Leatherneck Nation

I think the MVC is confused.

They are trying to flater themselves that they matter:


I better show some one I matter 

Loyola is leaving, most of us don't have football, or any "household" name. Program for 20222, I will add 4 more schools! using market data!

MVC is starting to unravel.

Apparently MVC wanted UMKC to commit to some arena renovations before offering an invite, which KC wouldn't promise.

So yeah...looks like Murray State to the MVC and it sounds like there's a good chance that they'll be inviting UIC as well to keep a presence in Chicago after Loyola "heads east".

Also, UT-Arlington (another rumored MVC addition) looks like they might be headed to the WAC (probably didn't get the MVC invite):

Murray State to the MVC is official: https://mvc-sports.com/news/2022/1/7/ge ... rence.aspx

Also...

Given the MVC’s sports portfolio does not include football and rifle, Murray State has proactively pursued – in a collective and parallel track – league membership for football and rifle and are excited about the future.  Upon unanimous support from the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) board of presidents – a separate stand-alone, football-only conference – Murray State and MVFC officials are actively engaged in the membership process, which officially began immediately upon receipt of the MVC invitation. The nationally ranked (currently 6th) Murray State rifle program will continue to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference.

EDIT - it sounds like their application to the MVFC is a formality at this point. Projected to be playing in the MVFC in 2023. That's in the middle of a 2-year rotation, so it's going to screw up the schedule going forward. We'll get one year of not playing UND and USD in 2022, but then who knows. I have heard that they aren't planning on divisions, so barring any other changes to conference membership, it looks like we'll be having to go to 3 teams a year that we don't play.

ST_Lawson wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:33 am Murray State to the MVC is official: https://mvc-sports.com/news/2022/1/7/ge ... rence.aspx

Also...

Given the MVC’s sports portfolio does not include football and rifle, Murray State has proactively pursued – in a collective and parallel track – league membership for football and rifle and are excited about the future.  Upon unanimous support from the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) board of presidents – a separate stand-alone, football-only conference – Murray State and MVFC officials are actively engaged in the membership process, which officially began immediately upon receipt of the MVC invitation. The nationally ranked (currently 6th) Murray State rifle program will continue to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference.

EDIT - it sounds like their application to the MVFC is a formality at this point. Projected to be playing in the MVFC in 2023. That's in the middle of a 2-year rotation, so it's going to screw up the schedule going forward. We'll get one year of not playing UND and USD in 2022, but then who knows. I have heard that they aren't planning on divisions, so barring any other changes to conference membership, it looks like we'll be having to go to 3 teams a year that we don't play.

 

Why not go to 9 conference games every year?  I dont think the odd number causes a problem.  Big 10 plays 9 conference games.  Makes out-of-conference scheduling easier.
 

And this as a potential SoCon, which adds Elon, W&M, Charleston, and UNC-Wilmington from the CAA.

More about Monmouth (NJ), Hampton, and Stony Brook to the CAA: https://www.nj.com/setonhall/2022/01/mo ... ation.html

Monmouth has been Big South for football, MAAC for other sports.
Hampton has been Big South for all sports for the last few years (they were MEAC up until 2018)
Stony Brook has been an associate with the CAA for football, but other sports were in the America East.

This leaves the Big South with 4 full members playing football and 1 affiliate (Kennesaw State and North Alabama are moving to the ASun). Big South football would then be under the limit for losing their FCS playoff autobid, so that will need to be addressed somehow. They're at 11 full members for other sports, so they're fine there, but football is going to be an issue for them.
Suggestions I've seen thrown out there (not really even to the "wild rumor" stage yet) include:

• The remaining football playing members of the Big South (Campbell, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, NC A&T, and Robert Morris as an affiliate) become football affiliates of the ASUN, possibly with RMU becoming a football affiliate of the Ohio Valley if they're able to hold things together. The problem with this is that there's a fairly large disparity between the quality of football at Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Kennesaw State, and North Alabama vs Campbell, Charleston Southern, and Gardner-Webb. NC A&T has had a decent amount of success though.
• The Big South merges (or pulls a number of teams from) the remaining members of the MEAC (currently at 8, but only 6 have football). Alternately, the MEAC breaks up, the NEC picks up some of the more northern schools, and the Big South picks up some of the more southern schools.
• The America East will be down to 8 total members, so as a non-football league, they may feel the need to pull from the NEC, at which point the NEC (currently at 10 football teams) might find themselves needing to partner with the Big South for football reasons.