(03-09-2020 09:10 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote: Belmont is a perfect candidate for the SoCon. They're already associated in Men's Soccer (means nothing I know) with the SoCon. Belmont would make 11 in the SoCon and a good 20 game schedule in basketball and doesn't disrupt the 9 member (8 conference game) football part of the conference.
Yup, already an associate member. I heard they turned down both Horizon and MVC in the past, and then this associate membership happened not terribly long after. You don't want to put two and two together, but, I think full membership is in their near future and something they want.
And it wouldn't surprise me if they have an even higher ceiling than SoCon (and, no, that isn't CAA).
Quote:I doubt they take UIC.
I suspect Loyola and Valpo are good for the perma-block from here on out. And, maybe you don't see much support from the public members, either? Has UIC really been tearing it up in Horizon? If there was upward mobility in play, I would think you would see UIC pouring a mint into hoops so it could move elsewhere. And not just MVC, but other destinations. It's not happening, or not the same way other institutions inject into hoops.
The one I watch in all of this, if things begin to move between the OVC, Horizon, SoCon, and MVC is Northern Kentucky. Like, you're right outside of Cincinnati, and you play in a gem of an arena, and they wasted no time in finding their way to the top of the Horizon. Is there somewhere else they can be in a few years?