Conference Realignment: What Next?

[Omaha1]

Big realignment news out of nowhere:

Loyola Chicago is leaving Missouri Valley for the Atlantic 10.

Super impressed by how quiet they kept it. I wonder if there is a #16 on the way too. Perhaps Temple or Wichita...??

Seems like a lateral move to me. A-10 is better league but travel is worse and pay isnt much more...

It’s a risk. A10 isn’t significantly better and they run the risk of joining a league where all the teams would gladly leave for a better offer… similar to when Wichita joined the AAC.

[stever20]

It’s a risk. A10 isn’t significantly better and they run the risk of joining a league where all the teams would gladly leave for a better offer… similar to when Wichita joined the AAC.

the A10 always seem either by hook or crook to always seemingly getting an extra team in the tourney that you wouldn't think they deserve. It's remarkable how often that they've done just that.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Welp, the A10 just added the most successful Chicago college basketball program to its conference.

Kidding aside, this is a grand slam for the A10 and Loyola. The A10 is taking the top program from a lower conference (MVC), adding one of the top basketball and media markets in the country (Chicago), positioning itself to be the top basketball conference outside the P6 (will definitely be true if/when the AAC loses Memphis), and adds a true Midwestern-hub with Dayton and Saint Louis. If I'm Wichita State, I'm on the phone with the Koch Brothers to pay our buyout to the AAC and slide us over to the A10. Long-term, they can definitely be a three-to-four bid league annually, if not higher; with VCU, Dayton, Davidson, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure, Loyola and St. Joe's, there are many strong basketball-first basketball programs to make this a lesser version of the Big East.

For Loyola, they have undergone a Wichita State-level transition in conference affiliation, and this will help its recognition, exposure and recruiting abilities, as they will now add more East Coast presence to its basketball program and admissions. They will likely see increased attendance with bigger brand opponents, and be able to make the NCAAT without needing to win its conference tournament (which would need to happen in most years in the MVC).

This should really sting for Temple. The A10 is positioned to become a stronger basketball league than the American, and its football program (not at UConn levels) is struggling. I could see Wichita State and Temple moving over to the A10 down the road, especially if UMass ends up sliding over to C-USA.

Is this preemptive for the A10 (expecting to lose members)? Time will tell. But they are definitely solidified basketball-wise with enough brand names to maintain their high-level of play.

[butlerguy03]

Man, the old Horizon (Valpo, Loyola, Butler) and the MVC (Wichita, Creighton, (Loyola)) really should've been thinking "buy" than "hold" when they had the chance in the late 2000's - they had the chance to start adding teams and become AAC type level, but refused and you see where they both are. MVC has fallen to a 1-bid, Horizon is headed toward low-major. I actually think a midwestern private league would have been unique and an eventual competitor with the A-10.

[Omaha1]

Murray State leaving the OVC for the MVC.

[stever20]

Murray State leaving the OVC for the MVC.

Yep. And UT Arlington looks like going to the WAC from the Sun Belt(which looks like all 4 adds might be in place for 22-23 season).

Got a feeling going to be seeing a ton of moves here the next few months. With a lot of the moves in place for next year.

[stever20]

so on the realignment board a lot of folks talking about what if Gonzaga goes to the MWC.

It's really interesting about the WCC. Them losing BYU is really a huge loss. You figure for them they have 10 teams but play only 16 conference games.

Unless they're willing to go 9/14- which would be tough to see- they'd have to either add a team or go to round robin.

BYU is right now #29 in the NET. So for a team like Gonzaga, that's a Q1 game home or away

none of the replacements are obviously remotely close to that at all.

Gonzaga would if they went round robin have to play a 2nd time- #202 San Diego and #243 Portland.

Would be a pretty big hit to the SOS IMO. For a team like Gonzaga it's not that big of a deal but for lets say San Francisco-
instead of #29 BYU 2x they would have to play #160 Loyola Marymount and #302 Pacific. Yeah, that's just a monumental difference for them.

Have some folks saying MWC should add Gonzaga, San Francisco, and Saint Mary's. Even some idiots saying that MWC would become equals to the Big East. lol.

[kayako]

so on the realignment board a lot of folks talking about what if Gonzaga goes to the MWC.

It's really interesting about the WCC. Them losing BYU is really a huge loss. You figure for them they have 10 teams but play only 16 conference games.

Unless they're willing to go 9/14- which would be tough to see- they'd have to either add a team or go to round robin.

BYU is right now #29 in the NET. So for a team like Gonzaga, that's a Q1 game home or away

none of the replacements are obviously remotely close to that at all.

Gonzaga would if they went round robin have to play a 2nd time- #202 San Diego and #243 Portland.

Would be a pretty big hit to the SOS IMO. For a team like Gonzaga it's not that big of a deal but for lets say San Francisco-
instead of #29 BYU 2x they would have to play #160 Loyola Marymount and #302 Pacific. Yeah, that's just a monumental difference for them.

Have some folks saying MWC should add Gonzaga, San Francisco, and Saint Mary's. Even some idiots saying that MWC would become equals to the Big East. lol.

MWC should and only want Gonzaga. But as long as Gonzaga can get away with only playing 8 road games a season and getting 1 seeds in the NCAAT, I don't see why they'd want to move.

[stever20]

so on the realignment board a lot of folks talking about what if Gonzaga goes to the MWC.

It's really interesting about the WCC. Them losing BYU is really a huge loss. You figure for them they have 10 teams but play only 16 conference games.

Unless they're willing to go 9/14- which would be tough to see- they'd have to either add a team or go to round robin.

BYU is right now #29 in the NET. So for a team like Gonzaga, that's a Q1 game home or away

none of the replacements are obviously remotely close to that at all.

Gonzaga would if they went round robin have to play a 2nd time- #202 San Diego and #243 Portland.

Would be a pretty big hit to the SOS IMO. For a team like Gonzaga it's not that big of a deal but for lets say San Francisco-
instead of #29 BYU 2x they would have to play #160 Loyola Marymount and #302 Pacific. Yeah, that's just a monumental difference for them.

Have some folks saying MWC should add Gonzaga, San Francisco, and Saint Mary's. Even some idiots saying that MWC would become equals to the Big East. lol.

MWC should and only want Gonzaga. But as long as Gonzaga can get away with only playing 8 road games a season and getting 1 seeds in the NCAAT, I don't see why they'd want to move.

Yeah I noticed last night Gonzaga right now is only team in the country that hasn't played a road game yet.

[GoldenWarrior11]

I've long thought that the MWC should look to add Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Wichita State, moving to 14 teams. That would solidify that league as a top-7 conference annually, with the strong likelihood that it could even be a top-5 league in some years.