Go Mastodons!

The Ft. Wayne sports market gave birth to the Detroit Pistons a few decades back before moving to Detroit (market) their current home.

The Ft. Wayne market is similar in size to Toledo (UT and BGSU plus OSU and U of M), Des Moines (Drake, ISU and U of I), Wichita (WSU, KU and KSU), Omaha (CU and NU), Akron (U of Akron, Kent State, OSU), Youngstown (YSU, OSU), Springfield, MO -- only a little bigger (MSU and Mizzou), and is bigger than Peoria (BU, U of I, ISU) and Evansville (U of E, IU, PU, and perhaps UK and UL), and Green Bay (UWGB, UW, and perhaps some MU). Its a midmajor market without many minor league pro sports (that I know of). There is following for IU, PU and ND here and perhaps some for Ball State (nearby). But, other than maybe Grand Rapids, which is bigger than Ft. Wayne and has more minor league pro sports, this is one of the largest markets that has a midmajor school available for conference and is close geographically to many midwestern schools.

SEMO was not Alford's gig, he coached at SouthWEST Mo. St. , now just Mo. State.