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

[Aargh]

Elgin better do something and get it right, or the Valley might be in a death spiral.

NDSU and SDSU probably have the budget to move to the MAC. Then the MAC might want to gauge the interest of UNI and IlSU joining them as well.

Then Simmons, Lusk, Moser, and Hinson could battle it out every year to make the NCAA tourney.

[squirrel]

I'm in the smaller is better camp. I'm just not confident that is the direction being taken.

That said, there's security in numbers. It doesn't take more than an Evansville leaving to really threaten the non-footballs standing in the league.

[uniftw]

Elgin better do something and get it right, or the Valley might be in a death spiral.

NDSU and SDSU probably have the budget to move to the MAC. Then the MAC might want to gauge the interest of UNI and IlSU joining them as well.

Then Simmons, Lusk, Moser, and Hinson could battle it out every year to make the NCAA tourney.

The Dakota's will have a hard time getting into am FBS conference. Their location really will hurt them.

The MAC really doesn't want to expand west much further. I've heard rumors of discussions but nothing like MSU's envelope.

The best bet for UNI/ISUr and the MAC is to get them to agree to both of them and add them to the west division OR for one of them to team up with JMU - a market that the MAC really wants.

[tribecalledquest]

A) Valpo would be better, I'd bet they'd be reasonably interested. If we are adding bottom half Horizon teams I'd rather go UW-M or UW-GB.

B) Give it a few years and I think what I proposed earlier comes pretty close to actually happening...or UNI uses it's wrestling relationship with the MAC.

I guess I look at this for more than just men's basketball. UIC has really good facilities across the board. Baseball is really good there. Attendance there is higher than both UWM and UWGB. The BEST Horizon school, IMO, is Oakland. But I'm not sure they make sense geographically but not awful. Im not high on Valpo at all. I feel their best days are behind them and they are bad in everything else and have awful facilities. Worst in the MVC by far.

I'm not as sold as the FCS football teams becoming FBS as much as others seem to be.

[tribecalledquest]

Elgin better do something and get it right, or the Valley might be in a death spiral.

NDSU and SDSU probably have the budget to move to the MAC. Then the MAC might want to gauge the interest of UNI and IlSU joining them as well.

Then Simmons, Lusk, Moser, and Hinson could battle it out every year to make the NCAA tourney.

Death spiral.....really? Come on now.

I love this sky is falling stuff. If the "core" teams in the MVC - Bradley, ISU, SIU and Missouri State get better then great. If they don't, it's only on them. That's not up to Doug Elgin or anyone in the MVC office. The teams themselves need to get better.

And without Wichita the MVC is still better than half the D1 leagues out there. Let's not overdo it.

[tribecalledquest]

Elgin better do something and get it right, or the Valley might be in a death spiral.

NDSU and SDSU probably have the budget to move to the MAC. Then the MAC might want to gauge the interest of UNI and IlSU joining them as well.

Then Simmons, Lusk, Moser, and Hinson could battle it out every year to make the NCAA tourney.

The Dakota's will have a hard time getting into am FBS conference. Their location really will hurt them.

The MAC really doesn't want to expand west much further. I've heard rumors of discussions but nothing like MSU's envelope.

The best bet for UNI/ISUr and the MAC is to get them to agree to both of them and add them to the west division OR for one of them to team up with JMU - a market that the MAC really wants.

Will the MAC have 44 members?

[squirrel]

FBS isn't going to be getting bigger beyond Liberty.

[UEACES80]

UIC - no thank you! One trip to Chicago a year is enough - the thought of 2 trips will drive up school insurance policies. The odds of a MVC school losing an athlete to a drive by shooting would escalate to extremely high numbers.

[DUBulldog]

UIC - no thank you! One trip to Chicago a year is enough - the thought of 2 trips will drive up school insurance policies. The odds of a MVC school losing an athlete to a drive by shooting would escalate to extremely high numbers.

Yeah, I've read about all those Horizon League athletes being shot in extremely high numbers heading to games at UIC.

You probably have a better chance of being shot in Des Moines or Evansville than in the neighborhood Loyola is in or getting to UIC.

[uniftw]

Elgin better do something and get it right, or the Valley might be in a death spiral.

NDSU and SDSU probably have the budget to move to the MAC. Then the MAC might want to gauge the interest of UNI and IlSU joining them as well.

Then Simmons, Lusk, Moser, and Hinson could battle it out every year to make the NCAA tourney.

Death spiral.....really? Come on now.

I love this sky is falling stuff. If the "core" teams in the MVC - Bradley, ISU, SIU and Missouri State get better then great. If they don't, it's only on them. That's not up to Doug Elgin or anyone in the MVC office. The teams themselves need to get better.

And without Wichita the MVC is still better than half the D1 leagues out there. Let's not overdo it.

That's the core of the MVC? Really?

How?
Why?

Indiana State? Sure, if this is 1979 they are a core member

SIU? Sure, it's better for the conference if they are good. Weber made them good from "meh". Lowery destroyed it. Even before Weber they were "meh". I suppose they had 3 good years with Herrin. They've shown no ability to maintain success.

Bradley? They have 5 NCAA tournaments since 1955. 1 since Tulsa left the league. At this point, kids on our basketball programs weren't born when Tulsa left the league.

MSU? They dominated the MidCon in the late 80s. No NCAA bids since 1998. Their only other bid since joining the MVC was 1992). They claim to fame is being left out with a high RPI.

That's the core? Really?

wow.