MVC going to 12 with UIC and UTA?

[VUGrad1314]

I don't care if the AAC exit fee is $1, you can knock off the pining for Wichita State at any time.

I'm not pining for them at all. However if they were forced to return there is no practical reason to say no. Bad blood or not their program would help this league remain a top mid major conference significantly.

You know what would help our league remain a top mid-major? Our two schools getting their crap together for men's basketball.

Shocker fans spent all their time telling us if they ever got out of the MVC, two things would happen. They would bask in eternal glory, and the MVC would collapse into a pile a rubble. Neither happened.

Your younger and just joined the league after them. I am older, and have followed this league for nearly 30 years. You see the Final Four run, and I remember how horrible they were through the 90's as well. The one thing that is certain at this level, is very few things stay the same.

Despite our institutional differences, I respect every school in this conference. I respect Creighton and Loyola as well, but I can't say the same for Wichita. It goes deeper than the fact they have an abnormally high number of online asshats. Marshall's antics were allowed to go on far too long. The last run of success they had in the 80's ended in probation, and certainly let's not forget the school literally looked the other way when their baseball coach ordered a 90+mph fastball to the temple of an opposing player who was literally standing in the on-deck circle. Sorry, that's a little more significant than some Wichita keyboard warrior living in his parents basement.

They don't want back, and we don't need them.

Thank you for filling me in on that history. It certainly is deeper than just their online trolls and I lose sight of that in my desperation to see the MVC continue to fight for at large bids. I agree on your point that one of the best things that could happen to this conference is for Evansville and Valpo (especially Valpo because we were added with the expectation that we would be at least solid if not good and we have been neither) to get it together and help the league. I often wonder if it should be me making these arguments in light of my team's abysmal performance but I care too much to be silent. I want this league to do well and I am afraid that the presidents are taking it in a bad and misguided direction that will end up making nobody happy. They won't get students and we fans won't get quality teams out of the deal. I just wish they could see it. I feel like this conference is about to lose what makes it so special and great in pursuit of a foolhardy enrollment push that will come up empty and that worries and saddens me. I don't want to see it. Again as a Valpo fan and as terrible as they have been I probably shouldn't be making this argument and I can't apologize enough times (as I have before on this board) for what a drag we've been. We're getting . better in other sports but not the one that matters. I hope that will change soon but with each passing year I grow less optimistic and more convinced that this is actually who we are. After all, outside of the Drews it's basically who we've always been.

[RacerJoeD]

Yes. This league is only going to be as good as the current nine members (minus Loyola and Belmont) are. There has been a LOT of underachieving the last 10 or so seasons.

That is true, until you add two teams at the bottom.

[Red]

Yes. This league is only going to be as good as the current nine members (minus Loyola and Belmont) are. There has been a LOT of underachieving the last 10 or so seasons.

That is true, until you add two teams at the bottom.

We have plenty of those already.

[BCPanther]

The state schools HAVE to worry about football. Have. To.

That's where the majority of our Athletic fundraising, alumni involvement and community engagement comes from.

Unfortunately basketball doesn't lend itself to thousands of people hanging out in the campus community and spending a bunch of money 6 weekends per year. UNI and Missouri State aren't jeopardizing that to add another flight to a rural area where we can't draw students or athletes from while the Eastern schools get yet another bus trip.

[RacerJoeD]

Speak for yourself…

[Murraygrad05]

The state schools HAVE to worry about football. Have. To.

That's where the majority of our Athletic fundraising, alumni involvement and community engagement comes from.

Unfortunately basketball doesn't lend itself to thousands of people hanging out in the campus community and spending a bunch of money 6 weekends per year. UNI and Missouri State aren't jeopardizing that to add another flight to a rural area where we can't draw students or athletes from while the Eastern schools get yet another bus trip.

So you are saying teams won’t jeopardize a trip to a rural area for the chance at a quad 1 win in most cases that would do wonders come March since that’s what matters to the committee? Not school size, not population of the town the quad 1 win happened in, not how many students signed up for a conference school based on that game…

Coming to our “little area” could mean an at large bid if you escape with a win and even more national exposure on the main stage.

[VUGrad1314]

The state schools HAVE to worry about football. Have. To.

That's where the majority of our Athletic fundraising, alumni involvement and community engagement comes from.

Unfortunately basketball doesn't lend itself to thousands of people hanging out in the campus community and spending a bunch of money 6 weekends per year. UNI and Missouri State aren't jeopardizing that to add another flight to a rural area where we can't draw students or athletes from while the Eastern schools get yet another bus trip.

So you are saying teams won’t jeopardize a trip to a rural area for the chance at a quad 1 win in most cases that would do wonders come March since that’s what matters to the committee? Not school size, not population of the town the quad 1 win happened in, not how many students signed up for a conference school based on that game…

Coming to our “little area” could mean an at large bid if you escape with a win and even more national exposure on the main stage.

This and Cedar Falls and (especially) Valparaiso aren't exactly huge areas. I doubt Valpo is any bigger than Murray State and Murray State has been (when we compare pre MVC numbers of programs) as good or better as a program than Valpo. I hate to admit it but facts are facts. By the way in case you think (and I hope you don't BCPanther) that I have it out for the western schools I don't. I'd be all for Omaha or UMKC if they weren't awful programs. I'm all for Valpo taking a flight to Brookings, South Dakota to play the Jackrabbits in what would probably be a bus trip for UNI I assume. The only thing that matters to me is program success and the strength of the conference and I have been consistent on this. If the program happens to be in a big market so much the better but we can't and shouldn't let that drive this decision just because Loyola worked out.

[BCPanther]

The state schools HAVE to worry about football. Have. To.

That's where the majority of our Athletic fundraising, alumni involvement and community engagement comes from.

Unfortunately basketball doesn't lend itself to thousands of people hanging out in the campus community and spending a bunch of money 6 weekends per year. UNI and Missouri State aren't jeopardizing that to add another flight to a rural area where we can't draw students or athletes from while the Eastern schools get yet another bus trip.

So you are saying teams won’t jeopardize a trip to a rural area for the chance at a quad 1 win in most cases that would do wonders come March since that’s what matters to the committee? Not school size, not population of the town the quad 1 win happened in, not how many students signed up for a conference school based on that game…

Coming to our “little area” could mean an at large bid if you escape with a win and even more national exposure on the main stage.

This and Cedar Falls and (especially) Valparaiso aren't exactly huge areas. I doubt Valpo is any bigger than Murray State and Murray State has been (when we compare pre MVC numbers of programs) as good or better as a program than Valpo. I hate to admit it but facts are facts. By the way in case you think (and I hope you don't BCPanther) that I have it out for the western schools I don't. I'd be all for Omaha or UMKC if they weren't awful programs. I'm all for Valpo taking a flight to Brookings, South Dakota to play the Jackrabbits in what would probably be a bus trip for UNI I assume. The only thing that matters to me is program success and the strength of the conference and I have been consistent on this. If the program happens to be in a big market so much the better but we can't and shouldn't let that drive this decision just because Loyola worked out.

I personally don't disagree with any of this. I just know what the presidents and higher ups are thinking and that thinking is 1000000% on the two absolute cliffs coming in HS class sizes in the Midwest.

Brookings isn't even a bus trip for us, fwiw. People don't realize how far away the Dakotas are, and I don't blame you, nobody gives two tiny shits about them. NDSU is never going FBS because they're closer to Winnipeg than they are to the Twin Cities.

The western schools are naturally going to have to fly more, it's just reality but if we're going to continue to grow South and East it has to be into population centers. Getting 5 extra students from Nashville every three years is worth more money than any extra bid ever will be. Sports don't matter if the University as a whole is in constant financial trouble

I'm 100% for Murray if they 1) find an non-MVFC home for football and 2) the league as a whole decides that any trip over 350 miles is a flight and we pool expenses for in league travel.

It's really great to have you back leading discussion!

[TBS_20]

Anything longer than 4.5 hours should be by air.

[mvfcfan]

The MVC could solve the football problem easily by just sponsoring football for real. Invite WIU, EIU, YSU, and SEMO as FB Only members.