Central Arkansas Men's Soccer to Sun Belt: What it Might Mean

[VUGrad1314]

After nine years as an associate member of the MVC in Men's Soccer Central Arkansas is moving to the Sun Belt Conference to take up associate member status there. On the surface this looks like a ho-hum move that only affects one program at one school. However, this could touch off a series of moves that could significantly alter the conference landscape throughout the midwest as well as the WAC. Here's why:

NCAA leagues need at least 6 members in order to have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The defection of Central Arkansas leaves the MVC at 6 men's soccer members (Loyola Valpo Missouri State Evansville Drake and Bradley). Luckily, this appears to be a stable group meaning that the MVC's auto bid shouldn't be under any immediate threat;  however, when coupled with pressure from football brought on by North Dakota's anticipated accession to the MVFC in 2020 giving the conference 11 teams, as well as the difficult scheduling landscape in men's basketball, it feels like expansionary pressure is only building for the MVC as it looks to shore up men's soccer, balance football, and bolster men's basketball. Here's where things get interesting:

Murray State sponsors all 3 of these key sports received a site visit the last time the MVC went looking for a team and was extremely receptive to the idea of joining in addition to being a good fit within the conference footprint. They would have to be the odds-on favorite for a spot given their success in many key sports assuming their new AD is as pro-MVC as the previous one. The OVC would probably look to North Alabama Kennesaw State Western Illinois or Robert Morris (football only) as football replacements for Murray State. If the replacement team is indeed football only then Lipscomb is a very likely olympic sports replacement unless a school like Belmont blocks them.

Of course, the MVC has long held to the position that 11 teams is untenable. In the past, they have approached Belmont and have been rebuffed. Perhaps the loss of Murray State changes their thinking but that seems unlikely. It is more likely that the 12th team comes from the Horizon League which is where the MVC has gone the past two times it has needed replacements.

The danger there is that any defection from the HL of any schools the MVC might want (Milwaukee UIC NKU Wright State most likely) threatens the HL's auto bid in baseball. This is easily fixable by adding Fort Wayne or Western Illinois or by coaxing a school like Bellarmine or Southern Indiana to move up. If the HL adds a SL team it throws multiple sports into danger of losing their auto bids.

The SL can stave off this disaster with D2 move ups (Bellarmine USI Augustana or a Minnesota school) or by readmitting UMKC and Chicago State from the WAC. Both teams would likely relish the travel cost savings but their departure would drop the WAC to just 6 total members threatening its very existence once CSU-Bakersfield leaves in 2020. Would the remaining schools wait around to see what moves could be made to stabilize the conference or would they seek more stable homes? My money is on the latter.

Whether it comes from the SL the HL the MVC the MWC(Gonzaga? BYU? New Mexico State?) or even the WCC (Seattle? Denver? Cal-Baptist? Grand Canyon?) It feels as though we are one move away from significantly altering the college sports landscape.

[oklahomamick]

I would like to know why Central Arkansas moved to be an associate member of another conference.  They had a lot of success in the MVC.  I wonder why the move?

[VUGrad1314]

I'm struggling to answer that myself. I know that the recent success of Sun Belt teams in the tournament was a likely draw for them but the MVC was a better overall league (I believe). Perhaps they might see themselves as a better institutional fit with more southern universities(Belmont Syndrome). The Sun Belt may have offered some kind of inducement to them since their other affiliate Hartwick College is no longer there which threatened their auto bid. It's also possible that potential MVC expansion played a role. Their coach made a point of stating that the southeast is a good area for soccer so that could be the biggest reason. Better cultural\institutional fit.

[valpotx]

SIU-E did the same after great success in the MVC as an Associate member

[VUGrad1314]

SIU-E did the same after great success in the MVC as an Associate member

Yep, I believe they're in the MAC now (for men's soccer).