With St Francis Brooklyn dropping athletics, that may trigger a shift among conferences that could end up providing an opening for Chicago State somehow.

The Northeast Conference could be looking to add a new member to replace St Francis. What that could lead to us unknown.

Seems like the higher the conference, the easier it is to predict, or at least narrow down, the likely candidates. For a low conference like the NEC, they could do anything from accept more D2 move ups to trying to poach schools from a number of different leagues with whom they share geography.

The advantage they have is that they are stable losing 1 school isn’t anything to worry about for prospective members.

Here's hoping, but that is good news for us. But I did actually keep up with SFB a little bit.

This is one of those situations where change is good. The status quo is not providing a conference home and that is unlikely to change without other changes occurring.

A good reshuffling of the deck and some players getting new hands might work to Chicago States benefit.

We need some conferences with uneven numbers of teams. SFB shutting down doesn't help us, because they have 9 teams now, and I doubt they would be interested, anyway.

When the juggling starts, teams are scrambling to get up the (perceived) ladder, a little closer to the big money. And sometimes the lower conferences get bruised pretty badly and get desperate for teams.

In another forum, it came up that Chicago will also be an OVC affiliate in golf, and there is a chance that Chicago State tennis may also join the OVC since they will be down to 5.

I posted this in response. I am curious is anyone agrees.

“It makes sense for Chicago to try to find these temporary homes for as many sports as possible. But it also makes sense to not help bail out a conference in single sports when they won’t take them for all sports.

The more sports Chicago helps “make whole” for other conferences, the less that conference needs another full time member who offers those sports.

I’ve said it previously, but I’ll say it again—the WAC has the potential to lose a lot of members in the coming years. If the WAC needed another member to maintain the minimum for basketball, volleyball etc, it would be wise for Chicago State to not join and simply schedule the former members as Indy’s. By joining, they would merely be preserving an autobid to the NCAA tournament for schools spending a lot more money than Chicago is and traveling all over the country to provide the bailout. It would be a bad move.

If the NCAA is going to enforce the rule that schools must be in a conference, it would be better for Chicago State to be one of several in the same situation. A group of homeless schools would have a much louder voice than a single school.”

I guess it comes down to how much hope we had of getting all sports into a single conference - and I can't answer that question. If there is virtually no hope of that, then we need to get homes wherever we can.

(03-29-2023 07:10 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  I guess it comes down to how much hope we had of getting all sports into a single conference - and I can't answer that question. If there is virtually no hope of that, then we need to get homes wherever we can.

Or, if there is no hope, Chicago State can do what it IS in control of to help lead to a situation where getting an all sports home increases.

I am still thinking about Western Illinois joining the OVC. I’m not sure if helps or hurts Chicagos chances of ever joining. Whatever the change, as of now it’s slight.

A lot depends on the future development of Chicago States football ventures, not to mention realignment in the coming years, and the number of football and non football teams that may leave, or stay in the OVC. The conference is certainly one that has that tension of having both football and non football members, and that dynamic makes it more fluid than some conference situations.

As of now, I do think the addition of WIU gives a small bump to CSU’s OVC potential as it’s another Illinois state school, it’s a small shift further north for the conference, it’s another school that recruits Chicago heavily and would like to play more games there, and a school that Chicago State has shared a conference with for a number of years.

The further south you go in the OVC, its a part of the country where more conferences exist and more schools shift around between them it seems. That could help CSU. If any of the southern OVC members left, it WIU would help by having another school in the conference closer to Chicago.

If you draw an X over the current conference schools, the southern tip of Illinois is just about the geographical center of the conference. Western Illinois would not change that profile materially. CSU would fall outside the current footprint, BUT it would give them a presence in the largest market in the area.

As you said in another place, instability will probably create opportunities for us, because I figure conference egos will quickly shrink when they start getting desperate for teams, and the power conferences will be gobbling everything they want. Principles become very cheap when people start waving money in front of some folks. And . . . and there is something to be said about having a team in Chicago.

Chicago State is a 14 minute longer trip than Macomb from Carbondale. I just used it as an example of southern Illinois.

For Evansville and the Nashville vicinity, Chicago State is noticeably closer.

Here’s to continued conference shake ups. Ideally, it either provides an opening for the Cougars somewhere, or creates some new independents that need games in January/February/March.

Another possible benefit is more odd member conferences where teams don’t want to be without a game when their conference schedule has them off.

Interesting times for sure.

My ideal scenario would be if the SEC goes broke.

More movement in the east, as 2 more schools leave the NEC. That’s 3 this year now.
The NEC now only has 7 members, including 2 that are not even full D1 members yet. They’ll have to do something soon.

I’ve said it before. Movement anywhere is good for Chicago States chances. Something is going to have to give somewhere, sometime. And all it will take is one invite for full membership and the future will look at lot better.

Of course, then you have to hope the conference doesn’t fall apart lol.

Something will give sooner or later, especially if the brothers make an immediate impact in basketball.

Chicago is doing what it can control in regard to potential conferences. And I’m looking squarely at what is (to me) the best and most likely destination- the Ohio Valley Conference.

Volleyball was 3-0 versus OVC opponents- CSU beat their #2 team and WIU (8-8 OVC) twice.
Right now Chicago RPI is 3rd best of all current OVC teams.

Mens soccer was 5th of 8 OVC teams in the 2023 standings.

Women’s soccer was 1-2 versus the OVC- CSU beat their #5 team

Men’s basketball defeated an OVC opponent on the road this season. Last season CSU was 1-1 versus OVC teams, beating USI (9-9 OVC) and lost to 4th place UTM by 1 on the road.
Last year Chicago State MBB NET was 299, OVC average was 272.

A few seasons of consistent competitiveness with OVC teams and there won’t be much of an issue I believe. And I believe a number of OVC teams are already fine with Chicago State. A few more realignment shifts and I believe Chicago State will slide right into a new home. No NEC or temporary membership necessary.

Whether they want or need Chicago State remains to be seen, but it isn’t because CSU can’t compete well in the league.

I personally hope the OVC comes calling sooner than later. Especially if they feel the Cougars may be soon looking elsewhere in the immediate future. I don’t think the teams would have many complaints about admitting Chicago State. While some sports still leave a lot to be desired, the ones you mentioned have all faired well against OVC competition. If they can get a “yes” that football is coming, then I see the OVC being very viable.. and attending as many games and conference tournaments as I can!

But if the NEC offers them a full invite and there are no other current offers— I think it’d be foolish not to take it. Can’t pass it up like they did the Southland thinking that another conference (MEAC at that time) was a sure thing.

(11-13-2023 06:08 PM)joshadam84 Wrote:  Can’t pass it up like they did the Southland thinking that another conference (MEAC at that time) was a sure thing.

Yeah, that's the problem.