USI to Div I UNANIMOUSLY Approved Today...

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Looks like USI to the OVC is going to happen. It's the best league for them geographically and the tournament will be in their back yard. Can't think of a better scenario for a D2 school moving up into D1. The OVC still isn't desperate enough for Chicago State.

2022-23 OVC:
Eastern Illinois
SE Missouri St
Tennessee State
TN Tech
TN Martin
Ark Little Rock
Morehead State
SIU Edwardsville
Southern Indiana (I assume they'd start next season)
Murray State (football only, then MVFC fall 2023)

Candidates:
Grand Valley State
Western Illinois
Ark Pine Bluff
U of Indianapolis

The OVC will be down to 5 football schools after Murray State leaves, so they need at least one of the 4 candidate schools to join, or for Morehead State to offer scholarships.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1486064561816051713
 
I expect USI to be very competitive in the OVC. It will either be the worst thing to ever happen to UE, or the best thing since it will hopefully force UE to get their act together. I'd like to see those two play each other every year if and when USI goes D1.
 
Sycamorefan96 said:
Looks like USI to the OVC is going to happen. It's the best league for them geographically and the tournament will be in their back yard. Can't think of a better scenario for a D2 school moving up into D1. The OVC still isn't desperate enough for Chicago State.

2022-23 OVC:
Eastern Illinois
SE Missouri St
Tennessee State
TN Tech
TN Martin
Ark Little Rock
Morehead State
SIU Edwardsville
Southern Indiana (I assume they'd start next season)
Murray State (football only, then MVFC fall 2023)

Candidates:
Grand Valley State
Western Illinois
Ark Pine Bluff
U of Indianapolis

The OVC will be down to 5 football schools after Murray State leaves, so they need at least one of the 4 candidate schools to join, or for Morehead State to offer scholarships.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1486064561816051713
Click to expand...

yet the local dude ( Hendrix Megley ) sez his local sources report no decision...

ISU-E doesn't have the $$ to pull off the move; their own survey had virtually all response groups split around 45 pro - 55 anti... even the athletes
 

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I'd say it's a done deal and this vote is just a formality. They obviously want to do it or they wouldn't have been discussing it this long. You also don't build a nice new arena like they have now if you're going to stay D2. The OVC is the perfect starter league for them as well. They will be directly in the center of the conference and thee tournament is in their backyard. Can't ask for a better situation as a transitioning D1 program.

Their university also has roughly the same amount of students as ISU and their endowment is roughly $30M larger than ours. They are definitely in a position to go Division 1 if they want to do so. Hopefully we will schedule them in some H/H's if and when they make the jump. I'd like to go see their new arena they just built for myself.
 
Today's the day we find out if Indiana will have an 11th Division 1 school.

How would you rank the current 10 in terms of prestige?
1) Notre Dame (football pushes them to 1st)
2) Indiana (Bobby Knight's legacy keep them ahead of Purdue)
3) Purdue
4) Butler (the two consecutive tournament runs and now in the Big East)
5) Ball State (FBS football)
6) Indiana State (Larry Legend)
7) Valpo (the Drew family that is no longer there)
8) Evansville (D2 / Jim Crews)
9) Fort Wayne (they beat IU twice so that has to count for something)
10) IUPUI

*If USI joins the ranks I'd put them in 9th ahead of PFW and IUPUI.
 
I think most people still equate UE w/ the mid-60's Jerry Sloan/Larry Humes back-back NCAA Small College Championships, although that demographic is rapidly losing #'s. The problem w/ Evansville is that when they demolished Roberts Stadium, they also burn't the hearts of Aces fans that experienced the BEST EVER HS/COLLEGE hoop in the Pocket City. Ya, they transferred a few pics & trophies to Ford Center, but the Fendrich cigar smoke & full-length boxing satin robes will never reappear. As soon as the Aces took the court in their "warmup lap," you knew that shit was gonna fly that evening!
 

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Good news for the OVC. Now they need to try to get Arkansas Pine Bluff, WIU, and Grand Valley State on board for the football side of the conference.
 
I honestly think Morehead State, Little Rock, and USI will keep the OVC somewhat relevant in college basketball. USI's addition will probably keep their tournament at the Ford Center for years to come too.
 
Sycamorefan96 said:
USI voted unanimously to move from D2 to D1.
Click to expand...

read any of the student's reactions on twitter? they're still split ~50/50 but luckily for the Trustees, it won't cost them a penny. They can just stick it to the students to bankroll their "dreams of prestige"
 

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Sycamorefan96 said:
Today's the day we find out if Indiana will have an 11th Division 1 school.

How would you rank the current 10 in terms of prestige?
1) Notre Dame (football pushes them to 1st)
2) Indiana (Bobby Knight's legacy keep them ahead of Purdue)
3) Purdue
4) Butler (the two consecutive tournament runs and now in the Big East)
5) Ball State (FBS football)
6) Indiana State (Larry Legend)
7) Valpo (the Drew family that is no longer there)
8) Evansville (D2 / Jim Crews)
9) Fort Wayne (they beat IU twice so that has to count for something)
10) IUPUI

*If USI joins the ranks I'd put them in 9th ahead of PFW and IUPUI.
Click to expand...

what are your "prestige" factors?
 
Good article which chronicles the growth of the former ISU extension in E-ville. I personally recall all of this, spending a Spring '70 Semester @ ISUE, then returning to TH the next Fall w/ a couple ISUE chums. Btw, the Pres. of the USI Board, Ron Romain, was an excellent athlete during my era and has contributed much to SW IN sport over the years.

www.courierpress.com

USI is now a D1 school. The decision was 57 years in the making

"This is a remarkable day. This is a day that I will never forget. This is a day the campus community will never forget," Ron Romain said.
www.courierpress.com

Ron Romain, USI Board Pres.

Harrison Sports Complex named Romain Stadium – United Companies

www.unitedcompanies.com www.unitedcompanies.com
 
USI is officially making their new conference announcement tomorrow morning at 10 AM local time (11 AM ET). Hint: There's a 99% chance it is the conference named after the river that runs through Evansville.
 
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