Conference Realignment - where will we be in 5 yrs?

[uniftw]

However I think it's in relation to fan support, facilities, athletic budget, etc why WSU and CU were mentioned as the two by a previous poster. Not exactly how dominating one or the other has been.

I agree that that is likely why those two were mentioned, which is why I made the dominating comment. It's not like all that money, support, and infrastructure has bought unparalled success. Unless you subscribe to the theory of throw enough money at something and it will be bound to be successful at some point theory (kind of like the LA Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Dallas Cowboys, etc.).

FWIW, UNI has 3 MVC Tourney titles, 2 regular season titles, 1 second place, 1 third place, 5 NCAA Tourney Apperances and a Sweet Sixteen in the last 8 years. And the only win by a Valley school over a #1 ranked team in the last 50 years.

And finished 4th last year. Which would mean 6 of the last 8 years UNI has been top half of the conference, our tourney champion.

[DoubleJayAlum]

There is no doubt that Creighton has been consistently good over the years and that the 2 premier programs in the league now are CU & WSU. But don't forget this DoubleJayAlum, my ILSU Redbirds can kick both of your butts in football and we aren't even very good at it.

Well, I can't disagree with that (although we are undefeated for over 60 years ).

[Khan4Cats]

There is no doubt that Creighton has been consistently good over the years and that the 2 premier programs in the league now are CU & WSU. But don't forget this DoubleJayAlum, my ILSU Redbirds can kick both of your butts in football and we aren't even very good at it.

Well, I can't disagree with that (although we are undefeated for over 60 years ).

Would Creighton ever consider bringing it back? Would an invite to a BcS (Big XII-2) conference, and added revenue, be enough of an enticement? Omaha-area has to be an attractive market to another BcS conference-or does UN-L have that market locked up? I can see why Wichita may be blocked by its bigger brethren in Kansas, but with only UN-L competing in Nebraska, and Creighton's private status (no legislative blocks) would there be interest.

Or is the better hope still the dissolution of the Big East and basketball-centered private school conference?

[DoubleJayAlum]

There is no doubt that Creighton has been consistently good over the years and that the 2 premier programs in the league now are CU & WSU. But don't forget this DoubleJayAlum, my ILSU Redbirds can kick both of your butts in football and we aren't even very good at it.

Well, I can't disagree with that (although we are undefeated for over 60 years ).

Would Creighton ever consider bringing it back? Would an invite to a BcS (Big XII-2) conference, and added revenue, be enough of an enticement? Omaha-area has to be an attractive market to another BcS conference-or does UN-L have that market locked up? I can see why Wichita may be blocked by its bigger brethren in Kansas, but with only UN-L competing in Nebraska, and Creighton's private status (no legislative blocks) would there be interest.

No. It is too expensive (there are zero facilities that FB would require), we are too small of a school and as shown by UNO's elimination of their FB program, potential for non-FBS college FB in Omaha is nil.

On a personal note, I don't want it back as I'm afraid it would decimate the athletic department's budget and force us to cut back on the investment in other sports. We were able to keep Altman for such a long time and snag McDermott because we were/are able to pay them very well. Further, I think our basketball team has been in the top half of the conference every year for over a decade because we have the resources to continually dedicate to the program. I don't want to see those things go away.

I'll never forget the line told by a student speaker during my own freshman orientation about 20 years ago (the height of violence and criminal activity on the Oklahoma, Miami and other football schools' campuses): "Crime on the Creighton campus is extremely low. The administration would have you believe that is due to the fact that the school has a religious tie-in. On the other hand, it may be because we don't have a football team."

[ihsi]

Expectations (dare say, demands) at schools that commit major resources to basketball such as WSU an CU should be higher than at other schools in the Valley. We don't have the football albatross as many MVC schools do for example. We're "all in" so to speak with basketball and anything we could do to increase our visibility and profile we should do. Ras did a chat with Perrault this week where he flat out stated that he was keeping his eyes open to what is happening and that CU would't stand idly by if an opportunity presents itself.

[jwa123]

DoubleJay, it isn't so much that you are undefeated in 60 years but more so you have not won a game in 60 years.

[glm38]

Well, except for the pesky dominating the conference or at least winning the conference title with regularity part.

I'm not anywhere close to saying Creighton is like Gonzaga or Butler.

However, of all of the schools in the conference, we've avoided the play-in game the longest. We are also the only team in the conference where a fifth place finish is considered a disappointment, year in and year out. I can't remember the last time that Creighton didn't finish in the top half of the league. We've won at least 10 conference games for a conference record number of consecutive years. We may not dominate the conference every year, but we essentially dominated the conference tourney until the last few years to the extent that the tourney got the nickname "the Creighton Invitational.". Creighton also hasn't had any of the down years in the last decade that the entire rest of the conference seems to have had. I think Creighton has a winning record against every other team in the conference over the last decade (except for maybe SIU) and our trend line is pointed up. What's not to love?

I agree. In basketball Creighton is/has been the class of the MVC. That goes for wins and losses as well as attendance and community support. Something for the rest of the Valley to aspire to. I'm not sure they are that far from Gonzaga and Butler? Maybe just a deep NCAA tourney run or 2.

[AndShock]

Guess now we know why SWOMO didn't join the C-USA.

http://www.bear-nation.com/forum/index. ... -12.10131/

Seriously? Are some of those posters just messing with everyone or are they for real?

[agrinut]

Guess now we know why SWOMO didn't join the C-USA.

http://www.bear-nation.com/forum/index. ... -12.10131/

Seriously? Are some of those posters just messing with everyone or are they for real?

Not sure what is really behind this, but it all stems to a segment Art Hains had on the radio earlier in the week. I dont know how serious people are taking it, more than likey just dust on the counter but something to talk/dream about for the WSU/CU/MSU fans as those are the teams he mentioned.

[Haha]

Ok....I put on my tin foil hat, still can't seem to tune into this particular frequency.