UIC to MVC Gaining Traction

[cptndonuts]

This is huge news for the lot of us that live in Chicago!

[VUGrad1314]

Question for UIC fans:

Assuming UIC gets an MVC invite (and it's certainly trending that way) that means that the Flames will be joining a conference with a higher media profile and a bigger media deal. In addition UIC will enjoy several local rivalries including three high quality in state schools that should excite fans. As for the out of state schools their ranks include many schools whose brand names should no doubt excite those who have followed college basketball over the past 20-25 years. The tradeoff is that they will lose access through athletic competition to numerous major markets populated by Horizon League institutions. What effect (if any) do you believe this will have on UIC's record setting enrollment pace? And is UIC's endowment (and I'm talking the school itself not the U of I endowment) really over $700million now as the D1 360 video linked in this post shows in its thumbnail? If so that's extremely exciting because it suggests that they could become very competitive in short order. If my memory serves that was roughly Loyola's number when they were invited (or maybe it was the year of their final four run).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SxhxPkOwNY

[Rt98]

UTA fan here. I imagine the rumors of us trying to nickel and dime the MVC are true. Our administration has been sabotaging our athletics since I can remember. We are growing academically quite a bit, but as far as athletics go our administration makes us look like the country's biggest clown college

Hey. Nice to have friendly visitors stop by. Seems like UTA is joining the WAC. Is this officially done? How do you think the common UTA fan feels about joining the WAC? Do you thnk UTA will start up a football program again in the WAC?

Thanks. I can't speak for other UTA fans, but I am OK with the WAC, we have shared a conference with several of these teams. Our basketball will at least have a chance to win a few games in the WaC. If we had gotten an invite into the MVC we would never win a conference game. Having said that I would love to have gotten an invite into the MVC, such a good basketball league. I think the MVC made the right decision not to invite us , unless at some point we can get our act together

[VUGrad1314]

UTA fan here. I imagine the rumors of us trying to nickel and dime the MVC are true. Our administration has been sabotaging our athletics since I can remember. We are growing academically quite a bit, but as far as athletics go our administration makes us look like the country's biggest clown college

Hey. Nice to have friendly visitors stop by. Seems like UTA is joining the WAC. Is this officially done? How do you think the common UTA fan feels about joining the WAC? Do you thnk UTA will start up a football program again in the WAC?

Thanks. I can't speak for other UTA fans, but I am OK with the WAC, we have shared a conference with several of these teams. Our basketball will at least have a chance to win a few games in the WaC. If we had gotten an invite into the MVC we would never win a conference game. Having said that I would love to have gotten an invite into the MVC, such a good basketball league. I think the MVC made the right decision not to invite us , unless at some point we can get our act together

If UTA does get its act together perhaps the two sides can talk again. My biggest quibble with the idea of adding UTA was that its program simply wasn't where I would want it to be for an expansion candidate (not that Valpo has been any good since they joined the MVC either). Just like UIC I saw a lot to like outside of that one glaring negative. Fix that and I could really see a lot of benefits from having them. RacerJoeD (I think it was) asked a really good question in a different thread that I've wondered about myself: what the heck happened with Scott Cross? Why did UTA let him go? He seemed to have them going in the right direction and then he was bafflingly fired.

[Rt98]

Yeah Scoot Cross getting fired was another instance of our AD sabotaging our athletics. I think he just wanted to hire his old buddy to be head coach. Our AD actually said that UTA would be the next Gonzaga. I can't tell you how embarrassing that is as a fan of a school that has never had any basketball success. I hope we start having some success so that the MVC will give us another look. I enjoy reading the comments on this board so I hope yall don't mind me giving my 2 cents occasionally

[VUGrad1314]

Yeah Scoot Cross getting fired was another instance of our AD sabotaging our athletics. I think he just wanted to hire his old buddy to be head coach. Our AD actually said that UTA would be the next Gonzaga. I can't tell you how embarrassing that is as a fan of a school that has never had any basketball success. I hope we start having some success so that the MVC will give us another look. I enjoy reading the comments on this board so I hope yall don't mind me giving my 2 cents occasionally

I remember that and that made the decision only more confusing for me. I thought "You know how you can take steps to become the next Gonzaga? Don't fire a good coach like Scott Cross who actually has your program making positive strides towards that goal. I hear he's doing pretty well at Troy these days so I guess he landed on his feet. Hope the WAC works out for UTA. It's a good fit for them geographically and competitively. Stop by to talk hoops anytime!

[Bigdfromuic]

VUGrad1314,

I don’t think leaving the Horizon will have much of an effect on UIC enrollment trends at all. If I recall correctly, the goal was to get to between 35000 and 40000 students by 2028. We’re well on our way. The Chancellor admitted we can’t grow forever, so no idea when it’s going to stop. In terms of geographic demographics, from this report - https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/ ... d-Memo.pdf -, we’re at 34,199 students. 81% of that is from Illinois, and another 11% is international. I doubt there are very many students coming to us from the Horizon urban areas, but can’t say for sure. Even if we lose some, I’d imagine UIC will just take in others elsewhere to help achieve the desired population. UIC has become a bit less selective since I attended two decades ago…used to be in low 60%s…now in low 70%s.

The endowment is tough. The three U of I campuses generally get bunched together so it’s hard to get an exact number. Where they do provide some breakdown, I’m still generally confused. This is the best I’ve seen, though it’s slightly stale - https://issuu.com/uifmarcom/docs/fy21_a ... zIyNjY1MjU

From this, there is a 2.69 billion foundation endowment, of which UIC has about 435 million (p.29). As I said, this is a bit stale. UIC alone has raised an additional 50 million more since mid September (time of the report), to surpass our $750 million fundraising goal that has been going on for some time (https://advance.uic.edu/giving/). Now…there is also a non-foundation endowment, which I can’t find a breakdown of. This is over 1 billion at this point (https://uif.uillinois.edu/endowment-performance). I assume a healthy chunk of it is ours and so I wouldn’t be shocked if we were over 700 million total when all is said and done.

A move to the MVC will bring in more.

[VUGrad1314]

This is all really good to see. Thank you BigD. It would seem to me that if we ask the same things of UIC we asked of Loyola and UIC delivers on them (it would appear that they have the resources to do so) we could very well have a very strong add on our hands here assuming they have the right man for the job in Yaklich or they eventually find the right man. I'm also impressed by the recent upgrades to the soccer field as $4.5million for soccer seems like quite a bit from where I sit. The fact that 81% of UIC's students come from Illinois and a move to the MVC means they will play more events in Illinois is very encouraging as well. I've come around on this. I'm excited for the prospects of what UIC would bring. They could just be an inducement to strive for more athletically (which they have apparently already started and which I'm sure the MVC has asked them to do) and a few years' time away from really doing some damage. I'm on board. The potential feels real here and less like a pipe dream than it does for other schools like some of the others we considered. Let's do this! Sorry for not doing my homework more thoroughly before spouting off and focusing too much on a negative aspect of their resume which might not even be a negative for them much longer. Excited to welcome the Flames to the MVC assuming the news of a forthcoming invite is legit!

[Salukimadness86]

This is huge news for the lot of us that live in Chicago!

Agree. A much easier drive to UIC for me than Loyola. Would be a good add. That being said, I hope they get rid of that awful curtain at the West end of their court.

[VUGrad1314]

They still have that thing? Yeah I've always been curious as to why. What's it for?