Centenary was added to the Mid-Continent Conference because the former TAAC/Atlantic Sun member was an independent in need of conference affiliation and the Mid-Con needed to increase its membership to ensure future viability. Mid-Con membership has been in constant flux for over a decade; with membership down to eight prior to the addition of Centenary, the Mid-Con was one "defection" (i.e. Oral Roberts, Southern Utah, Valparaiso) from losing an automatic NCAA berth.

Centenary,

I think you are selling your program and Conf. short. It is my understanding that a conf. can maintain its auto bid with just 7 teams. So the Mid-Con would have had to lose 2 members. That being said I do think that the folks at the Mid-Con were ahead of the curve on this whole crazy realignment thing and that adding a member was a good way to protect their position.

I did some quick checking and Centenary, was one of (if not the strongest) the strongest Independents that was available. So IMHO the Mid-Con added Centenary as insurance and because they were the best of what was available. With this added strength (With 9 teams, they would have to lose 3 to put the auto bid in jeopardy) it allows the Mid-Con the luxury to add Schools based on a long range view (driving down travel costs, long term stability, overall competiveness, etc.). Opening the door for strong newcomers like, SDSU, NDSU and UNC.

The minimum number of conference members for an automatic NCAA berth was recently raised from 7 to 8, at least as far D-I Men's Basketball is concerned. That's why the Patriot League swallowed its pride and allowed American to enter as a scholarship program. Oh, and as for your comment about Centenary being one of the strongest Independents available...look at the applicant pool...

Thanks for the info, and I hear what you are saying. No argument here.

Here is an article from the Grand Forks, ND (UND's home town) newspaper. It say a lot, but one thing I did notice was that it said a Conf. needs 7 teams to maintain it Auto Bid.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/7546959.htm

NDSU searches for games
Bison keep working on their move to Division I
By Dave Nilles
Special to the Herald

FARGO - It's been 16 months since North Dakota State announced it plans to move up to NCAA Division I.

With less than a year left until the move officially begins, NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor is comfortable with where the school is at in the transition process.

The Bison still don't have a conference. But Taylor knew that wouldn't be easy. However, groundwork is under way to form a football-only conference.

Earlier this month, Taylor met with officials from five transitional Division I-AA schools in Las Vegas to plan the initial stages of a football-only conference involving NDSU, South Dakota State, Northern Colorado, St. Mary's (Calif.), Southern Utah, California Davis and California Poly- San Luis Obispo.

Taylor hasn't ruled out the Big Sky or Gateway conferences as possibilities for other sports.

"The major conferences are realizing that eight teams isn't where you want to be anymore," Taylor said. "If you are an automatic qualifier and lose a team you get nervous. The eight-member conference is becoming a dinosaur."

A conference must maintain seven members to be eligible to receive NCAA money from the Division I basketball tournament. The Big Sky and Gateway have eight each. Another conference possibility for the Bison, the Mid-Continent, has nine.

Recent conference shuffling in Division I may open doors for NDSU. . . .

Another NDSU obstacle may be overcome this spring when the NCAA decides whether to shorten the waiting period for sports to become eligible for postseason competition. Men's basketball may be shortened from 13 to five years.

"I'm confident it will go through," Taylor said.

Another piece of legislation may remove the waiting period entirely for individual sports, such as wrestling.

Taylor hopes the Bison have a conference by next fall or early winter.

That applies to I-AA football, numbnuts. Note that article makes reference to all-sports membership in football-only Gateway Conference (originally founded for women's sports).

7 members (you know like 7 tools),

Maybe you should learn to read before you try and smack other posters:

"The major conferences are realizing that eight teams isn't where you want to be anymore," Taylor said. "If you are an automatic qualifier and lose a team you get nervous. The eight-member conference is becoming a dinosaur."

A conference must maintain seven members to be eligible to receive NCAA money from the Division I basketball tournament.

Last two words "Basketball tournament" looks like the guy writing the story got the MVC confused with the Gateway, his problem.

Have a nice night, your such a tool, I mean 7 members. >:(

Nice come back and user name. Does your mommy know you are still up ???

Did you know that as an unregistered user you have no right to belittle the user names of other posters and also that impostors have unfettered access to the use of "your" name?

This whole thing is getting a little childish. I am not sure why a guest felt the need to name call, just because they didn't understand (or couldn't see that the author of the news story made a mistake that really didn't change the point he was trying to make) a post.

MadJack thanks for sticking up for me, but lets get past this name calling and get back to talking about College sports which is why we are all hear. Can't we all just get along? ;)

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Thanks KingCal!! ;D

Ok, back to the topic at hand...

If UNC, NDSU, and SDSU all decided got into the Mid-Con, that could also have some other effects as well. I seriously doubt schools like Valparaiso and IUPUI would be thrilled with with having to take trips to the Dakotas, Greely, AND Southern Utah during the season, so I'd look for them to be the first to bolt. Yes, I know IUPUI isn't much of a powerhouse... yet... but the move to the Horizon, say along with Valpo, would be a very logical move for the school. We have an in-city rivalry in the making with Butler, and Valpo, Detroit, UIC, Loyola, and Wright State are all within a 3 hour travel time, so they would be chomping at the bit to go should Valpo make any moves, or should the conference fill its ranks with western/deep south teams.

Also, I think Denver may be slightly more content for now with Idaho joining the Sun Belt soon... though if both defected to the Mid-Con along with the three newcomers, it might enable a transformation to a true West division.

Valparaiso is not. What does that tell you, especially since their membership is only two years old? I'm sure that Valpo would rather make a trip to the Dakotas every 2-3 years, than to Saint George, Shreveport, and Tulsa every year! IUPUI and Valpo "too good" for the Mid-Con...now that's funny...also, mad props to the now-defunct Tarkio...where exactly was that located?

This article is more than a month old, but thingy Vitale seems very favorable to IPFW getting a Mid-Con bid. Would IUPUI and Valpo support their entry?

http://espn.go.com/thingyvitale/vcolumn031125-IPFW.html