVC. When the MVC lost Creighton, schools like ORU and UMKC got site visits as possible a way to placate the Shockers regionally. Now, no games are being played to give Mo St a true travel and regional partner. It appears that the MVC has given Mo St a one way ticket out with the way they have been respected.

The number 11 might show the MVC expects to lose another school.

UMKC and Oral Roberts would be crap adds.

(04-24-2017 07:09 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:52 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:45 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Honestly, I think the 11-team, 20-game model is going to be the next big thing (the 10-team, 18-game model seems pretty popular right now). If this move happens, the OVC may well stay at 11 and the Horizon might add IPFW and IUPUI to get to 11 as well.

Mo St doesn't seem to get respect from the MVC. When the MVC lost Creighton, schools like ORU and UMKC got site visits as possible a way to placate the Shockers regionally. Now, no games are being played to give Mo St a true travel and regional partner. It appears that the MVC has given Mo St a one way ticket out with the way they have been respected.

The number 11 might show the MVC expects to lose another school.

UMKC and Oral Roberts would be crap adds.

I realize that but Mo St is now the island school that is seemingly unimportant to the MVC's future. Maybe call the Belt back or insist that SEMO gets addded!

(04-24-2017 07:19 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 07:09 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:52 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:45 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Honestly, I think the 11-team, 20-game model is going to be the next big thing (the 10-team, 18-game model seems pretty popular right now). If this move happens, the OVC may well stay at 11 and the Horizon might add IPFW and IUPUI to get to 11 as well.

Mo St doesn't seem to get respect from the MVC. When the MVC lost Creighton, schools like ORU and UMKC got site visits as possible a way to placate the Shockers regionally. Now, no games are being played to give Mo St a true travel and regional partner. It appears that the MVC has given Mo St a one way ticket out with the way they have been respected.

The number 11 might show the MVC expects to lose another school.

UMKC and Oral Roberts would be crap adds.

I realize that but Mo St is now the island school that is seemingly unimportant to the MVC's future. Maybe call the Belt back or insist that SEMO gets addded!

SEMO is worst than those two. Unless SLU decides the A-10 isn't for them, there isn't a school that can help out.

(04-24-2017 07:35 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 07:19 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 07:09 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:52 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:45 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Honestly, I think the 11-team, 20-game model is going to be the next big thing (the 10-team, 18-game model seems pretty popular right now). If this move happens, the OVC may well stay at 11 and the Horizon might add IPFW and IUPUI to get to 11 as well.

Mo St doesn't seem to get respect from the MVC. When the MVC lost Creighton, schools like ORU and UMKC got site visits as possible a way to placate the Shockers regionally. Now, no games are being played to give Mo St a true travel and regional partner. It appears that the MVC has given Mo St a one way ticket out with the way they have been respected.

The number 11 might show the MVC expects to lose another school.

UMKC and Oral Roberts would be crap adds.

I realize that but Mo St is now the island school that is seemingly unimportant to the MVC's future. Maybe call the Belt back or insist that SEMO gets addded!

SEMO is worst than those two. Unless SLU decides the A-10 isn't for them, there isn't a school that can help out.

UTA or UALR can help, but they wouldn't go for it. Mo St is between a rock and a hard place.

I only added SEMO facetiously, because no way does Mo St align itself with a directional Mo school anymore

(04-24-2017 06:49 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Six schools were supposedly on first pass the evaluation list "according to industry sources" (like who else beside ESPN and/or CBS programmers can that be?). The three schools above, plus Omaha, Northern Kentucky, and North Dakota State.

This is made up, and has nothing to back it. Guaranteed that Omaha and NDSU were not under consideration.

(04-24-2017 07:35 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  Unless SLU decides the A-10 isn't for them, there isn't a school that can help out.

In other words, there is no school that can help MSU in the MVC.

Unless if Missouri backs out of the SEC . . .

Well only three made it to the "plan"

Who knows how many were on the list that got trimmed, before the plan? That was the list put out. (Dargan Southard, Gannet Newsgroup)
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/s...100134890/

Note Steve Layman, Nashville Channel 5 reported the same list, then followed up later on the 6th with the list parred down to 3: Belmont, Valparaiso, and Murray State. He must have done some work between the two reports that day.

I think the evidence is the list was longer at some point, but the final three was already clear by the time Wichita State left, and in fact Belmont had dropped out too.

(04-24-2017 08:03 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:49 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Six schools were supposedly on first pass the evaluation list "according to industry sources" (like who else beside ESPN and/or CBS programmers can that be?). The three schools above, plus Omaha, Northern Kentucky, and North Dakota State.

This is made up, and has nothing to back it. Guaranteed that Omaha and NDSU were not under consideration.

(04-24-2017 07:35 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  Unless SLU decides the A-10 isn't for them, there isn't a school that can help out.

In other words, there is no school that can help MSU in the MVC.

Missouri State isn't as far on the fringe of the MVC footprint as what Wichita was.

There are two Iowa schools in the MVC and Southern Illinois that keep things fairly regional. Murray is only 3 hours from St. Louis home of arch madness.

(04-24-2017 06:52 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 06:45 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Honestly, I think the 11-team, 20-game model is going to be the next big thing (the 10-team, 18-game model seems pretty popular right now). If this move happens, the OVC may well stay at 11 and the Horizon might add IPFW and IUPUI to get to 11 as well.

Mo St doesn't seem to get respect from the MVC. When the MVC lost Creighton, schools like ORU and UMKC got site visits as possible a way to placate the Shockers regionally. Now, no games are being played to give Mo St a true travel and regional partner. It appears that the MVC has given Mo St a one way ticket out with the way they have been respected.

The number 11 might show the MVC expects to lose another school.

I was shocked the other day when I googlemap'd and discovered Oral Roberts is an hour closer to Missouri St than Wichita was.

If Oral Roberts was the same program today as 10 years ago in Sutton's heyday, they'd be the perfect #12 for that conference. Former MVC city, good attendance, MSU travel partner, and 6/6 public/private split.