Conference Realignments - Take 2

[nodakvindy]

Brett McMurphy reporting that NDSU may be a football only option for Mountain West.  Since Summit doesn't have football i guess could be a possibility. I'm not sure i buy it. Program is obviously solid but doesn't bring a media market or more importantly a fertile recruiting are like a Texas school would. Will be interesting to see how PAC?? And MWC moves finally shake out. 

[The Sicatoka]

UC Davis to MWC in all sports BUT football? 

Give them time to build before last step? 

 

[jdub27]

17 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

UC Davis to MWC in all sports BUT football? 

Give them time to build before last step? 

 

Actually makes a ton of sense as a fit but don't quite get the no football part.

[The Sicatoka]

UCD Oly sports go 2026. 

If FB targets 2026 they are "in transition" now ... 

Wonder if they announce after Davis is out of FCS playoffs. 

[homer]

1 minute ago, The Sicatoka said:

UCD Oly sports go 2026. 

If FB targets 2026 they are "in transition" now ... 

Wonder if they announce after Davis is out of FCS playoffs. 

Them and another playoff team for FB??

Still think the Summit league membership should be hung out there for any teams leaving the MVFC. 

[The Sicatoka]

MWC 2026 without Davis FB: 10 BB and 8 FB.

[The Sicatoka]

Now Northern Ill is whispered to be back in the mix as FB only to MWC. 

That'd make 10 BB / 9 FB. <-- about perfect

[The Sicatoka]

This could be a MWC ruse:

• UCD non-football
• Try to get NIU football only, but no go
• Take in UCD FB and tell FBS SEC/B1G powers "we tried to not move an FCS up" 

[The Sicatoka]

Horizon commish was at NIU yesterday. 

NIU FB to MWC and Oly sports to Horizon seems likely. 

MAC footprint gets tighter (Indy is "west"). 

NIU Oly travel might be better! 

Strange days. 

[homer]

18 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Horizon commish was at NIU yesterday. 

NIU FB to MWC and Oly sports to Horizon seems likely. 

MAC footprint gets tighter (Indy is "west"). 

NIU Oly travel might be better! 

Strange days. 

There is benefit for the MAC but props to them for seemingly saying if you take one sport you may as well find a home for all of them.  In today’s athletics where cash is king you have to protect yourself and be a bit selfish to remain competitive   

[Kab]

1 hour ago, homer said:

There is benefit for the MAC but props to them for seemingly saying if you take one sport you may as well find a home for all of them.  In today’s athletics where cash is king you have to protect yourself and be a bit selfish to remain competitive   

I think summit should do the same with the mvfc 

if you leave the mvfc then find  another for all other sports 

[The Sicatoka]

Imagine if NIU's Oly sports ended up in the ... Summit.  

[The Sicatoka]

Shamelessly stolen from other forum talking about FCS -> FBS schools: 

 

Below is the attendance (2021 or more recent) of all the schools that have moved up. Note that only 3 are smaller than NDSU.

2001 South Florida 49,766
2002 Connecticut 27,175
2002 Troy State 6,000 (on campus only)
2006 Florida Atlantic 36,703
2006 Florida International 55,687
2009 Western Kentucky 16,762
2012 Texas-San Antonio 34,393
2012 Massachusetts 30,285
2012 South Alabama 13,463
2012 Texas State 38,171
2013 Georgia State 50,521
2014 Appalachian State 21,253
2014 Old Dominion 23,494
2014 Georgia Southern 26,106
2015 Charlotte 29,551
2017 Coastal Carolina 10,484
2018 Liberty 15,800 (on campus only)
2023 James Madison 22,224
2023 Jacksonville St. 9,540
2023 Sam Houston St. 21,480
2024 Kennesaw St. 45,152
2025 Missouri State 23,418
2025 Delaware 24,221

 

The demographics are even more stark: if we make Missouri an honorary Southern state by virtue of membership in the SEC, then 20 out of 23 schools that moved up from FCS since the turn of the century are in Southern states, all of which are in the top half of states for population with the exception of Kentucky (who just missed it as ranked #26 but will probably move into the top half past Louisiana by the next census). 14 out of the 23 came from just the mega-growth states of Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia or Virginia.

Meanwhile, all 3 of the Northern move-ups were flagship schools. Massachusetts is a massive population state. Connecticut arguably has the largest college sports fan base in the NYC market (albeit from basketball) and is directly in the NYC-to-Boston population corridor. Delaware is located directly in the #4 largest TV market of Philadelphia.

The upshot: all 23 of the FCS call-ups this century are in existing large population states and/or markets. It’s pretty stark.

[nodakvindy]

On 12/13/2024 at 8:13 AM, The Sicatoka said:

Shamelessly stolen from other forum talking about FCS -> FBS schools: 

 

Below is the attendance (2021 or more recent) of all the schools that have moved up. Note that only 3 are smaller than NDSU.

2001 South Florida 49,766
2002 Connecticut 27,175
2002 Troy State 6,000 (on campus only)
2006 Florida Atlantic 36,703
2006 Florida International 55,687
2009 Western Kentucky 16,762
2012 Texas-San Antonio 34,393
2012 Massachusetts 30,285
2012 South Alabama 13,463
2012 Texas State 38,171
2013 Georgia State 50,521
2014 Appalachian State 21,253
2014 Old Dominion 23,494
2014 Georgia Southern 26,106
2015 Charlotte 29,551
2017 Coastal Carolina 10,484
2018 Liberty 15,800 (on campus only)
2023 James Madison 22,224
2023 Jacksonville St. 9,540
2023 Sam Houston St. 21,480
2024 Kennesaw St. 45,152
2025 Missouri State 23,418
2025 Delaware 24,221

 

The demographics are even more stark: if we make Missouri an honorary Southern state by virtue of membership in the SEC, then 20 out of 23 schools that moved up from FCS since the turn of the century are in Southern states, all of which are in the top half of states for population with the exception of Kentucky (who just missed it as ranked #26 but will probably move into the top half past Louisiana by the next census). 14 out of the 23 came from just the mega-growth states of Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia or Virginia.

Meanwhile, all 3 of the Northern move-ups were flagship schools. Massachusetts is a massive population state. Connecticut arguably has the largest college sports fan base in the NYC market (albeit from basketball) and is directly in the NYC-to-Boston population corridor. Delaware is located directly in the #4 largest TV market of Philadelphia.

The upshot: all 23 of the FCS call-ups this century are in existing large population states and/or markets. It’s pretty stark.

They are also in prime recruiting grounds besides the 2 New England basketball schools that are independents. 

[Sioux>Bison]

On 12/12/2024 at 1:04 PM, The Sicatoka said:

Imagine if NIU's Oly sports ended up in the ... Summit.  

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/WpQ4DfMKsUXM4pgJ/?mibextid=K35XfP
 

 

[SIOUXFAN97]

this niu thing actually has legs....wowser

[The Sicatoka]

UMass and Delaware as affiliates in Summit mens soccer. 

https://thesummitleague.org/news/2024/12/23/umass-set-to-join-summit-league-for-mens-soccer-in-2025.aspx 

[SIOUXFAN97]

2 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

UMass and Delaware as affiliates in Summit mens soccer. 

https://thesummitleague.org/news/2024/12/23/umass-set-to-join-summit-league-for-mens-soccer-in-2025.aspx 

geography wise...you would think denver and kc would have baseball instead of men's soccer?

time for the dak4 to add men's soccer?

[nodakvindy]

9 hours ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

geography wise...you would think denver and kc would have baseball instead of men's soccer?

time for the dak4 to add men's soccer?

College baseball is Southern and west coast dominated. Denver and KC both have MLS franchises so soccer culture is there certainly much easier to compete for a spot in college cup than college world series. 

[SiouxFan100]

Sounds like NIU will be accepting a football offer into the MWC

[SIOUXFAN97]

On 1/3/2025 at 2:11 PM, SiouxFan100 said:

Sounds like NIU will be accepting a football offer into the MWC

oly goes where?

[SiouxFan100]

1 hour ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

oly goes where?

To be determined the article said

[jdub27]

2 hours ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

oly goes where?

Ohio Valley, Horizon or Summit have all been specifically mentioned with Horizon the favorite of those. Not sure if MVC or anyone others are being looked at. 

[SiouxFan100]

I don’t where to put this but apparently the P4 conferences want to take control of March Madness from the NCAA. March Madness accounts for about 1 billion of 1.3 billion The NCAA generates. 
 

“According to Yahoo Sports, the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12—the members of the influential quartet of conferences known as the Power 4 (or P4)—are angling to do exactly that based on a document the outlet obtained concerning a plan to restructure the current model of college athletics to gain more power than they already have—which includes a proposal to force the NCAA to cede control of March Madness and other championship tournaments and give the P4 the right to call the shots.”