(05-09-2017 11:28 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(05-09-2017 11:08 AM)NDSUguy Wrote:  

(05-09-2017 11:01 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(05-09-2017 10:43 AM)solohawks Wrote:  With Valpo now being the only candidate leaving officially I would guess the Horizon at minimum would expand by 1.

I am going to guess that Omaha will get that spot based on articles I have seen. The Horizon could go to 12 and completely gut the Summit take both IUPU's as well. UMKC may be in the mix if Horizon wants to go to 12. Horizon seems to be pushing themselves as big Midwestern markets so they have options.

Some of the Horizon thinking here may be that if they go to 12 and they do it right that it may be enough to prevent another MVC raid.

Horizon geography:

West: Green Bay, Milwaukee, Illinois-Chicago
East: Oakland, Detroit, YSU, Wright St, Cleveland St, NKU

The only way to push to 12 and two divisions would be to add 3 schools to the west.

IUPUI would have to go into the west division. I guess that would also apply Fort Wayne though I feel like its a market that orients toward Ohio/Michigan rather than looking west.

Then the 12th school comes down to UNO or UMKC. My choice would be UMKC because of cheaper flights in this case.

IF they want to go to 12 schools they would be better off going with Western Illinois over UMKC or Omaha. That is the backwards thinking of the Horizon League. They think that markets mean something when in reality they don't - at least not with UNO or UMKC. They should get to 12 by tightening their footprint not expanding it.

As a current KC resident (outside the city proper), I think if UMKC joined the right league and invested just a little bit more in the program, particularly in marketing, it could be a great pick up for any conference. In baseball, KC has the Royals, in football the Chiefs, and even Sporting KC has a good following. But since we don't have an NBA team, UMKC could become Kansas City's basketball team. Get in a conference with a couple natural rivals and I think people would have alot of fun at games.

"Kansas City's basketball team" is the University of Kansas. Lawrence is only 40 minutes from downtown Kansas City, MO.