RMU MBB is the PERFECT example of how a higher RPI conference is not the best way to determine the best fit for a team.
The last place HL MBB team (YSU) beats RMU. Later that same season, YSU gets eliminated in the first round of their higher RPI conference, and RMU is televised worldwide winning an NCAA tournament game. Incredible postive exposure for RMU.....and a great ROI for RMUs investment in athletics.
Now who has the more attractive offering for a potential recruit?
I've said this about the MVFC. If being in the best conference does not deliver the post-season, and AQs from woeful conferences are getting in....then who's getting the best ROI for their athletic budget? Did Noah Spence transfer from a BIG school to an MVFC school? No, he chose a big fish in a little pond. He chose a dominant program in the lowly OVC.
I realize, it is more complicated than that. The HL likely placed three teams in the WNIT due to the strength of the HL, and the MVFC finally placed 5 teams in the FCS post-season in 2014.
I'm just saying conference affiliation needs to be re-evaluated continuously. There are lots of variables to consider. The HL is a decent geographic fit, the MVFC is not. The issues with MBB go far beyond the HL, including the HC and poor OOC scheduling.