...the can of worms is now open! And, it's a big one!

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/sh...hp?t=36130

A few OVC tidbits:

The OVC will be reduced to 10 members after Samford moves to the SoCon next year. The remaining schools are all public. The conference office is in Nashville. ETSU was in the OVC years ago. Jax State might be exploring a move to FBS.

As a Murray St. fan, I'd like for the OVC to look at Belmont, Lipscomb and ETSU.
Also, SIU-Edwardsville, Northern Kentucky, Evansville, and North Alabama have been discussed.

The OVC did this with schools in mind, they wouldn't have done it, just to do it.

I feel this is a mistake on the part of the OVC. Conference members should be as similar as possible whenever possible. Adding non-football schools could start to seriously erode their brand identity. I agree that the OVC obviously has some non-football schools in mind, hence the rule change, but I am not sure this is the best path for them to pursue. Only time will bear the situation out for sure, though, and it is always possible that I could be proven wrong on this matter. We will see.

Morehead State plays Pioneer League football, so perhaps they were the school in mind? Obviously this helps Jacksonville State if they drink the FBS Kool Aid and can't find a primary home (MAC football #14?).

I don't think Belmont or Lipscomb would be a wise add to the conference unless if Tennessee State also leaves the conference, because the OVC already has a presence in Nashville.

The football requirement out of the way is a major gift to SIU-Edwardsville; the only question is can they bring along Western Illinois (who would have to move football too since the OVC sponsors it). Likewise, it is also a gift to Northern Kentucky who may again decide to study Division I membership. Bellarmine hasn't officially made any noise about going Division I, but would probably be the only private school the OVC seriously considered.

Chicago State wouldn't be my first choice, but is a viable option. The OVC would add a school with a similar profile to TSU, and one that isn't that far removed from the rest of the conference. Chicago State would be a little more palatable if the OVC were to add another school in Illinois:

North - Chicago State, SIU-E/WIU, Southeast Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Eastern Illinois
South - Murray State, Austin Peay, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Chattanooga, Jacksonville State

Chicago State also adds exposure (albeit not that much) in basketball-rich Chicago. Having the OVC tournament in Chicago could do a lot for basketball recruiting.

Centenary is just too far from the rest of the conference. If the OVC somehow winds up with UALR, then Centenary might be an option, but UALR to the Summit would be more likely (i.e., Sun Belt requires FBS football). Central Arkansas would be a better pick for the OVC, but UCA just joined the Southland.

ETSU is probably the next school in the conference.

Here's what I think the OVC has in mind. The OVC currently has 11 members. Until now, they said that they were not going to add any schools when Samford departed. But with Samford leaving, there goes JSU's travel partner. Also, JSU is thinking about going to FBS football (Don't know why except for money). That leaves us 9 members.

Right now we have a 20 game conference schedule, which KILLS rpi. I believe that the OVC should add 2 members when Samford leaves and then replace JSU when they leaves.

BTW Charger, Chattanooga has already turned us down recently and you forgot Martin.

I'd say this:

North- Murray State, Eastern KY, Eastern Ill, Morehead St., SEMO, UT Martin
South-Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay, Tennessee St, Belmont, Lipscomb, ETSU

BredsVoice Wrote:Also, JSU is thinking about going to FBS football (Don't know why except for money).

That made me laugh. Why else would they go? If it's not direct money from the program it's the money from the exposure.

Yes but when you don't win, your attendance isn't very good.
To be FBS, you have to mantain certain attendance standards and I don't see them keeping up with that.

It could be argued that playing higher caliber teams known nationwide would bring more attendance and more pride from alumni. I agree, if you don't win, it's difficult.

Jax State is probably chasing Troy in their FBS dreams. They seem FCS to me, though.

Assuming this decision by the OVC is geared toward expansion (and not internal issues w/ JSU, Morehead, and Tenn State), I can definitely see the A-Sun's Tennessee schools moving over. We'll have to wait and see how many and which ones. I read that JSU's feasibility study findings will be released next week and that might determine numbers.

If only one, I'd say ETSU. It gets interesting if it's two, though....Belmont/Lipscomb? Belmont/ETSU? Three might get complicated by SIU-Edwardsville, North Alabama, and others that could come aboard after the moratorium is lifted.

My main concern is the A-Sun's auto-bid. What exactly is the current NCAA continuity rule....6 schools together for 5 years?

Jacksonville State will be taking a big gamble if the Gamecocks jump to FBS, after the moratorium ends, without a conference affiliation secured. The Sun Belt has pretty much already told them no and they have no shot at Conference USA. Independence in FBS is not a particularly pleasant state of being these days unless your name is Army, Navy, or Notre Dame.

I think it would make a lot more sense for the OVC to grab North Alabama, when the moratorium ends and they are ready to move up, as a partner to Jacksonville State. This returns the league to Alabama and gives the Gamecocks a new local rival. Even better, both are state schools, so they would be able to compete with each other on reasonably equal footing.

Most OVC people are ready to be done with Alabama. If we were to add ETSU, Belmont or Lipscomb, it would return it to mostly KY and TN, with SEMO and EIU being the only exceptions.

I'd rather get a team from MO or IL or IN than from AL.

BredsVoice Wrote:Most OVC people are ready to be done with Alabama. If we were to add ETSU, Belmont or Lipscomb, it would return it to mostly KY and TN, with SEMO and EIU being the only exceptions.

I'd rather get a team from MO or IL or IN than from AL.

Would you rather limit the bulk of your conference to just two states? Most leagues seem to be into expanding their footprints in this day and age rather than contracting them. If adding North Alabama would get Jacksonville State to stay then that should be a net plus for the OVC. Then the league could focus on finding one more team in Illinois, Kentucky, or Missouri to round things out at 12 members. At least that has been the conventional way of doing things according to recent trends in the NCAA anyway.

With gas prices, it would greatly benefit the OVC members if JSU left. We tried expanding to Alabama, and so far it has come with no benefit. I'd rather get a Belmont than to keep JSU.

In case you haven't seen the RPI recently, JSU and EIU and the 2 worst teams in the county.

If Lipscomb, Belmont, AND ETSU left the A-Sun... then Mercer might go to the NCAA's every year...

don't forget I think ETSU has a million dollar buyout before 2011 or something. So I doubt they are moving anywhere.

There is a pretty lively discussion of this topic taking place on the Any Given Saturday website, as well, if anyone wants to venture over there to check out the opinions of a few more OVC fans or other FCS fans.

We don't have alot of donors, but I would be willing to bet that ETSU would find a way to get the money to get out if it came right down to it. We're dying for rivalries, teams/schools that ETSU can identify with.

MercerFan Wrote:don't forget I think ETSU has a million dollar buyout before 2011 or something. So I doubt they are moving anywhere.

OrangeCamel Wrote:My main concern is the A-Sun's auto-bid. What exactly is the current NCAA continuity rule....6 schools together for 5 years?

How serious is the talk about Campbell going to the Big South?

Buccaneerlover Wrote:We don't have alot of donors, but I would be willing to bet that ETSU would find a way to get the money to get out if it came right down to it. We're dying for rivalries, teams/schools that ETSU can identify with.

Who exactly is dying for those rivalries? Dave Mullins, Paul Stanton??
If they were concerned about rivalries ETSU would not be here to start with. If there are no donors then there is no pressure for them to be concerned either. Many of the schools in this conference have smaller enrollments than ETSU but so did Davidson, and The Citadel as well as other SoCon opponents. Many of the schools in this conference appear to be determined to improve their athletic programs and this conference appears to be merely a stop along the way in their journey. Much could be learned from that philosophy. Rivalries are what you make of them. They are built through intense competition year after year. I am not a great fan of the Atlantic Sun but moving to another marginal conference will not move the athletic department in the direction that it needs to go nor will it automatically create rivalries.
Why can ETSU not identify with a 20,000 student university from one of the largest southeast metropolitan areas with whom we have already had war on the basketball court?