Loyola Leaving for A-10

[BEARZ77]

We become the old Summit or the OVC with weak additions like UTA and Kansas City. Id rather keep 10 with Belmont and tell the rest to go f off. I dont see Missouri st going anywhere...they havent achieved enough to be sought after elsewhere

Totally agree. UTA and the Fightn Kangaroos have zero basketball tradition. Actually, they have zero relevance in any sport.
As for MSU, why do folks keep saying that they have left? Usually a FCS football program wins multiple National Championships before moving up to FCS. See Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Marshall. If attendance is a requirement, MSU had a sparse crowd last Saturday in their win over UNI, and they don't seem to bring a lot of fans to Arch Madness either.

MSU is a large State University approaching 30,000 students. It has great facilities, a nationally ranked football team, a nationally ranked soccer team, a nationally ranked hockey team and a nationally ranked WBB team. Think what you want, but we will have several opportunities to move if we chose to. I really think[ and I'm not saying we will get that chance] that the Administration wants an AAC bid down the line if WSU and Tulsa remain part of that conference. Just makes sense , but who know at this point. Congrats to Loyola, a sensible move for them that might ultimately put them in the BE discussion.

[IllinoisState]

Per Norlander

Arlington, Murray and Kansas City in final stages of discussions to join Valley.

Whoa.

I like the adds and this was inevitable once Loyola started pumping money into the program.

Wow, UTA and UMKC? Why not Chicago State IUPUI?

[MissouriValleyUnite]

Cincinnati and Kansas City are identical MSAs (30 & 31 with NFL/MLB, no NHL/NBA).

NKU has a MBB budget 25% higher than UMKC.

NKU plays in one of the nicest mid-major arenas in America.

NKU draws 3.5x the attendance of UMKC.

NKU has 2 NCAA’s + 1 NIT in 5 years as a D1 program.

So how is the Valley “in deep discussions” with UMKC yet NKU isn’t even mentioned? If UMKC is being added for its potential, NKU has the same exact ceiling UMKC has, and a significantly stronger floor/foundation.

[IllinoisState]

Y'all this wouldn't have been leaked to Norlander if it weren't happening.

I mean, the pearl clutching doesn't do any good. Arlington has said they're ready to spend and we're obviously requiring KC to show it.

The sky isn't falling. Belmont and Murray are both better historically than Loyola. We're going to be fine.

There will continue to not be much difference between the A10 and the Valley, they just have the advantage of that east coast media machine.

I expected to lose Loyola eventually if they kept. However, like everyone else, I didn't expect it this soon and with no hints.

I also did not expect to hear UTA and UMKC. We are not the Big Ten, markets don't really matter. What matters is the quality of the programs and they are far away from being the best we can get. Especially when good or okay big market teams are available.

[VUGrad1314]

Cincinnati and Kansas City are identical MSAs (30 & 31 with NFL/MLB, no NHL/NBA).

NKU has a MBB budget 25% higher than UMKC.

NKU plays in one of the nicest mid-major arenas in America.

NKU draws 3.5x the attendance of UMKC.

NKU has 2 NCAA’s + 1 NIT in 5 years as a D1 program.

So how is the Valley “in deep discussions” with UMKC yet NKU isn’t even mentioned? If UMKC is being added for its potential, NKU has the same exact ceiling UMKC has, and a significantly stronger floor/foundation.

Exactly this! NKU needs to move ahead of anybody not named Murray State on the expansion list. I hate the idea of having to fly to Arlington to play a bad program so much. We can accomplish getting a bad team in a big market without spending so much on travel. (NKU is not who I mean when I say a bad team in a big market just to be clear) But we need to be adding good programs especially now. Last ditch attempts to keep Missouri State around aren't going to work. With CUSA keeping WKU and MTSU in the fold I wouldn't be surprised to hear the Bears restart discussions with CUSA for that matter. With Liberty WKU MTSU (under previous coaches not this one) New Mexico State and to some degree Jacksonville State CUSA has some decent basketball. If WKU still wants to go to the MAC I wouldn't be surprised to see Illinois State show interest or even UNI. Sadly we might not be done reshaping the conference. I just hope we can remain strong and a viable contender for multibid status but that will be tough sledding without Loyola especially if other schools are following them out the door.

I reitrerate: Better big market teams than UTA and UMKC that the MVC could get include:

NKU

Wright State

Milwaukee

Cleveland State

UIC

Detroit

Oakland

Bellarmine

St Thomas

Lipscomb

Little Rock

Oral Roberts

And that's just off the top of my head.

[bradley_townie]

Y'all this wouldn't have been leaked to Norlander if it weren't happening.

I mean, the pearl clutching doesn't do any good. Arlington has said they're ready to spend and we're obviously requiring KC to show it.

The sky isn't falling. Belmont and Murray are both better historically than Loyola. We're going to be fine.

There will continue to not be much difference between the A10 and the Valley, they just have the advantage of that east coast media machine.

I expected to lose Loyola eventually if they kept. However, like everyone else, I didn't expect it this soon and with no hints.

I also did not expect to hear UTA and UMKC. We are not the Big Ten, markets don't really matter. What matters is the quality of the programs and they are far away from being the best we can get. Especially when good or okay big market teams are available.

The Valley has clearly shown they want to be in big markets. Their last three schools added were Chicago, Chicago-adjacent, and Nashville. I guarantee most people on this board disliked the Loyola addition to replace Creighton because the program hadn't done much in recent years. But I have no doubt that being in Chicago was a huge selling point for the MVC.

That said, I am not a fan of "branch" schools in the league, even if they are in big markets. It screams small-time conference.

[usmcsaluki]

Crazy news today: Loyola will be missed, especially with Belmont coming in next year - but, the league will survive, and it had better get Murray State in the doors as fast as possible. IMO no other options are worthwhile at this point unless you go way out geographically, or better yet, if the environment creates the possibility, get Wichita State back in.

As for Loyola, this had to boil down to TV dollars - the A10 has been a comparable conference with the Valley, and while they have their flagship programs like others have already pointed out, they also have their doormats.

[IllinoisState]

Y'all this wouldn't have been leaked to Norlander if it weren't happening.

I mean, the pearl clutching doesn't do any good. Arlington has said they're ready to spend and we're obviously requiring KC to show it.

The sky isn't falling. Belmont and Murray are both better historically than Loyola. We're going to be fine.

There will continue to not be much difference between the A10 and the Valley, they just have the advantage of that east coast media machine.

I expected to lose Loyola eventually if they kept. However, like everyone else, I didn't expect it this soon and with no hints.

I also did not expect to hear UTA and UMKC. We are not the Big Ten, markets don't really matter. What matters is the quality of the programs and they are far away from being the best we can get. Especially when good or okay big market teams are available.

The Valley has clearly shown they want to be in big markets. Their last three schools added were Chicago, Chicago-adjacent, and Nashville. I guarantee most people on this board disliked the Loyola addition to replace Creighton because the program hadn't done much in recent years. But I have no doubt that being in Chicago was a huge selling point for the MVC.

That said, I am not a fan of "branch" schools in the league, even if they are in big markets. It screams small-time conference.

I understand, but then I agree with VUGrad1314 and MissouriValleyUnite and you. No branch schools. And there are plenty of better choices.

Give me NKU, UIC, Wright State, etc.

Still no to Little Rock and Oral Roberts.

[Drakey]

I don't really understand this move unless it has something to do with some additional restructuring that will take place in the future. That being said, I will root against Loyola in every game this year.

[Dawgbit]

Murray State will earn instant recognition as the thuggiest team in the Valley. I just invented a word, just for them.