Joining Division I in July: The University of Southern Indiana out of Evansville.
I’ve had occasion to mention Indiana here. I’ve got kinfolk living here— one of whom taught at USI.
I also took a couple classes there many many years ago so I guess I have to root for them on occasion now.
Southern Indiana has a very good reputation in D2 basketball. They won a national title back when a fellow named Bruce Pearl was their head coach & the Screaming Eagles played the Tigers - and even had a second half lead - in an exhibition back in November.
You’d think that they’d likely be a member of the Ohio Valley Conference— which makes sense since Evansville is on the Ohio River.
But the OVC is looking for football playing schools so the conference can maintain its automatic bid & the Eagles don’t play football.
Maybe the OVC will convince Morehead State to go scholarship and move football out of the Pioneer?
Southern Indiana also has a solid baseball program— they’ve won two D2 titles— as well as a national championship winning softball team.
I don’t know if the OVC is best for those teams— it seems like ASUN would be better and maybe the Horizon too since the OVC is only a one bid league but then they’re going to be ineligible for four years while they transition.
This will also create an interesting derby— the University of Evansville has been D1 for well over 40 years and is a member of the Missouri Valley. USI is public and located on one side of the city and UE is private and on the exact opposite side.
Link to one of many stories from the Evansville newspaper: Link
I’ve had occasion to mention Indiana here. I’ve got kinfolk living here— one of whom taught at USI.
I also took a couple classes there many many years ago so I guess I have to root for them on occasion now.
Southern Indiana has a very good reputation in D2 basketball. They won a national title back when a fellow named Bruce Pearl was their head coach & the Screaming Eagles played the Tigers - and even had a second half lead - in an exhibition back in November.
You’d think that they’d likely be a member of the Ohio Valley Conference— which makes sense since Evansville is on the Ohio River.
But the OVC is looking for football playing schools so the conference can maintain its automatic bid & the Eagles don’t play football.
Maybe the OVC will convince Morehead State to go scholarship and move football out of the Pioneer?
Southern Indiana also has a solid baseball program— they’ve won two D2 titles— as well as a national championship winning softball team.
I don’t know if the OVC is best for those teams— it seems like ASUN would be better and maybe the Horizon too since the OVC is only a one bid league but then they’re going to be ineligible for four years while they transition.
This will also create an interesting derby— the University of Evansville has been D1 for well over 40 years and is a member of the Missouri Valley. USI is public and located on one side of the city and UE is private and on the exact opposite side.
Link to one of many stories from the Evansville newspaper: Link
