(01-06-2022 05:53 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Small contributions ...

WIU is the last remaining founding member from way back of what became the Summit League. The only reason they ever discussed the OVC was football, and IMO that's gone with being surrounded in the MVFC by MoST, IllSt, SIU, NIowa and (if they get in) MurraySt. They also just hired a new HC to rebuild the program.

Southern Indiana has not discussed starting up football. They are spending/have spent $60-70 million upgrading everything else (haven't checked in a while, but they had a really impressive plan for their bball stadium).

Southern Indiana opened their basketball facility in 2019 and the new swimming facility just opened in the fall. They will be adding men's and women's swim & dive for the 2022-23 season.

Could all/most of the OVC’s 5 football schools find homes as affiliates elsewhere?

I think they stand a more realistic chance of surviving as a conference if they aren’t encumbered by football when shopping for members.

MEAC would probably jump at Tenn St
Maybe the ASUN and Southland take the rest.

WIU already has a football home, maybe the jump over due to the geographic friendliness.
USI makes sense; maybe Lipscomb and Bellarmine give flipping some thought (no more flights to FL)

With the OVC being based near Nashville (in Brentwood), having Southern Indiana or the University of Indianapolis would not be a bad thing.

The problem with the OVC dropping football is they have to then sponsor soccer.

Right now all they have for soccer is EIU and SIUE. D2 upgrades don't count right away so even if they added D2 schools they would need 4 more until the upgrade process is complete.

They would have to get WIU on board as well as Chicago St's soccer team. If they send some football teams to the Southland perhaps they could get Houston Baptist as an affiliate. They would still need 1 more

If they could get WIU and make a push for soccer, Summit League soccer then becomes unstable.

Best case scenario for OVC soccer would be for WIU to join and then for the Summit to sponsor Hockey as their 2nd team sport, allowing the OVC to have Summit soccer teams as affiliates

OVC Soccer
WIU
EIU
SIUE
Chicago St
Houston Baptist
Oral Roberts
UMKC
Omaha
St. Thomas
Denver

If WIU doesn't come, then the logical move would seem to be some sort of merger or accommodation with the SLC.

(01-05-2022 10:21 PM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  The list of schools that I know are at least on the OVC hot board at the moment:

Western Illinois
Arkansas Pine Bluff
Grand Valley State
Hillsdale College
Lincoln Memorial
Southern Indiana
University of Indianapolis

It's possible there are others, but those are the ones I've heard from OVC ADs and central office personnel. Not totally sure how to handicap it all yet, honestly

Thank you Matt. I was saying University of Indianapolis to D1 might be possible, but people bashed me for saying it. They said theyt were looking for a new conference for all sports a couple of years ago.

OVC soccer was discussed in depth on here a few weeks ago. I don't have time to look for that thread right now.

USI
SIUE
EIU
WIU
Chicago St.

The sixth member could be an affiliate or one of the other members or Little Rock starting the sport-- or some other new member who sponsors MSOC-- you only need one more at that point.

Of course this assumes OVC FB dies and that they add USI., Ch. St., and WIU.

(01-06-2022 09:36 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Could all/most of the OVC’s 5 football schools find homes as affiliates elsewhere?

I think they stand a more realistic chance of surviving as a conference if they aren’t encumbered by football when shopping for members.

MEAC would probably jump at Tenn St
Maybe the ASUN and Southland take the rest.

WIU already has a football home, maybe the jump over due to the geographic friendliness.
USI makes sense; maybe Lipscomb and Bellarmine give flipping some thought (no more flights to FL)

I bet Bellarmine will replace UIC in the Horizon. Lipscomb to the OVC makes sense if the OVC can show they're not going anywhere.

Fresno St. Alum ---
I bet Bellarmine will replace UIC in the Horizon. Lipscomb to the OVC makes sense if the OVC can show they're not going anywhere.

***********************************************************

Lipscomb DOES have men's soccer which would help the OVC.

But the Knights stated they were interested in having a presence in the South. Of course things change.

(01-07-2022 12:40 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(01-05-2022 10:21 PM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  The list of schools that I know are at least on the OVC hot board at the moment:

Western Illinois
Arkansas Pine Bluff
Grand Valley State
Hillsdale College
Lincoln Memorial
Southern Indiana
University of Indianapolis

It's possible there are others, but those are the ones I've heard from OVC ADs and central office personnel. Not totally sure how to handicap it all yet, honestly

Thank you Matt. I was saying University of Indianapolis to D1 might be possible, but people bashed me for saying it. They said theyt were looking for a new conference for all sports a couple of years ago.

Much of that, David, was me. I still don't see UIndy doing exploration to DI like USI is. But maybe they are being very quiet about it.

I would be astonished if UAPB left the SWAC for the OVC. I have met quite a few UAPB alumni when we hosted them in football back in 2013 (they had just come off of winning the SWAC championship in 2012) and all of them were incredibly proud of being ‘Black National Champions.’ Many others also pride themselves that their Marching band (dubbed the M4) are associated with the other HBCU marching bands within the SWAC. I think the school would be overwhelmed with the amount of back lash they would face if they left the SWAC

(01-07-2022 07:56 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  I would be astonished if UAPB left the SWAC for the OVC. I have met quite a few UAPB alumni when we hosted them in football back in 2013 (they had just come off of winning the SWAC championship in 2012) and all of them were incredibly proud of being ‘Black National Champions.’ Many others also pride themselves that their Marching band (dubbed the M4) are associated with the other HBCU marching bands within the SWAC. I think the school would be overwhelmed with the amount of back lash they would face if they left the SWAC

I also know people who played there. The backlash would be massive at UAPB if they left the SWAC for the OVC.

(01-07-2022 01:05 AM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  OVC soccer was discussed in depth on here a few weeks ago. I don't have time to look for that thread right now.

USI
SIUE
EIU
WIU
Chicago St.

The sixth member could be an affiliate or one of the other members or Little Rock starting the sport-- or some other new member who sponsors MSOC-- you only need one more at that point.

Of course this assumes OVC FB dies and that they add USI., Ch. St., and WIU.

But USI or any other D2 upgrade wouldn't count for the first 4 years.

Unless......

The NCAA does allow upgrading programs to fast track 1 M and 1 W non basketball team sport. If a OVC D2 upgrade fast tracked their M's soccer program, perhaps they would count towards NCAA minimums right away

Or DI and DII completely rewrite their bylaws, which is exactly what is happening this spring.

Can't guarantee any reclassification rule stays in place come July 2.

Sounds like Murray football in OVC for 2022. Applied to MVFC for 2033.

(01-07-2022 10:05 AM)EKUSteve Wrote:  Sounds like Murray football in OVC for 2022. Applied to MVFC for 2033.

I assume you meant 2023. That still gives the OVC a one year reprieve to figure things out for the future which is a good thing. Also, with the MVFC totally separate from the MVC, it is always possible they don't get an invite.

(01-07-2022 11:06 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(01-07-2022 10:05 AM)EKUSteve Wrote:  Sounds like Murray football in OVC for 2022. Applied to MVFC for 2033.

I assume you meant 2023. That still gives the OVC a one year reprieve to figure things out for the future which is a good thing. Also, with the MVFC totally separate from the MVC, it is always possible they don't get an invite.

Are relations that bad that they wouldn't consider staying for football in exchange for no exit fee?

If you cannot get in the MVFC, why not help the OVC out and leave football there?

So to be clear, is the rule that a non-football conference needs 2 men's team sports other than basketball to qualify as a DI conference? I haven't found confirmation of this, but I assume the folks on this board know what they are talking about. So, if the OVC loses football, they would need to add one men's sport since they have basketball and baseball?

(01-07-2022 11:09 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(01-07-2022 11:06 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(01-07-2022 10:05 AM)EKUSteve Wrote:  Sounds like Murray football in OVC for 2022. Applied to MVFC for 2033.

I assume you meant 2023. That still gives the OVC a one year reprieve to figure things out for the future which is a good thing. Also, with the MVFC totally separate from the MVC, it is always possible they don't get an invite.

Are relations that bad that they wouldn't consider staying for football in exchange for no exit fee?

If you cannot get in the MVFC, why not help the OVC out and leave football there?

I've been wondering the same thing. Could work out well for both.

(01-07-2022 11:09 AM)mjs Wrote:  So to be clear, is the rule that a non-football conference needs 2 men's team sports other than basketball to qualify as a DI conference? I haven't found confirmation of this, but I assume the folks on this board know what they are talking about. So, if the OVC loses football, they would need to add one men's sport since they have basketball and baseball?

Yes that is the rule

You must have Basketball + Football

OR

Basketball + 2 of Baseball, Soccer, Hockey, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Water Polo