Mid Con Vacancy?

[filbert]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

More on Southland happenings, from Corpus Christi (registration required).
http://www.caller.com/ccct/islanders...797836,00.html

Excerpts:
A&M-Corpus Christi, which always has said football would be added - if at all - years and years down the line, gave a different answer than in the past . . . university president Flavius Killebrew handled the question . . . the university wanted to reach an enrollment of 10,000 before a Division I-AA program might be started.

Killebrew's projection for a 10,000 enrollment: 2010.

That wasn't the only surprise from a 45-minute meeting that (TAMU-CC Athletic Director) Viola described as going "really well." In addition to the Islanders, Central Arkansas, Tarleton State and Texas-Pan American . . . Mid-Continent Conference member Centenary threw its hat in the ring and led off the presentations.
. . .
Viola was told by assistant commissioner Jack Key that the Southland wanted to expand "sooner rather than later."

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I really think an invitation to join the Mid Con is imminent. You have to think Centenery is the front runner to join the Southland and as the Mid Con brass considers viable options SDSU, NDSU and Utah Valley State have to be on the short list. We may look back and be thankful we did not get in the Big Sky. The next step if we get in the Mid-Con is how we either preserve the Great West for Football or get in the Gateway.

[Texas_Jacks_Fan]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I also believe that a Mid Con invite may be coming our way. Given Rabbit's earlier senario with Utah Valley, and IPFW. That would be a great conference. Geographically very nice-with travel partners. With the possible addition of some state schools it would give the Mid Con some more stability and recognition. I could handle a Mid Con logo in the lanes at FROST ARENA !!

[89rabbit]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

Bison-Kent did a little work over on the Bison board.

Bison-Kent wrote:

I would guess the travel partners would be as follows (with the distances in between from mapquest.com)

East Division
Oakland--IUPU-Fort Wayne (202 miles)
Valpo--IUPU-Indianapolis (155 miles)
Western Illinois--Chicago St. (242 miles)

West Division
NDSU--SDSU (190 miles)
UMKC--Oral Roberts (245 miles)
Southern Utah--Utah Valley St. (214 miles)

This looks like a perfect scenario. The longest trip in between two schools is 242 and 245 miles (both very doable in four hours).

[SiouxFallsJack]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

Also from the Bison board, kchats suggested a merger of the Great West and Gateway football conferences. This would make a 12 team conference with East/West divisions. This would be a great way to start rivalries with the football playing members of the MVC and hopefully an invitation to the MVC in the future.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

Also from the Bison board, kchats suggested a merger of the Great West and Gateway football conferences.  This would make a 12 team conference with  East/West divisions.  This would be a great way to start rivalries with the football playing members of the MVC and hopefully an invitation to the MVC in the future.

I think there was some resistance from the far east schools in the Gateway to even look at NDSU and SDSU, i don't know if they would be willing to look at UCD, Poly, & S Utah. Maybe if it was split into divisions it would work. It would be pretty sweet.

[Texas_Jacks_Fan]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

The Gateway may not like to travel West, but I bet they also dont like finishing behind the Great West in the Power Conference rankings as happened last year. Having said that I don't see a merging of the two. Doesnt the Mid Con already "manage" the GWFC? It should be a benefit that there is already an alliance like that in place.
That travel info was great, those distances are nothing in the world of D1 athletics.
Something else to discuss... Would Western Illinois ever cosider leaving the Gateway for the GWFC, If we get invites to the Mid Con? Then along with S. Utah, SDSU, NDSU we would all have the same conference association. There are reasons they would'nt do it also, such as travel costs and proximity to current rivals, ISU,EIU,SIU etc... Just thought I would throw it out for discusion. The boards been a little slow the last couple of days.

[89rabbit]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I know there are many new members to the board and some may have never seen the Mid-Con web site. Here is a link.

http://www.mid-con.com/


One of the really nice things about the Mid-Con is that it has homes for all of our sports except football (Great West "managed" by the Mid-Con&quot and wrestling (but it sounds like we are going to start a new wrestling only conference as soon as this next season).


Go State! ;D

[FargoBison]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I really don't think a GWFC-Gateway merger will ever happen, a conference that stretches from Ohio to California just doesn't make alot of sense. For now we will just have to live with a 5 team GWFC. I think if the SU's get into the Mid Con in the next round of expansion UND and UNO will be added later probably when the Big East blows up in 2010. I think NDSU-UND and SDSU-UNO would make good travel partners and would help make the Mid Con more reagional. And maybe even a little further down the road the Mid Con could add GVSU. Just think of a GWFC that has NDSU, SDSU, UND, UNO, GVSU, Cal Poly, Cal Davis, and SUU in it. It would be the strongest Western IAA conference and probably the strongest in the country.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I really don't think a GWFC-Gateway merger will ever happen, a conference that stretches from Ohio to California just doesn't make alot of sense. For now we will just have to live with a 5 team GWFC. I think if the SU's get into the Mid Con in the next round of expansion UND and UNO will be added later probably when the Big East blows up in 2010. I think NDSU-UND and SDSU-UNO would make good travel partners and would help make the Mid Con more reagional. And maybe even a little further down the road the Mid Con could add GVSU. Just think of a GWFC that has NDSU, SDSU, UND, UNO, GVSU, Cal Poly, Cal Davis, and SUU in it. It would be the strongest Western IAA conference and probably the strongest in the country.

Besides the fact that three of those teams are still Division 2 teams it is pretty far fetched to say it would be the strongest conference in the nation.  It is much more likely that the SU's would get invited to the MidCon and then in a few years get the invite from the Gateway (If Western Kentucky leaves). I don't know if we really want UND and UNO to be division 1 schools, the talent pool only runs so deep in the midwest for Division 1 athletes.  I do agree with you however that a gateway/gwfc merger isn't likely.

[FargoBison]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I don't think it is too far fetched at all they are some of the best D2 football schools and would all do very well in IAA. And with those 3 schools added to the GWFC our only competition would be the A10. I think either one of those three teams could crack the top 25 in IAA.

I think having a few more regional teams in D1 would be a good thing as long as it is only UND and UNO. I think there would be plenty talent to go around for the 4 schools.

[SiouxFallsJack]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I don't know how things work in Nebraska, but wouldn't whoever controls the process of allowing a school that wants to move to D-I block this attempt?

I'm sure the powers that be in Nebraska would not allow another school to move up to D-I.

[filbert]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

I'll toss out a wild idea . . . a GWFC-Southland Conference alliance.

GWFC has five members, Southland currently has six football-playing members.

[Bison_Kent]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

Filbert,

The Southland will have seven members this fall with Southeastern Louisiana being added.

Southland Expansion talks, at least in my opinion, will lead to at least one more football playing school. Central Arkansas is moving up to DI next year and might be that team. Hopefully for NDSU and SDSU, the Southland will take one football playing school and one non-football playing school in Centenary.

[89rabbit]

Re: Mid Con Vacancy?

Another story about Southland Expansion, this time from a UT-Pan Am point of view. Here is a link and some highlights:

http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProces...Section=Sports

UTPA waiting to hear from Southland
June 03,2005
Wade Baker
The Monitor


EDINBURG — All the University of Texas-Pan American can do is wait.

The Southland Conference, which has been exploring the idea of expansion since January, is holding its annual spring meeting in Galveston this week, and is expected to break from its weeklong session today, league commissioner Tom Burnett said.

Among the items being discussed by the 10 respective school presidents during the meeting is conference expansion, and if so, how many schools it will expand to, Burnett said. It’s not expected that the Southland Conference will send invitations to join its league after today’s meeting, but will instead probably narrow the field, and begin the process of arranging on-campus visits.

The SLC is currently made up of 11 schools, with Louisiana-Monroe set to move to the Sun Belt Conference during the 2006-07 school year, dropping the conference to 10 members. UTPA, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Centenary, Tarleton State and Central Arkansas made presentations to the Southland Conference board of directors May 21 in Houston.

UTPA’s President Blandina Cárdenas, Vice President of Business Affairs James Langabeer, Director of Athletics Scott Street and faculty representative Tony de la Peña attended the 45-minute presentation.

"To be honest, all we know is the (Southland Conference) presidents are all going to meet (today)," Street said. "We don’t know if a decision will be made, or when we’ll be informed of that decision. All we know is this is a positive for us. We had a chance to make a presentation to the Southland Conference, and I really do think this is a great opportunity for us.

"Right now it’s out of my realm."

UTPA has been without conference affiliation since being booted from the Sun Belt Conference in July 1998. The Broncs were plagued by NCAA violations throughout the late 1980s and into the mid-90s.

UTPA, however, has spent the past seven years squeaky clean while floating among the Independent ranks. . . .

"This is the first time we’ve had an opportunity to go in front of a conference and present," UTPA men’s basketball coach Robert Davenport said. "It’s exciting. We feel like it’s a natural fit. The guys are excited, the recruits are excited, and really, besides us not having football, that’s the only thing against us. But down the road, that’s a probability.

"We’ve more than paid for our problems we’ve had in the past. Right now, I feel we have a model program as anywhere else in the country, and we think we deserve a chance to be in a conference. Of course, the Southland is the perfect fit for us."

Only three of the five schools are currently NCAA Division I programs, with Central Arkansas and Tarleton State exploring the option of advancing to NCAA Division I in the near future. Centenary is currently a member of the Mid-Continent Conference, but the Southland Conference invited it to the meeting May 21 in Houston. If the SLC does decide to expand, it doesn’t necessary mean it will be one or more of the five teams that made presentations, Burnett said.

"After that (June 3) meeting, we’ll have a better idea of what we’re going to do," Burnett said.

The Southland Conference will have six Texas and four Louisiana members once Louisiana-Monroe departs. And UTPA is just hoping its one of the newest Texas members in the future. . . .


Interesting stuff, I of course am pulling for Centenary.

Go State! ;D