MVC Expansion Candidate Deep Dive

by **MVCBeat** » December 17th, 2021, 3:00 pm

Hello All,

I try to keep my posts to my one thread so I don't flood the board but I wanted to make a new thread for this one. It took me awhile to finish and it is a bit a of a long read but I took a deep dive into the five rumored expansion candidates in the article below. If you're interested take a look. And go Valley!

https://www.missourivalleybeat.com/post ... e-profiles

**Sponsor**

by **All-MVC Fan** » December 17th, 2021, 5:55 pm

Excellent work. After reading this, I am still firmly in the “add Murray or go jump off a bridge” camp, but I can now see some hope in UIC, and, in a huge change of opinion for me, UTA.

At any rate, well done!!!

by **Drakey** » December 17th, 2021, 6:06 pm

All of these schools, except Murray, all seem to be crap shoots dependent on their commitment to basketball. Any admission should be dependent on a firm dollar commitment in writing and a payment in a larger amount to the conference for failure to comply with the spending requirement. Kansas City is the best location, but there is no indication that they have ever made any effort to be competitive in anything.

by **racernation** » December 17th, 2021, 7:30 pm

Murray's "market size" is getting a lot of unfair explanation from people who are not from western Kentucky and have no idea how our "market" works.

I've discussed the TV market we're in on another post. Over a million in our TV market, spread out across four dozen or so counties in four states.

Our CBS affiliate gives really good coverage for the Racer hoops. Our NBC affiliate gives us top billing on almost all their sportscasts during basketball season.

The NBC affiliate largely focuses on western Kentucky. The population of western Kentucky's TV market is 325,000 people. That's 325,000 people that potentially receive Murray State basketball news every night during the season. And that doesn't count KFVS-12 (CBS)'s coverage of MSU.

We have no pro sports teams coverage. UK gets second billing after Murray.

I'm telling you, when it comes to media exposure/market size, more eyeballs and ears see Murray State basketball than UTA, KC, UIC or Omaha in their own markets.

In western Kentucky, at least when it comes to sports media coverage, Murray State is king.

So let's stop highlighting our "market" size as being only in a city of 17,000 or a micropolitan area of 37,000, because Murray State's reach is far beyond the town's borders.

by **valleydays** » December 17th, 2021, 7:37 pm

Very good piece. I hope the MVC presidents read this but I have a feeling their minds are already made up. My prediction: UIC and UT Arlington. Murray State will get the same excuse as last time. "We must have an even number of schools in order for volleyball scheduling to work out and, gosh darn it, there just wasn't a suitable 14. Sorry."

Key point of the piece was the part about how few current MVC schools would be worthy if they were up for membership today. And that's Murray's problem: It's too much like current MVC schools to be deemed worthy.

by **smidge34** » December 18th, 2021, 8:08 am

^^I'm ok with being left out of those low major additions.

by **BCPanther** » December 18th, 2021, 8:50 am

smidge34 wrote:^^I'm ok with being left out of those low major additions.

To stay in the OVC?

Bold choice.

And how are UIC and Arlington low majors when they're coming from better leagues than you are? I digress...

Honestly, they were perfectly fine with 11 because I think Loyola leaving truly did surprise them. 13 is a little more awkward but it's workable, you just have to play a couple more in early December in MBB and add a few midweek in volleyball and WBB.

Volleyball is actually staying at 18 no matter how many teams are in the league because nobody is giving up any non-conference tournaments. I would expect MBB and WBB to go to 22.

Go to 13 for 2 or 3 years and let the Kansas City, Omaha, St Thomas, Bellarmine decision make itself.

by **smidge34** » December 18th, 2021, 10:54 am

Absolutely, I question the leadership and saneness level of a conference that excludes Murray state for those others. Honestly though, 2017 was the harbinger of the dysfunction to come.

by **RacerJoeD** » December 18th, 2021, 11:07 am

I mean, we can play bad teams and spend less on travel…

The problem is that by adding 300 NET teams, your current 200 NET teams will become 250ish, your 150s become 200s, your 100s become 150s…

Honestly if either UIC or UTA start to become as good as Loyola, do you think the powers that be in Austin and Champaign are going to let them be better than (or even as good) as the flagship?

by **RacerJoeD** » December 18th, 2021, 11:11 am

I’m not saying adding these teams will make the Valley as bad as the OVC, but you won’t be a multibid league most years.