Expansion Choices....

[Guest Blevins]

FAU joins full-time in '06-07

[ORUTerry]

So they are a 13 team league.... sounds like they need another member.

[ORUTex]

Terry, I thought it was the Southland that turned us down because our facilities were too nice and they were afraid we would dominate. That was just before we got in to the Mid-Con.

[ORUTerry]

You're right Tex.... it was the Southland conference.

The Sun Belt has 13 member schools of which 9 are football schools. Unfortunately, they may be looking only at football schools to bring the total up to 10.

[Titansoccer8]

I can assure you that ORU's facilities are nowhere as nice (and as new) as the University of Denver's.

I personally think the Sun Belt presents the most synergies...from several angles. ORU needs to do something and lose its loyalty towards the Mid-Con. ORU is no longer a doormat and we've more than asserted ourselves as a legitimate program for basketball, baseball, track, soccer, tennis and golf.

As it stands now, ORU is too good for the Mid-Con and remaining in a conference with the current members and potential addition of the loser Independents is a slap in the face to all ORU student-atheletes that have busted their butts to build this program!

[orumom]

Someone needs to write a big fat check to the Southland or Sun Belt ASAP. It will need to be along the lines of seven figures too. Money, money, and more money is the only way ORU can take a step forward. ORU would definately improve its chances of getting into the MVC if successful at one of the above mentioned conferences. Basically it all comes down to money. You have to buy your way in to a new league. Anyone think we have that type of support?

[jmg1984]

im all for bolting to the sun belt. too bad we couldnt go back to the horizon

[ORUTerry]

Not sure we would have to buy our way in if there was a geographic fit and a need by the conference for an additional school. I am sure that Valpo did not buy their way into the Horizon - not with a seven-figure payment at least.

I don't think that a buy-in is an option for ORU. How do you justify that expenditure - at least at a seven figure number?

The worst that will happen is that we cobble together a new group of schools to reconstitute the Mid-Con..... and keep a sharp eye out for any openings in the Sun Belt, Missouri Valley, etc.

The downside will be that the league's RPI is going to suffer - I think. Or will it? Remember that Chicago State is gone and I would argue that Valpo is in the beginnings of a downward slide talent-wise. (We're talking men's basketball here.... they -and the rest of the league- have always stunk at baseball.) Valpo's name certainly lends recognition but I'm not sure of the impact (at least in the short term) on RPI rankings. Remember, North Dakota State went into Madison and beat Wisconsin on their home court last year. Fluke or not, it was an impressive win.

[Guest EagleBackr]

Someone needs to write a big fat check to the Southland or Sun Belt ASAP. It will need to be along the lines of seven figures too. Money, money, and more money is the only way ORU can take a step forward.

...looks like we're gonna need one hell of an auction at the Preseason BBQ!!

[bballmangc]

If we are going to be trying to move conferences we should shoot for the Missouri Valley why waste time going to another mediocre conference for a few years then wanting to move again, we should stick it out in the Mid-Con and wait until the time is right and then write the "big fat check" to get into a more respected conference, TU waited out the WAC when everyone jumped ship and then a few years later moved to Conference USA

[s2c]

If we are going to be trying to move conferences we should shoot for the Missouri Valley why waste time going to another mediocre conference for a few years then wanting to move again, we should stick it out in the Mid-Con and wait until the time is right and then write the "big fat check" to get into a more respected conference, TU waited out the WAC when everyone jumped ship and then a few years later moved to Conference USA

The problem is that the Valley looks to be very stable and reallly doesn't want to be at 12 schools. If they did expand, they likely would pursue St. Louis U and Western Kentucky. Other schools wanting in, like UMKC, Denver, UALR, bring more media muscle to the table than ORU, especially considering TU's already in your market.

The best thing ORU can do (other than to continue winning in basketball) is attempt to rework the MidCon's geography into something more favorable to ORU. Oklahoma City U is reexploring DI options. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville is studying a DI move. Northern Kentucky and Tarleton St might be other possibilities. Get UT-PA in the conference at least as a baseball affiliate, as well as Dallas Baptist.

[s2c]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060518/GPG020101/605180520/1229/GPGsports

Among the other schools believed to be considered for admission into the league were Oakland (Mich.), Oral Roberts and Denver.

Detroit opposed the addition of Oakland. Oral Roberts (located in Tulsa, Okla.) and Denver didn't make sense from a travel standpoint.

[ORUProf]

The league is a FOOTBALL league, and they will eventually kick out non D-1 football schools like WKU, UALR, Denver, and NO. I wouldn't mind adding those schools to the MidCon when that happens.

[Guest Blevins]

The SBC football schools recently agreed to share football revenue with the non-football schools, thus securing their membership for the time being.

Those schools will only leave if/when they want to.

[mickeyb]

If we are going to be trying to move conferences we should shoot for the Missouri Valley why waste time going to another mediocre conference for a few years

The Sun Belt is much more than a lateral move . . . depending on what site you go to, their men's basketball rpi is 10 spots above the Mid-Con and in baseball it's 21 spots higher!!!!

And by the way, the Valley hasn't changed its outlook in more than a decade, why would they suddenly want to share their revenue with even more schools? Even if they did, there's no way ORU would be at the top of that list.

[ORUTex]

Getting back to the original question (who should we add to the Mid-Con), I think UT Pan Am would be the most attractive to ORU. No weather issues at all, an easy SWA flight to Harlingen (1 stop in Houston, advance fares of $99 each way common), then a half hour drive to Edinburg. Harlingen is also a half hour from South Padre Island. State school so they should at least be financially stable.

They may not be the best option for everyone else in the conference, but certainly seem best for us. They may want to hold out for the Southland, though, which would be a much better fit for them.

[praetorfenix86]

Maybe the Big Twelve is looking to become the Big 13????????????????????????????????????????????????

[ORUTerry]

When does the Big Sky conference meet to make a decision on adding a team(s)? If they happen to choose Southern Utah, it could have unforeseen ramifications for the Mid-Con. I would have to think that SUU wants out of the conference in the worst way. They are geographically isolated and their travel costs have to be exhorbitant.