Big Sky moving to 11/20 format

[uniguy]

With the number of bigger money conferences going to more and more conference games, the idea that the smaller conferences going to more conference games as somehow “taking away flexibility “ is a bit silly. Flexible to do what? Schedule D2/SWAC schools?

Bingo. Opportunities OOC are drying up. We don't need 13 non-conference games. Going to eleven is not going to cost us opportunities to play good opponents, its just going to cost us D2 games and games against SWAC teams.

I think Murray State is a no brainer. It makes our league stronger. If our goal is to have a chance to have two bids, Murray State makes it more likely.

[uniguy]

My point is they aren't doing ANYTHING! They are sitting on their ass while conferences make moves. Eventually, they are going to watch conference move past them while they're idle. Again, doing nothing is taking a step back because other conferences are moving. Just to maintain position they have to do more. To improve position they need to do A LOT more.

What league has jumped the MVC in the last 10-15 years based on moves like this? People just like "action" in the offseason. I get it. But going to a 20-game schedule or an 11-team league doesn't make the MVC better.

I know people don't like hearing it but the league is in a really good place right now.

Honest question, not trying to be a jerk or snooty. What makes you say the league is in a really good place? Do you think multiple bids are likely in the future, honestly? And if so, what makes you say that?

Again, I know that comes off as snarky but I don't mean it that way. Honest question.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

The issue is the MVC teams will keep those D2 games and forego the buy games with P6's.

[VUGrad1314]

Simple fix for that: Elgin bans all non-D1s except for exhibitions and any team deemed to be fattening up on too many cupcakes from bad conferences sees its NCAA unit share cut until they fall in line (reasonable allowances will be made for teams in rebuilding cycles but this sub 200\ sub 250 crap just to fill a spot needs to end. Bring back scheduling standards.

[tribecalledquest]

My point is they aren't doing ANYTHING! They are sitting on their ass while conferences make moves. Eventually, they are going to watch conference move past them while they're idle. Again, doing nothing is taking a step back because other conferences are moving. Just to maintain position they have to do more. To improve position they need to do A LOT more.

What league has jumped the MVC in the last 10-15 years based on moves like this? People just like "action" in the offseason. I get it. But going to a 20-game schedule or an 11-team league doesn't make the MVC better.

I know people don't like hearing it but the league is in a really good place right now.

Honest question, not trying to be a jerk or snooty. What makes you say the league is in a really good place? Do you think multiple bids are likely in the future, honestly? And if so, what makes you say that?

Again, I know that comes off as snarky but I don't mean it that way. Honest question.

The talent level on the floor is strong. The talent level among the coaches is strong. The league just had its second Final Four team in less than 10 years. There is a good mix of private/public that makes geographic sense. Outside of the Big East there isn't a non BCS league I feel better about than the Valley. I'm not comparing it to the Valley of the past...I'm looking at it in today's landscape.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Simple fix for that: Elgin bans all non-D1s except for exhibitions and any team deemed to be fattening up on too many cupcakes from bad conferences sees its NCAA unit share cut until they fall in line (reasonable allowances will be made for teams in rebuilding cycles but this sub 200\ sub 250 crap just to fill a spot needs to end. Bring back scheduling standards.

Youre giving Elgin too much credit. He's not doing that. He's good slipping to the 15th rated conference.

[TheAsianSensation]

20 conference games is not the way to better at-large chance. At least not without a Fun Belt-style configuration. If you're talking 20 games with round-robin, it would be a disaster for the conference's situation.

[RacerJoeD]

How and why? How would a game vs anyone in the Valley be any worse than a SWAC or MEAC game?

[TheAsianSensation]

How and why? How would a game vs anyone in the Valley be any worse than a SWAC or MEAC game?

That's based on the assumption that each team would cut their worst non-con opponents to make room. I don't trust some programs to do the right thing.

[VUGrad1314]

Joe raises a fair point why does everyone automatically assume that

1. The addition of more teams automatically means a lesser share of a single unit implying that the MVC is a perpetual one bid league? And

2. That the addition of Murray State must take the place of a prime scheduling opportunity and not a worthless "tune-up game" that teaches nothing about the team?

To immediately jump to these two conclusions says a lot more about the mentality of the person saying these things than it does about the validity of the idea being critiqued.

Murray State is one of the best programs in our footprint. Adding them CANNOT POSSIBLY weaken the league or hurt the other teams' schedules. If the addition of Murray State hurts a team's schedule it is the fault of that team's soft scheduling practices, not Murray State.

And the money lost per credit per year is like $15K, easily made up by any additional at large bids accumulated by the league. I firmly believe that adding Murray State as an 11th team would have pushed Loyola over the line of not having to sweat over their tournament fate. 2-3 extra Q1\Q2 games is no joke for a bubble team. Murray State would have been an at-large contender\NIT lock and Illinois State would have been in the NIT discussion. How much more would that have done for the perception of the league?

I even remember hearing someone say before the season started that in RPI or KenPom (can't remember which) adding Valpo and Murray State made the league stronger in that metric than it was with Wichita State. Not adding both teams was is and will remain a colossal mistake that needs to be rectified for the good to the league. As for the non-revenue sports, you had 11 teams back in the 90's and you made it work with much greater travel than there is now, you can make it work again.