UIC joining Valley

[usmcsaluki]

Nothing confirmed:

https://twitter.com/ClifSmart/status/319922656285691904

thanks for posting

[IllinoisState]

Nothing confirmed:

https://twitter.com/ClifSmart/status/319922656285691904

thanks for posting

You're welcome. I can't take credit for this find, though. I saw it on the ISU message board.

I would also take time to look at the response to the tweet.

[Snaggletooth]

who asked you to speculate. You said you could live with it - your words not mine.

Adding a crap team is adding a crap team. It would be better to stay at 9 and see how things what may fall out than just add the first crap team that comes along.

What's up your ass? Direct your anger at our conference leadership for narrowing the list down to these four schools, not at me.

If you dont want to Face critiscim for saying stupid stuff then dont say stupid stuff like "I can live with that". Either that or plan on defending your position.

[ptownbraves]

Being from Chicago I just don't see Loyola or UIC drawing a large tv market share here and UIC has no tradition and Loyola's tradition comes from the 60's. Valpo is not in a major market but at least has some pinache. I can see perhaps holding the Conference Tournament in Chicago might help with exposure and recruiting here. Correct no home runs but can we get at a least double?

This would be interesting having it in Chicago, although I don't see this happening anytime soon. They just signed an extension to stay in St. Louis through 2016. Chicago is definitely more of a basketball town than St. Louis and would probably get more locals to attend these games. Hard to say whether it would be worth moving from what is a pretty good situation in St. Louis though. They pull out all the stops and make quite an effort to accomodate the tournament.

[flybird1]

I'd say UIC is a least a double. But how would you guys rate Belmont? A triple, a double, or a single. For those of you not happy with UIC, why don't we bring in Belmont at the same time to satisfy you. We might as well expand to 11 while we're at it.

[IllinoisState]

I'd say UIC is a least a double. But how would you guys rate Belmont? A triple, a double, or a single. For those of you not happy with UIC, why don't we bring in Belmont at the same time to satisfy you. We might as well expand to 11 while we're at it.

Add one team or no teams. Wait a year and see what happens, then go out and try our luck.

[GoShockers89]

If you dont want to Face critiscim for saying stupid stuff then dont say stupid stuff like "I can live with that". Either that or plan on defending your position.

Sounds good, let's discuss it. We've been told the Committee is visiting 4 schools: UMKC, UIC, Loyola, and Valpo. These are our choices. After a (now proven to be false) report that UIC is joining, I said:

Not my first choice but I can live with it.

Yep, UIC is not my first choice out of those 4 schools. They are still better than the worst option, UMKC. My post clearly reflects that this does not thrill me but given the options, we could have done worse. With a gun to my head, I would prefer to eat the happy meal-sized s*** sandwich as opposed to the XXL Double Quarter Pounder s*** Sandwich. This is pretty clearly supported with this follow up post:

I mean, of course it sucks. But we've been told that there are exactly 4 candidates. 3 of them suck moderately (UIC, Loyola, Valpo) and 1 is apocalyptically bad (UMKC). This is one of the moderate suck candidates.

I guess I could speculate about teams that have less than a 0% chance of joining like SLU or Dayton like many on here do, but that just seems pointless since the potential choices have been revealed.

So- what exactly do you disagree with that I've said? I guess "I can live with it" set you off pretty good (against your own fanbase even, kind of an unspoken rule on here), but it looks like I clarified that pretty successfully yet you still continue the attack. Let's hear your logical argument for why any of the other 3 expansion choices are so head and shoulder above UIC that my version makes no sense whatsoever.

[rlh04d]

who asked you to speculate. You said you could live with it - your words not mine.

Adding a crap team is adding a crap team. It would be better to stay at 9 and see how things what may fall out than just add the first crap team that comes along.

What's up your ass? Direct your anger at our conference leadership for narrowing the list down to these four schools, not at me.

If you dont want to Face critiscim for saying stupid stuff then dont say stupid stuff like "I can live with that". Either that or plan on defending your position.

If he can live with it, who gives a damn? It's his opinion.

Personally, I don't really mind UIC as a long-term addition. I think they should be included as part of a three team increase, though. Replacing Creighton with UIC is a losing proposition. However, most of the problem with this conference is that teams in small markets are unable to capitalize on their on-court success and turn it into financial success. We've got a lot of teams with high floors but also low ceilings. UIC has a low floor but a high ceiling. They're a much better add than UMKC, which has similar potential but a very low floor. I would say to add UIC, Murray State, and Middle Tennessee State. Two immediate contributors and one long-term project.

[jwa123]

Middle Tennessee State is in the process of leaving the Sunbelt and joining C-USA this coming year. They won't change that decision because of football and the close proximity of other C-USA schools for travel.

[KC MVC FAN]

If MVC takes two teams to replace CU, should seriously consider UMKC and UIC as a package. Both have MVC potential. Both big--bigger--market towns. Opens/big recruiting potential in Chicago area for all MVC teams. Both in MVC geographic footprint. An eleven team conference is doable--10 home and 10 away conference games--would be awkard for conference tourney--would require one pigtail. If MVC takes 3 new members, WHO would be number 12?. VALPO ??? Detroit ??? Belmont ???--probably not. NDSU or SDSU ?? ORU--NO! Limited options. Forget SLU and Dayton!!.

Don't think WSU is going anywhere. Too far west for back east schools. No FB for Mountain west. Not a lot of options if they try to cut MVC ties for greener ?? pastures!!