OVC Expansion & Realignment

dbackjon · **Joined:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:50 pm **Posts:** 267

Should have postd this here, instead of A-Sun thread, but do they think that Jax State or Tenn State are leaving?

this gives them a current 9/12 set up.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2011 2:57 pm

Sun Belt said that they won't take and FCS schools now. Even if they did App St. and Georgia St. should be ahead of Jacksonville St., that leaves Tenn St. They were offered a long time ago and I've heard nothing. UNA could still hope to be #12 in the BIg South, however I think Kennesaw St. will get that spot. The A-Sun is down to 9, they could take UNA, and UNA could be fb only in the Big South. NKU could be A-Sun but it's a little out of their footprint. What I think this means is that UNA told OVC they are staying D-II

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 1490

Fresno -

I think your guess about UNA could very well be on target. We'll see....
Unlike UNA, Belmont lacks FB. So I guess they are OK with 9/12 and an 8-game round robin.

There could still be some movement. A-Sun may feel the need to re-stock with Longwood or D-2 school...

IF (HUGE IF) the Big East could make a decision and grabs one CUSA team for all sports (UCF or Houston), I see CUSA re-stoking with a Sun-Belt school.
At that point, the Sun-Belt grabs some southeastern FCS school, such as Jacksonville State or Appalachia State. And the cascade continues.

Regards,
Tute

accseahawk · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2011 6:13 pm

The SoCon has had the 9/12 setup for quite sometime now and they seem to really enjoy it as it allows a full round robin for football while other sports can split into divisions to save on travel. I suspect the OVC can do the same.

Either:
NORTH
Eastern Illinois
SIU Edwardsville
Southeast Missouri St
Murray St
Eastern Kentucky
Morehead State

SOUTH
UT Martin
Austin Peay
Belmont
Tennessee Tech
Tennesse St
Jacksonville St

OR

WEST
Eastern Illnois
SIU Edwardsvile
Southeast Missouri St
Murray St
UT Martin
Austin Peay

EAST
Belmont
Tennessee St
Tennessee Tech
Eastern Kentucky
Morehead State
Jacksonville St

I would think the North-South allignment would be preferable as it keeps as the instate rivals in the same divisions.

dbackjon · **Joined:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:50 pm **Posts:** 267

One issue with north/south is that it separates Murray and Martin. These schools are 50 miles apart, and rivals - they would want to stay together.

accseahawk · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2011 6:46 pm

Murray St is going to be w/ the missouri/illinois 3 anyways so do they want to be w/ 2 tennessee schools or 2 kentucky schools? also do the tennessee schools all want to be in the same division or do they mind being split up?

dbackjon · **Joined:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:50 pm **Posts:** 267

Murray to Richmond (EKU) or Morehead are 300 miles +. Same physical state, worlds apart.

EIU, SIU-E and SEMO are all closer to Murray than EKU or Morehead. Martin is the rival, and APSU is a little over an hour away.
Nashville (2 hours) and Cookeville (3 hours) are closer. Only school as far away from Murray as EKU and Morehead is Jacksonville State. Heck, even UNA would be much closer to Murray.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2011 9:05 pm

why do they need div. for basketball? It's a condensed conf. there's no need. Old-B12, CUSA, CAA etc don't have div. for basketball and they are spread further.

Kim Jong Skillz · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 11:56 pm

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

So does that mean the OVC is done and UNA isn't coming? Or do they want 14 w/ UNA and NKU?

NKU is a better fit in the summit league. NKU doesnt sponsor football & the OVC doesnt sponsor mens soccer. mens soccer is 1 of NKU's better teams & they wouldnt drop them for title IX compliance anyway.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Wed May 18, 2011 1:34 pm

Travel out weighs soccer in college sports. Much less travel in the OVC is greater than soccer. It looks as if the OVC will stop at 12 so Summit is the only option for NKU

Kim Jong Skillz · **Posted:** Wed May 18, 2011 5:25 pm

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

Travel out weighs soccer in college sports. Much less travel in the OVC is greater than soccer. It looks as if the OVC will stop at 12 so Summit is the only option for NKU

travel definitely outweighs mens soccer, but also its just 1 portion of the equation. the OVC is mostly a FB conference & coming from a school without a football program, i feel non-football schools usually dont want to be in FB conferences & be left feeling like 2nd rate citizens. i know belmont just moved over to the OVC, but also belmont has a GREAT basketball program whose a perennial winner, so they can come in & compete right away. i dont think the same situation exists for NKU. they also dont have a FB program but their basketball program is nowhere near the level of belmonts. im thinking that keeping mens soccer was definitely a point brought up, but maybe not as highly as travel was but still something to think about.

tbf, i think nku could come into the summit & compete right away in soccer. with omaha already joining the summit will be at 7 for mens soccer & with NKU it would be 8. just some food for thought.

Quinn · **Joined:** Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:05 am **Posts:** 3752

I think the word you were looking for was "solid" as in "Belmont has a solid basketball program". Because "good" means you'd be able to get an at-large bid and "great" would mean able to win, well, at least 1 game. Never great when you're in the 16-12 seed range.

Kim Jong Skillz · **Posted:** Thu May 19, 2011 4:02 pm

tomato tomato. now thats all just subjective. luck has a lot to do with being able to win a game in the tournament as there is no exact science on who gets in & what seed they receive.

Quinn · **Joined:** Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:05 am **Posts:** 3752

Kim Jong Skillz wrote:

tomato tomato. now thats all just subjective. luck has a lot to do with being able to win a game in the tournament as there is no exact science on who gets in & what seed they receive.

more like tomato vs a whole field of tomato plants. Belmont has been solid in a dreck of a conference. They now upgrade to a slightly better conference. They are in no way great. As we've seen, a number of schools have been good and some even great that are not in BCS conferences. I wish Belmont the best of luck, but they are in no way even in the same ballpark as the Daytons and St. Marys of the world, forget the likes of Xavier, Gonzaga, Butler, etc.

pf9 · **Joined:** Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:36 am **Posts:** 185

Many Lipscomb fans will probably want their school in the OVC as well.

Right now...there's simply too many schools in the conference. If the MVC picks off the northernmost schools (except SIUE) to compensate for losing Southern Illinois, then Lipscomb might get in.

Tennessee State could also leave the OVC for the SWAC...which would obviously want a 12th school (Langston?).

OVC Expansion & Realignment

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