Updated 1/6/18: MVC Expansion Poll

[MOST]

Discussion on MVC expansion is all over this forum in several threads! Is expansion really necessary right now ?????????

A horse race in fan voting: Murray State at 104, Belmont 45, N. KY 36, and than a pack scattered there and back. Yes, big NCAA post seasons for Murray State and Belmont. But IMO, not sure they are the answer for the MVC.

In my opinion is MVC stuck in a D1- or a D2+ rut. Several MVC programs appear mentally and physically tired (ISUb, SIU, MO State/ex-SMS, Bradley, Evansville). Good to excellent NAIA and D2 powerhouses in years past---but could not sustain that status year after year in D1. MVC always a cyclical 1 or 2 team conference; fell to a 13 to 15 conference ranking this year--that tied to a rise in rankings by several other conferences puts the MVC between a rock and hard place, or in a hole. Will be difficult to get out of.

Adding Murray, Belmont or N. KY stretches the MVC foot print. Not good for UNI, Drake and MO State travel budgets. Need to look at schools closer to or in the MVC foot print. Plus, does Murray and Belmont perpetuate a D1- or D2+ immage. Note Valpo this first year!

IMO we should be looking at Wisc Green Bay and Wisc Milwaukee. Green Bay BB rating/ranking right among MVC teams. Milwaukee needs to get better---can they compete in Milwaukee with Marquette---is there space for both? I think moving to the MVC will help BB programs for both schools.

GB and MIL are public schools. No football. Close if not exactly in the foot print (at least west of Lake Michigan). But, for UNI and Drake travel: a 250 mile hop and skip for UNI, 300 miles for Drake. Some stretch (500+/- miles) for MO State. Milwaukee metro pop 2.2M. Green Bay 110K. GB plays MBB in the 9,800 seat Reisch Center. Milwaukee plays MBB in the 10,700 seat Panther Arena. Both have separate facilities for WBB and volley ball. Wisconsin opens new territory for MVC recruiting. Opens new territory for academic recruiting.

Possible option, add Green bay and Murray State to get to 12 teams.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

No

[VUGrad1314]

Murray State and Belmont if they would come aren't the answer to the MVC's issues let's add Milwaukee and Green Bay because travel costs. I have absolutely no idea what to say to this...

[smidge34]

Nobody ever said message boards are bastions of high IQ conversation lmao. Milwaukee/GB comment case in point...

[racerlover]

Why not add EIU and SEMO to help with travel costs?

Go ahead and take them. You'd do us a favor and keep those precious travel costs down.

[Milanmiracle]

Murray State and Belmont if they would come aren't the answer to the MVC's issues let's add Milwaukee and Green Bay because travel costs. I have absolutely no idea what to say to this...

Yep, Talks about D1 vs D2 stature and competitiveness, then is worried about conference footprint travel budgets. Creighton and Providence are 1,400 miles apart and in the same conference. That’s the difference between the Big East and MVC mentality. Pick the teams that best align with your goals and vision, then think about other factors and if it would or would not work.

[VUGrad1314]

Look at this body of work (written by a Racer fan on their board (the last paragraph are my words):

I was in Nashville at a bar 2 years ago or so....

The waiter asked about where I was from and where I went to school. I said Murray State. He wasn't sure where it was...but he remembered our basketball team with SIP a few years back. IDK if he meant the 2010 team that beat Vandy or the 2012 team that was top 10....but he knew about the Racers.

College Basketball fans knew who we were anyways....we were a nice little mid major that you see a lot on selection Sunday as an auto bid....but think about how far we've come over this decade!

In 2010.... we hit a big shot in the tournament to make people notice us....we come within an over-time of beating the national runner-up Butler Bulldogs

In 2012.... we had a team that was top 10 in the nation. Went on the road and beat a ranked Memphis squad. Dick Vitale came to our game. We won our second tournament game in a 3 year span. We became known nationally for basketball that season....

In 2015.... we return to the top 25...but this time we had a lottery pick. We had pundits demanding we deserved an at-large bid because of our track record. Our track record was now winning tournament games and producing NBA draft picks. I think our reputation was finally set in stone. We weren't just the big fish left in the OVC...we are a program to take note.

In 2017....Auburn and Bruce Pearl come to The BANK. The regular season SEC Champion Auburn Tigers. We push them to the limit.

In 2019.....We have a legit NBA superstar in the making. We have a team that was highly rated enough to warrant an at-large discussion. Every one of our games are prominently featured on SportsCenter. Our highlights are all over ESPN. We blow out a power conference team in the first round. We have the 3rd highest rated show on cable for one of our games.

Former coaches Cronin and Prohm won the AAC and Big 12 Tournament titles this year!


To recap the decade:
-We've been ranked in the top 10
-We've won 3 tournament games
-We will have 3 NBA Draft Picks
-We've had 2 All-Americans

Do not underestimate this run of success. Kids and AAU coaches will take notice. Up and coming coaches will take notice. More fans will come to The Bank in down years...enrollment will be better.

Ja Morant can do for us what Steph Curry did for Davidson. We already were known well in the basketball community....but Ja gave us a national name to go with it...Ja legitimized our success. We aren't done rising!

And this program BEGGED this league for membership. Why don't we want this? Is it Elgin or is it ivory tower academics being stupid about the real world and not understanding economics and how athletic success actually helps them and makes their lives easier? Either way people this stupid should not hold power under any circumstances.

[third rail]

I'm just happy the league presidents are a little smarter than most.

Stop aspring to be Murray State and the OVC. My god people. I'm sure even Barry Hinson could win an OVC tournament.

Maybe we should invest in our own programs instead of hoping to strike gold with one perennial 85 RPI team.

I'm sure that will offend plenty of you, but let's help our own membership win.

[IWokeUpLikeThis]

Stop aspring to be Murray State and the OVC. My god people. I'm sure even Barry Hinson could win an OVC tournament.

Maybe we should invest in our own programs instead of hoping to strike gold with one perennial 85 RPI team.

This poster has straight up lied about Murray State in the past. SIU fan with an anti-Murray ax to grind.

Now here’s the facts:
2010 - Murray State won a game in the NCAA Tournament and fell a shot short of the national runnerup.
2012 - Murray State won a game in the NCAA Tournament, was ranked top 10 in the regular season, was seeded 6th, and would have garnered an at-large.
2015 - Murray State finished the season ranked top 25, but missed the NCAA Tournament losing the OVC final at the buzzer.
2018 - Murray State qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
2019 - Murray State won a game in the NCAA Tournament, slaughtering the highest seeded Big East team by 20.

[MNPanthers]

I'm just happy the league presidents are a little smarter than most.

Stop aspring to be Murray State and the OVC. My god people. I'm sure even Barry Hinson could win an OVC tournament.

Maybe we should invest in our own programs instead of hoping to strike gold with one perennial 85 RPI team.

I'm sure that will offend plenty of you, but let's help our own membership win.

Its a good point. They were a bubble at large team this year (and the bubble was super weak this year) and it took the 2nd best player in the country (best player in program history) to get there. They don't have that luxury next year. They lose over 40 ppg between the players leaving/graduating. If they were in the Valley next year, we'd all be complaining about their initial performance.

Edit: and I'm not convinced they even make the tourney this year if they were in the Valley. They'd probably have to win the MVC tournament which is no given