How does the MVC sell itself to expansion candidates?

[uniftw]

Honest question here: what are the primary selling points the Valley has at their disposal when trying to lure the best possible expansion candidates? Without WSU the league looks a lot like some of the other mid major leagues and convincing a quality school to leave behind established relationships and probably NCAA credits to join the MVC could be more difficult than some imagine.

The selling point for the MVC is the opportunity for an at-large bid if you have an excellent season and don't win your conference tournament. By no stretch guaranteed, but the possibility at least exists. Not so much in lower conferences.

17-1 with a win over WSU and only loss to WSU is what ISU just did .. Wasn't enough. Take WSU out? ummm not sure how you are getting an at-large that you couldn't get in any other conference (non-conf schedule only)

Illinois State also had a relatively putrid OOC resume to prop up the MVC issues this year. They also had two gigantic albatross losses to WSU to weigh them down - one of which was national TV and the final game before the NCAA tournament.

Had ISUr not crapped the bed against a poor OOC schedule they'd have been in.

[Play Angry]

I enjoy ISUr fans lecturing Wichita State fans on the catalysts that led to Shocker coaching hires over the last 15 years. Very informative and not silly at all.

[BirdsEyeView]

I enjoy ISUr fans lecturing Wichita State fans on the catalysts that led to Shocker coaching hires over the last 15 years. Very informative and not silly at all.

You could say the same about your fan bases influence on said hires, as if you guys know.

[Play Angry]

I enjoy ISUr fans lecturing Wichita State fans on the catalysts that led to Shocker coaching hires over the last 15 years. Very informative and not silly at all.

You could say the same about your fan bases influence on said hires, as if you guys know.

I imagine it had as much to do as fan bases at most other schools with comparable attendance and financial support. A terrific percentage of our programs are funded by that fanbase, so, yes, it certainly plays a significant role.

Why so combative this week?

[BirdsEyeView]

I enjoy ISUr fans lecturing Wichita State fans on the catalysts that led to Shocker coaching hires over the last 15 years. Very informative and not silly at all.

You could say the same about your fan bases influence on said hires, as if you guys know.

I imagine it had as much to do as fan bases at most other schools with comparable attendance and financial support. A terrific percentage of our programs are funded by that fanbase, so, yes, it certainly plays a significant role.

Why so combative this week?

I'm really not trying to be, I just hate when fans assume they had a helping hand in things or are the "know-it-alls" on how to be a good basketball program.

I have strong beliefs that Football has very little impact on their basketball programs
I have strong beliefs that MVC schools all understand what it takes to become consistently good, but just make erroneous hires that set them back many years

That's all.

[Cdizzle]

By the way, this all started because you claimed that schools were "after 10 years of struggling going to wake up tomorrow and say "hey, I know, lets go get better!"?
I think they are waking up every day trying to get better. It's not some kind of epiphany that they're like oh this is what we are supposed to do...get better. Who would have known!?

Exactly! If they are waking up every day trying to get better, and it is still getting worse, why do you think it's magically going to be better going forward? Blind optimism? It's the same people doing the same work.

[Stickboy46]

The selling point for the MVC is the opportunity for an at-large bid if you have an excellent season and don't win your conference tournament. By no stretch guaranteed, but the possibility at least exists. Not so much in lower conferences.

17-1 with a win over WSU and only loss to WSU is what ISU just did .. Wasn't enough. Take WSU out? ummm not sure how you are getting an at-large that you couldn't get in any other conference (non-conf schedule only)

Illinois State also had a relatively putrid OOC resume to prop up the MVC issues this year. They also had two gigantic albatross losses to WSU to weigh them down - one of which was national TV and the final game before the NCAA tournament.

Had ISUr not crapped the bed against a poor OOC schedule they'd have been in.

Not the point. Any team can get in with a really good OOC schedule. The point is the MVC isn't really selling at-large bids to people.

[Redhawk]

By the way, this all started because you claimed that schools were "after 10 years of struggling going to wake up tomorrow and say "hey, I know, lets go get better!"?
I think they are waking up every day trying to get better. It's not some kind of epiphany that they're like oh this is what we are supposed to do...get better. Who would have known!?

Exactly! If they are waking up every day trying to get better, and it is still getting worse, why do you think it's magically going to be better going forward? Blind optimism? It's the same people doing the same work.

Yep...blind optimism. Just like the 17 years and 4 coaching changes that the Shockers went through
between NCAA appearances till Turgeon got them dancing again!

[musiccitybulldog]

I remember sitting at the kitchen table in 1969 listening to Jim Zabel of WHO in Des Moines announcing the Drake-WSU game. Jim said the place was packed and how hard it was to win there. So I guess I learned while young Wichita was a hard place to play and the locals were "into it".

I'll never forget I had a flying WSU player diving for a ball and knock me into next week at Des Moines in the early 80's. He ended up playing pro basketball.

It seems these folks at WSU have been loyal for years. I have always enjoyed talking with them at the tournament.

Good Luck! It's been fun watching/listening all these years.

[BirdsEyeView]

By the way, this all started because you claimed that schools were "after 10 years of struggling going to wake up tomorrow and say "hey, I know, lets go get better!"?
I think they are waking up every day trying to get better. It's not some kind of epiphany that they're like oh this is what we are supposed to do...get better. Who would have known!?

Exactly! If they are waking up every day trying to get better, and it is still getting worse, why do you think it's magically going to be better going forward? Blind optimism? It's the same people doing the same work.

College basketball is cyclical with recruiting. Just getting 1 or 2 difference makers (given you only play 5 at once) can catapult your team into relevance.

I also think every school, but Evansville is trying, even Drake. They just suck at hiring coaches...maybe this new guy will do it for them. That's my optimism.

By the way, South Florida was 7-23 last year (316 RPI!!!). Tulane was 6-25(298 RPI!!!). East Carolina has never been good either (214 RPI). So you won't be immune to bottom feeders in the AAC either.