How Committed to the MVC Do You think Your School Is?

[AndShock]

Too committed

What options are there? The only hope for WSU and Creighton is that there is some very very big shake ups and the A10 and non football Big East schools form some sort of conference and are willing to let teams from this far west in.


I know you like your non-football athletic departments, and honestly it frees a lot of money up. However, these moves are all about football...which is why a school like Kansas could end up f-ed even though they have a football team. Without a football team schools like WSU and Creighton are almost worthless as a conference move partner

I hate that we're not doing anything. I'd be fine with us trying to start a football program. I'd be fine with us exploring an all-basketball conference, even if us and Creighton have to lead it. Even if it doesn't go anywhere, I'd at least know we tried. I'm not going to be happy if other schools get picked off and we sit around doing nothing to help ourselves.

[WSUbballer]

I agree with AndShock.

Our athletic department has become stagnant. We had a MAJOR drop-off from our last AD to the current one. Perfect timing for all of the conference alignment talks.

Without football, we really don't have a right to be picky with whatever happens. I like the Valley for a lot of the rivalries that have developed over the years, but lately, it's starting to drag its legs. And really no one is without fault in some aspect.

[DUBulldog]

Drake has been in the conference since 1908.....I think they're pretty commited.

[MoValley John]

In my opinion, one positive that will shake out is that there will be one or two basketball-only conferences formed. If the Big East picks up a few BCS football schools, they will almost certainly have to shred their basketball-only programs. This could be one positive outcome of the current Big XII circus.

[Aargh]

The next domino could be the ACC. That's one proud conference with a lot of history and rivalries, so they won't go down easy.

The SEC is the premiere FB conference and they could be out hunting for some ACC teams that emphasize FB, but get forgotten in the basketball-crazy ACC. The BEast is starting to look like a BCS wannabe. They could be interested in some schools out of the ACC that have both FB and BB tradition, and a lot of influence with the NCAA.

If the ACC falls and is absorbed by the SEC and the BEast, then the BEast may be too unwieldly for their basketball-only schools. That changes everything. Unfortunately, there are several strong basketball-only schools that would be attractive and are a better geographic fit for the basketball-only remnants of the BEast than any Valley teams. There would likely be a raid on the better A10 teams.

Then the remnants of the A10 are looking for new homes. Any leftovers out of the A10 would probably be less attractive as opponents than the current Valley lineup.

Basketball-only works better on the East Coast than in the Midwest. Basketball-only in the Midwest leaves a school at the mercy of what happens to them. It's tough to be proactive in that situation.

[Ali]

Only a couple of schools have even the slightest bit of chance to move to anything that would be better - MSU, CU, WSU, maybe Illinois State.

[BirdmanBB]

We have debated this to no end on our (ISUr) message board. I think we are in an interesting position as those schools with football in the MVFC are seperate from all other sports in the MVC. This could technically make it easier for any of our football schools to make a football only jump if the opportunity is there (which I think would be extremely rare, but still possible).

With ISUr, there are a few things to lay out first before discussing fan opinions. First is the fact that the president of the university has said he would like to get our football program into FBS if the fans merit the change (this meaning they need fans to show up and support this move). Secondly, every move that ISU has made since that comment seemingly has been a slow progression towards that goal. Some of the hires we have made and transfers we keep getting in (from BCS schools) seem to indicate that we are positioning ourselves for an eventual transition. Thirdly, we as fans are all waiting in anticipation of a supposed "big announcement" from our school president at his state of the university address at the end of this month regarding football at ISU. Without knowing exact details, it appears that ISU is financially in place to upgrade the football stadium which should initially get us in the capacity range for FBS football. Forthly, I have had a personal conversation with our new AD where I brought up the FBS question to which he said he wanted to build success within our program first and then see what our options were on the football landscape for a FBS move. I had this conversation about a few months ago and it seemed at the time we were at least 3 years away from any type of move. Of course, with conference shakups, we may need to act faster than we would like just so we don't miss the boat. I have also heard that the target conference would be the CUSA if we could get an invite. (in my personal opinion, I would love to see a double move of ISU and MSU to the CUSA)

As far as fan committment, we love the MVC for basketball of course and wish we could stay for everything and just move football, however, conferences nowadays will want you for all sports or nothing at all. I believe everyone would be opposed if they were thinking of the sun belt, however, people have been warming up to the idea of moving to the MAC if it is available. Biggest reason being is that the MVC has been a one bid conference in bball for a while now.........and so is the MAC. On the MAC side of things basically a lot of NIU people would like to see us in that conference so they can get a natural in state rival with easy travel for road games. Of course, CUSA would be the ultimate goal as you could have greater potential to build your programs up and take the eventual next step much easier than you would if you were in the MAC.

So basically I think if the right offer would come along, we are ready to go.

[Khan4Cats]

The next domino could be the ACC. That's one proud conference with a lot of history and rivalries, so they won't go down easy.

The SEC is the premiere FB conference and they could be out hunting for some ACC teams that emphasize FB, but get forgotten in the basketball-crazy ACC. The BEast is starting to look like a BCS wannabe. They could be interested in some schools out of the ACC that have both FB and BB tradition, and a lot of influence with the NCAA.

If the ACC falls and is absorbed by the SEC and the BEast, then the BEast may be too unwieldly for their basketball-only schools. That changes everything. Unfortunately, there are several strong basketball-only schools that would be attractive and are a better geographic fit for the basketball-only remnants of the BEast than any Valley teams. There would likely be a raid on the better A10 teams.

Then the remnants of the A10 are looking for new homes. Any leftovers out of the A10 would probably be less attractive as opponents than the current Valley lineup.

Basketball-only works better on the East Coast than in the Midwest. Basketball-only in the Midwest leaves a school at the mercy of what happens to them. It's tough to be proactive in that situation.

I think the Big East might be able to survive if they grab up some of the BIg XII survivors (the talk is Mizzou, KU, and KSU) to go to 20 BB and 12 FB members. That might be enough to maintain them as a BCS school, albeit weak in FB tradition, but the sheer size of their conference and media markets keeps them viable.

That leaves the ACC as the 5th wheel of the BcS system. Their basketball tradition is their core, but that is not what is driving this. It will be interesting to see what happens. The rumors have the SEC interested in VaTech, but that won't cripple the ACC. The core of UNC-Duke-Virginia-Maryland can hold with their media markets and be an interesting package for someone.

[Khan4Cats]

Unfortunately I think pretty much all of the MVC schools (including MSU) are fully committed - until a better offer comes along.

But I'm not sure those offers will come in the immediate future? There seem to be obstacles to most Valley schools moving up. And who wants to move down? Is a lateral move worth losing the rivalries we've built? Unlike some of my fellow MSU fans I'm not sure C-USA is a step up. At least not in basketball.

There seems to be a lot of shakeups among the power conferences though and it could filter down to us.

I think this is the most reasonable response. I think pretty much all of the Valley schools are committed to where we are, but that doesn't mean anyone won't listen if a better offer comes. Some school might consider C-USA or the MWC better, but I don't think it really is in the long run. What happens once the big conference dominoes really start to fall is anybody's guess though. Would be nice to see the Valley positioning itself to strengthen by addition rather than try and replace anyone who might get lured away.

[Veritas]

Hopefully, not in the least.

Leaving the MoVal would be good for WSU and good for the league. WSU could move on to bigger and better challenges, and more MoVal teams would have a chance at winning the MoVal All-Sports Crown.

CU, WSU, BU, IlSU, and MSU should all be heading for the exit door.