SIU, CU, UNI to new conference? SI.com

[bigdawg]

Mandel makes the argument that these three MVC schools should join with Butler and others to form a new conference. I would give anything for our AD to read the article.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Here's the article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/03/29/midmajor.leverage/index.html?eref=twitter_feed

[WSUbballer]

LMAO.

[MSUDuo]

Why would Butler move? What benefit would they get? They have it made in the Horizon. Even in a down year, supposedly, they are in the Final Four. It doesn't get any better than that. Brad Steven isn't going anywhere for a long time. He makes a good living there and has all the power with none of the headaches like at a BCS school. They only schools I could see him leaving for are Duke and Indiana once they are prominent again

[Hail Our Panthers]

It's obviously just one man's hypothetical situation, and shouldn't be taken as even a remote possibility, but It's a pretty cool thought. There would be good games every night. I would take out SIU and add Wichita, but it seems to be more eastern based.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Interesting to see that out of all those great Mid Major teams in the last 8 years only Memphis and Xavier have been to more tournaments, and we are tied with Butler for tournaments reached. Obviously those other teams have done more with their trips in the last 8 years but still nice to see.

[MoValley John]

[quote="MSUDuo"]Why would Butler move? What benefit would they get? They have it made in the Horizon. Even in a down year, supposedly, they are in the Final Four. It doesn't get any better than that. Brad Steven isn't going anywhere for a long time. He makes a good living there and has all the power with none of the headaches like at a BCS school. They only schools I could see him leaving for are Duke and Indiana once they are prominent again[/quote]

Two reasons, money and exposure. Butler can get some games on tv now, but they aren't Horizon League games and very few people see them. And while they still get exposure during the NCAA's, they could get much more exposure between January and March with a move.

The money aspect is the big deal, though. If something like this happened, these schools would be able to double or triple their basketball revenue stream. I would swap out Wichita State for UNI or SIU, but that is just me. Like it or not, money drives college athletics.

As for this scenario happening, it won't, but it would be nice to see some of these schools at least talk about it. I do think in the next few years something is going to give. It has to. There are several "midmajor" schools trying very hard to break away from the "midmajor" stigma and mold. In the Valley, the two most notable schools attempting as much are Creighton and Wichita State. We hear talk from others, Illinois State, Missouri State and SIU, but Wichita State and Creighton are actually spending the money in an attempt to break the mold.

[AndShock]

This guy presents a good idea but I don't think he actually has any idea what he's talking about. He just picked out a bunch of name schools and said they should make a conference. There are more important factors than median RPI.

[valleychamp]

That would be an excellent conference.

[unipanther99]

Conferences with good programs need some average programs as well, otherwise all the good programs do is beat each other up. Its easy for an outsider to look at these schools and say, wow-- great conference. But as I look at it, I'm thinking... yikes-- brutal schedule. Good programs want to be able to look at their conference schedule and say at least a third or half of their games "should be wins." That's not to say they all will be. But this just looks like murderers row to me.