Welcome Murray State to the MVC!

[unipanther99]

We have the quality basketball program addition now in Murray State. Now it’s time to scratch the market and western itch and go with either Kansas City or UT-Arlington.

[E-Villan]

The A10 for Loyola was a horrible choice. It's one thing for a team like Creighton to go to the Big East. Great choice and nobody can quarrel with it. Loyola is more like Tulsa or WSU ... taking its fleeting success and making a lateral move. Without the stellar coaches who made them flashes, Tulsa and WSU now languish in conferences where they are also-rans when they could just have well stayed put and helped build the Valley into a better conference. I wish Loyola well, but I don't understand this move. Hey, we can make the Final Four from this conference -- let's go make ourselves a new and unproven commodity in another mid-major league! Makes no sense.

I don't blame them. The A-10 has like minded institutions and they are like notre Dame with the ACC in that it brings eyes from the east coast. Plus the conference is a little better.

I am not saying this to bag on Loyola at all. Nothing but respect for what they have done since coming here, but with the addition of Belmont and Murray, I would have no interest in leaving the MVC for the A-10. What little they are ahead right now in Men's Basketball wouldn't make up for the additional travel, and lack of exposure to our fans. There are a lot of small, empty gyms up and down the east coast, and I am not too sure any of their non-revenue sports are better than ours. Certainly not baseball. Not to mention what happens if SLU or Dayton ends up in the Big East?

Everything in consideration, as a fan, from top to bottom, I like us better.

[SalukiWorld]

We have the quality basketball program addition now in Murray State. Now it’s time to scratch the market and western itch and go with either Kansas City or UT-Arlington.

Yuck, just add UIC and call it a day. 12 teams is perfect. Sounds like UT-Arlington was passed on, they're going to the WAC.

[MVCfans]

Looks like UT Arlington is heading to the WAC
https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1 ... 8556550151

MVC must have passed. If we add, it almost has to be UIC, right?

[VUGrad1314]

Matt Brown and Matt Norlander both seem to think it's UIC. I wish we would have evaluated the Dakotas but maybe we did and they either were found to be unable to deal with the extra costs (like Milwaukee or NKU) or were uninterested given how the conference situation caters so well to them. There is a lot to like about UIC especially institutionally and in sports outside of men's basketball so maybe they'll be a good add and of course remaining in Chicago is important and perhaps even more so now as others have said.

[SalukiWorld]

Matt Brown and Matt Norlander both seem to think it's UIC. I wish we would have evaluated the Dakotas but maybe we did and they either were found to be unable to deal with the extra costs (like Milwaukee or NKU) or were uninterested given how the conference situation caters so well to them. There is a lot to like about UIC especially institutionally and in sports outside of men's basketball so maybe they'll be a good add and of course remaining in Chicago is important and perhaps even more so now as others have said.

I hope the Valley sticks at 12. Fine with going to 14 later on, there's some schools like St. Thomas in Minnesota that are interesting in a few years that would be a good add. And maybe UMKC or Nebraska-Omaha if they start to have some success.

[VUGrad1314]

One has to wonder if maybe with their schools now being some what cut off from the rest of the Horizon League if Milwaukee and Green Bay would consider moving to the Summit. It might actually be a better landing spot for them as crazy as that sounds.

[smidge34]

I hope we stay at 12 unless it’s a couple home run basketball additions like an NKU. Sux that Western Kentucky plays BCS football. Those are the kinds of programs that enhance a mid major conference, not empty gyms “with potential”.

[unipanther99]

Looks like UT Arlington is heading to the WAC
https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1 ... 8556550151

MVC must have passed. If we add, it almost has to be UIC, right?

I’m fine with UIC if we’re on the path to 14, but if it’s 12 we need more western balance IMO.

[Blers42]

The A10 for Loyola was a horrible choice. It's one thing for a team like Creighton to go to the Big East. Great choice and nobody can quarrel with it. Loyola is more like Tulsa or WSU ... taking its fleeting success and making a lateral move. Without the stellar coaches who made them flashes, Tulsa and WSU now languish in conferences where they are also-rans when they could just have well stayed put and helped build the Valley into a better conference. I wish Loyola well, but I don't understand this move. Hey, we can make the Final Four from this conference -- let's go make ourselves a new and unproven commodity in another mid-major league! Makes no sense.

I don't blame them. The A-10 has like minded institutions and they are like notre Dame with the ACC in that it brings eyes from the east coast. Plus the conference is a little better.

I am not saying this to bag on Loyola at all. Nothing but respect for what they have done since coming here, but with the addition of Belmont and Murray, I would have no interest in leaving the MVC for the A-10. What little they are ahead right now in Men's Basketball wouldn't make up for the additional travel, and lack of exposure to our fans. There are a lot of small, empty gyms up and down the east coast, and I am not too sure any of their non-revenue sports are better than ours. Certainly not baseball. Not to mention what happens if SLU or Dayton ends up in the Big East?

Everything in consideration, as a fan, from top to bottom, I like us better.

Personally I would have been happy to stay in the Valley with these two additions. I’ve got a lot of friends that live in the Chicagoland area that went to other Valley schools, we always would go to games at Gentile together. It’s been fun creating rivalries with teams I’ve known my whole life. I know very few people that have gone to an A10 school, and the ones I do know don’t care about basketball. I guess I don’t like change much, and have zero attachments to most of the schools in the A10. I was hoping that the Valley would turn into a consistent multiple bid league with Loyola. With Murray State and Belmont that would have definitely increased the odds.

However, I do understand why Loyola made the choice, clearly it’s a better institutional fit and in current history the A10 has been the better basketball league with schools that have deeper pockets and basketball budgets. The A10 has already proven that it can consistently be a multi bid league and If Dayton and SLU stay, then I believe that will remain true. I haven’t heard of any legit rumors about them getting any interest from the BE. In regards to the small gyms comment, I believe the TV contracts are more important. Large gyms are nice, but majority in the MVC are never filled up anyways. I’m a Loyola fan, a small gym doesn’t bother me.