SIU-Edwardsville

[89rabbit]

The field of Independents looking for a D-I conference home may get a little more crowded.

http://www.siue.edu/news/

Chancellor Recommends NCAA Division I Status For Athletics

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) After nearly 40 years of a storied intercollegiate athletics program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Cougars are a step closer to applying for reclassification to NCAA Division I status for all sports in the SIUE program.

SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift presented his recommendation today to the SIU Board of Trustees to move the Intercollegiate Athletics program from Division II to Division I. The board will vote on the recommendation at its next meeting March 1.

[star2city]

SIUE set for giant leap to Division I

Kentucky.com: SIU-Edwardsville to Division I

The move to Division I would require an additional $1.8 million to $2 million, which would amount to a $150 increase in annual student fees.

No surprise. SIU-E's Chancellor asked for the DI study precisely because he had already cleared the way for SIU-E to join the MidCon a few years down the road.

SIU-E and USD will go to the MidCon. St. Louis will become a regular tournament host city for the MidCon, with SIU-E as the host school.

UTPA will be the replacement school in the event that any MidCon core schools leave, in spite of UTPA's limitations

History shows UTPA to be one of the most difficult coaching jobs in the country. Just minutes from the Mexican border in Edinburg, Texas, the school is hardly located in a hotbed of hoops. Recruiting has proved difficult.

In part, that's because the Broncs are a rarity in college sports, an independent, with virtually no path to reach the NCAA Tournament. School leaders continue searching for a conference affiliation.

The combination of location and the lack of an affiliation has proved the undoing of more than a few coaches in Edinburg. Schuberth, 49, is the school's fifth in a decade.

[aff]

There is one thing we agree about, SIU-E will be in the mid-con in the near future, their location, and the recruiting area it opens up makes too much sense for the conference.

I'm not sure how you have came to the conclusion that USD is in with them though? Lets take your scenario for example. Your assumption is that UND gets into the sky... assuming thats true, that would likely stop S. Utah from bolting the mid-con any time soon... in that case wouldn't the logical additions be UVSC and SIU-E? That would make tons more sense if your dividing the conference in two than adding a school in Illinois and a school in South Dakota.

Another thing that hasn't been considered, that I read on another board, is the possibility of SIU-E and Chicago State coming back after their athletic department is cleaned up. That makes a lot of sense geographically, and I have to think that this is Chicago States goal. In any case, adding a school is Chicago has to be more attractive than adding a school in Vermillion SD.

I guess the only sure thing about this is the SU's were pretty lucky to gain conference affiliation when they did. I can't see them getting added if they had started two years later than they did.

[MplsBison]

SIU-E's Chancellor asked for the DI study precisely because he had already cleared the way for SIU-E to join the MidCon a few years down the road.

That's a shame, because UND and USD will get there just before SIUE will.

UND and USD to the MidCon.

If there's room left, throw in SIUE too.

[aff]

That's a shame, because UND and USD will get there just before SIUE will.

UND and USD to the MidCon.

If there's room left, throw in SIUE too.

If SIU-E approves this in march, as they appear to be getting ready to do, that would mean they are entering the transition at the same time as USD and UND.

[star2city]

There is one thing we agree about, SIU-E will be in the mid-con in the near future, their location, and the recruiting area it opens up makes too much sense for the conference.

Long Road Ahead at SIUE

(SIU-E's)Hewitt wouldn't speculate on a possible conference, but it seems that the Mid-Continent and the Ohio Valley would be the most suitable at a glance. ...

The Ohio Valley has 11 schools, but currently OVC bylaws stipulate that to be a conference member, schools must sponsor football.

Other mid-major options for SIUE in the midwest could be the Missouri Valley Conference or the Horizon.

SIU-E is smack dab in the middle of the MidCon with no media overlap and gives the MidCon a natural media center and tournament host (St. Louis). SIUE would be on the northwest fringe of the Ohio Valley, which has been moving South. No way would the MoValley or Horizon look at SIUE until they have some level of success.

Your assumption is that UND gets into the sky... assuming thats true, that would likely stop S. Utah from bolting the mid-con any time soon... in that case wouldn't the logical additions be UVSC and SIU-E? That would make tons more sense if your dividing the conference in two than adding a school in Illinois and a school in South Dakota.

The Big West may some day need core DI schools (if Pacific moves to the WCC, and Davis or Cal Poly get move up to the WAC), so it could be forced to take non-California schools. Adding UVSC adds another permanent thorn. Why add another Utah school when SUU can be gone in 3-5 years anyway?

Another thing that hasn't been considered, that I read on another board, is the possibility of SIU-E and Chicago State coming back after their athletic department is cleaned up. That makes a lot of sense geographically, and I have to think that this is Chicago States goal. In any case, adding a school is Chicago has to be more attractive than adding a school in Vermillion SD.

Chicago State Cougars hope best days in front of them?

Anything is possible, but Chicago State's administration probably didn't make a lot of friends with MidCon members after their divorce. With Chicago State still being looked on questionably as a reliable DI school, they'll have to prove themselves for an extended time before a non-desparate conference grabs them.

Athletic director Wayne Baskerville, in his first year at 95th Street and King Drive after six seasons as an associate commissioner of the Big Ten, inherited an athletic department whose Division I status is in question.

"We're going through that whole evaluation process, but our intent is to be in Division I," Baskerville said.

The NCAA has banned the Cougars' teams from postseason play while the school raises its participation to minimum levels. "We're making sure we have all those bases covered," said Baskerville, who also said he plans to step up the marketing of the program. "We're increasing our budget. We're making sure we have sufficient budget at the level we have to operate."

But it looks like the United Basketball Conference that SDSU and NDSU helped set up will continue to survive.:

Chicago State is talking to the five other independents about scheduling games--Utah Valley State, Texas-Pan American, Savannah State, Longwood and New Jersey Tech.

That could provide the genesis of a conference for the Cougars, who moved up to Division I in 1984 and joined the Mid-Con in 1993.

"One or two more years as an independent and we'll be OK, but after that you have to find a conference," Jones said.

I guess the only sure thing about this is the SU's were pretty lucky to gain conference affiliation when they did. I can't see them getting added if they had started two years later than they did.

Fate did seem to smile on NDSU / SDSU.

[star2city]

A couple of other stories on DI transitioning schools:

Little NJIT takes giant step into Division I basketball

While NJIT is dwarfed in size by some of the schools on its schedule - St. John's, which defeated the Highlanders 78-60 on Dec. 21, is a prime example - a better comparison can be made with some of New Jersey's other colleges and universities.

With 5,263 undergraduates, NJIT's student body is roughly the same size as those at Seton Hall, Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth and Rider, and is larger than St. Peter's. All those schools have well-established Division I programs.

They also have what NJIT covets, which is a conference affiliation. The Highlanders would like to join Monmouth and FDU in the Northeast Conference or perhaps join the Patriot League or America East.

Washington TImes: Winston-Salem move to DI calls for traveling

"I have seen a lot of nights we didn't come out and fight," says coach Bobby Collins, who led Hampton to the NCAA tournament last season but was forced to resign because of differences with the administration. "Prayer helps a lot. I am a competitor. I can live with a loss when we compete. I understand what I am up against."

The rocky road is all part of a painful transition from Division II to Division I. The Rams are in the second year of the five-year move. They need 23 Division I games to fulfill the Year 2 requirement. They planned to get those games by becoming a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Their move to the MEAC was approved by the league, but the vote came over the summer

[dakotadan]

Nothing screams DI like a directional school. But a branch campus of a directional school. How were they not DI 20 years ago?

[MplsBison]

Here's how it will all play out:

S Utah to the Big Sky

UND and USD to the Mid Con

[aff]

Here's how it will all play out:

S Utah to the Big Sky

UND and USD to the Mid Con

Thanks for that extensive analysis, and the fact that you didn't even mention what was going to happen to the school in the name of this thread. I'm glad we've got it all figured out now.

[MplsBison]

you didn't even mention what was going to happen to the school in the name of this thread.

They will go to the Mid Con as soon as there is room.

[Riverman]

A couple of other stories on DI transitioning schools:

Little NJIT takes giant step into Division I basketball

Thanks for the link and the info. Like their logo.

[redwing77]

Hmm..

Home of the Fighting SIUE?

[star2city]

The newspaper in Charleston, Illinois (home of Eastern Illinois), is hopeful that SIUE joins EIU in the Ohio Valley Conference. EIU, which is on the northern extreme the Ohio Valley conference, left the Gateway (and MidCon) largely because its football wasn't competitive with the other Illinois schools. The MidCon would be a much better destination for SIUE, as it would be in the geographic center of the MidCon, it would offer better rivals (WIU, UMKC), and especially if the MidCon tournament gets placed in St. Louis.

SIUE to the Ohio Valley ?

Rumor is that Samford may eventually catch up with the rumors and the Ohio Valley Conference

[MplsBison]

SUIE to the OVC makes perfect sense.

They'd have at travel partner in EIU ready to go. Also, Saint Louis to SEMO is pretty easy.

And when the OVC loses Samford to the SoCon, the OVC will be looking for another member.

I guess that means that UND will be joining the MidCon after all once they get rejected by the Big Sky.

[aff]

SUIE to the OVC makes perfect sense.

They'd have at travel partner in EIU ready to go. Also, Saint Louis to SEMO is pretty easy.

And when the OVC loses Samford to the SoCon, the OVC will be looking for another member.

I guess that means that UND will be joining the MidCon after all once they get rejected by the Big Sky.

Yeah, perfect sense, except they don't have a football team.

[aff]

The newspaper in Charleston, Illinois (home of Eastern Illinois), is hopeful that SIUE joins EIU in the Ohio Valley Conference. EIU, which is on the northern extreme the Ohio Valley conference, left the Gateway (and MidCon) largely because its football wasn't competitive with the other Illinois schools. The MidCon would be a much better destination for SIUE, as it would be in the geographic center of the MidCon, it would offer better rivals (WIU, UMKC), and especially if the MidCon tournament gets placed in St. Louis.

SIUE to the Ohio Valley ?

Samford leaving the Ohio Valley would probably have no effect on conference affiliation in the Upper Midwest. If Evansville left the Missouri Valley, that's an entirely different issue.

No offense, but that sounds like bull from the OVC. Why on earth would evansville leave the Missouri Valley? Because of "financial problems"? I'm sure that dropping out of a mid-major conference that is hauling in the tournament dough to an also ran conference is really going to help the finances. I mean, the best idea ever would be to get more fans interested by bringing in less desirable opponents, leaving a conference with tons of publicity along with forfeiting 100,000's of dollars a year in tournament money, all to get into that OVC!

In any case, wouldn't Longwood be as likely a replacement as Evansville would be? Longwood would be more than willing to join I think...

[MplsBison]

Yeah, perfect sense, except they don't have a football team.

When Samford leaves, they'll have 9 football teams with Austen Peay rejoining the league. Perfect number.

[star2city]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: 'Next level' for SIUE

While some skepticism and a vast number of questions hover over the [sIUE DI]prospect, it has been endorsed by the SIUE student paper, coaches, local businesses and even entities in St. Louis such as Downtown Now! and the St. Louis Sports Commission.

Why would downtown St. Louis commerical interests care about a suburban school 25 miles from the city that has no intentions of playing any games in St. Louis itself? IMHO, the only fathomable answer is that St. Louis sees the potential of hosting the MidCon basketball tournament annually as highly probable.

Men's basketball team must win

With all due respect to the other sports, Hewitt acknowledged, how men's basketball performs largely will determine whether the move is wise. Because of its visibility and money-making potential, Hewitt acknowledges that it's "the driving force at all levels."

In many respects, UND's DI move will differ from other schools in that, football, not basketball is the driving force.

[MplsBison]

Which would mean that getting football into a conference as soon as possible would take priority.

With the best football conference in terms of GPI being the Great West, UND should look for membership immediately.

[nodakvindy]

In many respects, UND's DI move will differ from other schools in that, football, not basketball is the driving force.

I hope this isn't the mindset of the University and the athletic department. FCS football is nice, but the Big Dance is what can put a school on the map.

[star2city]

No surprise here.

St. Louis Business Journal: SIUe Board Approves DI Move

So UND's Division I class members are likely to be:

USD

SIUe

Seattle

Previous class (going through exploratory year now):

North Carolina Central

Cal St - Bakersfield

Florida Gulf Coast

SC-Upstate

Sidebar: Confusion between SIUe and SIUc

St Louis Post-Dispatch: SIUe to get an answer

What impact, if any, would SIUE's change in identity have on Southern Illinois Carbondale? And would the shift clarify the schools' differences or further muddle them?

Confusion is common.

"We struggle with that every day; the people who have graduated from both institutions struggle with that," SIU board chair Roger Tedrick said.

John Meisel, the longtime SIUE faculty athletics representative, has traveled with Cougars teams and heard people call, "Go Salukis!" He recalls thinking, "That's a nice thought, and I'm glad you're cheering for us. But ... we're not the Salukis."

He added, "It's made it difficult for us to kind of see a separate identity."

More recently, The New York Times called SIUE sports information director Eric Hess to set up interviews. When Hess asked, "Is this about Division I?" the reporter paused and said, "Well, yeah." Ultimately, it became clear that the Times was seeking a story about the 11th-ranked Salukis.

"Some day, I hope The New York Times will call us" on purpose, Hess said.

[aff]

Undoubtedly going to be seeking mid-con membership I suppose...

[The Sicatoka]

Undoubtedly going to be seeking mid-con membership I suppose...

Given the old notion of "location, location, location" it seems pretty safe to assume.

[MplsBison]

The Mid Con will definiately take UND and USD over SIUE on facilities alone.