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Published
by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. CLICK FOR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
Monday, June 25, 2001
Mid-Con is best chance for A&M-CC
Defections could open up a spot for Islanders
By Darin Scheid
Caller-Times
To play a game against Southern Utah, coaches in the Mid-Continent Conference book a flight to Las Vegas, then drive nearly three hours to Cedar City.
It's not convenient, but the league had no choice in 1997 when it was down to seven members and needed somebody - anybody in Division I - to fill the slot. Traveling to Cedar City is better than letting your league dwindle to nothing.
Southern Utah is the reason there is conference affiliation hope for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Even though the Southland Conference has turned its nose up to A&M-CC, there is a league out there that will eventually be in danger of losing automatic bids because of low membership numbers. That league's commissioner will pick up the phone and call A&M-CC athletic director Dan Viola. It's happened to Southern Utah, and it will happen again.
Adding by subtracting
It could happen again in the Mid-Con.
First, the Mid-Con wasn't Southern Utah's first choice, but it was the only thing available.
Southern Utah plays football and would rather be in the Big Sky. That conference plays football, and the Mid-Con doesn't.
The Big Sky just lost Cal State-Northridge ,which left for the Big West Conference. If the Big Sky decides to replace Cal State-Northridge with Southern Utah, the Mid-Con would be down to seven schools again.
If that happens, a Southern Utah defection, don't be surprised if the Mid-Con comes knocking on the door of A&M-CC and UT-Pan American.
It wouldn't be a hardship for the remaining Mid-Con schools because they've already been making those long trips. And by adding A&M-CC and UT-Pan Am, the schools could pick up two games on a road trip. Mid-Con commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher has said that geography is only one consideration when discussing new membership.
Saving your league is the biggest consideration.
The right choice
The Southern Utah scenario isn't the only one that could put the Mid-Con in a bind.
The Midwestern Collegiate Conference, now called the Horizon League, recently stole Youngstown State from the Mid-Con. The Horizon League has nine members. Another expansion could mean another Mid-Con school on its way out.
The Horizon League has stolen seven members from the Mid-Con since 1990.
It would only take one more theft for the Mid-Con to be in trouble.
Viola's stance on the Mid-Con is that travel costs would be high. But he also said that the schools in that league are also easy to access. The Mid-Con includes Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Missouri-Kansas City, Tulsa, Chicago State and Oakland (Mich), which is just outside of Detroit.
If the Mid-Con did have a need for expansion - just like it did four years ago - there is even better news for A&M-CC.
Schools out there who need a conference now or will need a conference in the next three years aren't much closer to Mid-Con schools. Centenary College and UT-Pan Am are the only full Division I members who don't have leagues.
In the next three years, four schools - Lipscomb (Tenn.), Morris Brown (Ga.), Savannah State (Ga.) and Gardner Webb (N.C.) - other than A&M-CC will search for affiliation.
A&M-CC is a public school in a town of 277,000, and it's covered by three network-affiliated television stations. There is only one other sports franchise competing for fans, coverage and corporate sponsorships.
The Islanders are more attractive than those four.
When the Mid-Con needs help, it will look South.
Contact Darrin Scheid at 886-3747 or scheidd@caller.com
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