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A-10 (Atlantic-10 Conference) Crumbling

I gotta say, you know it's the off-season when we all get off on wild goose chases and super-hypotheticals like this!
 
I've always thought that the MVC might be able to draw in Temple for hoops, they could then continue to play football in the MAC. Would be incredibly enticing for them, I would think.

Then throw in an Xavier, Butler, or SLU and make some noise.

The travel would not be so horrendous figuring that they would only likely play 3 conference games at most beyond the Mississippi, and you could do 2 or all of them on the same trip.

You'd likely have the division split where BU (w/o Xavier) and ISU (w/Xavier) are the western-most teams in the East division
 
Temple would look good, with a travel partner (hi there, Dayton or Xavier).

Any talk of MVC realignment hinges on the football schools wanting to go FBS or not.
 
I gotta say that i enjoy these re-alignment threads. I'll go to my old suggestion (although i think somebody else came up with it first). Pick up 4 teams: Butler, Xavier, Dayton, and SLU. Then go to east/west. love it or hate it, you have to admit it would make for some compelling basketball.

MVC

EAST
Bradley
ISU
InSt
Butler
Xavier
Dayton
Evansville


WEST
SLU
SIU
UNI
MSU
Drake
WSU
Creighton
 
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Don't get me wrong, I don't think these aren't interesting, but there's no time for them during the season......

The East/West is certainly intriguing, but man, those would be some deadly divisions. InSU and Evansville would have their work cut out for them every year.....

While were on realignment talk....we're focusing on basketball here, but does Evansville bring anything to the table in other sports that allows them to hang into the Valley? I know it's been brought up before, but if this ever goes down, what're their chances of getting the boot?
 
It's not likely that any school would be kicked out of a conference. Temple in football is/was really a unique situation.

The more likely scenario is that the league expands and then a number of members leave and form their own league, leaving the remnants to either recruit new members or go elsewhere.

In the case of Evansville, they have periodically considered joining D-III.

In the next few years, the NCAA will be determining membership requirements for membership, divisions, and reclassification. I think it's safe to assume during this time you'll see some jockeying for positions in the various divisions by leagues and schools.

People are a bit confused on this whole Valley thing, it is the same league in name only. The two Valley's will remain to be separate entities, but it signals that eventually the two bodies could become one if necessary.

But TAS is right, at the very least, Valley/Valley members need to at least concern themselves with the prospect of committing to FBS football.
 
squirrel said:
--- In the next few years, the NCAA will be determining membership requirements for membership, divisions, and reclassification. ---
Click to expand...

Squirrel, you know this for sure?

I ask only because I think you may have better sources for this kinda info than all of us on this message board.

Please keep us in the loop.

Thanks.
 
Yet more on the A-10 and cracks decveloping in their conference...

"UNCC could ponder switching conferences"
"It's happy with A-10 but would mull change if it adds football"

(by the way, UNCC is now known as CHARLOTTE and I am surprised their own local newspaper doesn't use the moniker that the school has asked everyone to use!)

http://www.charlotte.com/274/story/659687.html
 
I must say, the prospect of the Valley "picking up" teams like Marquette or Butler makes this thread interesting, even if a lot of this is far-fetched. But you never know what the future may bring, so who knows.
 
MacabreMob said:
Squirrel, you know this for sure?

I ask only because I think you may have better sources for this kinda info than all of us on this message board.

Please keep us in the loop.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I don't know for sure that there will be changes. But I do know for sure they are currently reviewing these things.

There's several major issues that have been or are being reviewed:

1) Influx of schools joining DI for basketball.

2) Expansion of DI and DIII at the expense of DII. This was partially addressed with the movement to the creation of DIV that was rejected for the time being this winter. But I expect this to be an ongoing discussion.

3) Opening of NCAA to teams outside the United States and its territories (Canada). This helps pad DII.

4) A desire for uniformity among its members and divisions for football.

What these things mean at this point is mere speculation. However, I think with the elimination of DI-A and DI-AA to FBS and FCS is a step towards separating the latter from "DI" recognition, even though "Championship" sounds better to me.

I therefore believe that at the very least, FCS programs (especially the Valley football members) must at least be concerning themselves with the prospect that DI basketball could be contingent on FBS football.

Now certainly there will likely be requirements if the above were to happen, such as:

*Non-football schools that are members of leagues that sponsor FBS football are exempt (so DePaul, Villanova, Marquette, and the like are covered).

*A minimum % of football playing members must play FBS football

*Grandfather clause institutions who have played DI basketball a minimum of 25 years, or the most recent 20 years consecutively. This might allow a school such as Houston Baptist, preparing to make the move back to DI after twenty years in absentia the opportunity to return, for example (I don't know if they meet the 25 year requirement or not offhand; this is merely a propaedeutic exercise).
 
*Grandfather clause institutions who have played DI basketball a minimum of 25 years, or the most recent 20 years consecutively. This might allow a school such as Houston Baptist, preparing to make the move back to DI after twenty years in absentia the opportunity to return, for example (I don't know if they meet the 25 year requirement or not offhand; this is merely a propaedeutic exercise).[/quote]

Yikes, Say what?, a "propaedutic exercise.":confused:
Wow, I am impressed!
 
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