Sounds like Wichita St to the AAC... Who gets an Invite?

[BirdsEyeView]

In the past 6 years or so, the only school that can truly say the league is holding them back is WSU.

ISUr fans are just griping about this year, because the league prevented them from getting an at large. 19-2 and being on the outside looking in just shows how far the league fell in the 2016-2017 campaign. Generally speaking, we have no leg to stand on.

[Cdizzle]

The league isn't any worse this year than it has been recently. ISU just hasn't been good enough to care before this year.

"Lack of winning teams aside, the league as a whole is having its best year since Creighton was swapped out for Loyola Chicago four seasons ago." http://kenpom.com/blog/2017-mvc-tournament-forecast/

[jacksfan29]

IF the MVC is SERIOUS then all that matter is getting the best program(s) to help raise the competition level. Raising the level of competition is what the conference NEEDS.

The problem is not going to be solve by adding a team. The problem is solve by getting the league to invest in it existing program (facilities, coaches, recruiting budget, travel budgets, etc) to the point where schools can attract enough talent to win games in non-conference (unlike this year when MVC went 5-57 versus Top 50).

Think about this, after WSU and ISUR - the rest of the MVC was 1-50 versus Top 50.

Agreed. But the 10th program you add has to be one committed. NDSU and NKU have shown serious commitment. Murray has demonstrated 30 years of sustainable success.

Every other option is apathetic and half-assed, just like INSU/UE/LU/SIU/DU/MSU. NDSU/NKU/Murray are the only three who show any try off the court comparable to UNI/IlSt/BU.

As an outsider, just my two cents since you seem slightly uninformed on the Summit schools.

NDSU is a football school first. They do have a new arena. It is actually a remodel of their old place that was a dump. They don't have a lot of history prior to the move to D1. After the move, it was Tim Miles who did a great job of building a team that would allow him to move on to a better job. Mile's assistant Saul Phillips came next, did the same, moving to Ohio. Now Dave Richmond is there. He doesn't get paid well but has had some success. They play the most boring style of basketball ever seen.

The two Summit schools with basketball history? SDSU and USD. Both were highly successful in D2 and SDSU has been the most successful of the "Dakota" schools since moving up. The Summit League tournament attendance that averages in excess of 9K per session? Those are mostly SDSU fans. The program struggled early this year, but got it together and went to the NCAA for the 4th time in 6 years. With four starters returning, and some strong recruits coming in to help Mike Daum, SDSU will be back into the top 100 and very possibly back in the 50 RPI. The SDSU, and USD Women's programs are by far the best in the league. SDSU are annually a top 50 program. USD a top 100 who won the WNIT in 2015/16.

SDSU and ORU have the highest paid coaches in the Summit. Way above the other schools. USD have a new arena, SDSU are beginning the remodel of Frost Arena in 2017 which will add seating, practice facilities, etc. SDSU is a basketball school first and we commit resources to basketball much better then NDSU. I'm not sure SDSU would be interested in the MVC, we have a very good thing going in the Summit. That said, SDSU has strong ties to the MVC through out AD (UNI) and our new head Men's BB coach (McDermott coaching tree).

Sorry to hijack, just wanted to educate you a bit on the NDSU reference.

[IllinoisState]

The overall history of SIU is far greater and lengthy than both Illinois State and UNI.

ISU has more wins and a higher winning percentage than SIU.

[Cdizzle]

The overall history of SIU is far greater and lengthy than both Illinois State and UNI.

ISU has more wins and a higher winning percentage than SIU.

This has potential.

[tribecalledquest]

In the past 6 years or so, the only school that can truly say the league is holding them back is WSU.

ISUr fans are just griping about this year, because the league prevented them from getting an at large. 19-2 and being on the outside looking in just shows how far the league fell in the 2016-2017 campaign. Generally speaking, we have no leg to stand on.

The league did not keep ISUr from an NCAA bid. Losing to Murray State, San Francisco and TCU did.

But your second paragraph I agree with. The other teams have to get better. Period.

[Redhawk]

In the past 6 years or so, the only school that can truly say the league is holding them back is WSU.

ISUr fans are just griping about this year, because the league prevented them from getting an at large. 19-2 and being on the outside looking in just shows how far the league fell in the 2016-2017 campaign. Generally speaking, we have no leg to stand on.

The league did not keep ISUr from an NCAA bid. Losing to Murray State, San Francisco and TCU did.

But your second paragraph I agree with. The other teams have to get better. Period.

Fair enough...but it's demoralizing to think that ISUr needed to go 31-2 to get a chance at an at large bid!

[LanceShock]

Fair enough...but it's demoralizing to think that ISUr needed to go 31-2 to get a chance at an at large bid!

The really demoralizing part is that 31-2 might still not have been enough.

[Redhawk]

Fair enough...but it's demoralizing to think that ISUr needed to go 31-2 to get a chance at an at large bid!

The really demoralizing part is that 31-2 might still not have been enough.

True and if the Shockers had lost in the Arch Madness final they might not have gotten in either!

[VU2014]

I am going to go a little easy on this guy because it is very apparent he must be young.

Northern KY has shown serious commitment??? Had a nice YEAR.

You do realize Illinois State has the longest NCAA drought in the conference, with the possible exception of Loyola? Unless Wichita bolts this year, I certainly don't see that changing next season.

UNI has had 6-7 seasons of decency. You do realize they play in one of the smallest gyms in the conference, with one of the smallest fan bases.

SIU, along with Creighton carried this league for several years in the early 2000's. The overall history of SIU is far greater and lengthy than both Illinois State and UNI.

Indiana State played in the National Championship game, and has made two NCAA's in the last 7 years.

Evansville, after having it's entire team killed in a tragic plane crash, proceeded to make 5 NCAA's, and at least 2 NIT's in the next 20 years, averaging over 10K a game throughout that period. Prior to the crash in 77, they had won 5 College Division National Championships at a time when the College Division included many of the current MVC members.

Please explain how NKU compares against any of them.

There is this thing called ebb and tide. Some programs never are good, most have good and bad periods, and some are able to sustain success and actually propel themselves to a higher level. Wichita is one such program, and is the only one in the MVC that can accuse anyone of holding them back. It is clearly Snow White and the 9 dwarfs, and watching one of the dwarfs claim superiority to the other dwarfs is downright amusing.

I do not understand the Northern Kentucky Love. It was a nice year but there is no track record. Oakland $hit the bed in the HL and Valpo was lost Alec Peters to injury right before the tournament and were down 3 opening starters from the start of the season.

NKU had a cake walk to the Tourney in the HL. They barely beat Valpo when they lost Alec Peters, NCAA pretty much screwed them on the suspension of losing their starting Power Forward most of the season (as well as got screwed by the NCAA for not giving an extra yr of eligibility to their PG from last years team), the 2nd leading scorer has been battling a serious stomach virus the last month of the season and their only bigs were 2 freshman... NKU barely beat an the injured Valpo squad with no depth at the of end the regular season game and finished 3rd place in the Conference behind Oakland/Valpo.

The game against Kentucky wasn't that great of a showing. One of their best players in that game LaVonne Holland will be transferring at the end of this season. On top of that their coach is already been in rumblings to be being looked at as a possibility for bigger jobs. If he were to leave that would be a huge blow for the very very young program.

NKU is a nice team and had a nice year and took advantage of the opportunity with Valpo, Oakland and Green Bay going down early in the tourney and not having to face them, but getting an invite the MVC after that? No doubt NKU looks like it turn into a nice program but it was one year and they got really lucky with the best teams falling early in the tourney. Lets not get ahead of ourselves, because they made the tourney and are fresh in peoples minds. They have nice facilities as well but MVC needs a consistent winner in my opinion with more then a year of history.