The MVC/Mountain West Challenge is coming to a end

[RacerJoeD]

The trick would be the Valley would offer home games to teams that struggle to schedule home games, or couldn’t afford to pay an MVC team. For example- Drake to FGCU, UNI to Northern Kentucky...

You wouldn’t get Gonzaga, but you wouldn’t be stuck with the bottom of the Horizon or OVC either.

[Bradleyfan1]

Why not a “MVC Challenge” where you take teams from many conferences? That way you aren’t stuck with trying to match up teams that don’t match (ie the bottom of the HL with the bottom of the Valley).

I love this. Promote it as a challenge. Us vs them. There has to be enough who will accept.

[valleyclimber]

RacerJoe, I think you're on to something....definitely like your idea

Rock it MVC!

[uniguy]

A challenge with the Horizon or Summit wouldn't really help scheduling a whole lot. Most MVC teams can get games with Summit and Horizon teams without much issue.

I doubt other conferences would be interested in an "MVC Challenge". Really minimizes the value of their leagues. Plus, it is essentially bracketbusters. I think you could do something like that, but you'd have to brand it fairly across leagues. It would essentially be a mid-major scheduling alliance where we all agree to have our best teams playing each other year-to-year. Which I think would be the best move mid-majors can do while being locked out of fair scheduling practices with the bigger leagues.

I think you could easily get the MVC, CUSA, MAC, CAA types together in something like this. Each guaranteed 2 home and away games to fill out their schedules against teams with similar profiles every year. Perhaps if it is successful you could lure the A-10s and MWCs of the world too.

[Red]

A series with the A-10 wouldn't work because they've got like 100 teams in that league. Horizon and OVC wouldn't really be worth the trouble. Give me the AAC and don't listen to the Shox fans who say that their house of cards conference is light years ahead of the Valley.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I don't think you realize how bad the CUSA and MAC are after the top 2 teams, if that. CUSA finished around 20th in RPI.

[VUGrad1314]

I don't think you realize how bad the CUSA and MAC are after the top 2 teams, if that. CUSA finished around 20th in RPI.

15th behind even the WAC.

[VUGrad1314]

A series with the A-10 wouldn't work because they've got like 100 teams in that league. Horizon and OVC wouldn't really be worth the trouble. Give me the AAC and don't listen to the Shox fans who say that their house of cards conference is light years ahead of the Valley.

I would love this but make no mistake that there is a sizable gulf between the MVC and the AAC. The AAC just sailed to three bids with two of their bellwether programs (UCONN and Memphis) in down cycles. They have failed to log at least three bids just once since their inception.If those two programs get humming again it's an easy 4-5 bid conference. 6 is even possible if programs like UCF and Tulsa are decent. If the AAC would take us on as a challenge partner we should emphatically enthusiastically and gratefully accept.

[RacerJoeD]

I think you guys are seeing what I saw when I looked. The top teams in many of the lower conferences are quality programs. For example, the OVC has Murray State and Belmont. Outside of that, how do games against the bottom half of these conferences help the MVC? The short answer is that is doesn't. Hence my thought of a "Valley Challenge" where the top two or so programs in the WAC, OVC, Summit, Horizon, ASun, etc. play two year challenge (one year home, one year road).

[VUGrad1314]

I think you guys are seeing what I saw when I looked. The top teams in many of the lower conferences are quality programs. For example, the OVC has Murray State and Belmont. Outside of that, how do games against the bottom half of these conferences help the MVC? The short answer is that is doesn't. Hence my thought of a "Valley Challenge" where the top two or so programs in the WAC, OVC, Summit, Horizon, ASun, etc. play two year challenge (one year home, one year road).

Truth, Of course it would be better for all concerned if we could just take Murray State and Belmont but that's a topic for another thread.