Summit Expansion?

[HerdBot]

It's not the craziest idea given I think the Summit League is in danger of losing autobids in all sports with Fort Wayne's departure bumping baseball down to 5 teams and in danger of losing the NCAA autobid.

I postulated on AGS the a few weeks back the possibility of an "amicable breakup" of the MVFC if the Summit adds another football school. The 6 Summit League schools form their own football conference as do the 5 MVC schools with YSU as an affiliate member. Then the conferences have an alliance per se where they will schedule 3 games against teams from the other conference for each school each season. So a typical 11 game season would be 5 true conference games, 3 pre-scheduled OOC games against schools from the old conference, and the 3 true OOC games.

That would be terrible and would never happen. No benefit for the Summit unless we get to play all the MVC Basketball teams

[Professor Chaos]

That would be terrible and would never happen. No benefit for the Summit unless we get to play all the MVC Basketball teams

The benefit is you have the same conference home for all of your sports (other than wrestling), you don't have the crazy unbalanced schedules that 12 team conferences have, and you'd get an extra autobid to the FCS playoffs. It's basically the same thing as having a 12 team MVFC with divisions except they'd get the extra autobid which would make the schedules more fair IMO.

[WhoRepsTheLurker]

UST will keep hockey, meaning they can't afford scholarship football. No need to water down the MVFC further. Good for the Summit. BB recruiting will change tho

So where's Augie? Must not have it all lined up yet.

[HerdBot]

The benefit is you have the same conference home for all of your sports (other than wrestling), you don't have the crazy unbalanced schedules that 12 team conferences have, and you'd get an extra autobid to the FCS playoffs.

Extra auto bid still doesn't seem to be worth it. You'll just see one less at large. If the Summit has some great brand, it could be cool, but it doesn't. The MVFC is the king in the eyes of everyone and has a known brand. You want to be associated with the Illinois States, Youngstowns, and Northern Iowas of the world.

In my perfect world, I would like to see something happen with the MVC and Summit, like an East/West

[El_Chapo]

I know we need to an invite. BRESCIANI & LARSON HAVENT EVEN SOLICITED TO CALLED THE MOUNTAIN WEST. YOU GOTTA DO THE DANCE & PONY SHOW FIRST

O by the way.

Augustana will be in the Summit too. guaranteed. That's why kelby/sanford did St Thomas 1st. So all the hatred & bitching goes to St Thomas first.

NCC 2.0 or NSIC 2.0 heck MIAC 2.0 lets invite freakin St Olaf too!

[Professor Chaos]

Extra auto bid still doesn't seem to be worth it. You'll just see one less at large. If the Summit has some great brand, it could be cool, but it doesn't. The MVFC is the king in the eyes of everyone and has a known brand. You want to be associated with the Illinois States, Youngstowns, and Northern Iowas of the world.

In my perfect world, I would like to see something happen with the MVC and Summit, like an East/West

I edited my post but what I suggested is pretty much the exact same thing as going to a divisional structure. The difference is it rewards the autobids more fairly.

You have a higher opinion of the MVFC brand than I do I guess. At the risk of getting Chapo-eque the NDSU football brand is bigger than the MVFC brand IMO and that's not going anywhere no matter what the home conference is.

In any case I think St Thomas getting to full scholly FCS football is going to be a pretty drawn out process and when/if they do get there the current landscape in college football will probably look much different.

[BisonJD]

Extra auto bid still doesn't seem to be worth it. You'll just see one less at large. If the Summit has some great brand, it could be cool, but it doesn't. The MVFC is the king in the eyes of everyone and has a known brand. You want to be associated with the Illinois States, Youngstowns, and Northern Iowas of the world.

In my perfect world, I would like to see something happen with the MVC and Summit, like an East/West

I'd rather see a power move by the Summit League to force some of the MVFC schools' hands. Summit forms FB league and tells UNI/ISU/etc that if they want their FB programs to remain relevant and stay with the power FB schools (SDSU, NDSU, USD), then you need to jump conferences. Call the question...is football important to those Mo Valley athletic departments or not? It's the one pathway for the Summit League to get over the hump and passes the MVC. Leverage the football success of NDSU and call the question with MVC schools within the footprint that make sense.

[HerdBot]

I'd rather see a power move by the Summit League to force some of the MVFC schools' hands. Summit forms FB league and tells UNI/ISU/etc that if they want their FB programs to remain relevant and stay with the power FB schools (SDSU, NDSU, USD), then you need to jump conferences. Call the question...is football important to those Mo Valley athletic departments or not? It's the one pathway for the Summit League to get over the hump and passes the MVC. Leverage the football success of NDSU and call the question with MVC schools within the footprint that make sense.

The rest of the MVFC could look at NDSU and SDSU the same way the miac looked at St Thomas. Just a thought. Or they could love how were taking the conference to the next level

[BisonJD]

Good point. It's certainly not without some risk, but I have to think UNI would really have a tough decision to make.

[Jacks02]

I'd rather see a power move by the Summit League to force some of the MVFC schools' hands. Summit forms FB league and tells UNI/ISU/etc that if they want their FB programs to remain relevant and stay with the power FB schools (SDSU, NDSU, USD), then you need to jump conferences. Call the question...is football important to those Mo Valley athletic departments or not? It's the one pathway for the Summit League to get over the hump and passes the MVC. Leverage the football success of NDSU and call the question with MVC schools within the footprint that make sense.

Not sure about Summit football. I have serious concerns about WIU even being DI in a few years, yet alone having a football program. Also don't know if ST will even go scholarship football, as they have a hockey program as well. With Title IX, that would be a huge amount of scholarships to add to have both.

At least ST has baseball, them joining should keep the Summit in compliance again.