http://www.kwch.com/news/local-news/twee...e/37797450

Local news is reporting it as well.

(02-03-2016 03:22 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 03:16 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  Or maybe they're doubling down on the Missouri Valley, at least for the short and mid-term future. Can't imagine a lot of enthusiasm for leaving the MoValley for Sun Belt, CUSA or MAC hoops, and unless I'm missing something, the FBS conferences have their "no vacancy" signs out.

Wichita State and North Dakota State to MWC? The fans and everybody at Wichita State wants out of the crappy MVC with the RPI being drugged down. MWC would be an upgrade for both schools. It would bring the best football product in NDSU and the best basketball product WSU to the MWC. Those 2 could help boast the tv contract for the MWC for both sports.

The Mountain West apparently said no to Rice and UTEP, two established FBS programs. I don't know how anxious they'd be to add a startup and an FCS program, albeit a power, a good distance from their footprint.

Wichita State didn't spend a couple hundred bucks on a display helmet and have someone do a marching band uniform design (also tweeted by the president) for the study to come back and say Wichita State needs to say no to football.

The Shockers get it.

The Valley is far as they can go unless they add football.

Will be interesting to see what Missouri State does. Do they now see the handwriting that Wichita State doesn't daydream about how much they love their Missouri Valley affiliation and turn proactive?

Yeah but for Missouri St, Sun Belt bball might be enough for decision makers to veto move to FBS. It'd be one thing if they had a chance at AAC, as WSU does, one day.

(02-03-2016 04:36 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Yeah but for Missouri St, Sun Belt bball might be enough for decision makers to veto move to FBS. It'd be one thing if they had a chance at AAC, as WSU does, one day.

Valley sans Creighton and Wichita doesn't look much different than the Sun Belt.

Highest rated non-Wichita team is Evansville at 78 vs. UALR of Sun Belt at 55.
Four Valley teams between 100-150 vs. three Sun Belt
Two Valley teams 300+ vs one Sun Belt.

Sure, you can try that sell. Not going to fight you. UNI and SIU have been better in the past, though.

The real interesting scenario is FBS MVFC.

Small aside: WSU should look at NDSU's "Harvest Helmets", with a piece of wheat down the center. That would work well for them.

(02-03-2016 04:52 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  The real interesting scenario is FBS MVFC.

How are they going to swing that?

(02-03-2016 04:52 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Sure, you can try that sell. Not going to fight you. UNI and SIU have been better in the past, though.

The real interesting scenario is FBS MVFC.

I'm sure that this has been talked about about a million times but how would that allow for a new conference? Isn't there a number of teams that would be required in FBS before a new conference could be created?

Went to grad school at WSU, lived in Wichita for 5 years and at one time worked there in the athletic department. There is no doubt that Wichita would support a Shockers football team -- Wichitans support their Shockers.

For over 15 years now, if not more, Koch Arena is filled to the rafters every night. Eck Stadium continually draws well for baseball, even if the Shox aren't as good as they once were. K-State and KU are 2.5- and 3-hour drives from Wichita, OU 2.5 hours and OSU 2 hours. While there are lots of those fans nearby and crossover fans of each, a majority of people in Sedgwick County don't go to those games. They would go to Cessna Stadium for WSU games, though.

As for Cessna Stadium, it's a dump. It would need a $75-million renovation; the best idea would be to raze it and rebuild. Also need to add women's sports for title IX. As for practice fields, well, there really isn't much space unless the campus golf course is flattened.

WSU would start out FCS in the Gateway/Valley before moving up to either the AAC or Mountain West. It would fit better in the AAC since Memphis, Tulsa, SMU and Houston aren't terribly far away.

There is only one path under the current rules to have FBS MVFC. The Valley has to invite 8 existing FBS schools to become members.

(02-03-2016 04:59 PM)NDSUguy Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 04:52 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Sure, you can try that sell. Not going to fight you. UNI and SIU have been better in the past, though.

The real interesting scenario is FBS MVFC.

I'm sure that this has been talked about about a million times but how would that allow for a new conference? Isn't there a number of teams that would be required in FBS before a new conference could be created?

Prestige and the history and connection with the Big 12 and some other FBS schools.

I like that helmet. Am I the only one who thinks "Washington State" first when I see WSU?

The NCAA changes to FCS to FBS rules.

The MVC invites NMSU, Denver, ORU, Lamar, Sam Houston, and a DFW presence like UTA and goes to two divisions for Olympic Sports.

9 football, 16 bball

MVC South
Wichita St
MO St
Oral Roberts
UTA or Dallas Baptist
Denver
NMSU
Lamar
Sam Houston St

Wichita St and Mo St want penetration in the growing southwest for recruiting and alumni.

MVC FBS
N Iowa
I'll St
S Ill
Ind St
MO St
Wichita St
NMSU
Sam Houston St
Lamar

(02-03-2016 05:55 PM)Jimmy Wrote:  I like that helmet. Am I the only one who thinks "Washington State" first when I see WSU?

No. But it will grow on me if they get football kicked off.

John Bardo ‏@President_Bardo · 2h2 hours ago
I had a great time meeting with some RSO's and talking about ways to keep improving WSU!

(02-03-2016 05:00 PM)kurtrundell Wrote:  Went to grad school at WSU, lived in Wichita for 5 years and at one time worked there in the athletic department. There is no doubt that Wichita would support a Shockers football team -- Wichitans support their Shockers.

For over 15 years now, if not more, Koch Arena is filled to the rafters every night. Eck Stadium continually draws well for baseball, even if the Shox aren't as good as they once were. K-State and KU are 2.5- and 3-hour drives from Wichita, OU 2.5 hours and OSU 2 hours. While there are lots of those fans nearby and crossover fans of each, a majority of people in Sedgwick County don't go to those games. They would go to Cessna Stadium for WSU games, though.

As for Cessna Stadium, it's a dump. It would need a $75-million renovation; the best idea would be to raze it and rebuild. Also need to add women's sports for title IX. As for practice fields, well, there really isn't much space unless the campus golf course is flattened.

WSU would start out FCS in the Gateway/Valley before moving up to either the AAC or Mountain West. It would fit better in the AAC since Memphis, Tulsa, SMU and Houston aren't terribly far away.

Sounds reasonable. The real question is what would that level of support be in terms of attendance. If they are playing MVC FCS football and drawing 20-25K, they could be solid FBS candidates fairly quickly. I would think just moving to FBS would at least bump them to 30K if they were already drawing 20-25K in FCS. 30K is a very solid G5 level of support.

For the Missouri Valley Football Conference (which is a separate legal entity from the Missouri Valley Conference), if the Shockers are #11, who is #12? Or is Youngstown State on the clock?

West - Wichita State, Missouri State, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, Northern Iowa
East - Western Illinois, Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Youngstown State, ???

While I think this would over the dead bodies of Bradley, Drake, Evansville, and Loyola-Chicago, Wichita State would also be the sixth full member of the MVC that plays scholarship FCS football. Could the MVFC and MVC tie the knot (or as the WWE so eloquently put it, "Get the F out")?

I don't know if expansion would be in order, but if there was no short-term or medium-term chance of the Shockers moving to FBS, the MVC could invite Murray State from the OVC as its 11th member for all sports, and 12th member in football. There would be a whole host of non-football schools that could be considered for the 12th all sports slot, with the best option likely being Belmont.

Wichita State/Missouri State
Northern Iowa/Drake
Loyola-Chicago/Bradley
Illinois State/Southern Illinois
Evansville/Indiana State
Murray State/Belmont

This delivers a big blow to the OVC, whose best remaining basketball program, Eastern Kentucky, has already been flirting with the Sun Belt.

CUSA has implied that conceptually, some expansion would be fine.

Wichita St wants Texas exposure, which it doesn't have now.
There is only a few more years payout to the Final Four run.
There's no MVC exit fee.
CUSA probably wouldn't charge Wichita St an entrance fee.
CUSA could split in two (which many people here disagree with) in seven years after WSU joins.
Wichita St craves academic status, which the MVC doesn't have
Reducing the FBS payout by 125 k, isn't that big of a deal in the long run.
Much of CUSA would happily split it now.

The new CUSA:
East
ODU
Marshall
Charlotte
FIU
FAU
UAB
WSU
MTSU

West
S Miss
La Tech
Rice
UTSA
North Texas
Wichita St
UTEP
NMSU or Mo St

First lets dispose of "assume the NCAA changes the rules".
Since I-AA was created the rules have changed at least three times I can think of and not once did the rules for changing divisions get easier, they got harder while the rules for remaining I-A got easier after the 1981 change AND when they tried to make it harder they ended up making staying easier than ever before while giving conferences a way to add members easily.

There is no evidence there is any inclination to make moving up harder.

Wichita State touting helmets and band uniforms makes it clear they know what the consultants are being paid to stay.

Question is do they take a JMU approach and sit around waiting for the offer they really want or do they take the TCU approach and take the best offer they have today in order to position for the next move?

Just being willing to move means serious consideration from CUSA, MAC, Sun Belt if MWC or AAC aren't ready to pull the trigger.

Cusa west splits(debatable). A renamed CUSA 10 team conference emerges.
NMSU, UTEP, UTSA, Texas St, UNT, Rice, LATech, ULL, Missouri St, Wichita St.