RE: Poll: Which expansion opption do you prefer?
Here's my two cents.
NMSU is a great choice. Basketball would immediately elevate the RPI of the conference at the rate they have been the last few years. Budget wise, they are great, above most SBC schools, so that isn't an issue. Their sports are well attended, though football needs work (the posters from NMSU seem to think this year will be really good). They won the Commissioner's Cup for the first time this year in a water-down WAC. The main drawback is geography. I think if they were in another state that is more coveted, even if equally far away, they'd get more consideration. Being far away and in New Mexico is rough.
CCU is a really good choice. The obvious is they fit the current footprint, which is a big concern of mine. I dislike seeing conference maps with holes in them and this would fill a hole. So they fit geographically, how do they compare competitively? They've won the Big South's Commisioners Cup two years in a row and 11 times overall. Big South isn't a basketball powerhouse, but they have won the conference tourney the last two years and been in the NCAA's or NIT four times in the last five years. Their baseball has hosted a regional four times, a super once and averaged 37 wins the last five years. A feather in the cap is men's soccer, a sport no other team offers and finished #21 in RPI this past year. Biggest question mark is facilities, but it really isn't that big. Football has been promised to be expanded, and even at the small size is a very nice venue. Basketball is a new, fieldhouse-type venue. It is small, but they'd have been second in the SBC in attendance, so they pack it at least. Everything else is on par with other SBC venues.
EKU is a little less of a slam dunk for me. Their facilities are dated, but have been promised or are in the process of renovation. They are competitive in the Ohio Valley, winning three of the last four Commish Cups. Basketball is solid at best. The OVC is a better conference than Big South, so it's hard to compare CCU's success to EKU's. Baseball is lacking, in both results and attendance. Speaking of... EKU's overall attendance is bad. UTA without football was roughly 25,000 behind EKU in total attendance. I hesitate to say attendance will increase with a change in conference. NMSU and CCU both have much better attendance against similar "meh" opponents.
Balancing all that, I think CCU gets the nod. I like the geographic compactness and 12 historically is a very stable conference number. Completing a travel partner to reduce costs is another bonus. Their facilities are new and they have the money to do what's needed now. The sports are competitive and have a tremendous upside. I really like NMSU and hope their is a spot for them. I'd be all for them joining if there's a team in the future in the "west" that departs. Just think this scenario is against them. I was for EKU a year ago, but I just think overall CCU is a better choice.
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