MVC targeting Valpo & Murray State to create 11 team league

[squirrel]

Would Grand Canyon have interest? It is only on flight a year, and they really seem to be interested in their basketball program. I haven't paid a lot of attention, but noticed New Orleans made the NCAA tournament this year after the program almost went D2 a few years back. do they have fans, facilities and commitment? I remember when Dick Versace was advocating that the Valley should be adding them and some other city schools back in the 80's.

Grand Canyon definitely wants in. NMSU and them would be option 1A for me. But league admins probably don't want it. But Canyon is definitely pushing.

I also like New Orleans, if for no other reason it provides an excuse to go there more often.

[havoc]

Would Grand Canyon have interest? It is only on flight a year, and they really seem to be interested in their basketball program. I haven't paid a lot of attention, but noticed New Orleans made the NCAA tournament this year after the program almost went D2 a few years back. do they have fans, facilities and commitment? I remember when Dick Versace was advocating that the Valley should be adding them and some other city schools back in the 80's.

Grand Canyon definitely wants in. NMSU and them would be option 1A for me. But league admins probably don't want it. But Canyon is definitely pushing.

I also like New Orleans, if for no other reason it provides an excuse to go there more often.

Grand Canyon makes 0 sense for anyone involved.

Phoenix is 1000 miles from the closets MVC school. Let's be honest. There isn't an athletic department in the conference right now that isn't budget constrained. It isn't just a trip to Phoenix every year for the men's basketball team. It also one for the women's basketball team, and one every other year for the baseball, software, volleyball, etc. teams. Is that worth it to add a program that has barley been D1 for half a decade?

One the flip slide, Grand Canyon's student athletes might as well not have dorms on campus during the conference season as they will have to live on the road.

From an academic standpoint, I don't see many of the university presidents thrilled about adding a for-profit institution to the conference.

To me, the negatives FAR outweigh any positive in adding Grand Canyon.

[MidWestMidMajor]

A sports writer at the Omaha paper lamented the decline of the MVC and wrote today, "Suddenly there isn’t much difference between the Summit and the Valley." He is not a fanboard troll; he is a serious journalist. Maybe the past success of the MVC lulled it into a complacency that has already cost it their 2 strongest teams in the past 5 years (and could cost more teams in the years ahead if the direction isn't changed).

The question that haunts me is: What are the MVC presidents willing to do to maintain a high quality conference? Do they value being part of a high major conference enough to make sacrifices or will they play it safe?

I think the A10 is the template to follow. It is large and wide (14 schools spread out over 1100 miles). As reported here, they fund their basketball programs at a higher level than the MVC. Is the MVC willing to travel, to insist upon better scheduling, better funding. For example, from Chicago to Denver is a little less than Amherst MA to St. Louis. Would schools be willing to travel IF that strengthened the conference, or is it "too far out of the footprint"? (I'm not pushing Denver per se, just asking about the commitment level.)

Will the presidents make the easiest choice on Sunday (go with the consensus or compromise)? Or will they see that the conference environment is changing and they must change too or they will continue to slip and more teams could be enticed into leaving? Maybe they will think, "The conference environment is changing, and there is nothing we can do" and will be content to be the the midwest league that is somewhat better than the Horizon and the Summit.

I'm not saying they should add 5 teams on Sunday. I like the idea of chosing 2 teams out of Valpo, Murray, Belmont. But I'd like them also to say, "This is not the end. We have a bigger vision for the MVC. We hope to add more teams in the coming years (...and not just as replacements for schools that are leaving)."

[Dawgbit]

Murray State has had a "winning tradition" primarily because they play very weak competition, both in and out of conference. They made many NCAA appearances, by winning OVC tournament (cough, cough), have never advanced past second round. If my memory serves me correctly. they have not been to the Dance since Belmont joined the league. They are legends in their own minds, and they are located in Podunck, Kentucky. I would love to see SLU, but it ain't gonna happen. Sad to see the MVC so watered down that people are excited about Murray State, ugh.

People often disregard logic when they have a hate boner.

I highly suggest you watch the 2010/2012/2015 Racer teams and repeat that first sentence with a straight face.

I think they were pretty good in 1953 also. When has Murray ever made it to Sweet Sixteen? Never. They are a big fish in a small pond.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

So you want Cleveland State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee over Murray State and Belmont. Got it.

[Bball Junkie]

I think Murray is something like 10-6 against Valley teams in the last 5 seasons. Evansville has gone 2-2 against them during that time which means the rest of the Valley has gone 4-8 against the Racers. They always have athletes and have put some guys in the NBA recently (Isaiah Canaan and Cameron Payne).

[AndShock]

Would Grand Canyon have interest? It is only on flight a year, and they really seem to be interested in their basketball program. I haven't paid a lot of attention, but noticed New Orleans made the NCAA tournament this year after the program almost went D2 a few years back. do they have fans, facilities and commitment? I remember when Dick Versace was advocating that the Valley should be adding them and some other city schools back in the 80's.

Grand Canyon definitely wants in. NMSU and them would be option 1A for me. But league admins probably don't want it. But Canyon is definitely pushing.

I also like New Orleans, if for no other reason it provides an excuse to go there more often.

Grand Canyon makes 0 sense for anyone involved.

Phoenix is 1000 miles from the closets MVC school. Let's be honest. There isn't an athletic department in the conference right now that isn't budget constrained. It isn't just a trip to Phoenix every year for the men's basketball team. It also one for the women's basketball team, and one every other year for the baseball, software, volleyball, etc. teams. Is that worth it to add a program that has barley been D1 for half a decade?

One the flip slide, Grand Canyon's student athletes might as well not have dorms on campus during the conference season as they will have to live on the road.

From an academic standpoint, I don't see many of the university presidents thrilled about adding a for-profit institution to the conference.

To me, the negatives FAR outweigh any positive in adding Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon makes sense if you want the next Wichita State. The addition is only going be to about saving $$$. That's why Grand Canyon makes zero sense.

[Someone_Else]

As a shocker fan I am excited to watch AAC games, but will miss the Valley. I can only think what would have happened if the MVC and CAA continued their success from 2006. With WSU leaving, there is an opportunity for Bradley, UNI, MSU, ISUr, or SIU to establish\re-establish themselves as top teams. Murray St and Valpo with a 20 game schedule bring real risks, but if added, and scheduling minimums are re-enforced the MVC could still be a multibid conference. Valpo and Murray State have some name recognition with March Madness fans and also have the benefit of providing easy commutes. Nothing changes with the Valley. The best teams need to schedule the best out of conference teams you can, even if they are buy games or unbalanced H/H, and win those games. The bottom half of the league also needs to schedule up to not become boat anchors. I would rather see a team come into league play with 10 losses against top 150, than 10 wins against +200 teams. Keep the conference as strong as you can. The B12's grant of rights expire in 2025. Who knows what will happen once we get within 2 years of that.

[Dawgbit]

Murray State has had a "winning tradition" primarily because they play very weak competition, both in and out of conference. They made many NCAA appearances, by winning OVC tournament (cough, cough), have never advanced past second round. If my memory serves me correctly. they have not been to the Dance since Belmont joined the league. They are legends in their own minds, and they are located in Podunck, Kentucky. I would love to see SLU, but it ain't gonna happen. Sad to see the MVC so watered down that people are excited about Murray State, ugh.

People often disregard logic when they have a hate boner.

I highly suggest you watch the 2010/2012/2015 Racer teams and repeat that first sentence with a straight face.

Here is some logic. IF Murray State were such a red hot program, does it not seem LOGICAL that they would already have been invited to join a better conference (particularly given the conference realignment of last few years)? At this point if someone wants in this conference, the conference probably does not want them. And Murray State desperately wants in. Period.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

That logic says no program is ever qualified to move up (otherwise they would've already) and tears apart the fabric of the universe.

Murray State's won an ungodly amount of OVC titles. They were once a 16 seed taking Michigan State to overtime and losing by a bucket. They've recycled NBA players (Popeye, Canaan, lottery pick Payne, etc). They've recycled coaches who've had BCS success (Gottfried, Cronin, Kennedy, Prohm).

And with all those losses, they maintained 29 straight winning seasons. You won't find a more proven sustainable program that beats the test of time in a lesser conference not only in the midwest but anywhere in the country.

This decade alone:
2 top 25 teams
2 tourney wins
1 lottery pick
1 college gameday

They will carry a large presence at Arch Madness like they do Nashville where they outnumber the entire OVC combined.

The fact you have a passionate hatred for them (as opposed to indifference/apathy towards others) rings an alarm bell the MVC should add them. Looks like an emotion-ridden rivalry with SIU, among others.