MVC targeting Valpo & Murray State to create 11 team league

[squirrel]

Valpo figures to make a big dropoff this year and Murray St is in a fairly precarious spot as a program themselves right now,

I know you can't look at it in a 1-year isolation window, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that these are 2 RPI 250 or worse programs next year, and that's adding 4 games of that ilk to the RPI.

That doesn't seem to be what we're trying to accomplish here.

[Redhawk]

Valpo figures to make a big dropoff this year and Murray St is in a fairly precarious spot as a program themselves right now,

I know you can't look at it in a 1-year isolation window, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that these are 2 RPI 250 or worse programs next year, and that's adding 4 games of that ilk to the RPI.

That doesn't seem to be what we're trying to accomplish here.

Yep...we might be taking Valpo after their peak run is over and when Murray St starts a down slide.
Then asking them to play 20 conference games against tougher competition!

I would prefer that we add teams that have better long term potential than be swayed by a few years
of recent success in sub par leagues.

[BirdsEyeView]

Valpo figures to make a big dropoff this year and Murray St is in a fairly precarious spot as a program themselves right now,

I know you can't look at it in a 1-year isolation window, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that these are 2 RPI 250 or worse programs next year, and that's adding 4 games of that ilk to the RPI.

That doesn't seem to be what we're trying to accomplish here.

Yep...we might be taking Valpo after their peak run is over and when Murray St starts a down slide.
Then asking them to play 20 conference games against tougher competition!

I would prefer that we add teams that have better long term potential than be swayed by a few years
of recent success in sub par leagues.

Yes!!!!

Alec Peters isn't walking through that door anymore to make Valpo good. Neither is Bryce Drew.

[havoc]

Valpo figures to make a big dropoff this year and Murray St is in a fairly precarious spot as a program themselves right now,

I know you can't look at it in a 1-year isolation window, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that these are 2 RPI 250 or worse programs next year, and that's adding 4 games of that ilk to the RPI.

That doesn't seem to be what we're trying to accomplish here.

Yep...we might be taking Valpo after their peak run is over and when Murray St starts a down slide.
Then asking them to play 20 conference games against tougher competition!

I would prefer that we add teams that have better long term potential than be swayed by a few years
of recent success in sub par leagues.

Sure, and what teams are those?

[Valleyball]

I like the choices. I would rather have Belmont. But I like these two schools.

[Aargh]

I sure hope Elgin had something working before he let that get out. If word is out that he's going after Valpo and Murray, and then for any reason that doesn't work out, he's screwed.

[rlh04d]

There is no "next Wichita". It's why adding to get to 11 or 12 with strong teams being the addition, is the best option if we are going to add teams.

Correct, not from the get-go. I would much prefer pick up a school with the potential to be the next Wichita. That is, a commitment to athletics and a willingness to put money towards athletics.

I really don't think that's Valpo

If you want a school to be the next Wichita, stop looking at budgets and recent success, and find the school that's been at or under .500 with attendance above 80% for a decade.

Wichita is what it became because the fans refused to let it be anything else. If attendance had dropped to 40% in the 90s like every other Valley team after two years of mediocrity, you wouldn't be looking for anyone right now.

[Play Angry]

There is no "next Wichita". It's why adding to get to 11 or 12 with strong teams being the addition, is the best option if we are going to add teams.

Correct, not from the get-go. I would much prefer pick up a school with the potential to be the next Wichita. That is, a commitment to athletics and a willingness to put money towards athletics.

I really don't think that's Valpo

If you want a school to be the next Wichita, stop looking at budgets and recent success, and find the school that's been at or under .500 with attendance above 80% for a decade.

Wichita is what it became because the fans refused to let it be anything else. If attendance had dropped to 40% in the 90s like every other Valley team after two years of mediocrity, you wouldn't be looking for anyone right now.

Been wondering where this guy was this season. Glad to see you're still around.

[rlh04d]

Been wondering where this guy was this season. Glad to see you're still around.

I still lurk sometimes Started a grad program at Maryland while working full time, so I cut out some distractions.

I may have been cheering while at work this morning when I got the Google alert.

[E-Villan]

Evansville dominated a smaller conference prior to moving MVC.

That's what scares me about Valpo. Evansville had even better fan base, facilities and success
coming into the Valley than Valpo does now. The Purple Aces have played 1 game in the NCAA tourney
in 24 years in the Valley!

No. They dominated a league that included Notre Dame, Xavier, Dayton, St. Louis, Marquette, LaSalle and Loyola (4 NCAAs in the 1980's), among others.

Thanks Squirrel, the only error was you left out Butler, and Notre Dame was only an associate member in basketball. At that time, the move was somewhat of a downgrade, but a necessity. Fortunately, our program was in the position at that time to have options when the conference started unraveling. Recent NCAA appearances and a consistent average attendance of nearly 11,000 will give you options.

This Horizon non-sense appeared to have originated with a Peoria beat-writer. It has never even been hinted at by anyone with an ounce of connection to the program. UE didn't want to be in the Horizon when Butler and Loyola was still there, why would they now, especially considering that the only school with any appeal to us appears to be heading this way?

The issues in Evansville over the last 15 years have little to do with the Valley. Primarily, a president who came in from academia, promptly killed the football program and thought it was a good idea to float a D-2 threat to increase support..plan obviously backfired, and basically tied the hands for recruiting for the Merfeld era. Marty has brought stability to the program, but is clearly not the coach that is needed to move back to where we should be.

Fortunately, in the last few years we have shed that idiot president and heavily invested in our facilities to have all of them at or near the top in the MVC.Our basketball budget is much closer to the top than the bottom of the league, all that really is needed now is the end of the Simmons era. There is no reason in the current makeup that we can't consistently compete and bring back one of the largest fan-bases in the conference.

From here, Valpo and Murray seem to be the best options. I would think Belmont might seriously consider if Murray is coming as well. There is a downside for the city of Evansville though if this takes place this year. The OVC Tournament is headed here, and without Murray State, it will be an absolute disaster.