SIU, CU, UNI to new conference? SI.com

[unipanther99]

But isn't that exactly what happened in 2006 when the Valley got 4 teams in the Dance? Most of the Valley schools had decent out of conference games (with an appropriate number being won) which raised the Valley RPI and then we started beating up on each other in conference. Worked that year.

The four (five counting MSU's screw job) did have excellent out of conference RPIs, but that was only half of it... They did beat each other up, but they also beat the bottom half of the conference consistently. That allowed all 5 to have decent looking conference records.

[Aargh]

If you go back to the heyday of the MVC, when it was considered the #1 basketball conference in the nation - it was Murderer's Row EVERY game.

I remember Wichita State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Bradley. Every single game was a barn-burner, and even the lower teams (North Texas, Drake, New Mexico State) had teams that could knock the top-tier teams off.

There's nothing wrong with a Murderer's Row schedule. From a fan perspective, it is one of the most exciting experiences you can have. When almost every game means something, the atmosphere in the arenas gets - let me use the words electric and intense - to try to describe it.

Get a Murderer's Row schedule for a non-BCS league and you will fill arenas and get SIGNIFICANT national TV exposure.

[Red]

I think conference realignment talk is cool too. I was hoping the big 12 was going to die just to see how things were going to shake out. I worry that Elgin doesn't have a plan and that the MVC could be decimated someday and our teams will be joining the Summit or OVC if we're not careful.

[AndShock]

I think conference realignment talk is cool too. I was hoping the big 12 was going to die just to see how things were going to shake out. I worry that Elgin doesn't have a plan and that the MVC could be decimated someday and our teams will be joining the Summit or OVC if we're not careful.

Agree completely, that's why I really wish our AD would do something. I think Elgin is willing to ride out conference realignment and just take whatever happens. I would love a mid-major super-conference, but I just don't think it's ever going to happen. Once all the conference realignment is done, I'm afraid Wichita State is going to be on the wrong end.