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

[All-MVC Fan]

Ideally, the MVC should be looking at ways to keep WSU, not kick them out...

[unipanther99]

Ideally, the MVC should be looking at ways to keep WSU, not kick them out...

I think it's been made very clear at this point, they will be gone if invited. Should some member schools have done more in the past decade or so to up their game and make the MVC a more attractive option? Sure. But at this point, what can be done? Move the tournament to Wichita? Would that keep the Shocks? Even if it did, would it be the right thing to do? I don't think so.

[LanceShock]

Ideally, the MVC should be looking at ways to keep WSU, not kick them out...

I think it's been made very clear at this point, they will be gone if invited. Should some member schools have done more in the past decade or so to up their game and make the MVC a more attractive option? Sure. But at this point, what can be done? Move the tournament to Wichita? Would that keep the Shocks? Even if it did, would it be the right thing to do? I don't think so.

There really isn't much that can make the MVC more attractive in time to keep WSU from leaving if an invite comes. The problems with the MVC for WSU go beyond basketball. One problem that President Bardo has alluded to is that there is no other school in the Valley that is a public institution in a large metropolitan area. Conference realignment does revolve around sports, but is about much more than that. That is part of why the Big Priest was so attractive to Creighton, they were in a conference with like minded private religious institutions.

Moving the Valley tournament doesn't move the needle much. The problems with the Valley for basketball are more than simply getting a bid to the tournament. The seed that WSU can get is limited by being in the Valley unless they go undefeated or nearly so. While having the tournament closer would be nice, it doesn't solve the big Valley basketball problem for the Shocks, and makes it worse for other teams.

[SubGod22]

The MVC could offer to let Wichita host the tournament and the answer would still be, see ya later.

And as was pointed out, being with other urban based and research focused schools is another reason the AAC is so much more attractive for Wichita. That can help with collaboration and funding in those areas as well as simply providing a better basketball atmosphere. And my understanding is that most of our sports will be challenged more in the AAC, but not all. This could potentially help raise the levels of those programs going forward as well. I'm sure it could have a negative effect should they not rise to the challenge as well, but I think odds are they improve overall.

[All-MVC Fan]

I know what you're all saying. And realistically, the league should have been working hard to capitalize on the mid-2000's success, as it is now too late. The league (and its "we're smarter than everyone else" presidents) should have leveraged four tournament teams in 2006 to pluck Butler, SLU, Dayton, and Murray State. Imagine that league. But Elgin and the clown car presidents sat on their fat asses.

We would most likely be a consistent 4-5 bid conference every year, and the college basketball landscape would look totally different. Ahhhhh, what could have been...

But, like Wichita State and Creighton, that ship sailed...

[SubGod22]

I know what you're all saying. And realistically, the league should have been working hard to capitalize on the mid-2000's success, as it is now too late. The league (and its "we're smarter than everyone else" presidents) should have leveraged four tournament teams in 2006 to pluck Butler, SLU, Dayton, and Murray State. Imagine that league. But Elgin and the clown car presidents sat on their fat asses.

We would most likely be a consistent 4-5 bid conference every year, and the college basketball landscape would look totally different. Ahhhhh, what could have been...

But, like Wichita State and Creighton, that ship sailed...

At the very least they should have kept the scheduling mandate. It's obvious that once that was dropped that to many schools stopped trying to elevate their schedule and were fine with less than decent schedules. That helped lead to fewer spots in the NCAA and harmed the top teams by having fewer good games when it came to numbers like the RPI and getting those top 50-100 wins. Which in turn led to fewer NIT invites. While many ignore the NIT, it can help a program build upon a good season and allows for a few more games against good competition.

I'm sure there are some school administrations that are looking forward to Wichita possibly leaving because that will lower the bar/standard set at the top so they're not quite as far away from making noise within the conference. And there are also administrations that are not happy for the same reason. It may lower the bar and almost guarantees the lack of ambition from some will remain.

I hope that makes sense. I'm tired and ready to go home.

[Snaggletooth]

You said kicking them out was an option.

Yes, once WSU officially serves them notice. MVC can't wait 9 months to do it.

I was suggesting a way to prevent them from playing in the conference tournament would be to kick them out in the days before the tournament.

Again, the constitution give them an option of kicking WSU out when WSU officially announces they are leaving and does not give 24 months notice. Now I guess this fantasy of yours could be tried if they were that spitefull, but I don't think MVC schools in their financial state would want to have to start paying for the litigation that would happen.

Best thing that can happen is the AAC takes WSU for the 2017-18 season so WSU can just cut the strings and we won't have the awkardness off WSU going around and beating everybody by 30-40 points.

[MidWestMidMajor]

Two sports writers from two states (Indiana & North Dakota) take the "MVC Rorschach Test" on March 26, and this is what they see:
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If MVC can sort out internal issues, it will be fine; Todd Aaron Golden, The (Terre Haute) Tribune-Star

"The Valley is the league that schools from other Midwestern mid-major leagues, such as the Horizon, Summit League and OVC, are trying to get into."
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Key departures closing the gap between Summit and Valley; Jeff Kolpack, The (Fargo) Forum

"Last week, it appears the Summit won a head-to-head coaching battle with the Missouri Valley when USD's Craig Smith declined the head coaching job at Valley member Drake. In prior years, if Drake, or any Missouri Valley school for that matter, offered a Summit coach a job, it would have been a no-brainer."

"The gap is closing, financially and aesthetically, between the Valley and Summit. That didn't seem possible 10 years ago."
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Maybe because I live closer to Fargo than Terre Haute, I see things more like Kolpack. If a Dakota school (or any other Summit school) joined the MVC, would they get a huge payday? My impression is that the difference in payout between the 2 conferences is measured in $1000's not $1,000,000's.

[Drakey]

Why are WSU fans even interested n this discussion? I have not seen a WSU fan post anything positive about this conference in a couple of years. they have indicated they are leaving. Why do they care what the conference does? I know hat they want to come on here and feel superior, but other than that what purpose does it serve? Why not let those who actually have an interest in who we might get to join the conference have the discussion?

[Redhawk]

Why are WSU fans even interested n this discussion? I have not seen a WSU fan post anything positive about this conference in a couple of years. they have indicated they are leaving. Why do they care what the conference does? I know hat they want to come on here and feel superior, but other than that what purpose does it serve? Why not let those who actually have an interest in who we might get to join the conference have the discussion?