Another Expansion/Realignment Thread

[IWokeUpLikeThis]

Thanks for the info, squirrel. Where do you find your spending numbers?

These videos have budgets for each conference

MBB
https://youtu.be/lDk1eG_ddSI?si=yLb5FfZuc53TtSD-

Athletic
https://youtu.be/F_DamcCoivM?si=o9UDhBGg4f2_g2MI

FB
https://youtu.be/LgmjvVa-JQs?si=cQW73c858Unwoj_1

[Mikovio]

I have to imagine the A10's budgets are a bit inflated due to all the flights and hotels as a consequence of being so spread out, plus the full- and half-scholarships they award are greater on the ledger due to being mostly private. I don't think that explains anywhere near the entire difference though.

[E-Villan]

I have to imagine the A10's budgets are a bit inflated due to all the flights and hotels as a consequence of being so spread out, plus the full- and half-scholarships they award are greater on the ledger due to being mostly private. I don't think that explains anywhere near the entire difference though.

It doesn't. You're correct on the budgets. It costs Loyola a lot more to send the volleyball team to North Carolina or Rhode Island versus Peoria and Carbondale. Not to mention hotels and meals are much more expensive in those east coast cities.

Average fans don't notice or even care about budgets, and I am not sure how much it matters. SLU spends like a drunken sailor and has little ROI to date. The east coast media markets are the biggest reason for the favorable perception. I would also put the following ahead of any budget differences on perpetuating this false perception:

* Taking a school from us.

*Hiring a coach from one of our schools.

*Our schools taking buy games from A-10 schools. Interestingly, Schertz was probably the biggest offender of this while he was at Indiana State.

Personally, I will take our geographic rivalries, arenas/fan support and certainly our conference tournament over them any day.

[Chuck A]

Couldn't agree more!

[squirrel]

I have to imagine the A10's budgets are a bit inflated due to all the flights and hotels as a consequence of being so spread out, plus the full- and half-scholarships they award are greater on the ledger due to being mostly private. I don't think that explains anywhere near the entire difference though.

It doesn't. You're correct on the budgets. It costs Loyola a lot more to send the volleyball team to North Carolina or Rhode Island versus Peoria and Carbondale. Not to mention hotels and meals are much more expensive in those east coast cities.

Average fans don't notice or even care about budgets, and I am not sure how much it matters. SLU spends like a drunken sailor and has little ROI to date. The east coast media markets are the biggest reason for the favorable perception. I would also put the following ahead of any budget differences on perpetuating this false perception:

* Taking a school from us.

*Hiring a coach from one of our schools.

*Our schools taking buy games from A-10 schools. Interestingly, Schertz was probably the biggest offender of this while he was at Indiana State.

Personally, I will take our geographic rivalries, arenas/fan support and certainly our conference tournament over them any day.

Yeah, for sure that's a part of it. But it also misses the big picture that all those schools CAN spend like drunken sailors AND get away with it - with the exceptions of St. Bonnie and La Salle. URI is on the bubble, but they just secured a huge package from the state government for facility and funding improvements last year.

Valley schools largely would not be able to sustain that level of spending, without have a sugar daddy or group of them.

[VUGrad1314]

If the A10 gets raided by the BE one day I could see Loyola either looking to return or possibly trying to hook on with the AAC if they're looking for basketball strength. The East coast recruiting and institutional fit would be hard for them to give up but the national reach of the AAC could be enticing though they are a very awkward fit both geographically and institutionally (albeit less so than geographically) there.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

And everyone's favorite circus - realignment - is swinging more rounds on the carousel. I'm sure everyone here is enthusiastic and enthralled to indulge more of their favorite topic:
https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-pac-12 ... 54424.html

[VUGrad1314]

And everyone's favorite circus - realignment - is swinging more rounds on the carousel. I'm sure everyone here is enthusiastic and enthralled to indulge more of their favorite topic:
https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-pac-12 ... 54424.html

That's ridiculous. Why would those schools pay to join WSU and OSU when they can just wait two years and pick them up for free? A coast to coast best of the rest that picks apart the MWC and AAC to join with WSU and OSU helps NOBODY. It's hardly a guarantee AAC schools like Memphis and Tulane who would likely be targets of such a plan would make enough in a new media deal to justify the increased travel costs. I can't see this happening. Speaking on an unrelated note in the region I think the additions of GCU and Seattle might be enough to keep Gonzaga in the WCC for the long haul. Grand Canyon might legitimately be good enough with the benefit of WCC scheduling to build their own at large resumes which would turn the WCC into a perennial 3-4 bid league similar to the MWC (I know they got six one year recently but they were so bad in the tournament that I doubt they will get that again).

[Aces44]

No one got better with this move and the MW got worse

Prob a W for the MVC overall

[unipanther99]

Hard to tell where this goes from here, this could be the first move to get the rest of the MWC to unravel so that no exit fees need to be paid. Say the AAC takes Air Force to complete the service academy trifecta, then they only need to go to the best of the MWC remainders (UNLV then ??) and vote to dissolve. Then they can dump what they view as the dead weight.

The MWC probably knew this was coming and may have their own plan to quickly respond by adding North Dakota State, South Dakota state, Montana and Montana State.