SIU-E (Probably) to D-1

[89rabbit]

Re: SIU-E (Probably) to D-1

Post-Dispatch SIU-E stories:

Conference Search xDSU's mentioned:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...2%2C%22SIUE%22


http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...2%2C%22SIUE%22

Here is the reason that we are in the Mid-Con and not in the Big Sky:

. . . But one of the assets SIUE believes will make it appealing, the St. Louis media market, would have more meaning if it were in contention to join a high-profile conference with major television prospects.

"What I'd like to know is, what does that mean? What does that translate to?" said Tom Douple, commissioner of the Mid-Continent Conference. "Does (the market size) mean you're going to get 5,000 people at games? It hasn't played out that way. Are you doing to get a lot of ink in the St. Louis paper? I don't know."

With a laugh, he added, "I can tell you what we're getting in Detroit and Indianapolis" newspapers, near member institutions.

But SIUE athletics director Brad Hewitt held firm that the market size still would help make SIUE attractive. . . .

Tom and the Mid-Con "get" that it doesn't matter how big your market is, if no one in your market cares about you. Our friends at the Big Sky have not figured that out yet.


Go State!

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: SIU-E (Probably) to D-1

With SIU-E and UVSC you add an Eastern school and a Western School.  There is talk that UVSC is going to add football so if they did you add a football school and a non-football school.  Perhaps by adding UVSC you shore up SUU to maintian you core membership, and finally you are adding St. Louis and Provo/Salt Lake City.  

With all that said I haven't really seen anything that makes me think that the Mid-Con is even interested in adding 2 schools and going to an East and West Division format, but it is something to think about (especially if you are on the outside looking in).

No matter how you slice it if SIU-E does go D-I it will add to the list of Independents looking for a conference home.

Actually, I think the Mid-Con administrative group would much rather eventually shed Southern Utah, and get out of the Far West business. SIU-E might fit their preferred model, but so would the UxDs. But I know one thing for almost a certain, none of them are going to be on the table even for discussion for at least 3-4 years, until they get closer to being NCAA eligible.

I agree with Jackrabbit89s succinct comments about the Mid-Con people "getting it"!!!!

[NightHawk78]

Re: SIU-E (Probably) to D-1

I don't see SUU leaving the Mid-Con in the forseeable future, simply because they don't seem to have any other possible conference home lined up. The BS Conference has essentially said that Hades will have to freeze over first before SUU can join them and the other Western conferences (PAC-10, MWC, WAC) are simply out of SUU's league.

I think that SIU-E will have a leg up over UND and USD if the Mid-Con ever decides to add another team because of their central location. The fact that the ND and SD media markets will already be covering the Mid-Con more extensively than most of their current media markets will make adding the UxDs somewhat redundant. In addition, the addition of the UxDs may shift the perceived focus of the Mid-Con too much towards the Dakota land-grants and "flagships", creating a potential rift in the membership (traditional v. commuter schools?).

[89rabbit]

Re: SIU-E (Probably) to D-1

My good friend,   , Star2City posted these two stories over on the Sioux board:

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlou...6/daily32.html

SIUE board approves NCAA Div. 1 application

By June 1, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars will apply for reclassification from NCAA Division II to Division I for all sports in the SIUE program, following Wednesday's approval by the school's Board of Trustees.

SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift recommended the reclassification in January presentation to the board.

"I appreciate the board's confidence and forward thinking in this matter," Vandegrift said in a statement Wednesday. "We now have several steps to follow before we apply for reclassification."

During the board meeting, Vandegrift told board members the university must: immediately seek a new conference affiliation (SIUE currently is in the Great Lakes Valley Conference); appoint a reclassification work group in March to assist in all aspects and tasks related to reclassification; and inform the Great Lakes conference in May of SIUE's intention to join a new conference.  .  .  .  (read more)




http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...B?OpenDocument

SIUE to get an answer

By Vahe Gregorian
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/28/2007

When the Southern Illinois University board of trustees convenes today in Carbondale, Ill., a major order of business will be its vote on the Edwardsville campus' proposal to move from NCAA Division II to Division I athletics.

The setting itself brings into focus some of the questions surrounding the potential move:

What impact, if any, would SIUE's change in identity have on Southern Illinois Carbondale? And would the shift clarify the schools' differences or further muddle them?

Confusion is common.

"We struggle with that every day; the people who have graduated from both institutions struggle with that," SIU board chair Roger Tedrick said.

John Meisel, the longtime SIUE faculty athletics representative, has traveled with Cougars teams and heard people call, "Go Salukis!" He recalls thinking, "That's a nice thought, and I'm glad you're cheering for us. But ... we're not the Salukis."

He added, "It's made it difficult for us to kind of see a separate identity."

More recently, The New York Times called SIUE sports information director Eric Hess to set up interviews. When Hess asked, "Is this about Division I?" the reporter paused and said, "Well, yeah." Ultimately, it became clear that the Times was seeking a story about the 11th-ranked Salukis.

"Some day, I hope The New York Times will call us" on purpose, Hess said.  .  .  .  



Go State!