UIC joining Valley

[valleychamp]

Sounds like a load of crap if you ask me.

[jwa123]

So it's actually multiple newspapers repeating the same report. From a blog in Milwaukee.

Yesterday, some blog in Oklahoma said it was down to ORU and UMKC.

I'll wait for something more official.

THIS!

[MVCfans]

Multiple reports stating UIC to Valley.

I'm not buying it.

[Snaggletooth]

Not my first choice but I can live with it.

Then you have very low standards. This sucks. Why bring in a teams that will be competing for the play-in game?

[flybird1]

You guys need to relax. Do we have a home run option out there? There ain't any. Don't know if it's UIC. But if it is, I'am glad we are thinking big market for a change.

[isumvc1]

this would open up the opportunity for all 4 Illinois teams playing on Thursday in St. Louis. We'd have to come up with a new name for Thursday to replace Drake night in the 'Lou

[valleyclimber]

Completely agree with the BIG market comment. How do you think some of the other conferences got TV contracts when they were put together? Nice sized markets, so hopefully that is what The Valley presidents are looking at with regards to the MVC's future.

With The Shockers nice run and 3 new good markets (Chicago, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tulsa, Kansas City), think that might be enough for the new FOX sports network (who will be looking for programming) to put the MVC right there in the national spotlight.

I'm rooting for WSU to win it all and for The Valley to pull in 3 major markets, so that FOX deal can be done and hoops fans across the country will be able to see Valleyball and how intense and competitive this conference is night in and night out....ooo yeah!

Chicago, Milwaukee, Nashville, Wichita, Des Moines, Springfield.....that could be alot of eyeballs watching MVC hoops on FOX. And of course the increased TV exposure would be an absolute recruiting BONANZA for all the MVC schools. If you can get The Valley up to that speed, then I'd bet Dayton & SLU might be singing a different tune as far as their interest in joining the MVC.

Anyhow, here's hoping that The Shocks will it all and the MVC presidents look at the bigger picture and grab schools in top markets, then levelerage that into a TV contract with FOX sports network.

LET'S GET THE VALLEY ROCKING EVEN LOUDER!!

[flybird1]

Spot on, The MVC is a good conference, the problem is that many of our schools are in small markets, that doesn't help us when you compare us with conferences like the A-10. And also a reason why many folk don't know about the MVC. If you ask me trading Omaha for Chicago ain't bad at all. Last time we expanded we went for Evansville, nuff said. If Elgin is thinking about this he knows what he's doing this time. Many of you wanted Denver well this market is a million times bigger than that. I have to give him credit for having foresight if that is what he's thinking. Another thing UIC has is an outstanding basketball arena, been there myself a couple of times.

[rlh04d]

Completely agree with the BIG market comment. How do you think some of the other conferences got TV contracts when they were put together? Nice sized markets, so hopefully that is what The Valley presidents are looking at with regards to the MVC's future.

With The Shockers nice run and 3 new good markets (Chicago, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tulsa, Kansas City), think that might be enough for the new FOX sports network (who will be looking for programming) to put the MVC right there in the national spotlight.

I'm rooting for WSU to win it all and for The Valley to pull in 3 major markets, so that FOX deal can be done and hoops fans across the country will be able to see Valleyball and how intense and competitive this conference is night in and night out....ooo yeah!

Chicago, Milwaukee, Nashville, Wichita, Des Moines, Springfield.....that could be alot of eyeballs watching MVC hoops on FOX. And of course the increased TV exposure would be an absolute recruiting BONANZA for all the MVC schools. If you can get The Valley up to that speed, then I'd bet Dayton & SLU might be singing a different tune as far as their interest in joining the MVC.

Anyhow, here's hoping that The Shocks will it all and the MVC presidents look at the bigger picture and grab schools in top markets, then levelerage that into a TV contract with FOX sports network.

LET'S GET THE VALLEY ROCKING EVEN LOUDER!!

I do think large markets are the answer for the Valley.

But it doesn't matter how big your market is if you suck.

And that's the key. It doesn't matter how good a lot of Valley teams do, because if you're in a tiny market, no one is ever going to care. We have a few teams in this conference that could probably go to the Final Four a few times and still not mean much to a TV contract. But at the same time, UIC being a bottom feeder doesn't contribute anything, either. You need the teams from larger markets to win so that they can generate interest in those markets. As things stand now, they're just an empty promise.

The ACC has been banking on BC being important because they're in Boston for years now. But just being in Boston doesn't mean anyone in Boston cares.

I think they're a bad add in the short-term, but long-term adding larger markets is going to be vital. Put a few of the better teams in this conference in large markets and this would be a strong conference.

[dogdays]

Was told today by someone in the know that the Valley was visiting a potential new member today . This person was certain that UIC had not been invited at this point.