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So what are the chances the HL just adds Oakland and calls it good for now? It doesn't seem like the Horizon makes any big moves or really any kind of move lately.

Well I never intended on comparing MN to Michigan, Indiana or Illinois when it comes to basketball recruiting...Wisconsin is a better comparison. I'm not sure why I'm even arguing about this because I don't think there is a school that the HL could add that will have a big effect on recruiting, especially in new areas. 

You are making a lot of assumptions about MN and what kind of exposure NDSU and SDSU get in that state. Some of that might not be accurate but I get our location is a huge drawback and we probably don't provide enough exposure in the Twin Cities to provide a big recruiting boost. 

I do think SDSU, NDSU and Oakland could help make the Horizon a two bid league...that was my point all along.

Well NDSU and SDSU are right on the MN border...that state does produce some talent. That said I think this talk of adding a school means recruits from KY or wherever are going to start flowing in is a bit overblown. Unless you are adding a school with a lot of appeal. I don't think adding IUPUI for example to the HL is going to do much of anything, it certainly hasn't meant much for the Summit League.

As for Belmont that was just the rumor that I heard, that they didn't want change conferences again and liked the OVC. The MVC also seemed frustrated that some schools didn't want to join.

Once you add a Dakota school, you make it nearly impossible to recruit good schools from the east or south. Robert Morris or Belmont aren't going to want to play conference games in South Dakota every year. Especially in non basketball sports. Expanding northwest is the wrong direction. There's a limited pool in that direction. Expanding west to UMKC will have the same result to any eastern school.

Well if you are going to 12 schools I'm not sure why you are worried about recruiting more schools. That said I guess you would still have UMKC, UNO, WIU, Denver and USD out west to add...plus IPFW, IUPUI and WIU. It does sounds like Belmont is happy with the OVC and turned down the MVC, plus RMU and Murray State have football issues. I'm not sure if expansion to the east and south is any better than the west.

That said, as long as you maintain a strong league there are always schools that will want to join.

I see some people saying one Dakota school could be added and others three. It only works with two so you have travel partners, otherwise you end up taking one long trip the Dakotas for only one game in sports like basketball, volleyball or soccer which doesn't make a lot of sense. If you have travel partners you get two games out of the trip. 

I think if the Horizon went with PantherU's scenario 1 or 2 the league would be able to go head to head with the MVC any day and in a 12 team league travel wouldn't be too bad either.

I know NDSU and SDSU aren't in big markets and travel is an issue but both schools are well supported and have had plenty of athletic success. I think we add a bit more than nothing like a previous poster was implying.