MIAA to expand to 20???

[Predatory Primates]

I agree the Silo sucks for football, but I think adding a bunch of non-football schools in sports that can play home-and-away and still have non-conference games is a bit silly. I don't see how it helps basketball ticket sales to miss home games against a traditional rival or big MIAA program (NW) so we can bring in Cameron or Oklahoma Christian.

The culture around transferring has changed it a little, but there's something to be said for recognizing your opponents by their Junior and Senior year because you've actually seen them at your place every year.

Of course for football, I'd rather miss a conference opponent than never play a non-con.

Yeah. I don't really know how any of this impacts basketball or softball or any of the other sports. UAFS, and the other non football schools don't excite me, and I can't even name them.


Football is all I care about. I agree. I would also rather miss a conf game to get a noncon in football.

I do kind of wonder if UAFS is bait to lure some GAC Football schools in? That might just be wishful thinking on my part, though.

[libertybearcat]

My thoughts on where the league goes from here in expansion.

https://alexhammeke.wordpress.com/20...ext-and-where/

You think Wayne would leave the NSIC? Seems like their travel, distance wise, would be more attractive in the NSIC...maybe with a North-South alignment their travel would be less.

[psugorilla]

I've said it before, I will say it again. There's the mention in the article about D1 schools being enticed to drop down to D2. BUT, could we still see a NAIA school make the jump up?
I could see the MIAA taking a look at Friends University for one example. They're practically right across the highway from Newman. Friends has a decent football stadium and have been making improvements to campus facilities over the last few years. You also have a school like Ottawa that I think could have some potential.

[Try II]

I've said it before, I will say it again. There's the mention in the article about D1 schools being enticed to drop down to D2. BUT, could we still see a NAIA school make the jump up?
I could see the MIAA taking a look at Friends University for one example. They're practically right across the highway from Newman. Friends has a decent football stadium and have been making improvements to campus facilities over the last few years. You also have a school like Ottawa that I think could have some potential.

Can't think of a single D1 in the last 40 or so years to drop to D2. It's either cut sports (NE Illinois, U.S. International, St. Francis) or move to D3 (Hartford, Centenary). SEMO and UMKC are the really only options Racy can hope for and I can't imagine either taking the hit with boosters and such.

Ottawa and Friends are like Newman/UAFS 2.0 and would continue to water-down the league but that doesn't matter anymore. All about numbers, not quality.

[UCObluejay]

I agree the Silo sucks for football, but I think adding a bunch of non-football schools in sports that can play home-and-away and still have non-conference games is a bit silly. I don't see how it helps basketball ticket sales to miss home games against a traditional rival or big MIAA program (NW) so we can bring in Cameron or Oklahoma Christian.

The culture around transferring has changed it a little, but there's something to be said for recognizing your opponents by their Junior and Senior year because you've actually seen them at your place every year.

Of course for football, I'd rather miss a conference opponent than never play a non-con.

I don't get it but then again, the MIAA always runs contrary to what fans want. This might help some of the southern schools in basketball. In taking non-football UAFS, I see this as an indicator that OC might be on the radar. I personally would like to see UCO play GAC schools in non-conference play but don't necessarily want to have them in conference. I am opposed to an OIC reincarnation. Taking OC and Cameron would drop the LSC to 16 teams.

These are some Oklahoma teams I would be okay with joining (I wouldn't have even had RSU on the radar):

Oklahoma Christian:
OC and UCO are sometimes errantly called cross town rivals. Memorial Road separates Edmond from OKC. OC is north of Memorial, however it is in an annexed rectangle of OKC. I see a natural rivalry there. I doubt they would start a football program despite having the space to build one/renovate or move the soccer field. If they wouldn't start football for LSC, they wouldn't for the MIAA.

Cameron:
Cameron and UCO were the first two Oklahoma schools to ditch the NAIA in the 80s and join the LSC. CU had football, their field is notorious for being a cheese grater. I don't think football will return there, but I don't claim to know anything about them other than what a few alumi tell me. Lawton is an hour and a half to two hours (depending on construction) southwest of Edmond, and it isn't exactly what I would call a good town. The drive is nice though. If they joined they would be the furthest south team by a slightly decent margin.

Langston (Unlikely):
If NAIA Langston was to move up that would be one you all might like. They are an HBCU and unlike LIncoln they are somewhat successful at times. Their basketball team had their best season in recent memory. Langston has a quality football stadium, despite having a track. They went through a phase in the 2010s to make splash hires, (Cheryl MIller, Mike Garrett.) It is in between Edmond and Stillwater. It is in the middle of nowhere, and you will travel 15 minutes to anywhere if you want a place to go after the game.

Oklahoma City (Unlikely):
No football, historic basketball. They are in a very dense part of OKC, down the road from the state capitol. Great at the olympic sports, I don't think the success would quite translate. They also sponsor women's wrestling with isn't an NCAA sport, yet.

From where Oklahoma was in non-DI just a few years ago with teams in the MIAA, GAC, Heartland, and LSC, to potentially being only MIAA and the GAC might be a good thing down here. As far as the OK NAIA teams, the Oklahoma teams in the RRAC all moved to the Sooner Athletic Conference so this kind of thing isn't completely unknown. Only Bacone (Indy) and OWU (KCAC) are the only outliers.

[Tech Boys]

I do kind of wonder if UAFS is bait to lure some GAC Football schools in? That might just be wishful thinking on my part, though.

Highly doubtful. Arkansas-Fort Smith (4-year school) has existed only since 2002; it was Westark (2-year school) prior to that. They continued to compete in the NJCAA until joining the Heartland in 2009. There is very little history between UAFS and the other Arkie schools. Tech has faced them head-to-head most likely less than 5 times despite them being the closest D2 school to us. One sport UAFS does not have other than football is softball.

[Tech Boys]

Can't think of a single D1 in the last 40 or so years to drop to D2. It's either cut sports (NE Illinois, U.S. International, St. Francis) or move to D3 (Hartford, Centenary). SEMO and UMKC are the really only options Racy can hope for and I can't imagine either taking the hit with boosters and such.

Ottawa and Friends are like Newman/UAFS 2.0 and would continue to water-down the league but that doesn't matter anymore. All about numbers, not quality.

Savannah State in 2019.

[UCObluejay]

Armstrong Atlantic 1987 to D2
Augusta State 1990 to D2
CSULA 1975 to D2
Denver 1979 to D2
Maryland Eastern Shore 1975 to D2
Northern Colorado 1978 to D2
Portland State 1981 to D2
Savannah State 2019 to D2
West Texas A&M 1986 to D2
Winston-Salem State 2010 to D2

[Try II]

Armstrong Atlantic 1987 to D2
Augusta State 1990 to D2
CSULA 1975 to D2
Denver 1979 to D2
Maryland Eastern Shore 1975 to D2
Northern Colorado 1978 to D2
Portland State 1981 to D2
Savannah State 2019 to D2
West Texas A&M 1986 to D2
Winston-Salem State 2010 to D2

Savannah is the only real one ... D1 from 2000-18. Portland, UNC, UMES, & DU are all D1 and have been that way for almost 30 years. Same for WT, Augusta and LA; Winston was D1 for only 3 years (2007-10). D2 began in '73.

[AlexTheHAMMER]

You think Wayne would leave the NSIC? Seems like their travel, distance wise, would be more attractive in the NSIC...maybe with a North-South alignment their travel would be less.

Wayne State joining could reunite the old Central States Intercollegiate Conference from the 70s and 80s. They're the only puzzle piece left.

UAFS gives the idea a North/South divisional idea is coming, not entirely sure what that would look like since all the non-football members of the MIAA are in the southern half of the conference.

[ctrabs74]

I bet ua-fs and ok Christian would leave lsc anD go miaa as non football travel would be less for them

One down, one to go. Do you have next week's Powerball numbers?

[the Northeasterner]

No. And I'm not sure about occ. But they're in the lone Star the lone Star is a very West Texas institution now and travel costs can't be good but at least it was better in Oklahoma City metro than it was for ua-fs sll the way over here. Uafs. Has had a very successful division 2 men's and women's basketball programs. They're volleyball and cross country has also been very successful in D2. Fort Smith is at the end of I-49 and not to hard to get to I 35 corridor so travel mile wise might not be better but it will be quicker. Nsu Rogers and mssu are all way closer to uafs than it's nearest lsc team ovc or Cameron. Most of these arguments hold the same for occ except the access to Texas recruits is better for them

[the Northeasterner]

I think uco. Nsu rsu uafs. Pitt, Newman moso. And fh emp, wash, Midwest, nw central unk. Would be a good split for non football get 19 basketball playing division twice and one crossover

[D2Rover]

I think uco. Nsu rsu uafs. Pitt, Newman moso. And fh emp, wash, Midwest, nw central unk. Would be a good split for non football get 19 basketball playing division twice and one crossover

That seems like the obvious way to do it. If we add two more OK schools, Newman can move to the north division.


It raises a real question about what the benefit of adding a bunch of non-football schools is when they all wind up in the same division - kind of shows how we're adding travel just to play against teams that don't make the conference any better. An 18-team conference could easily slide Pitt and MoSo into the north division, which would be... 9 football schools.

[libertybearcat]

If they get the week zero option added to D2, voting on it in January for the 24 season, that would open up scheduling an OOC opponent and still give a bye week during the year.
It would also allow the opportunity to play a Championship Game if they do get enough new FB schools to split divisions.
Would divisions help with SOS enough to warrant not trying for an OOC game?
Does a Championship Game help or hurt come playoff time? Is that a knock out game for one of the teams?
Lots of things to think about.
It would be nice to not have to travel to those teams so far away every year.