MSU to Conference USA?

[valleychamp]

If MSU wants to leave, bu-bye. Add SLU and the MVC is better for it.

SLU would not leave the A10 for the Valley. No interest there whatsoever. And SLU would not make up for MSU at all.

This is not true. SLU would like to be in the Valley.

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

If MSU wants to leave, bu-bye. Add SLU and the MVC is better for it.

SLU would not leave the A10 for the Valley. No interest there whatsoever. And SLU would not make up for MSU at all.

This is not true. SLU would like to be in the Valley.

I don't know if you are referring to athletic dept, administration, or fans. But I can tell you that the fans and the administration prefer the A10 because they are snobs. Majerus might want the MVC, but he'd also like a whopper. And Father Biondi and his doctor aren't going to allow either to happen.

[Snaggletooth]

My sources have been talking - very interesting days ahead for MSU.

[MoValley John]

One more thing, I think this whole "media market" thing is blown way out of proportion. Sure, media markets matter, but marketability to the masses is a much bigger deal. Is Missouri State any bigger draw to people in Texas, New York and California than say Illinois State or UNLV? Probably not. In fact, it's much less exciting than UNLV. Capturing St L and KC might be nice, nut you really are only capturing the people in those markets that already follow the Bears, not too many more people.

Nebraska trumped Missouri in the Big 10 not based on capturing new, larger media markets, but by adding a storied and compelling known quantity. An interesting aside to the Nebraska move, every Nebraska road game in the Big 10 is already sold out. The newness factor surely plays a part, but this did not happen when Penn State joined. C-USA is no Big 10, but you would think that C-USA would be looking for something more than adding a slice of a couple of media markets. If this were the case, the WCC and A-10 would be BCS leagues.

[TylerDurden]

If MSU wants to leave, bu-bye. Add SLU and the MVC is better for it.

SLU would not leave the A10 for the Valley. No interest there whatsoever. And SLU would not make up for MSU at all.

This is not true. SLU would like to be in the Valley.

No, they would not like to be. They view themselves as "better" than the MVC as an institution.

You can decide for yourself if they are or not.

We all can see that they aren't better athletically.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Why is it that MSU fans keep ignoring this question: What does MSU presently draw for Fb? Is it true that average attendance is only around 9K?

What kind of notoriety would adding MSU bring? Do people nationally even know who Missouri State is? Do they even know it is the same school that was recently known as Southwest Missouri St?

If there is really anything to this, could it just be that CUSA is feeling out candidates in case Memphis bolts and an offer won't come until then anyway?

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

Why is it that MSU fans keep ignoring this question: What does MSU presently draw for Fb? Is it true that average attendance is only around 9K?

What kind of notoriety would adding MSU bring? Do people nationally even know who Missouri State is? Do they even know it is the same school that was recently known as Southwest Missouri St?

It doesn't really matter about current attendance. FCS football isn't popular outside of the U of Montana and Appalachian State. No one in Springfield cares about FCS football. It would be an entirely different case if we were FBS.

We are well known for the two women's basketball Final Fours and the CWS in 2003. People know John Q Hammons, Ryan Howard, and Sean Marcum. They know our famous alums like the first gentleman on the first Bachelor tv show and others like John Goodman. We are in a great state with two major metropolitan areas and one of the nicest, fast-growing communities in the country is our own hometown. We can market all of these things. We have made tremendous strides as a school recently and will continue to do so under our leaders. And I would think nearly anyone who watches sports at even a casual level would realize that MSU is the school that was formerly Southwest Missouri State. The uniforms and colors are the same. College fans know.

[dgreenwell3]

I feel like the phrase "where there is smoke, there is fire" gives fans of all sports hope and worry when in reality, usually there isn't either at that time.
I am not sure whether MSU plans on leaving but I think it is a little early to start speculation about WSU leaving as well. There is no smoke on that fire.

[dgreenwell3]

Why is it that MSU fans keep ignoring this question: What does MSU presently draw for Fb? Is it true that average attendance is only around 9K?

What kind of notoriety would adding MSU bring? Do people nationally even know who Missouri State is? Do they even know it is the same school that was recently known as Southwest Missouri St?

It doesn't really matter about current attendance. FCS football isn't popular outside of the U of Montana and Appalachian State. No one in Springfield cares about FCS football. It would be an entirely different case if we were FBS.

We are well known for the two women's basketball Final Fours and the CWS in 2003. People know John Q Hammons, Ryan Howard, and Sean Marcum. They know our famous alums like the first gentleman on the first Bachelor tv show and others like John Goodman. We are in a great state with two major metropolitan areas and one of the nicest, fast-growing communities in the country is our own hometown. We can market all of these things. We have made tremendous strides as a school recently and will continue to do so under our leaders. And I would think nearly anyone who watches sports at even a casual level would realize that MSU is the school that was formerly Southwest Missouri State. The uniforms and colors are the same. College fans know.

Do most people know the difference really? This post drools of die-hard fan, just remember 80 percent of the sports scene is the laid back fan which means playing Rice or Memphis in football, probably won't excite much more than playing Northern Iowa.
Edit: Not an insult just a point of information.

[DoubleJayAlum]

It doesn't really matter about current attendance.

Yes, it does (and I'm assuming by your avoidance of the question that the 9K attendance figure is accurate). Supporting the team at its current competition level shows that the school and program have support. Right now, you have more students enrolled at MSU than you have fans attending FB games! Failing to do so means that if you move up a level, people will be coming out to see the opponent, not MSU. That isn't usually a recipe for long term success.

Please don't use KC and St Louis as support. MSU is largely ignored in those areas and gets very limited media coverage. Plus, If Mizzou, who is much more popular, can't sell the Big 10 on its support in St Louis and KC, MSU can't either.

Isn't MSU the same school that can't afford locker facilities in its basketball arena? Isn't Luck's new contract 7th in compensation among all MVC schools? Are we to believe that this same school, who is notoriously cheap, has all kinds of extra money laying around to upgrade the stadium to the extent necessary to meet CUSA criteria? I guess it could be true, but it seems pretty unlikely....

I remember about 5 years ago, Illinois St fans came to ValleyTalk and boasted how they were about to be offered membership in the Big 12.....