How to improve the MVC?

[Cdizzle]

The problem with removing cupcakes is that it costs money. Guess who wants to buy the easily beatable RPI 160 team that is going to win the MEAC? Everybody. And a lot of everybody's have more money than MVC schools.

[BirdsEyeView]

The problem with removing cupcakes is that it costs money. Guess who wants to buy the easily beatable RPI 160 team that is going to win the MEAC? Everybody. And a lot of everybody's have more money than MVC schools.

If they are RPI 160 they are not a cupcake.

I was referencing 200+ teams that hurt your resume, especially with a bad loss very early in the season, regardless of conference affiliation. Oregon St. last year would even fit into this mold.

[Cdizzle]

The problem with removing cupcakes is that it costs money. Guess who wants to buy the easily beatable RPI 160 team that is going to win the MEAC? Everybody. And a lot of everybody's have more money than MVC schools.

If they are RPI 160 they are not a cupcake.

I was referencing 200+ teams that hurt your resume, especially with a bad loss very early in the season, regardless of conference affiliation. Oregon St. last year would even fit into this mold.

I agree, perhaps my post was poorly worded. But to remove the cupcake, you have to pay for the non-cupcake, which the market deems to be much more expensive. It's a money problem (well, to be fair, it's a motivation/job security problem at a couple schools).

[Svoboda]

Aside from scheduling which has already been discussed, negotiating a better TV deal that would give some national exposure to the conference and put more money in schools' pockets to reinvest in their programs. I'm sure easier said than done, but you see the TV revenue these bigger conferences are bringing in and it's a huge advantage.

Didn't Elgin extend the current deal back in 2015 so we're basically locked in until 2024?

[BirdsEyeView]

The problem with removing cupcakes is that it costs money. Guess who wants to buy the easily beatable RPI 160 team that is going to win the MEAC? Everybody. And a lot of everybody's have more money than MVC schools.

If they are RPI 160 they are not a cupcake.

I was referencing 200+ teams that hurt your resume, especially with a bad loss very early in the season, regardless of conference affiliation. Oregon St. last year would even fit into this mold.

I agree, perhaps my post was poorly worded. But to remove the cupcake, you have to pay for the non-cupcake, which the market deems to be much more expensive. It's a money problem (well, to be fair, it's a motivation/job security problem at a couple schools).

Is this rule still in effect from 2013?

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/mvc-toug ... 82dfe.html

[Cdizzle]

If they are RPI 160 they are not a cupcake.

I was referencing 200+ teams that hurt your resume, especially with a bad loss very early in the season, regardless of conference affiliation. Oregon St. last year would even fit into this mold.

I agree, perhaps my post was poorly worded. But to remove the cupcake, you have to pay for the non-cupcake, which the market deems to be much more expensive. It's a money problem (well, to be fair, it's a motivation/job security problem at a couple schools).

Is this rule still in effect from 2013?

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/mvc-toug ... 82dfe.html

I don't believe I've seen anything to the contrary. Though I do know pretty much every MVC team had non-D1 teams on their recent schedules (including WSU, not trying to cast stones). So either the waivers are being handed out like candy, the rules are no longer in place, or the incentive is too low to matter. If there is a $50k penalty, but you can make that up from lower-cost buy games and more home game gates, I'm not sure it does any good. Would be interesting to know for sure. I've had a hard time finding the conference bylaws on stuff like this in the past.

[WSpringsBird]

You don't get any long term by taking a bunch of buy games to get your ass beat on the road. This is really stupid.

If the goal is to become the SWAC, I can't think of a much faster path.

I heard Muller make a similar point. In response to a question from Chicago-area radio announcers, he said that historically, there have been literally zero D-1 teams that have taken a bunch of buy games and made the tournament as an at-large. So, although there is a first time for everything, I suppose, this seems like a pretty bad way to attempt to improve a team's at-large chances.

[Drakey]

Are any teams going to be worse than they were last season? It seems to me that everybody should be better or about the same. If the bottom feeder RPI teams from last season can at least be respectable, I think the conference RPI may very well go up. Add a decent team or two and the valley could very well finish in the top ten.

[BCPanther]

Are any teams going to be worse than they were last season? It seems to me that everybody should be better or about the same. If the bottom feeder RPI teams from last season can at least be respectable, I think the conference RPI may very well go up. Add a decent team or two and the valley could very well finish in the top ten.

Illinois State and SIU both take steps back. MSU, UNI, Drake, Bradley should be much better than they were. Everybody else about the same.

Probably a net RPI gain next year,..

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Are any teams going to be worse than they were last season? It seems to me that everybody should be better or about the same. If the bottom feeder RPI teams from last season can at least be respectable, I think the conference RPI may very well go up. Add a decent team or two and the valley could very well finish in the top ten.

Illinois State and SIU both take steps back. MSU, UNI, Drake, Bradley should be much better than they were. Everybody else about the same.

Probably a net RPI gain next year,..

Great, the MVC will be 11th instead of 12th. Not getting them.anywhere. They need to get to 7th