Report: Belmont to join Missouri Valley Conference


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Murray State’s going to be on the way out of the OVC too. They’re back room dealing for a spot in the MVC or a move up to the American.



Not sure about the UAPB link but this is out there.

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I guess UAPB to the OVC makes some sense financially. The closest SWAC Member is Grambling. Do they want to send multiple teams to both Texas AND Florida? Will the Celebration Bowl and ESPN monies counteract this or will their Enrollment not supplement their increasing travel costs?

Who knows but I don't think Pine Bluff would make such a move. However, I've seen stranger things happen. 🤷🏿‍♂️
 
Tenn St doesn't want to be in the SWAC, if so they have had many opportunities. With that said I would like to have at the least, every other year home and home. I personally like going to Nashville and they bring a good crowd to Crews.
 
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Yall need to drop that line, TSU is NOT coming to the SWAC!
Not now, not never! Folks are clueless if they believe that Tennessee State is worried! Tennessee State wants to be closer in the grocery store line to being the face of the conference. Every time a school pulls out, they move closer. These departures clears up room for them to schedule more HBCU for non-conference games. They are perfectly fine with this. They would be not get worried if no HBCU would agree to play them, and that’s not going to happen because HBCU aren’t brave or smart enough to teach them a lesson!

It’s Tennessee State’s dream to play 4-5 HBCU’s of their choice to go along with their PWI Conference Schedule! Folks better stop thinking that Tennessee State is worried about conference teams leaving! They are far from worried.

As long as Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin, Murray State, and Eastern Illinois are around, they love where they are. Tennessee State will not considered leaving that conference until they are down to 3 teams with the 2 game conference schedule! Since 1967, Tennessee State has made it clear that they don’t want to be apart of a Black Conference Label. Even if the Ohio Valley Conference falls to 3 teams, they write a letter to join the Southern Conference. If that can’t happen, they will return to being an Independent.


Example of Tennessee State’s Dream Schedule
Week 1 Grambling or Howard (Classic) 💵
Week 2 Jackson State (Southern Heritage) 💵 💵
Week 3 MTSU or Vanderbilt 💵 💵 💵
Week 4 FAMU or BCU (John Merritt) 💵
Week 5 Southern or Hampton (Classic) 💵
Week 6 Murray State
Week 7 Eastern Illinois
Week 8 Morehouse or Central State (HC)
Week 9 Tennessee Martin
Week 10 Tennessee Tech

Tennessee State would be perfectly fine with the OVC only having 5 schools! The less PWI Conference Opponents they have, the more money they can bring by using their “We are a HBCU” card to land Classic Games/Non Conference HBCU Money games. They would play smart business with HBCUs, but will not join a HBCU ever! Bet the house on it.
 
Not now, not never! Folks are clueless if they believe that Tennessee State is worried! Tennessee State wants to be closer in the grocery store line to being the face of the conference. Every time a school pulls out, they move closer. These departures clears up room for them to schedule more HBCU for non-conference games. They are perfectly fine with this. They would be not get worried if no HBCU would agree to play them, and that’s not going to happen because HBCU aren’t brave or smart enough to teach them a lesson!

It’s Tennessee State’s dream to play 4-5 HBCU’s of their choice to go along with their PWI Conference Schedule! Folks better stop thinking that Tennessee State is worried about conference teams leaving! They are far from worried.

As long as Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-Martin, Murray State, and Eastern Illinois are around, they love where they are. Tennessee State will not considered leaving that conference until they are down to 3 teams with the 2 game conference schedule! Since 1967, Tennessee State has made it clear that they don’t want to be apart of a Black Conference Label. Even if the Ohio Valley Conference falls to 3 teams, they write a letter to join the Southern Conference. If that can’t happen, they will return to being an Independent.


Example of Tennessee State’s Dream Schedule
Week 1 Grambling or Howard (Classic) 💵
Week 2 Jackson State (Southern Heritage) 💵 💵
Week 3 MTSU or Vanderbilt 💵 💵 💵
Week 4 FAMU or BCU (John Merritt) 💵
Week 5 Southern or Hampton (Classic) 💵
Week 6 Murray State
Week 7 Eastern Illinois
Week 8 Morehouse or Central State (HC)
Week 9 Tennessee Martin
Week 10 Tennessee Tech

Tennessee State would be perfectly fine with the OVC only having 5 schools! The less PWI Conference Opponents they have, the more money they can bring by using their “We are a HBCU” card to land Classic Games/Non Conference HBCU Money games. They would play smart business with HBCUs, but will not join a HBCU ever! Bet the house on it.
And this is 100 percent okay. 🤷🏿‍♂️
 
Let TnSU do them. Frankly, I no longer care about them. If that is their mindset, and it fits what they want, good for them. But, I don't want to hear them in HBCU discussions because they are choosing to be an HBCU by using other HBCU's when they feel like it.
 
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Squeeze them out by not playing them - they'll get the message quickly - jackson state is the only guaranteed classic game anyway

I've mentioned this before the "HBCU comradery" talk always comes up. Let JSU play them every year in the SHC but the other 3-4 HBCUs that play them every year shouldn't be helping their bottom line while they turn their noses up at us at the same time

At the rate the OVC is going, they might not have too many more options and the current students have shown they dont care about non-HBCU schools (by the way, I'm not for begging them to please join the SWAC)
 
I still don’t think Tennessee State will end up in the SWAC. For stability purposes, The Big South would probably be the better fit when it comes to all sports. Playing other HBCUs (like NC A&T & Hampton) are beneficial but as Tennessee St has shown, it’s not a main concern! IMO, I think A moved to the ASUN is better for travel purposes. The footprint of the ASUN is similar to their current travel scenario in the OVC.
If I'm the swac commish in consultation with jsu, I'm letting Tn State know that the swac is ready to take a 5 year break from playing tnstate in any sport and can revisit after that. Same thing I would have done with A&T. Going to let you stand on your own 2 feet if that's what you want. As far as travel goes, in an expanded swac they'd only travel from florida to ms with an occasional trip farther west.
As far as making sense, it doesn't. They could average over 30k a week in the swac. nearly everyone in the east is going to draw a crowd in Nashville.
 
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If I'm the swac commish in consultation with jsu, I'm letting Tn State know that the swac is ready to take a 5 year break from playing tnstate in any sport and can revisit after that. Same thing I would have done with A&T. Going to let you stand on your own 2 feet if that's what you want. As far as travel goes, in an expanded swac they'd only travel from florida to ms with an occasional trip farther west.
As far as making sense, it doesn't. They could average over 30k a week in the swac. nearly everyone in the east is going to draw a crowd in Nashville.

TSU rivals aren't gonna boycott them. It's plenty of schools in small conferences that's need games

I don't think SWAC schools wanna play A&T anymore. Plus our non conference schedules are pretty full till 2027.
 
TSU rivals aren't gonna boycott them. It's plenty of schools in small conferences that's need games

I don't think SWAC schools wanna play A&T anymore. Plus our non conference schedules are pretty full till 2027.
I was talking about what meac members should have done regarding A&T. All will be well if A&T can join the fbs swac though.
 
If I'm the swac commish in consultation with jsu, I'm letting Tn State know that the swac is ready to take a 5 year break from playing tnstate in any sport and can revisit after that. Same thing I would have done with A&T. Going to let you stand on your own 2 feet if that's what you want. As far as travel goes, in an expanded swac they'd only travel from florida to ms with an occasional trip farther west.
As far as making sense, it doesn't. They could average over 30k a week in the swac. nearly everyone in the east is going to draw a crowd in Nashville.
Yeah, no. A&T on a team's schedule is almost guaranteed to sell tickets in their home barns. Part of the reason why some Alumni are pissed is that they can't see A&T play in Baltimore, DC, and Delmarva regularly. Aggies traveled to those games some years more so than our former MEAC Northern breatheren.
So, that would really be hurting their ticket sales if they couldn't find an adequate replacement for a home game. That's why we signed those home and home agreements with NCCU and NSU and will continue to play SC State.

Also, expect to see A&T play in Howard's Truth & Service Classic sometime this decade before that DC classic goes belly up.
 
Yeah, no. A&T on a team's schedule is almost guaranteed to sell tickets in their home barns. Part of the reason why some Alumni are pissed is that they can't see A&T play in Baltimore, DC, and Delmarva regularly. Aggies traveled to those games some years more so than our former MEAC Northern breatheren.
So, that would really be hurting their ticket sales if they couldn't find an adequate replacement for a home game. That's why we signed those home and home agreements with NCCU and NSU and will continue to play SC State.

Also, expect to see A&T play in Howard's Truth & Service Classic sometime this decade before that DC classic goes belly up.
I understand what you are saying, but there is not question that A&Ts departure hurt the conference & I personally don't see the upside for A&T. To drive that point home as meac comish I would have advocated for a clean break and asked members not to schedule A&T for 5 years. For A&T it is the best of both worlds. You are getting to pick and choose which meac teams you want to play to the detriment of the conference at large and specifically teams that you don't schedule. It works for your school but not the conference. If say Jackson State wanted to leave for the ovc I'd advocate the same thing. If they moved to a fbs conference, I wouldn't be thrilled that they went alone when the goal is that the conference move together but I understand it and I'd support them to the point of purchasing season tickets even though I'm an alcornite, live in SC and would never be able to actually attend games.
 
I understand what you are saying, but there is not question that A&Ts departure hurt the conference & I personally don't see the upside for A&T. To drive that point home as meac comish I would have advocated for a clean break and asked members not to schedule A&T for 5 years. For A&T it is the best of both worlds. You are getting to pick and choose which meac teams you want to play to the detriment of the conference at large and specifically teams that you don't schedule. It works for your school but not the conference. If say Jackson State wanted to leave for the ovc I'd advocate the same thing. If they moved to a fbs conference, I wouldn't be thrilled that they went alone when the goal is that the conference move together but I understand it and I'd support them to the point of purchasing season tickets even though I'm an alcornite, live in SC and would never be able to actually attend games.

That's the business of college athletics.
 
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