NDSU to CUSA

[tony]

The P5 (largely because of the SEC) are headed towards university-branded semipro athletics.

If the P5 really wants to go that route for football only, I don't see why they should be in the NCAA at all - or why the NCAA would want them. If you say "TV dollars because of the Big Dance", I'm not on board because the NCAA was founded for some very specific reasons, all of which are being thrown out to appease the P5.

I mean, the NCAA minus the P5 would suck for basketball (maybe not as badly as we might think though), but I think that NCAA would be better in the long run without the P5 because the NCAA could run a much leaner, more student-focused organization if they didn't have to kowtow to the big boys. The P5 certainly does absolutely jack shit for D2 and D3 (that's nearly 800 schools right there.) I just don't like a model where 60 schools are calling the shots for the other 1000+. Every single time some bobo on ESPNU spouts off about how something "is good for college football", they are NEVER thinking of the G5, FCS, D2, D3 or NAIA. And they are never right... it's not ever good for college football - they are always talking about "good for TV."

[The_Sicatoka]

... conceivable that the I29 schools of ND/SD would/could be considered along with other regional schools like UNI and possibly St Thomas, SIU, Ill St and Mo State being brought along as well.... possibly as their own conference

Region builds solution for itself.
I like it.

[The_Sicatoka]

The P5 (largely because of the SEC) are headed towards university-branded semipro athletics.

Headed?
I think NIL was all but the seat belt sign going off at arrival.

[AKBison]

I recall a nearby to NDSU school jumping into an all sports conference where the nearest rival was nominally 750 miles away. How'd that turn out again? I do believe predictions made here about that adventure (i.e. doomed by travel expenses) came true.

The original Great West conference says hi! NDSU is in the upper Midwest, either we grab our balls and take the risk or we are facing a early 90's DII situation all over again.

Cal Poly
UC Davis
St Mary's
Southern Utah
SDSU

[Hammersmith]

The word today is that WKU and MTSU are staying. It's time to grab Missouri State and Illinois State and make the all sports move. I am 100% in with this line up. The Jacks won't move right away with us but they will eventually see the light making the conference even better. This is a significantly better basketball conference then the Summit as well. It also gives us better access to Florida and Texas recruits. It is pretty much the perfect scenario and is significantly better then Great West conference from the last move up. Please don't blow this ML.

West

NDSU
Missouri State
NMSU
UTEP
SHSU
La Tech

East

Liberty
Jax State
WKU
MTSU
Illinois State
FIU

I agree that that's the realistic best case scenario at this moment, but I don't think there's any way you'd get MSU or ILSU to go for it. Both would view it as a downgrade for hoops and baseball and that's more important to them than FBS. And I don't think CUSA is interested in the xDSUs without those two as a land bridge to us. Sucks, but we're on the outside looking in again.

[tony]

Headed?
I think NIL was all but the seat belt sign going off at arrival.

I think that they are in the easy, least toxic part of turning semi-pro.

[AKBison]

Swap La Tech and the Redbirds.

Agreed, I switched it.

[AKBison]

Not to mention having ISUr and MSU jump from a geographically tight conference with regional rivalries into that monstrosity because "muh FBS"

Both schools have publicly expressed FBS interest in the past with Mo State conducting a feasibility study right now. The metrics in the MVC have slowly changed to the point where the private schools now have upper hand. Mo State was privately very upset about the league not adding Murray State along with Bellarmine. It's what prompted the FBS study. Illinois State and Missouri State are also the only two public schools in the Valley who's enrollment are stable and increasing. They definitely view the world differently then SIU, UNI, and Indiana State who are hemorrhaging students.

[NDSU92]

See page 2 from this link: https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/com...BoD_Report.pdf

It's basically what's being extrapolated from the wording here. They are in the process of transforming D1 athletics.

Right I’ve seen that. What I haven’t seen is this “4 conferences of 16 or 5 conferences of 18” or anything like that. Except by people on message boards have parroted for 15 years now.

Not saying it isn’t happening or that big changes aren’t coming. Just a lot of people floating out “so and so is gonna XYZ because 123” and there’s not a lot of people with real names putting their names behind that speculation. Was just curious if I missed something that others hadn’t.

[AKBison]

I agree that that's the realistic best case scenario at this moment, but I don't think there's any way you'd get MSU or ILSU to go for it. Both would view it as a downgrade for hoops and baseball and that's more important to them than FBS. And I don't think CUSA is interested in the xDSUs without those two as a land bridge to us. Sucks, but we're on the outside looking in again.

Valid point on a basketball downgrade but despite having multiple top 25 teams, neither school has made the NCAA tournament since the late 90's. In regards to baseball, Missouri State and Dallas Babtist are the powers in MVC and the conference has been terrible since Creighton and WSU left. At worst it's a wash and likely an upgrade.