One other important thing to wonder is what is going to happen to Murray State if the MVFC does not take them?

I could see the ASun trying to get both Murray and Tenn Tech as well as Tenn State to get to 14

Murray, EKU, Bellarmine, Austin Peay, Lipscomb, Tenn Tech and Tenn St would be a tight northern divison

UNA, Kennesaw, and the 4 Florida schools would work well together too.

UCA would be an outlier in a south division so they may have to go East/West

OVC must think they’ll land WIU:

(12-17-2021 10:52 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  OVC must think they’ll land WIU:

Losing Murray and 1 more to the ASun would put them at 4

Even if they got WIU at that point, who would be there #6?

Again IMO--- no way WIU moves its FB to the unstable OVC till it stabilizes--IF it survives(unlikely).

(But WIU to a non-football OVC while staying in the MVFC would make financial sense)

One "hail mary" the OVC may be pitching is FB ONLY memberships for some schools in order to have six and remain a football conference. I thought if they were REAL desperate they might pull out this last resort idea!



Who could be an OVC FB only?



Murray St.--- they are MVC bound but may not want the MVFC (a separate league) or the MVFC may not want them ever OR not for a few years. An OVC FB only could be helpful to the Racers

Grand Valley St.--- IF they could secure an invite into the Summit, Horizon or any non FB D1 league-- a FB only membership in the OVC could work

** There may be one more FB only possibility I am missing?

Of course if OVC FB became viable due to these last minute heroics then Tenn St. might stay.

At that point WIU sees the OVC as a possibility for all sports.

You also have the even more far fetched ideas of Chicago St. football and/or UAPB as full members bringing FB.

If somehow Murray St. does NOT receive an invite to the MVC (BB) ALL bets are OFF!

I thought Racers to the MVC was a "lock" but it is not 100%.

It would be a huge win for the OVC if they kept Murray!

Then again Murray could take a full invite to the ASUN and the OVC would be back in trouble.

I do think if the MVC passes over Murray again that they will turn to the ASUN. It'd be too humiliating to stay in the constantly downgrading OVC.

Flipping UCA and Austin Peay are about the only move the OVC has that could save in-conference football. I completely get why they are taking that strategy.

I’m curious if they would consider letting EKU back in and/or UNA and KSU as affiliates or full members

Is the ASUN that attractive anymore?

(12-18-2021 08:09 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Flipping UCA and Austin Peay are about the only move the OVC has that could save in-conference football. I completely get why they are taking that strategy.

I've been one of the main ones doing it, but "UCA to OVC" is almost pure speculation. It's based on a rumor of the OVC looking at a second Arkansas school, and UCA being a second Arkansas school (there aren't many) who just made a conference move that doesn't look the same as it did when they made the move a year ago.

I don;'t konw that they're "taking that strategy." I mean, if I were the OVC commissioner, I would be calling up Central Arkansas and accusing Ted Gumbart of being every kind of an "all hat no cattle" con man faking it till he makes it, with the OVC as a small time but actually operating conference.

On the other hand, Central Arkansas is probably also on the phone to Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky hearing about what a rathole the OVC was for football schools

Quote:I’m curious if they would consider letting EKU back in and/or UNA and KSU as affiliates or full members

It makes almost zero sense for Central Arkansas to go to the OVC.

UCA and Peay aren't going to the OVC. Zero percent chance.

But the OVC has a few other schools they're trying to recruit that I don't think have hit the message boards or anything yet, both current FCS programs, and D-II schools. Not sure if they'll pull it off, but they need to hear a lot more No's before they have to think about mergers or anything.

(12-18-2021 10:04 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  UCA and Peay aren't going to the OVC. Zero percent chance.

But the OVC has a few other schools they're trying to recruit that I don't think have hit the message boards or anything yet, both current FCS programs, and D-II schools. Not sure if they'll pull it off, but they need to hear a lot more No's before they have to think about mergers or anything.

Interesting, thanks for the note.

The only current FCS program that would make any sort of sense would be WIU, which has been discussed.

If Chicago State actually did get a full scholarship FCS team going, they would make sense too.

What other current FCS programs would entertain the OVC?

(12-18-2021 10:20 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(12-18-2021 10:04 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  UCA and Peay aren't going to the OVC. Zero percent chance.

But the OVC has a few other schools they're trying to recruit that I don't think have hit the message boards or anything yet, both current FCS programs, and D-II schools. Not sure if they'll pull it off, but they need to hear a lot more No's before they have to think about mergers or anything.

Interesting, thanks for the note.

The only current FCS program that would make any sort of sense would be WIU, which has been discussed.

If Chicago State actually did get a full scholarship FCS team going, they would make sense too.

What other current FCS programs would entertain the OVC?

Matt, isn't the OVC trying to get some DII callups to help fill out both basketball USI, Lincoln Memorial) as well as football ones like Valdosta St?

(12-18-2021 01:51 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  I do think if the MVC passes over Murray again that they will turn to the ASUN. It'd be too humiliating to stay in the constantly downgrading OVC.

OVC just added Little Rock.

I feel like its becoming attractive for a DI or DII that is right in the middle of their footprint.

One thing I would be concerned with is post MVC expansion will the Horizon League go after SIU-E as a replacement?

I would think Bellarmine and their Louisville location be more attractive to the Horizon and their Midwestern market approach

How about something like this for 2022 then? The A-Sun gets past the abrupt loss of JSU, and, after losing a few more FB schools, the OVC goes non-football.

A-Sun
FCS (7): Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Kennesaw State, North Alabama, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech
NFB (6): Bellarmine, FGCU, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FCS (5+2): Campbell, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Monmouth*, NC A&T, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

CUSA
FBS East (7): Charlotte, FAU, FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky
FBS West (7): Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston, UAB, UTSA, UTEP

OVC
NFB (9): Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville, Southeast Missouri, Southern Indiana, Tennessee-Martin, Western Illinois

Southland
FCS (6+3): Eastern Illinois*, Houston Baptist, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, SE Louisiana, Southeast Missouri*, TAMU Commerce, Tennessee-Martin*
NFB (2): New Orleans, TAMU Corpus Christi

WAC
FCS (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington, Utah Valley, UTRGV

I'm assuming UIC and Murray State to the MVC (with Murray FB to the MVFC). Not sure whether the Horizon would seek to replace UIC, such as with a school like Bellarmine, as solohawks suggested above. Also, with the CAA losing JMU, it's not clear who they'd want to add, though a number of candidates have been mentioned. Were they to invite Hampton or Monmouth, the Big South would be down to the bare minimum of 6 FB members.

(12-18-2021 12:14 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  How about something like this for 2022 then? The A-Sun gets past the abrupt loss of JSU, and, after losing a few more FB schools, the OVC goes non-football.

A-Sun
FCS (7): Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Kennesaw State, North Alabama, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech
NFB (6): Bellarmine, FGCU, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, North Florida, Stetson

Big South
FCS (5+2): Campbell, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, Monmouth*, NC A&T, Robert Morris*
NFB (7): High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop

CUSA
FBS East (7): Charlotte, FAU, FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky
FBS West (7): Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston, UAB, UTSA, UTEP

OVC
NFB (9): Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Little Rock, Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville, Southeast Missouri, Southern Indiana, Tennessee-Martin, Western Illinois

Southland
FCS (6+3): Eastern Illinois*, Houston Baptist, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, SE Louisiana, Southeast Missouri*, TAMU Commerce, Tennessee-Martin*
NFB (2): New Orleans, TAMU Corpus Christi

WAC
FCS (7): Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
NFB (7): Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Arlington, Utah Valley, UTRGV

Why would Sam Houston join the CUSA, but not NMSU? If Sam Houston could move their basketball to CUSA, why wouldn’t NMSU?

(12-18-2021 10:40 AM)solohawks Wrote:  I would think Bellarmine and their Louisville location be more attractive to the Horizon and their Midwestern market approach

They're just waiting for Bellarmine to fully transition.

(12-18-2021 12:53 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Why would Sam Houston join the CUSA, but not NMSU? If Sam Houston could move their basketball to CUSA, why wouldn’t NMSU?

I figure NMSU would need to wait another year to reduce the number of FB games they have to buy out. Their non-FB sports could move next year, but then CUSA would be at 15 BB schools, so they wait until 2023 and move everything then.

(12-18-2021 12:54 PM)whittx Wrote:  

(12-18-2021 10:40 AM)solohawks Wrote:  I would think Bellarmine and their Louisville location be more attractive to the Horizon and their Midwestern market approach

They're just waiting for Bellarmine to fully transition.

Pulling another NKU, eh?