Conference Realignments - Take 2

[The Sicatoka]

1 minute ago, UNDBIZ said:

Omaha athletic department is in rough financial shape.  Would be strange for the MVC to invite that.

It gets the MVC bus trips and the Omaha market (they lost Creighton). 
It gets Omaha BB out of the Dakotas in January and looking southeast for students. 

[UNDBIZ]

4 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

It gets the MVC bus trips and the Omaha market (they lost Creighton). 
It gets Omaha BB out of the Dakotas in January and looking southeast for students. 

I understand why UNO would want the MVC, but not why the MVC wants UNO.  Creighton owns the Omaha basketball market.  UNO to the MVC won't change that.

[FargoBison]

Omaha gets them about as much of the Omaha market as UMKC gives them the KC market. It makes no sense for a basketball driven league to add a hockey school that has never been anything more than above average at basketball. 

Milwaukee makes some sense but that athletic department is a mess. They did win with Ryan and Pearl though, the potential is at least there and Wisconsin would be a nice state to get into. A lot more basketball talent there then Nebraska. 

[The Sicatoka]

The MVC basketball schools don't want to cross I-80, but they'd do it for a large enough market (Milwaukee). 

[SiouxVolley]

UND can always stay in the Sky.  The others Dakotas may have to backfill with Kato, St Cloud and Duluth unless they repent of their anti-western ways.

[Siouxperfan7]

6 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

UND can always stay in the Sky.  The others Dakotas may have to backfill with Kato, St Cloud and Duluth unless they repent to their anti-western ways.

UND is not staying in the Big Sky.  Costs too much and there is a tight budget.  Mankato, St Cloud, and Duluth are all D2 schools.  None of them have talked about moving to D1.    How are they supposed to join the Summit?!!    So you just throw random stuff out here to get people to bite or are you actually coming up with these things in your head and thinking that it has a chance to actually happen?!!

[The Sicatoka]

The MN hockey playing DIIs could go DI ... the same way Omaha did. (Football. Dead. Wrestling. Dead.) 

[SIOUXFAN97]

2 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

UND is not staying in the Big Sky.  Costs too much and there is a tight budget.  Mankato, St Cloud, and Duluth are all D2 schools.  None of them have talked about moving to D1.    How are they supposed to join the Summit?!!    So you just throw random stuff out here to get people to bite or are you actually coming up with these things in your head and thinking that it has a chance to actually happen?!!

they just do what omaha did...drop football.  anyone with a pulse will be a potential summit invitee in a little while if these dominoes fall like they might?  mankato, st cloud, grand valley, minot, kearney, winona, ...anyone.

[SiouxVolley]

5 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

UND is not staying in the Big Sky.  Costs too much and there is a tight budget.  Mankato, St Cloud, and Duluth are all D2 schools.  None of them have talked about moving to D1.    How are they supposed to join the Summit?!!    So you just throw random stuff out here to get people to bite or are you actually coming up with these things in your head and thinking that it has a chance to actually happen?!!

The choice becomes either stay as independents, go west, add DIIs, or go DII.  The Big 12 isn't going to offer them.  If we want to stay DI, the Big Sky may be our only choice.

[The Sicatoka]

I'll say it again:

If the MVC peels off Omaha (Summit) and Valpo (Horizon) and UWMils (Horizon) the Horizon will go right after IUPUI (Summit) and IPFW (Summit) for backfill. 

That crushes the Summit. 

[SiouxVolley]

And the Big Sky has enough schools that if the Slummit adds the Montanas, Idaho and EWU, everyone survives.

And we get a flagship conference without commuter schools.  That's absolutely the best case ever.

[Siouxperfan7]

Just now, SiouxVolley said:

And the Big Sky has enough schools that if the Slummit adds the Montanas, Idaho and EWU, everyone survives.

But then doesn't that increase our travel costs again and get UND right back to where they started and the main reason they left the Big SKy?!!

[The Sicatoka]

Just now, Siouxperfan7 said:

But then doesn't that increase our travel costs again and get UND right back to where they started and the main reason they left the Big SKy?!!

Bus the Dakotas; half (or less) the flights. 

[FargoBison]

 

3 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

But then doesn't that increase our travel costs again and get UND right back to where they started and the main reason they left the Big SKy?!!

It would be basically the same. Outside of the Dakota schools, NDSU only buses to Omaha. 

[SiouxVolley]

Academically, the Presidents of flagship schools will be thrilled if they had a chance to make their own conference.  The Montanas are weary of the commuter schools right now.

[FargoBison]

The thing that makes me leery of it ever happening is that Montana is not exactly progressive when it comes to realignment and to make the whole thing work they would be the lynchpin. 

[The Sicatoka]

Montana would lead a western group looking for a home.
North Dakota, and it's past relationship with that western group, would lead a eastern group looking for a home. 

Let's face it:
The maps of most NCAA schools show anything west of I-35 and north of I-80 as marked "Do not travel in months ending in R or Y." 

[FargoBison]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

Close ... 
Your first 10 are 8FB/10BB. That's good.
I don't see NMSU going FCS; Weber makes 10 FB and that's 9 games (unbalanced). 

If you could get that first 10 plus two to make 9FB and 12 BB it'd be great (better schedules). 
How? Easy ... 
Bring in FB only Wichita State if it starts up FCS and UMKC to be the rest of the sports in that slot.
Bring in Oral Bob (a BB only). 
UMKC/Oral Bob would be the BB travel pair

9FB / 12 BB --> 4 home/4 road FB games: 22 game BB schedule with travel pairs 

My plan with NMSU was to bring them in for Olympic sports and keep them as an option if the FBS landscape changes. Their basketball is just too good and they are a land grant. If they wanted to join for FB, it would be worth it to make 10 work. 

[jacksfan29]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

It gets the MVC bus trips and the Omaha market (they lost Creighton). 
It gets Omaha BB out of the Dakotas in January and looking southeast for students. 

Omaha gets their students from Nebraska, mostly Omaha. They are a commuter school which is state run and just in the past decade started putting in dorms. More like Idaho State then Idaho.

Omaha gets the MVC no market. Omaha is a CU and UNL market. No one cares about UNO outside of hockey and maybe, like this season when they are winning. That has happened once since moving up. Next season they will take a huge step back after losing their 3 best players including one, from Omaha (their best player) who is transferring out because he sees what is coming. Omaha's budget woes makes UND dealt with woes look like pocket change. Omaha is not going anywhere and to be honest, I doubt they are getting a visit. The media have been wrong so many times in this process it is getting embarrassing.  

[The Sicatoka]

Say Omaha stays, but the MVC picks off Valpo and UWMilw. You have to assume the Horizon goes after IUPUI and IPFW. 

That would make the western Summit really have to ponder what some have speculated:
West: Montana, Montana State, Idaho, EWU, plus Denver
East: UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, plus Omaha 
8 FB / 10 BB. 

Want a balanced FB schedule? It takes 9, not 8. 
Option 1: If Wichita State adds FB make them the 9th during their time as FCS. (Stay at 10 for BB.) 
Option 2: Bite the bullet on Northern Colorado (9 FB). In that case you grab a 12th (BB only) like UMKC or ORU. 

I'm not sold on NMSU. Based on geography and demographics, they should be in a Texas-centric league. 
 

[The Sicatoka]

26 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

That would make the western Summit really have to ponder what some have speculated:
West: Montana, Montana State, Idaho, EWU, plus Denver
East: UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, plus Omaha 

Given the three in bold, could this group also take over administration of the NCHC and share costs? 

[SIOUXFAN97]

4 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Given the three in bold, could this group also take over administration of the NCHC and share costs? 

u mean when und is in the big10?

[Siouxperfan7]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

Say Omaha stays, but the MVC picks off Valpo and UWMilw. You have to assume the Horizon goes after IUPUI and IPFW. 

That would make the western Summit really have to ponder what some have speculated:
West: Montana, Montana State, Idaho, EWU, plus Denver
East: UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, plus Omaha 
8 FB / 10 BB. 

Want a balanced FB schedule? It takes 9, not 8. 
Option 1: If Wichita State adds FB make them the 9th during their time as FCS. (Stay at 10 for BB.) 
Option 2: Bite the bullet on Northern Colorado (9 FB). In that case you grab a 12th (BB only) like UMKC or ORU. 

I'm not sold on NMSU. Based on geography and demographics, they should be in a Texas-centric league. 
 

I like option 2.  Looking at the map, it doesn't look that bad.  Good travel partners available.

[UNDColorado]

26 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

I like option 2.  Looking at the map, it doesn't look that bad.  Good travel partners available.

This would be my dream conference! Plus, my selfish side likes to see UND football play in Colorado every other year.

[southpaw]

9 minutes ago, UNDColorado said:

This would be my dream conference! Plus, my selfish side likes to see UND football play in Colorado every other year.

Agreed.  But why would any team in the Big Sky leave for a Summit League that would once again be shown as a stopping point and not a permanent home?