I was just over visiting the MVC board, and realizing that we all know message boards mean ZERO when it comes to actual decisions, but the feeling over there is that Murray State isn’t going to make the MVC cut. If that is true, it could have a large impact on the league Little Rock is joining.

Murray State has been the dominant team in the OVC for a long, long time. Recently, Belmont gave some challenge to that title, but we know they are gone to the MVC. If Murray State stays in the OVC, the league will be better, but will also create bigger challenges for Little Rock to excel there.

(01-01-2022 11:06 PM)PTJR Wrote:  I was just over visiting the MVC board, and realizing that we all know message boards mean ZERO when it comes to actual decisions, but the feeling over there is that Murray State isn’t going to make the MVC cut. If that is true, it could have a large impact on the league Little Rock is joining.

Murray State has been the dominant team in the OVC for a long, long time. Recently, Belmont gave some challenge to that title, but we know they are gone to the MVC. If Murray State stays in the OVC, the league will be better, but will also create bigger challenges for Little Rock to excel there.

Ya, I been reading stuff over there as well. However, I really don't think they know anything. Murray is the best program they are looking at. UMKC has never done anything and no one in the metroplex even knows UTA has a basketball team. The future of the OVC is much brighter, if Murray stays, but it sounds like they want out and may look at the ASun or Southern Conference, if the MoValley turns them down.

For the league, it would obviously be great if Murray stayed. But, like you said, winning a title would be a lot harder for us with them in the league. As long as the OVC has enough members to be viable, I not sure it wouldn't be better for us to be in a league we could dominate. Don't want to be too cocky, but it might well be a lot closer to the situation we had in the TAAC. "Winning" is the only thing that might get fans back to the Jack.

I expected to hear something from the MVC after the holidays. That might well be this week, although schools don't actual start for a week or two.

OVC is one of the conferences being mentioned as an option for Chicago State for next year. No idea how likely it is. They would be a natural in one of the HBCU conferences, but travel problems would be tremendous. They still might end up in the MEAC. Couldn't be any longer distances than the WAC currently is.

(01-02-2022 09:14 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  OVC is one of the conferences being mentioned as an option for Chicago State for next year. No idea how likely it is. They would be a natural in one of the HBCU conferences, but travel problems would be tremendous. They still might end up in the MEAC. Couldn't be any longer distances than the WAC currently is.

OVC would make sense for them. They already have 2 Illinois teams and Western Illinois is a possible add.

From FanSided-

All rumors and reports indicate that Murray State is the front runner and likely to join the Valley. Most observers believe the Valley would prefer an even number of programs for basketball, so a second team would be likely to be a part of the conference in 2022.

From a purely basketball angle, current NET rankings for those possible teams are not good. Murray State is an outstanding 46 and Kansas City is a mediocre 196. UTA and UIC are deep into the 200s.

Personally, I think they will add Murray and UIC to make both the "basketball first" (i.e. Murray) and "market first" (Chicago) folks happy. Those 2 seem pretty definite to me. I think they still may add UTA and UMKC as well to further placate the market first schools, which are primarily the privates. UMKC fits better geographically, but they seem to like the DFW market the best. I also could see them holding off on one or both of those schools, telling them they'd like to see more of a commitment to basketball before they let them in. So, I guess, the bottom line is I really don't have a clue what will happen.

In some ways, I almost hope the MoValley goes ahead and takes Murray State. While it would be a big blow to the OVC, it seems like they are looking to move somewhere (ASUN, Southern) if the MoValley says no. I'd rather get it over with, so the OVC knows where they stand and get started making whatever moves are available to rebuild the conference that will have lost 5 teams in the last couple of years. The best case scenario, for the OVC, is for Murray to "recommit" to the league. I just think that is unlikely and they will always be a risk to move on, whether it is this week, or sometime in the future. Makes it tough to plan for the future when your best program can constantly hang that threat over your head.

Murray State has a special called meeting on Friday morning

https://twitter.com/mattnorlander/status...96288?s=21

In addition to Murray, a 12th school is expected

Matt brown is reporting the 12th will probably be UIC

https://twitter.com/mattbrownep/status/1...13217?s=21