FCS/Mid-Major Conference Shuffling

[ST_Lawson]

Sacred Heart (Fairfield, CT) is joining CAA Football: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_A ... Conference
They had been in the NEC from '99-'23 before going Independent last year and are right in the footprint of the current CAA Football, being very close to schools like Bryant, Rhode Island, Albany, Stony Brook, and Monmouth.

[ST_Lawson]

Tennessee Tech will be leaving the OVC and joining the SoCon next season (26/27). That will take the OVC-Big South down to 8 football teams.


 
 

[may know]

This probably results in the OVC footprint shifting more towards IL with any future additions.

[jtrinaldi]

A few more fcs dominoes are about to fall into place within the next week or two

[meganeck]

Scott, sounds like their are rumors more OVC teams might leave and I'm thinking non football wise (mainly basketball) if so any idea who the conference might add? Any chance they would add Chicago St? especially since they are adding football.

[ST_Lawson]

Scott, sounds like their are rumors more OVC teams might leave and I'm thinking non football wise (mainly basketball) if so any idea who the conference might add? Any chance they would add Chicago St? especially since they are adding football.


 

If that ends up happening, then Chicago State could be an option. There have also been occasional rumblings that the DII University of Indianapolis might want to move up to DI, which would be a possibility.

That being said, I'm not quite sure who would go where. It sounds like the SoCon wants to add one more team, but it also sounds like they're looking more at the UAC members in the area.

[ST_Lawson]

More realignment news in this video...


Essentially:

• UC San Diego (Big West) officially moving to the WCC in 2027
• Strong rumor of St. Mary's (WCC) to PAC
• UC Irvine (Big West) possible to WCC
• Denver (Summit) being looked at by Big West
• UAC - looking at adding three members in the next couple of months, probably football-playing members
• He mentions Oral Roberts as having interest in the old WAC, but that may not happen since they became the new UAC

If you look at where the UAC teams are as of next season (they're losing SUU and Utah Tech to the Big Sky), it looks like this:


And if they're looking at adding three members, they might be looking at the OVC or possibly the Southland for prospects.

 

[meganeck]

Apparently the United Athletic Conference (UAC) is adding Little Rock and according to Sam Herder he thinks they are looking at adding 2 O VC teams also. So if the OVC falls apart what does WIU do? Would they just have to find a new conference for football or a new conference for everything?

[may know]

The OVC almost has to add Chicago St if the numbers continue to dwindle. 

 

[ST_Lawson]

The OVC almost has to add Chicago St if the numbers continue to dwindle. 

So, to remain a DI conference, the OVC has to have 7 active DI members. If the conference loses two more schools, we'll be right at 7, so we'd have no leeway for any other teams leaving.
The other issue is that you also have to have 6 men's sports and 6 women's sports, each with at least six members sponsoring them. After Little Rock and Tennessee Tech leave, here's where the conference stands on that front:

Men
Basketball - 9
Baseball - 8
Cross Country - 9
Golf - 6 (1 associate member)
Soccer - 9 (4 associate members)
T&F Indoor - 6
T&F Outdoor - 7
Football - 6 + 2 Big South teams

Women
Basketball - 9
Beach Volleyball - 5 (1 associate member)
Cross Country - 9
Golf - 7 (1 associate member)
Soccer - 8
Softball - 9
Tennis - 7 (1 associate member)
T&F Indoor - 8
T&F Outdoor - 8
Volleyball Indoor - 9

So, we're ok as of right now, but if two more leave, then there's a number of sports that could be below the threshold, depending on who it is who leaves.
Chicago State (which I would grudgingly be ok adding if it's a matter of "life or death" for the conference) adds: M&W Basketball, M&W Cross Country, Football, M&W Golf, M&W Soccer, M&W Tennis, M&W T&F, and Volleyball. They do also sponsor women's triathalon, which the compete independently in.
I don't reasonably see anyone else unless someone from DII moves up. I've occasionally heard rumblings of U of Indianapolis as a DI possibility. People often put out Ferris State and Grand Valley State as names who might move to DI, but it seems like they're pretty happy where they are, dominating DII.

As for where we might have to bail to if the OVC implodes...there's not really much in the way of options in our region outside of the MVFC, OVC, or Pioneer League for football, Summit League, OVC, Horizon, and MVC for other sports.
For non-football sports, I'm 100% sure we'd never get invited to the MVC and 98% sure we wouldn't get a Horizon League invite...leaving the OVC or back to the Summit League. So, honestly the best option for the remaining OVC teams (because there'd still be 7 left if two current teams headed out) would be to try to bring up interested DII teams to fill spots.

I hesitate to even put forth the "nuclear option", but I can't say that it doesn't look like we might have been angling for that if we had to go that route....specifically the D2 GLVC.
The GLVC has football and M&W basketball, of course, along with Baseball, M&W Cross Country, M&W Golf, M&W Lacrosse (which we don't have), M&W Soccer, Softball, M&W Swimming & Diving (we also don't have), M&W Tennis (we have women's tennis), Indoor and Outdoor T&F, Volleyball, and M&W Wrestling (which we don't have). The part that makes it look more interesting is that they also have women's bowling and women's STUNT...two sports that we have added this season. Teams like Quincy, McKendree, Indianapolis, Truman State, etc.