Missouri Valley Conference Expansion/Replacement Candidates

Private
Enrollment: 7,300
Capacity: 17,260

*Might leave for new Big East*

Private
Enrollment: 5,200
Capacity: 7,152

Public
Enrollment: 15,000
Capacity: 7,018

Public
Enrollment: 15,000
Capacity: 10,506

Public
Enrollment: 20,800
Capacity: 11,000

Public
Enrollment: 20,900
Capacity: 8,339

Public
Enrollment: 10,760
Capacity: 10,200

Private
Enrollment: 3,050
Capacity: 11,000

Private
Enrollment: 6,100
Capacity: 11,164

Public
Enrollment: 20,800
Capacity: 10,200

Private
Enrollment: 16,500
Capacity: 10,600

Atlantic 10*

If the new Big East doesn't add SLU, the MVC should make a push for the Bilikens. St. Louis is the center of the conference with the conference tourney held there annually. Obviously adds a great program, more TV sets for contract negotiations and further penetration into the local recruiting base.

Private
Enrollment: 6,374
Capacity: 5,085

Ohio Valley

Like Murray State, Belmont is another successful OVC program. Unlike Murray State, Belmont has a lot more potential upside. It's located in a major metropolis(Nashville). This adds a lot of television sets and opens up a large recruiting base. The footprint of the conference would stretch south into the fastest growing population(recruiting talent) region(sunbelt).

Private
Enrollment: 15,670
Capacity: 4,486

Horizon

Like Valpo, adds the Chicago television market and recruiting base. Being private also helps with the conference politics.

Private
Enrollment: 4,000
Capacity: 5,000

Horizon League

Replaces a private school(Creighton) with another private school to maintain the political balance in conference. Valpo also opens up the Chicago television market and recruiting base.

Public
Enrollment: 30,502
Capacity: 3,500

Horizon

Milwaukee brings a solid basketball tradition, a large television market, and opens up fertile new recruiting ground. The footprint of the MVC also stretches into another state. The only issue is that the Valley would be replacing a private school(Creighton) with a public institution. I think the addition of a large university::text like Wisconsin-Milwaukee would be justifiable, but only if private schools::text like SLU, Loyola, or Valpo declined.

Private
Enrollment: 3,417
Capacity: 10,575

Southland

This is a great option for the Valley for long term stability. ORU has been searching for a more prestigious league and stability. The Southland provides more stability and arguably more basketball prestige than the Summit League, but ORU will ultimately outgrow the Southland. ORU allows the MVC to reacquire the Tulsa market and the added contract negotiating power of those extra television sets. It also expands the existing footprint and replaces a private school(Creighton) with another private school to maintain political balance in the Valley.

Private
Enrollment: 6,584
Capacity: 10,250

Atlantic 10*

They're going to the new Big East, only on here in case all hell broke loose with conference realignment.

Public
Enrollment: 10,920
Capacity: 13,435

Atlantic 10*

Like SLU, if they don't get an invite to the new Big East, the MVC should make a push at them as they would be an outlier/possibly unhappy in a depleted Atlantic 10.

Private
Enrollment: 4,170
Capacity: 8,355

Conference USA

Former MVC member. Football is the big hang up here.

Public
Enrollment: 21,400
Capacity: 18,400

Conference USA

Football is the big hang up here, it would be a steal if the Valley could somehow get the basketball program, however if that were possible Memphis would be in the new Big East.

Private
Enrollment: 4,200
Capacity: 10,000

Atlantic 10*

Going to new Big East, great fit for MVC, but program is on the rise and has outgrown MVC. If for some reason they don't get an invite to the new Big East, but Creighton does (that's very unlikely), than the MVC should do everything they can to add Butler.

Public
Enrollment: 27,580
Capacity: 6,958

Horizon

Adds Chicago television market and recruiting base. Valpo and Loyola Chicago make more sense because they're private schools replacing a private school(Creighton).

Private
Enrollment: 11,733
Capacity: 9,149

Big East/ACC/Independent

Looks unlikely, the thought was that Notre Dame might want a cheaper place for their Olympic sports and maybe basketball for a year before they switch to the ACC.

Public
Enrollment: 18,391
Capacity: 7,326

Sun Belt

This would be a great addition to the MVC. WKU has a proud basketball tradition. It instantly adds a modest television and recruiting base(good by Valley standards). However,::text like Memphis, football is the big hang up here. If the Missouri Valley Football Conference were to go D-1 than Western Kentucky would become a viable option.

Public
Enrollment: 11,651
Capacity: 5,300

Ohio Valley

Former member of MVC in soccer. Good fit geographically from a travel cost standpoint. The problem with Eastern Illinois is that it is located in a saturated region of MVC schools, doesn't bring in television sets or add new recruiting ground.

Public
Enrollment: 10,623
Capacity: 8,602

Ohio Valley

This one is a real wild card. They've had recent success in basketball, if they maintain their program's success they could become a Butler or VCU and would then be very attractive to the MVC. However, they don't bring in a large population base for recruiting or television. Still, this could change if they maintain their success. They do expand the footprint of the MVC into another state/region, this could end up paying dividends for the conference.

Public
Enrollment: 9,615
Capacity: 6,972

Ohio Valley

Much::text like Eastern Illinois, located in a saturated MVC area(across the river from SIU), doesn't add many television sets or substantial recruiting ground.

Public
Enrollment: 12,851
Capacity: 6,500

Summit

This name has been floated around a lot online,but isn't very realistic for the Valley. Yes it would help with stability, but SDSU doesn't bring any substantial television markets for contract negotiations or fertile recruiting ground. It would also be a geographic outlier that doesn't add much to the conference other than travel costs. An SDSU addition would make more sense if it was a package deal with 1-3 of the other Dakota schools, but that would mean the MVC would have lost more than Creighton to conference realignment.

Public
Enrollment: 14,500
Capacity: 10,721

Summit*/WAC

UMKC would be a gamble for the Valley. The MVC would be hoping that in the long term UMKC could produce a quality basketball program and provide enough interest in the KC market to add enough television sets for contract negotiations. This addition would also open up the Kansas City recruiting area for the Valley. The problem with this addition is that there are too many ifs for the MVC and the move would hurt the conference in the short to mid term.