If we go to 12 who do you want (choose 2) poll?

[mvfcfan]

I honestly really like that idea uniftw.

Honestly I was thinking about this a little more today and if there isn't a 12th team to take with Murray State why don't we just take Murray State now? The way I look at it the conference is very travel friendly right now and adding Murray State doesn't change that. Does it really matter if Missouri State has a travel partner? From what I've understood a travel partner is where Northern Iowa would play away games against Loyola and Valpo during the same weekend. So we all have to take a 7-9 hour trip to Springfield once a year. I don't understand why that's such a big deal. If we can afford to spend over 2 million dollars a year on basketball than surely we can afford a bus to take to Springfield. After all MSU would be traveling all over the place too.

Also isn't it 2017 now? Don't we have computer programs that can make up schedules? I know 11 would make scheduling difficult, but it isn't rocket science, especially with help from some schedule creating software.

Then after that we can could wait out the A-10 / Big East situation and hopefully 2 teams from the A-10 not named St Louis get taken. Then SLU would be an easy add after that because without Dayton and VCU the A-10 isn't as attractive.

[Redhawk]

I honestly really like that idea uniftw.

Honestly I was thinking about this a little more today and if there isn't a 12th team to take with Murray State why don't we just take Murray State now? The way I look at it the conference is very travel friendly right now and adding Murray State doesn't change that. Does it really matter if Missouri State has a travel partner? From what I've understood a travel partner is where Northern Iowa would play away games against Loyola and Valpo during the same weekend. So we all have to take a 7-9 hour trip to Springfield once a year. I don't understand why that's such a big deal. If we can afford to spend over 2 million dollars a year on basketball than surely we can afford a bus to take to Springfield. After all MSU would be traveling all over the place too.

Also isn't it 2017 now? Don't we have computer programs that can make up schedules? I know 11 would make scheduling difficult, but it isn't rocket science, especially with help from some schedule creating software.

Then after that we can could wait out the A-10 / Big East situation and hopefully 2 teams from the A-10 not named St Louis get taken. Then SLU would be an easy add after that because without Dayton and VCU the A-10 isn't as attractive.

That's the problem with Murray State...there is no clear cut team to add with them other than SLU.
I agree though mvfcfan that if MuState is the best option then just add them and don't worry about the 12th team for now. The Big 10 existed with Penn State as an 11th team for over a decade so the MVC could surely make it work.

I also agree that having a travel partner is so over stressed.
It's not like MoState is near the Grand Canyon.

[uniftw]

Travel partners only truly affect 2 sports - VB and WBB. I think that part is over blown as well

I agree that 11 wouldn't be ideal but could work for a couple years if needed, but we saw (and heard) that 11 is not an option no matter what. If it was we'd be prepping for a season with MUSU and Valpo

There isn't a good stand alone 12th. There are a few schools that would make a good group of 3 to get to 14, but 14 seems like too much unless it's a 3 bid league, which we won't get by adding the schools we could to get to 14

[AndShock]

In 5-10 years, Valley fans will be arguing over whether Grand Canyon should have been added. Maybe adding a geographical outlier, high-spending, future Wichita State isn't the right move for the Valley. Maybe the travel wouldn't be feasible and it simply isn't possible financially to have Grand Canyon in the conference. But when Grand Canyon is making the NCAA tournament every year, racking up millions of dollars in NCAA tournament shares, making a run to the Final Four, etc. There will be a back-and-forth about if the Valley made a mistake. But like I said, I don't know if the Valley is making a mistake or if it just isn't possible. I'm more confident in Grand Canyon becoming a power than I was Wichita State in 2008 or 2009. Follow the $$$$

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

In 5-10 years, Valley fans will be arguing over whether Grand Canyon should have been added. Maybe adding a geographical outlier, high-spending, future Wichita State isn't the right move for the Valley. Maybe the travel wouldn't be feasible and it simply isn't possible financially to have Grand Canyon in the conference. But when Grand Canyon is making the NCAA tournament every year, racking up millions of dollars in NCAA tournament shares, making a run to the Final Four, etc. There will be a back-and-forth about if the Valley made a mistake. But like I said, I don't know if the Valley is making a mistake or if it just isn't possible. I'm more confident in Grand Canyon becoming a power than I was Wichita State in 2008 or 2009. Follow the $$$$

Agree 100%. I would bet my house of grand canyon becoming a power. It's so abundantly clear they are going to be a perineal top 25 team. They are getting left out because they are a for profit school. I don't see why that really matters when you're trying to better yourself. Get the best. Simple as that. I don't want to see those conversations about the Valley making a mistake but I will be the first to post it because the Valley will make this mistake. Across several different sports the increase in travel would be around $75,000 per school. If you can't pay that then you probably should just move down to DII. Plus, that money will be recouped when Grand Canyon is making the tournament every year.

[CoolArrow]

The interest has to be mutual. I don't believe either side has sincerely expressed their complete and full interest and commitment to this type of expansion. NMSU and GCU are happy being in a one-bid league, why would they go to another one-bid league with historically stronger programs? Adding NMSU/GCU wouldnt make the MVC a 2-3 bid league. I cant predict the future with 100% certainty but It is very likely the WAC and the MVC will each have zero at-large teams the next 10 years. NMSU and GCU are positioned to dominate the WAC the next decade, only way they jump ship is if the WAC is in danger of extinction. Both teams have to keep their options open, so for that reason I believe they have been cordial with the MVC. They would each prefer to land in other conferences out west, GCU in the WCC and NMSU in CUSA or MW. If the WAC is stabilized and CSUB, UVU continue improving their bkb programs, jumping to the MVC now would be a huge mistake for either team.

[MOST]

Sorry for upsetting a poster or 2. But that's life!

First I am not promoting the Dakotas or the Summit. Nor am I a MIZZOU, a UMKC, or a Nebraska Omaha hack. I grew up in Springfield, a SMS BB fan, attended SMS for a couple of years in the mid 80s, dropped out to work, eventually graduated after getting hours at several ND/SD schools. Would like to be a BEAR fan but way to many Asses on the MO State BEAR NATION Forum. Lots of folks on that forum are lost in a time warp.

A recent example of the blah, blah on this forum is a very high volume MVC poster is opposed to inviting ORU to the MVC because ORU protestant tenets violate his protestant tenets. Come on! This is a college sports forum. And is both a BB and a FB forum. FB is a part of every discussion.

As I said this thread is excessively repetitive. Same folks saying over and over the same thing. Some posters and comments are so inane they border on ridiculous.

Some dude(s) want to shotgun the expansion candidates. They keep wanting to add Grand Canyon, Northern AZ, and NMSU. All 3 are miles out of the MVC geo footprint. If you accept that IL State at Normal is the approximate geo center of the MVC, GCU @ Phoenix is 1350 air miles away, Northern AZ @ Flagstaff is 1280 air miles, and NMSU (@ Las Cruces) is 1135 air miles. And someone keeps wanting to add UTSA or SFA, both a mere 930 air miles from Normal. For another perspective, the MVC school bus conference perspective, Springfield and MO State, the far southwest border of the MVC footprint, road mileage to Phoenix is 1200 miles, to Flagstaff is 1100 miles, to Las Cruces is 975 miles, and to San Antonio a short 750 road miles.

Plus, I don't think GCU plays football, Northern AZ plays FCS football in the Big Sky Conference, NMSU plays FBS football in the Sun Belt, and UTSA plays FBS in CUSA.

If MVC or the Summit want to do far reaching pillaging, the northern schools of the Big Sky may be more realistic expansion candidates. They could look at Montana State at Bozman, Montana U at Mizzoula, or Northern Colorado at Greely. Not quite as far away as New Mexico, Arizona or south Texas

[BEARZ77]

Agree 100%. I would bet my house of grand canyon becoming a power. It's so abundantly clear they are going to be a perineal top 25 team. They are getting left out because they are a for profit school. I don't see why that really matters when you're trying to better yourself. Get the best. Simple as that. I don't want to see those conversations about the Valley making a mistake but I will be the first to post it because the Valley will make this mistake. Across several different sports the increase in travel would be around $75,000 per school. If you can't pay that then you probably should just move down to DII. Plus, that money will be recouped when Grand Canyon is making the tournament every year.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with GCU in the next few years; I just have my doubts they can consistently get a schedule that will allow them to make a major move. They have 3 nice games this year, but they're roadies and their home schedule is terrible:
Florida AM
Robert Morris
UALR
Norfolk St
UC Riverside
NC Central
Grambling
Mississippi Valley
Longview
San Diego
Morgan St

They get St Johns in a neutral, and then add a pretty pedestrian WAC schedule. They had an RPI of 131 last year. They should win a lot of games in that schedule this year, but unless they upset Illinois or Louisville on the road, that's not a schedule to get an at large with. But maybe they're good enough to get an upset in one of the roadies.

[mvfcfan]

So "MOST", as a Missouri State fan are you for or against adding Oral Roberts to the league? I'm an Indiana State fan, but it's my opinion that if we add Murray State as a #11 that ORU is the best #12 option.

[rally]

If GCU comes anywhere close to these predictions, it's only a matter of time before the Mountain West adds them as the 12th team for non-football sports.