Belmont to Missouri Valley

[Hey Adrien!]

Heck of a pickup for the MVC. Belmont is a perfect replacement for the void Wichita State left behind.

Makes me wonder what Belmont’s OVC mate Murray State will do following this news…

 

[huskymedic]

Makes me wonder what Belmont’s OVC mate Murray State will do following this news…

 

[Vowelguy]

OVC and Southland dealing with big membership losses — wonder if they’d think about merging. Not they are that close geographically…

Southland trying to survive by getting TAMU-Commerce to upgrade from D2. Would be 7th member, but some speculation that McNeese St might leave.

 

[Vowelguy]

With Belmont and Austin Peay departure, OVC down to 8 schools, only 6 of whom play in the FB league.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

OVC and Southland dealing with big membership losses — wonder if they’d think about merging. Not they are that close geographically…

The Southland is good as dead after Stephen F Austin, Abilene Christian and Sam Houston State and Lamar left for the WAC.

Speaking of the WAC, after a down decade, it's making a comeback into a decent mid-major basketball conference.

Here are the KenPom rankings of each team that will be in the WAC by the 22-23 season. New teams are in bold:

84: Abilene Christian
103: GCU
135: Southern Utah
150: New Mexico State
151: Stephen F. Austin
180: Sam Houston State
199: Utah Valley
213: Seattle
229: Cal Baptist
261: Tarleton State
282: UTRGV
307: Lamar
328: Dixie State

Considering that three of those schools (Dixie State, Tarleton State, California Baptist) have been D1 for just a few years, the WAC in its newest form has the quality and the depth to be a top-half basketball conference, akin to the quality of the SoCon, Big West, Ivy, etc.

 

[Vowelguy]

What does ‘good as dead’ mean? The remaining schools have few options to go anywhere else.