Conference expansion candidates

by **Shocktop42** » December 23rd, 2012, 8:51 am

Since it appears that Creighton is gone, I thought that I'd start a thread to consolidate discussion regarding possible candidates.

Who do you want/like/accept/hate?

Discuss

**Sponsor**

by **Haha** » December 23rd, 2012, 9:32 am

If it's just Creighton you do not replace you stay at 9. You will not be able to come close to replacing CU, don't try, all that will be gained is another mouth to feed.

If say an E-ville leaves like rumored or say an ISUr or UNI and it drops to 8 you add 1 school to get back to 9. 8 teams and only 14 conference games makes it tough but 9 with 16 games is fine.

So if the Valley had to get back to 9 schools here are some I see as possibilities:

Denver - No baseball, that could be a problem with the Valley soon if it losses two baseball teams

Belmont - Like them a lot, curious though it they could handle the move up consistently

Loyola - No baseball see above

ORU - Like them too again fear they would be middle to bottom team consistently although any addition probably will

UIC - Didn't like them till I saw they actually spend decent amount on athletics, not good but not terrible amount either.

Milwuakee - Them and UIC seem a lot alike to me

Murray State - would be a really good fit again just worried how a school use to being the top dog in a weaker conference would fair. Obviously this year with an all-american no problem. I just mean most years when they are the top dog in OVC would they just be middle pack MVC? Also they seem to be slightly cash straped.

by **DUBulldog** » December 23rd, 2012, 9:54 am

Haha wrote:If it's just Creighton you do not replace you stay at 9. You will not be able to come close to replacing CU, don't try, all that will be gained is another mouth to feed.

If say an E-ville leaves like rumored or say an ISUr or UNI and it drops to 8 you add 1 school to get back to 9. 8 teams and only 14 conference games makes it tough but 9 with 16 games is fine.

So if the Valley had to get back to 9 schools here are some I see as possibilities:

Denver - No baseball, that could be a problem with the Valley soon if it losses two baseball teams

Belmont - Like them a lot, curious though it they could handle the move up consistently

Loyola - No baseball see above

ORU - Like them too again fear they would be middle to bottom team consistently although any addition probably will

UIC - Didn't like them till I saw they actually spend decent amount on athletics, not good but not terrible amount either.

Milwuakee - Them and UIC seem a lot alike to me

Murray State - would be a really good fit again just worried how a school use to being the top dog in a weaker conference would fair. Obviously this year with an all-american no problem. I just mean most years when they are the top dog in OVC would they just be middle pack MVC? Also they seem to be slightly cash straped.

Good list.

If the MVC wants to continue as a mix of public/private universities, my preference would be to add another private or two. But, only if it's the right school. Expansion for the sake of expansion will get us nowhere.

by **Shocktop42** » December 23rd, 2012, 11:23 am

A mvc without CU might not be any better than the OVC or Horizon. Would that make schools second guess leaving an established conference for the valley?

by **valleyclimber** » December 23rd, 2012, 11:47 am

I completely respect what CU has done with their hoops over the past decade, but I'm pretty sure there are some other MVC hoops programs that that been pretty respectable too. And exactly how many NCAA tourney games has CU actually won over the past decade?

Now how many NCAA tourney games have the other MVC schools won over the past decade? More than 1 and that is spread out over a few of the other Valley schools.

All the people out there that are saying the MVC is lost without CU must be in la la land because WSU hoops is good, ISU-R hoops has really been establishing in the past 5 years, UNI is UNI and both BU and SIU are back on the upswing, and that's not to mention that ISU-B is usually pretty darn competitive.

And as far as losing a larger TV market in Omaha, guess what....CU has not helped the MVC garner any huge TV anyway, so nothing lost there.

The idea that Valley hoops would drop to OVC or Horizon level is absolutely insane folks!!!!!
There are many hoops programs in The Valley that are MORE that capable of competing with some of the nation's top teams. CU hoops got better over a period of time in the MVC, and I'm pretty sure what we see with this past couple of seasons is the CU at maybe their peak. So there are some that may have a heart attack over Creighton leaving, but IMHO once Doug M leaves then The Bluejays will drop back a bit.

So what I'm getting at is even with CU there is no big TV contract, and there are PLENTY of MVC schoos that have hoops programs that can reach the level of CU hoops (which is winning how many NCAA tourney games over the past decade???).

Once again, no disrespect to the CU hoops program or their fans because I have a TON of respect for the program they've built, up but there a some Valley schools that have either established good hoops (WSU, UNI and ISU-R) or are in the catagory of their b-ball programs that are on the way back (both BU and SIU). Sooooo...with to all the doomsayers out there, I'd have to say that if CU does actually end up leaving the MVC, then good luck to them and look for The Valley to be just as competitive as ever.

KEEP IT ROCKIN' MVC!! :Cheers:

by **CaseyGarrisonforPrez** » December 23rd, 2012, 12:54 pm

Shocktop42 wrote:Since it appears that Creighton is gone, I thought that I'd start a thread to consolidate discussion regarding possible candidates.

Who do you want/like/accept/hate?

Discuss

It ain't a done deal yet. Creighton will be turning their backs on history and the great rivalries they have enjoyed in the Valley. Saint Louis University and their move to the A10 should serve as a cautionary tale of what could happen. I hope if they do actually leave that nobody in the Valley agrees to play them in anything. And I mean anything. Don't let their women's cross country runners run at your invites. Don't do it. Make them pay a hefty price for leaving especially in the non-revenue sports.

by **Haha** » December 23rd, 2012, 1:19 pm

CaseyGarrisonforPrez wrote:
It ain't a done deal yet. Creighton will be turning their backs on history and the great rivalries they have enjoyed in the Valley. Saint Louis University and their move to the A10 should serve as a cautionary tale of what could happen. I hope if they do actually leave that nobody in the Valley agrees to play them in anything. And I mean anything. Don't let their women's cross country runners run at your invites. Don't do it. Make them pay a hefty price for leaving especially in the non-revenue sports.

I hope WSU still plays them in Volleyball, Basketball, Baseball minimum and in any other sports if they leave. Why? Because they invest in their athletics and strive for excellence and it helps WSU to play them. Don't really care if MSU plays them or not.

Also they will not be screwing their other sports. If they go to 12 teams their will be divisions. Is Milwaukee, Chicago, St.Louis closer than say Evansville, Terre Haute, Carbondale? Pretty sure they are. Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Dayton isn't that far either. CU will be able to take 5th in league and still expect an at large in most years, that will be nice.

by **DoubleJayAlum** » December 23rd, 2012, 1:22 pm

CaseyGarrisonforPrez wrote:I hope if they do actually leave that nobody in the Valley agrees to play them in anything. And I mean anything. Don't let their women's cross country runners run at your invites. Don't do it. Make them pay a hefty price for leaving especially in the non-revenue sports.

I wonder what other MVC schools would do if CU leaves. Would WSU accept a home and home for men's hoops? Would Drake, who is only two hours away, really boycott CU in all sports (they have a fun mini-rivalry in soccer)?

As far as scheduling MSU, I don't think you have anything to worry about Casey. We don't want to take the hit to our RPI. We can schedule UNO right here in Omaha and not damage our RPI as much!

by **CaseyGarrisonforPrez** » December 23rd, 2012, 1:32 pm

As a sign of league unity and solidarity I think we should avoid scheduling CU if this happens.

I am reminded of the great Kim Mulkey quote when asked about Baylor continuing to play Texas Aggie:

"My feeling is this: If a man wants to divorce me and says our relationship has no value to him, and then asks me if he can sleep with me, the answer is NO!"

If Creighton wants to leave, no one is stopping you. But there are repurcussions if you choose to do so.

by **Jet915** » December 23rd, 2012, 1:55 pm

CaseyGarrisonforPrez wrote:As a sign of league unity and solidarity I think we should avoid scheduling CU if this happens.

I am reminded of the great Kim Mulkey quote when asked about Baylor continuing to play Texas Aggie:

"My feeling is this: If a man wants to divorce me and says our relationship has no value to him, and then asks me if he can sleep with me, the answer is NO!"

If Creighton wants to leave, no one is stopping you. But there are repurcussions if you choose to do so.

Repercussions? Scheduling is one thing that will probably get easier for us if we join this new league and not necessarily just for basketball. As the WSU poster said, I don't think we would have a problem scheduling WSU in basketball and baseball or Drake in soccer etc...