What's the next realignment domino to fall?

[TheAsianSensation]

I think the OVC (and the Sun Belt) have a problem with just plain old being full of teams, and having football on top of it. The logistics of adding is a problem.

UAB's options might be down to the following conference where they're mild geographical outliers:
Horizon
MVC
CAA
...and the A-Sun as the best geographic fit, but UAB fans would probably riot before that happens.


St Louis would be an obvious pair with UAB, with Belmont also sitting there as a possible bridge to the south.

But also, if we can wedge out St Louis, why not just wedge out Dayton along with them?

[uniftw]

I think the OVC (and the Sun Belt) have a problem with just plain old being full of teams, and having football on top of it. The logistics of adding is a problem.

UAB's options might be down to the following conference where they're mild geographical outliers:
Horizon
MVC
CAA
...and the A-Sun as the best geographic fit, but UAB fans would probably riot before that happens.


St Louis would be an obvious pair with UAB, with Belmont also sitting there as a possible bridge to the south.

But also, if we can wedge out St Louis, why not just wedge out Dayton along with them?

Expanding to expand gets sketchy because of splitting the same number of NCAA shares between more people.

Now, Dayton, SLU and UAB I think would all be very nice adds and would bring added shares. Belmont coming on board might not bring a ton of shares but it would make the MVC a very[i][/i]strong 14 team conference.

As far as UAB goes, I've heard they don't really want the A-Sun. That excites UAB about as much as adding NDSU or SDSU excites MVC fans.

They approached the OVC, but the OVC is full unless you have football so they told UAB no.

I can't imagine the CAA going all the way to Arkansas. In all the shuffling they've really tried to reassert themselves as a mid-Atlantic and north conference.

I'm all for UAB if it brings a good team with it.

[TheAsianSensation]

Well the CAA would only have to stretch to Alabama, not Arkansas and they did add Charleston.

I will admit I'm still shaky on UAB (it's tough to trust an athletic department where that decision about football was made), but if it brings a strong 12th, so be it. I'm not sure St Louis would consider UAB a tipping point that would cause them to move, and if they did move...I'd rather Dayton than UAB. Belmont's out there too, but if you go them and UAB, are you okay long-term with adding those two as the long-term answer? Nervy.

[squirrel]

I saw a list from an Alabama media source a few weeks ago that was probably being fed inside information, at least it certainly read that way matter-of-factly, the school had 4 realistic geographic options:

CAA
Sun Belt
SoCon
A-Sun

Obviously the Sun Belt has emerged to not have mutual interests. The CAA really doesn't make any sense now, given its decidedly Mid-Atlantic orientation. The Southern Conference would be a geographic fit, but their members may not like the odd number of schools and non-football schools, and it would be a significant step down for basketball. The A-Sun would have actually been a pretty good league if Belmont, Mercer and ETSU hadn't left and eventually added UAB.

[bigdawg]

The A10 is down this year but let's be honest, SLU and Dayton aren't joining the Valley. It is a step down long term. They both publicly wanted to get into the BigEast when Creighton left so you can certainly assume any expansion discussion doesn't include them.

[squirrel]

The A10 is down this year but let's be honest, SLU and Dayton aren't joining the Valley. It is a step down long term.

I can see SLU seeing it that way. But if the call never comes for either of them, SLU was interested in remaining in an A10 that included Temple, Xavier, Charlotte; Davidson and George Mason, not so much. Undoubtedly they want in to the Big East, and so I still think they may hold out for that. However, I don't see their long-term A10 situation the way I did 3 years ago, and neither do they.

Historically yes, they have been entirely averse to the Valley, but I think they would listen if the right opportunity came...this *might* be it.

[Play Angry]

I'd be shocked, completely and totally, if SLU or Dayton were willing to jump ship and join the MVC.

But if they're willing, then sure, why not expand to include one of them + UAB. It probably nets out to close to a wash on unit dilution and upgrades the quality of the league, and there would be a slight cushion for stability in case WSU or SLU/Dayton gets the better offer their fans hope for down the road I guess.

[acepurple84]

Well even if they do join, don't look for them to stay long. Both joined the old MCC way back in the 80's for a few years. When they felt a better thing came available they left. They joined the Great Midwest Conference. If they came in and the Big East suddenly did to expand they will bail in a heart beat. The longest St. Louis was in any conference was the time they were in the MVC. Now its 4-10 years. At least Dayton seems to have found a home. But they were bouncing around there a couple of times.

[TheAsianSensation]

This is a tangent of a tangent, but the domino effect does hit the Valley:

I wonder if the Big East is waiting on UConn. Look at basketball in the American right now. Look at the RPIs and performance across the board from everyone not named UConn. I don't care what football means, that basketball situation is untenable. Period. Untenable.

If UConn can't find a home in a power conference, I wouldn't take them going to FCS/Big East off the table. I wouldn't be surprised if the Big East is holding off going to 12 exactly for that scenario. I think St Louis would be an obvious 12th in that scenario, but if they're not, I think they become a layup to relocate to the Valley.

Although, with the private/public seal being broken with UConn, the Big East could then easily add a public school, say one that would be a massive boost for basketball and bring a growing national following and respect, and who provides an immediate natural rival for what is currently a western outlier.

[BirdmanBB]

Or the AAC decides they need a geographical footprint in Illinois for recruiting/tv since they no longer have DePaul to serve that purpose and add a school that has football and basketball. I think if WSU had football, they wouldn't be in the valley right now.