Evansville to the Horizon

[stl scooter]

If they're gonna bolt they better do it before Colt Ryan graduates. He's about all they have going right now.

Every word in this sentence is inaccurate.

This will seem cold blooded but I do not believe UE has any place in the league as it stands now. They bring nothing in market share or resources and if USI does infact move up to D1 they will put UE to shame in resources and support.

USI is a state school and they have been waiting on 'resources' (funds from Indy) for years. It's mainly a commuter school, while their facility (PAC) is on campus and is in need of upgrades. I'm not sure their Alumni is in a situation to make sizable donations to the athletic dept.

[agrinut]

It will be a sad day for the Valley if this is true.

Would it really be so sad?

IndSt and SIU have 2 hour bus rides to play at UE.
What team are you going to add that has a better RPI, makes sense with traveling (revenue and non-revenue), and wants to be in the MVC?

If the MVC would want to go with 9 teams, your athletic dept. needs to schedule 2 more games each year...what two teams does Creighton not have scheduled that is dying to play CU that has a better RPI than UE?

It would stand to reason those replacement games would be better then UE over half the teams available would be better replacements for RPI.

[stl scooter]

It would stand to reason those replacement games would be better then UE over half the teams available would be better replacements for RPI.

Yogi Berra couldn't have responded any better...I have absolutely no idea whether to argue or agree with you.



Anyone that wants UE out, what teams are there to replace UE that is a better fit in the valley (RPI and traveling (revenue & non-revenue))?
UMKC, Western IL, Eastern IL, SEMO, SIU-Ed, Oral Roberts, N Dakota, S Dakota...go ahead pick one.
I don't think that Murray State flies anywhere to their conference games.

[agrinut]

It would stand to reason those replacement games would be better then UE over half the teams available would be better replacements for RPI.

Yogi Berra couldn't have responded any better...I have absolutely no idea whether to argue or agree with you.



Anyone that wants UE out, what teams are there to replace UE that is a better fit in the valley (RPI and traveling (revenue & non-revenue))?
UMKC, Western IL, Eastern IL, SEMO, SIU-Ed, Oral Roberts, N Dakota, S Dakota...go ahead pick one.
I don't think that Murray State flies anywhere to their conference games.

UE has an average RPI of 181 over the past 10 years. The MVC is already full of teams to the east. ORU would be my choice for travel, prestige, and level of play.

[DoubleJayAlum]

It will be a sad day for the Valley if this is true.

Would it really be so sad?

IndSt and SIU have 2 hour bus rides to play at UE.
What team are you going to add that has a better RPI, makes sense with traveling (revenue and non-revenue), and wants to be in the MVC?

If our criteria for adding teams is that they have to be within two hours of Indst and SIU, then Creighton and WSU should just leave now. Honestly, I don't think some of you eastern schools even realize how easy you have it in the MVC.

The issue is not proximity; it is replacing what Evansville brings to the conference. I don't think it would be that difficult at all to find a school that brings at least as much as Evansville does. Considering they have a ten year average RPI of 181 per agrinut, I don't think they'd be irreplaceable. I'm not sure, but I'd have to guess that UE has one of the highest, if not the highest, play-in game participation rate in the entire league.

NOTE: I didn't say the MVC should kick UE out. I just don't think the conference would be devastated if they left.

[Wufan]

Evansville is the only MVC team not to have won 20 games in one season in the past 7 years...their streak goes back 11+...more years than could be found on a simple Internet search.

[Jet915]

Just my opinion but Denver, UW-Milwaukee, Detroit, New Mexico State or Oral Roberts would be upgrades...

[Turner]

I wonder is it possible that if Evansville left the MVC, the Valley would just stay at nine and not add another school? A league of nine schools would each get a larger slice of the pie?

Why add anyone who doesn't have a history of regular NCAA bids? The likelihood of finding a school like that is small so we'd be better with nine.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I wonder is it possible that if Evansville left the MVC, the Valley would just stay at nine and not add another school? A league of nine schools would each get a larger slice of the pie?

Why add anyone who doesn't have a history of regular NCAA bids? The likelihood of finding a school like that is small so we'd be better with nine.

Fair points.

There might be a little more to it. Maybe a team is a bit down from they usually end up, comes from a talent rich area where we could all benefit or gives a little boost to TV ratings.

I wouldn't say the team has to make the dance regularly to get in, but would say that they should be in either the NCAA tourney or NIT most years.

[Turner]

I wonder is it possible that if Evansville left the MVC, the Valley would just stay at nine and not add another school? A league of nine schools would each get a larger slice of the pie?

Why add anyone who doesn't have a history of regular NCAA bids? The likelihood of finding a school like that is small so we'd be better with nine.

Fair points.

There might be a little more to it. Maybe a team is a bit down from they usually end up, comes from a talent rich area where we could all benefit or gives a little boost to TV ratings.

I wouldn't say the team has to make the dance regularly to get in, but would say that they should be in either the NCAA tourney or NIT most years.

Safe to say any addition must make financial sense? Either they bring possible revenue by way of NCAA tournament units or by adding a market that would help in media negotiations. The crop of schools that would fit one, let alone both, is very small.