There is a rumor that UIndy will vote on conference affiliation on September 30th. GLVC has moved farther west and all of their rivals have moved or closed (KWC, USI, Bellarmine, St. Joe’s). The potential landing smarts are to move up to the OVC or to move to the GMAC in d2. There was a report that were considering d3 but that was never on the table and more of being smart with the reporters asking the questions. It has been said the GMAC is full (although I’m not sure what that means in today’s conferences) leaving only OVC open for them. They do have football which would make 7 and 11 for next year. I do realize the transitioning schools do have a few years before full members, but who would be #12?

The GMAC is not full, that's just message board speculation. The GMAC would happily take UIndy, their conference HQ is located in Indianapolis and it's a very strong all-around D2 program. That said, the OVC certainly feels like the more likely option currently.

(08-28-2022 05:25 PM)jcohen42 Wrote:  The GMAC is not full, that's just message board speculation. The GMAC would happily take UIndy, their conference HQ is located in Indianapolis and it's a very strong all-around D2 program. That said, the OVC certainly feels like the more likely option currently.

I do feel like the GMAC is the better option for them; however, I’m not opposed to them making the jump if they decide. I don’t understand a conference being “full.”

I find it hard for Indianapolis to have the support for 3 D-1 schools (IUPUI, UIndy, Butler). Honestly, it could be 4 if you include nearby Ball State.

I have seen posts saying they should add Chicago State to have the numbers for soccer but that is unnecessary. I think they are a sitting duck and will eventually drop down to D-2 or even D-3. I do think they end up pulling Grand Valley State in as well as UIndy will be a bridge to Michigan.

I would like to see them get Western Illinois. The issue in getting them is the MVFC which is a much better conference for football; however, I think Missouri St will eventually be FBS and the Dakotas will also if they can find a conference to take them. If those 5 leave, is the MVFC still that much better than the OVC?

I hope UIndy and Grand Valley State go to OVC. Would be a solid conference.

(08-28-2022 06:26 PM)Retrosports Wrote:  I do feel like the GMAC is the better option for them; however, I’m not opposed to them making the jump if they decide. I don’t understand a conference being “full.”

I find it hard for Indianapolis to have the support for 3 D-1 schools (IUPUI, UIndy, Butler). Honestly, it could be 4 if you include nearby Ball State.

I have seen posts saying they should add Chicago State to have the numbers for soccer but that is unnecessary. I think they are a sitting duck and will eventually drop down to D-2 or even D-3. I do think they end up pulling Grand Valley State in as well as UIndy will be a bridge to Michigan.

I would like to see them get Western Illinois. The issue in getting them is the MVFC which is a much better conference for football; however, I think Missouri St will eventually be FBS and the Dakotas will also if they can find a conference to take them. If those 5 leave, is the MVFC still that much better than the OVC?

For an institution to be declared as a 'full member' or a 'core member' for an athletic conference, either:

a.) that school would sponsor all (or a majority of) the sports that the conference sponsors, with football and basketball as the main priority or focus as those are the revenue sports (with baseball or softball or soccer or volleyball competing for being a distant third); [i.e.: Sam Houston State in the WAC]
b.) same as point a.) but without football [i.e.: Rogers State and Newman in the Mid-America (or MIAA)]

It's obvious that Chicago State's athletics future within D-I is uncertain at this point. Moving a step down would seem to be a logical move financially and competitively, just like Hartford made to move to D-III. Or even if it's being the NAIA, it would be sort of a step in the right direction. They would fit on either the CCAC or the Continental (the conference of independents).

If Grand Valley State would be next in line to move upto D-I, so should another D-II Michigan school to be a travel partner; like Ferris State (whose football has been impressive and dominant in recent years) or Saginaw Valley State.

I would also like to see Western Illinois to compete in the OVC, just so they would re-unite an in-state rivalry with Eastern Illinois. A move like that would put the MVFC in an odd situation. Let's say that the other schools don't plan to move upto the FBS yet. This would bring rumors to see whether or not that the Summit League could sponsor football as its own championship sport, while the remaining MVFC teams would compete under the MVC (with that conference re-instating football back), especially with new MVC school Murray State will compete in the MVFC by next season (2023-24). But for the Summit to become a football conference without relying with the MVC teams, they would need to at least add one or two more core member schools. And the Summit's footprint is fitting for schools in the Dakotas or Iowa or Minnesota or Nebraska. But then again, who knows?