No way in hell does Western Illinois enter the MVC picture at all. The Illinois schools wouldn't allow it in the first place and the rest of the MVC doesn't think very high of them at all.

Western Illinois is kind of small for that league. In an small market, not as well-known as other Illinois schools.

An article from SEbaseball about New Orleans's baseball program; talking with two D1 conferences (presumably the Sunbelt and Southland)

http://sebaseball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1348181

(03-06-2012 07:50 PM)NoDak Wrote:  If the Great West is granted the ability to invite DII member to DI, could almost see the Great West patching together schools like:

Grand Valley St
Wayne St
Saginaw Valley
Bellarmine
S Indiana
Chicago St
N Alabama

Four of them are football, so with a double round robin they could patch together a football schedules. Since none of the new schools wouldn't be eligle for the NCAA for 4 years anyway, the new schools would gain DI status without the larger amount of travel in other leagues. (Assuming UVU is gone.)

I'd go futher in rebuilding the Great West, and invite about 12 schools (* = plays football)

North - Chicago State, Grand Valley State*, Wayne State*, Saginaw Valley State*, Indiana (PA)*, NJIT, Bellarmine, Southern Indiana
South - North Alabama*, West Florida*, Central Oklahoma*, Utah Valley, UTPA, Abilene Christian*, Incarnate Word*, Tarleton State*

If Utah Valley leaves, invite Oklahoma City from D-II. If NJIT leaves, invite West Chester (PA) to take their place. If North Dakota needs a home for football, invite them as a football-only member. If Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Cleveland State, or any other school starts FCS football, let them know the door is open. The Great West could also work with the Summit League to be the football home for any D-II schools it wants to add.

Long term, UVU, NJIT, UNA, and UWF would probably be gone, but there would be an opportunity to build a conference with a solid Midwest/Southwest footprint much like the Summit League had a few years ago.

The NCAA gets to cash a check for $1.2 million for every school that moves up.

(03-31-2012 09:16 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(03-06-2012 07:50 PM)NoDak Wrote:  If the Great West is granted the ability to invite DII member to DI, could almost see the Great West patching together schools like:

Grand Valley St
Wayne St
Saginaw Valley
Bellarmine
S Indiana
Chicago St
N Alabama

Four of them are football, so with a double round robin they could patch together a football schedules. Since none of the new schools wouldn't be eligle for the NCAA for 4 years anyway, the new schools would gain DI status without the larger amount of travel in other leagues. (Assuming UVU is gone.)

I'd go futher in rebuilding the Great West, and invite about 12 schools (* = plays football)

North - Chicago State, Grand Valley State*, Wayne State*, Saginaw Valley State*, Indiana (PA)*, NJIT, Bellarmine, Southern Indiana
South - North Alabama*, West Florida*, Central Oklahoma*, Utah Valley, UTPA, Abilene Christian*, Incarnate Word*, Tarleton State*

If Utah Valley leaves, invite Oklahoma City from D-II. If NJIT leaves, invite West Chester (PA) to take their place. If North Dakota needs a home for football, invite them as a football-only member. If Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Cleveland State, or any other school starts FCS football, let them know the door is open. The Great West could also work with the Summit League to be the football home for any D-II schools it wants to add.

Long term, UVU, NJIT, UNA, and UWF would probably be gone, but there would be an opportunity to build a conference with a solid Midwest/Southwest footprint much like the Summit League had a few years ago.

The NCAA gets to cash a check for $1.2 million for every school that moves up.

Oklahoma City can't move to D-I they are in the NAIA, they'd have to be a full D-II member for 5 years before trying to move to D-I. Which would be 8 total w/ 3 provisional years. UWF has backed off of D-I since the moratorium, so has IUP, so has C.Oklahoma since joining the MIAA(SEC talent wise in D-II). ACU and UIW are talking w/ the SLC. GVSU for some reason doesn't want to be D-I even though they have 25,000 students. It would be nice but there are so many roadblocks to making this happen.

After all these moves, I don't know what schools, if any will want to be added to the smaller conferences.