Is a move to the Atlantic 10 a realistic thought for both Northern Kentucky University and the Atlantic 10? Why not? The A-10 will be looking for schools to add and NKU might be a viable option for the conference. Not only that, but what a great way for NKU to get its name out to the National spotlight?
There will be four teams exiting the Atlantic 10 conference next year, Xavier, Temple, UNC at Charlotte and Butler. Xavier and Butler will be joining the New Catholic 7 Big East while Temple will be joining... lets just call it Big East TBD and UNC at Charlotte will be re-joining Conference USA. What does that mean? Four teams will e leaving, four teams will need to fill the void in the A-10.
Why Would the A-10 Look At NKU?
One thing that conferences look at when adding a new school is the their facilities. Check. NKU has a brand new soccer stadium, the Bank of Kentucky Center. Academically they have the new state of the Arc Griffin Hall. So Northern has the facilities to compete.
Another aspect that conference's look at is the level at which you can compete athletically. The basketball program has proven that they can compete fiercely within in their conference already this year. Also, don't discount the fact that they beat West Virginia last season and almost won against UC, all the while being a D11 school. The same goes for the women's basketball team, they can compete with the best as well. The men's and women's soccer teams are both top shelf respectively, and also the baseball team is looking to prove themselves in their first year in D1. One other little thing that could help NKU is that they don't have a football team.
As mentioned A-10 will be losing Xavier. Xavier of course is located in Cincinnati, which is a big TV market, the Atlantic 10 would not want to lose that big of a market. Cincinnati and Xavier bring a lot of money and ratings for the conference. As many of you know, NKU is about 5 miles from Cincinnati and is essentially in the Cincy market. Now, I'm not saying that NKU would have the same effect as Xavier money and rating wise, because it wouldn't, but you can't just ignore NKU and them being in greater Cincy.
Why the A-10 Would Not Look at NKU
Northern Kentucky University hasn't exactly been around that long. Founded in 1968, NKU hasn't had the time to build tradition like the other schools have. Along the same thought NKU has only been in the the Division 1 ranks for a little over 7 months now. That may, and probably would be the biggest reason why the A-10 wouldn't extend a bid t join their conference.
The attendance for most basketball games has been weak. I have not been t a soccer game in awhile, so I am not aware of the attendance situation there. But, in basketball the attendance has not been the best. I'm sure that when a team like UMass, VCU or Dayton come to town that the place will be packed, but you have to have good regular attendance.
Other than those points, that's really the only way I see NKU being a negative for the A-10.
Why A-10 Would Be A Good Move for NKU
Better teams coming to town equals better attendance, which in turn equals more money. With, the attendance going up would mean, better game atmosphere, and a more enjoyable experience when coming to a game. Chance to see better players from the other teams.
Better competition means at better RPI, for a chance to get an at large bid to the NCAA tourney, if they don't win the conference tournament. Lots of opportunity to prove yourself to the selection committee.
What better way to get your name out to the national media and spotlight than making a big move like this? It would bring in tons more money to the school than being in the Atlantic Sun. It wold be easier for coach Bezold to recruit big time recruits. Traveling to the New York, Boston and Philadelphia areas would help the recruiting a ton, not just for basketball but for all sports. Tons of talent in those areas. 4 of the teams in the A-Sun are in Florida, why would a recruit want to leave the Florida sun to come up to the Kentucky cold?
Why Joining the A-10 Would Be Bad for NKU
I must say, there really isn't any argument for why it would be a bad thing for NKU to join. Only one I can think of would be, that with the tougher competition comes a tougher time to get into the NCAA tourney, ad esstentially it would take longer to make a rise. Other than that I can't think of reason why it would be bad. Maybe you can.
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