Whats Your IDEAL Conference?

[treeman]

So with all this talk about WSU going to the AAC and what schools the MVC will go after to replace them, it got me thinking. What would your IDEAL 10 team conference look like for Indiana State? So here are the rules: It can only be 10 schools. You can only pick schools from the MVC (excluding Wichita), A10, Horizon, OVC, Summit, MAC, and C-USA. You cannot change the schools current football "situation" (so they cannot add, drop, or move to FBS or FCS).

Would your conference be based off of athletic budgets? Travel & proximity? All Public institutions? Mixture of public and privates? Tradition rich schools? Up and comers? ETC. I'm interested to see what everyone wants and why.

Here is what mine would look like:

1. Indiana State
2. Illinois State
3. Southern Illinois
4. Western Kentucky
5. Saint Louis
6. Belmont
7. Valparaiso
8. Bradley
9. Murray State
10. Missouri State

I went with tradition rich schools in close proximity to one another. My conference would have schools from Indiana (2), Illinois (3), Kentucky (2) Missouri (2), and Tennessee (1). I am not at all wanting to be affiliated with the SEMO's and Western Illinois' of the world. I believe these 10 schools would create an awesome mid-major conference with a great following and natural rivalries. The only school I could see that has a different "agenda" than the rest would be St. Louis, but their location/fanbase/history is just to good to pass up.

 

[TreeTop]

In all seriousness, my ideal conference would be an 8-team MVC minus Wichita State and Loyola.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

A geographically aligned conference that consists solely of public schools that also fund FCS football.

 

[nwi stater]

Ind St
Ill St
Ball St
So. Ill
Mos.St
IU........ Only way they would play us
Ohio U
W Kentucky
ND St
PU...... Same reason as iu
All have football programs��

 

[swsycamore]

I would like to see Evansville in there. Good rivalry that goes way back.

 

[niklz62]

a conference which all members play Football, basketball(M/W), baseball/softball, track/CC, volleyball and maybe a couple other sports.

ISU
ISU
WIU
EIU
SIU
WIU
SEMO
Murray St

 

[southernindianaballer]

ISU
ISU
UCinci
SIU
MurraySU
BSU
UNI


UE
ButU
BelU
SLU
Brad
XU
Creighton

Pubs play likes twice in home/away. Same for privs. Pubs vs Privs one time each season. A Privs champ. A pubs champ. One tourney champ.
Cinci and XU play twice. Early season game is rivalry only game with no impact on conference. Same with other rivalries.... UE/ISU, Belmont/Murray, etc.
Leaves about 10 non conference games. What a conference! Geographically makes sense/cents. Not realistic though. But good.
Replace BSU and Cinci with Valpo, Missouri State, NKU or WSU due to fbs issue.

 

[southernindianaballer]

If these schools realigned (non-fbs) then a very powerful and geographic centric conference would be created. Not sure it will ever happen because it would make too much sense. Think about the power with XU, Dayton, Butler, Creighton, Belmont, SLU, UE, ISU, ISU, Murray, EIU, SIU, NIU, Missouri SU, etc.
The BIG VALLEY. And it would be BIG and Powerful....

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...S&ll=39.87303866960031,-90.73615900000004&z=6

 

[Sycamore Proud]

My ideal conference would have all public schools no more than 300 miles from the Haute. Each program would have FCS football. I understand that academics, enrollment and budgets are very important but, they are not considerations in this lineup.

ISUB, ISUR, WKU, EIU, MurS, EKU, SEMO, APSU, SIU, WJIU, BallS, NIU, MOST, amd MHHDSU.

Yes, I can count to 10. I list 14 programs in order to have a conference of 10 if 4 don't come on board, for whatever reason. My last in are would be WIU followed by SEMO, APSU and EKU.

 

[Bob Evans]

ISU,
Evansville,
Ball St.,
Butler,
NIowa,
Drake,
EIU,
Ill St.,
Bradley,
SIU,
Loyola,
St. Louis

low travel expenses, natural rivalries

 

[OX 92]

Since we are dreaming.

IND ST (Indiana )
Ball ST

EKU (Kentucky)
Murr St

Eastern Michigan
Bowling Green

ILL ST (Ill Schools)
SO ILL

8 School Conf.. with rivalries

 

[bent20]

Most of the "ideal" conferences suggested here would put us at an even bigger disadvantage than we already have. Seems most of you don't want to acknowledge our problem.

 

[lakesbison]

1. Indiana State
2. Illinois State
3. Southern Illinois
4. Western Kentucky
5. Saint Louis
6. Belmont
7. Valparaiso
8. NDSU
9. Murray State
10. Missouri State

 

[southernindianaballer]

The MVC needs to go BIG or go home. Seek a major realignment and not assume everyone is happy where they are. A BIG Valley can be created and be a better fit for many. The time could be now. Don't assume it's not. Don't settle for mediocrity. Heck, frankly, if UE played where everyone thought they should they would be an NAIA school based on size.
The BIG Valley Conference, BVC. Get 14 schools and multiple bids.

If these schools realigned (non-fbs) then a very powerful and geographic centric conference would be created. Not sure it will ever happen because it would make too much sense. Think about the power with XU, Dayton, Butler, Creighton, Belmont, SLU, UE, ISU, ISU, Murray, EIU, SIU, NIU, Missouri SU, etc.
The BIG VALLEY. And it would be BIG and Powerful....

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...S&ll=39.87303866960031,-90.73615900000004&z=6

 

[Jason Svoboda]

The MVC needs to go BIG or go home. Seek a major realignment and not assume everyone is happy where they are. A BIG Valley can be created and be a better fit for many. The time could be now. Don't assume it's not. Don't settle for mediocrity. Heck, frankly, if UE played where everyone thought they should they would be an NAIA school based on size.
The BIG Valley Conference, BVC. Get 14 schools and multiple bids.