One step closer

[Rabbit74]

An article in the Frago Forum today indicates that the Mid-Con is taking over full management of the Great West with the associate commissioner of the Mid-Con serving as the Commissioner of the Great West.  The increased integration of the two has been discussed before but this gives a little more detail. The article goes on to say

"NDSU, an NCAA Division I independent in most sports, is hoping it receives favorable expansion news from a June 27 Mid-Continent Council of Presidents meeting"

I can't help but believe that the chances for an invitation to join the Mid Con are a high probability.

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...section=Sports

Was there any new information at the Stan Marshall?

[thebluehatman]

Re: One step closer

well its a good start to getting a home. the article in the argus earlier this week about UND moving up seemed to make a big deal out of them moving up and taking our spot with NDSU. doubt it would matter cuz they are gonna be at least 3 years behind in the move up. seeing as UND much like USD with us kind of severed ties with NDSU. any other thoughts?

[filbert]

Re: One step closer

I just posted my "modest proposal" for the Mid-Con to absorb those NCC schools that want to move up:

http://www.medary.com/article.php/20060601122340393

Excerpt:

The Mid-Continent Conference has two problems: immediate survival, and long-term coherence. Immediate survival is addressed by ensuring that no further current members leave the conference, and by bringing in new members which complement existing members geographically and athletically. Offering Mid-Con membership to Indiana-Purdue-Ft. Wayne is about as close to a no-brainer as you're likely to see in Division I conference memberships. This gives Oakland University and IUPUI another member on the eastern edge of the conference. Being an institution that's exempt from the NCAA's eight-year core membership criterion, IPFW provides much-needed stability as well.

Utah Valley State also emerges as a surprisingly reasonable addition to the Mid-Continent. Close to the rapidly growing Salt Lake City metropolitan area, UVSC provides a reasonable travel partner for Southern Utah University. The difference in cost between the flight for a single game at Southern Utah, and two games at SUU and at Utah Valley State make the Wolverines a worthy addition to the Mid-Continent.

Never before has a weak conference such as the Mid-Continent had the opportunity to bring in not one but two 1862 Morrill Land Grant universities, but that is the case in 2006. North Dakota State and South Dakota State have made no secret of their preference for the Division I-AA football-playing Big Sky Conference, but it's not likely that either institution would turn down a Mid-Continent membership. Both institutions take their Land-Grant status very seriously, both academically and athletically. The Mid-Continent with two members who truly see as their peer institutions Kansas State, Minnesota, and Nebraska will instantly improve the conference's overall reputation.

So, if the Mid-Con offers memberships to all four of these institutions and all four accept membership, the Mid-Con becomes an 11-member league. Since the Mid-Continent does not offer football, an odd number creates serious scheduling difficulties. Even numbers are much more desirable, as this allows the conference to designate travel partners and offer more economical road trips for the member schools.

Hello, Texas-Pan American. This long-time Division I school was dismissed from the Sun Belt Conference in 1998 following serious NCAA violations, the Broncs have wandered in the wilderness of D-I independence since that time. But now, with the Mid-Continent in critical condition, luck may have at last smiled on the team from Edinburg. Adding UTPA and the other four schools mentioned above gives the Mid-Continent twelve members, with travel partners which are if not advantageous, at least reasonable:
Oakland and IPFW
IUPUI and Western Illinois
UMKC and Oral Roberts
Centenary and Texas-Pan American
North Dakota State and South Dakota State
Southern Utah and Utah Valley State
. . .
Taking in five new members does not solve the Mid-Continent Conference's problems, it only postpones them. The easternmost members, Oakland and IUPUI, will increasingly have other options for conference membership as time goes on. The widely speculated split between the football-playing schools and the basketball-only schools of the Big East is expected in 2010, when the Big East's television contract comes up for renewal. If this happens, it will ripple across the country even more significantly than the defection of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College to the ACC and the subsequent raid of the Big East on Conference-USA remade the college conference landscape in 2004 through 2006.
. . .
The solution to the long-term survival of the Mid-Continent conference is to go north. Addition of four Division-II North Central Conference schools to the Mid-Con: North Dakota, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State-Mankato, and South Dakota, provides a solid geographic core to a revitalized Mid-Continent Conference which could eventually look to replicate the success of the Missouri Valley Conference in men's basketball. It also stabilizes the Great West Football Conference as the football-playing affiliate of the Mid-Con.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: One step closer

Filbert,
I just read your entire post on medary, and you have done a great deal more research thought on the issue than I, however I just can't see the old NCC moving up. Duluth never happens, Augie can't. I don't think the SD Board of Regents would go for it at all, especially given the controversy that SDSU's move incited. As for St. Cloud or Mankato, IMO the growing Twin Cities could support one, but not both, in terms of financial support. UNO is not likely to move because of the reasons that you stated.

That means we are looking at UND (which is not a given either, but very very likely), and SCSU in the next couple of years. This means that the rest of the current NCC schools will view the move as more costly and less likely to succeed, further reducing their chances of taking the jump.

Valpo's loss for the Mid-Con is very troubling for the conference because of the March Madness Money, and they need to solve that first. I think NDSU & SDSU will also get invites, but the Jacks better keep looking AFTER they get in.

[rabidrabbit]

Re: One step closer

Filbert - Great "modest" proposal. While I'm for seeing a D-I NCC, I'd also point out that Pittsburg St., Cent. Mo, and possible Great Lakes conference members who may move up would also be good additions especially if close to UMKC, ORU in coming up.

We may see UND being the final straw to the NCC breaking it from the successful, strong D-II league that it once was. And if the NCC moves up, it would be nice to consolidate it into an existing auto-bid conference containing their ex-NCC brethren. However, we also to make our new conference work first, then add as appropriate, whether that's the NCC move-ups, or other schools.

The important thing is to make SDSU sports work well, and provide future Rabbits good/great experiences. A conference, that actually competitive in, is highly valued by the athletes.

[filbert]

Re: One step closer

1stRowFanatic: If you divide the U.S. population by the number of D-I basketball schools and apply that average to the populations of Minnesota and North And South Dakota, you find that those three states "should" be supporting six D-I schools. With NDSU and SDSU, there are three D-I schools in the three states. So from a crude market-size standpoint, there's room for three, maybe four more schools to move up. I'd also suggest that the presence of more D-I schools in the Upper Midwest makes the move to D-I for additional schools in the region easier, not harder, as travel and scheduling problems are reduced with more D-I schools in the area.

Also, I tried to take the view in the article of what the Mid-Con should do to survive short- and long-term. Naturally I'm a bit biased about my long-term survival strategy for the conference.

Rabid: I agree that UND's departure would make the NCC borderline non-viable as a conference. They'll need to take the stronger teams from the NSIC and/or the northern Michigan schools to stay at the top of D-II, or dip into the area NAIA schools like Minot or USF. I think it's more likely however that other schools will follow UNC, NDSU, SDSU, and UND into D-I from the NCC of old. If St. Cloud moves up, then I can see Minnesota State-Mankato following shortly thereafter. I'm not smart enough to know whether or not USD could make a go of it--I'm just assuming for sake of argument that they could. If not, there are whispers on other discussion boards that Central Missouri State and/or Washburn are starting to think about a D-I move.

[RodentiaX1]

Re: One step closer

I think that Duluth could move up, but it is highly unlikely they will. Geographically, it makes sense, there is a reasonable population in the area, and it's not so close to other D-I schools that there would be a lot of competition for fans - there may be plenty of Gopher fans in Duluth, but it's a haul to get down to Minneapolis for games.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: One step closer

Would Minnesota allow/welcome another D-1 school, especially after the state just decided to shell out a few hundred million for a new football stadium at the U of M? ... The multi-state area -(Minnesota, the Dakotas) probably do have the population for a couple more D-1 schools, in theory. But this region doesn't have the concentrated wealth of the east coast. With educational and athletic costs increasingly being shoved off on private donors, the rush to D-1 might slow down. SDSU and NDSU made the move at the right time, but there are still bumps ahead. UND could luck out and tag along. After that, things could get weird. The next big NCC rivalry is likely to be Augie vs. USF, two private schools separated by a couple blocks. The premier teams in the NCC will be USD and UNO. I have no guess as the fate of the Minnesota schools.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: One step closer

Just have to believe that making the move to D-I would be a tough sell for the Minnesota schools but they may be forced into it due to the "watering down" of D-II and the weakening of the NCC.

I always thought that the coolest thing would be to have a NCC in D-I but that just isn't feasible.

UND will go, there is no doubt in my mind, and never has been!

Jacked_Up is right, UNO and USD will be the forces to reckon with in the NCC. A couple of years ago they were the cellar-dwellars but my how times have changed.

SUPERBUNNY

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: One step closer

If I recall correctly, Mankato had a pretty difficult time with selling the idea of having a D-1 hockey program. It would be much easier to sell that in MN than anyother sport. However, I reserve my right to be 100% wrong. ;D

[thebluehatman]

Re: One step closer

the ncc whats that ;D. thats so 3 years ago i vaguely remember that. i definately remember our almost dominance in basketball though. usd and uno as the top teams in the ncc that would make stu and mick happy.