Biggest Conference Rival

by **Bear4Life** » January 31st, 2012, 2:22 pm

This may have been something that has been discussed on here at some point, but I was just interested to see which school everyone considers to be their biggest conference rival?

For Missouri State I have felt like for the past several years that Wichita State is our biggest rival. Historically we have also always felt a rivalry with SIU, and over the past few years with the closeness of our games against UNI that has started to develop into a nice rivalry...If I had to choose one for the Bears though it would have to be the hated Shox who come to town tomorrow night!

Obviously Bradley and Illinois State would arguably be the most known rivalry in the conference, and I'm sure I could pretty much nail most everyone else's, but just want to see what others think?

**Sponsor**

by **shocktheheart** » January 31st, 2012, 2:28 pm

Bear4Life wrote:This may have been something that has been discussed on here at some point, but I was just interested to see which school everyone considers to be their biggest conference rival?

For Missouri State I have felt like for the past several years that Wichita State is our biggest rival. Historically we have also always felt a rivalry with SIU, and over the past few years with the closeness of our games against UNI that has started to develop into a nice rivalry...If I had to choose one for the Bears though it would have to be the hated Shox who come to town tomorrow night!

Obviously Bradley and Illinois State would arguably be the most known rivalry in the conference, and I'm sure I could pretty much nail most everyone else's, but just want to see what others think?

Creighton or SWOMO for the Shox in my opinion.

by **MoValley John** » January 31st, 2012, 3:13 pm

UNI. UNI is everybody's biggest rival. We all hate UNI. We are all jealous. UNI has all the ingredients of big time, what's not to hate? They have the best coaches, best facilities, best fans, highest winning percentage. They even have overcome all of the unfair disadvantages not shared by any other Valley team. With the largest budget in the Valley and highest revenue, what is not to hate about UNI? UNI is so bigtime that they have this huge media contract with Leerfield. Heck, they are so big they don't even allow free streaming of their radio feeds! What is not to be jealous of? UNI should be in the ACC, plain and simple.

With all of that, anyone from any other fanbase that doesn't put UNI as their most fiercest rival is kidding them-self, or in pure denial.

by **sixth ace** » January 31st, 2012, 3:39 pm

Evansville and SIU dates back midway in the last century

:Cheers:

by **Wufan** » January 31st, 2012, 3:54 pm

Drake, Bradley and WSU have been in the Valley for over 60 years, however, I'd have to say MSU and Creighton are definately the two that I feel a rivalry with. All three schools have been upper-division teams for the past 10 years and there is a geographical relationship as well as a similarity in city population.

by **Hail Our Panthers** » January 31st, 2012, 4:59 pm

Overall I'd still say SIU. Football has had a lot to do with that over the last decade. The Salukis have struggled in both sports the past few years, and I would have never said this before but I'm starting to wish they would re-emerge. Bball games with the Bears have been fantastic over the past few years. Drake is in-state, so losing to them sucks as much as losing to anybody. The whole McD's to CU senario had earned them a mention.

by **glm38** » January 31st, 2012, 5:20 pm

For MSU it has to be the Shockers. The team most Bears fans love to hate. But that's a good thing. Rivalries like that are what makes college sports special.

by **FeartheQ** » January 31st, 2012, 5:30 pm

Shockers and SIU of old.

by **AndShock** » January 31st, 2012, 5:52 pm

I've never really felt a rivalry with SWOMO..maybe it's because I liked Hinson and Ahearn. Weems is a punk but he's gone in 2 months and never even got an NCAA tournament so I don't care about him. I used to feel a strong rivalry with Creighton but that feeling is even going away because of how much I like Doug.

by **MoValley John** » January 31st, 2012, 6:15 pm

In reality, the Valley is an odd lot of collective schools spread across a wide swath of the central US. Teams have come and teams have gone, so there are few natural rivalries. Indiana State- Evansville would make sense to me, but there just doesn't seem to be much there.

The biggest rivalry in the conference is ISU Red and Bradley. You could put the three Illinois teams in a round robin type of rivalry, but that is about it. Creighton and SIU was a rivalry, but it really only amounted to those two schools being the best schools for almost a decade. When SIU faltered, the rivalry fizzled.

Creighton and Wichita State is a rivalry, but I really think this has much to do with the competitive nature of both programs. As Wichita State improved, they penciled in Creighton as their rival, they wanted to beat the best and the hatred built. Creighton was slow accepting Wichita State as their rival, but with SIU gone and Wichita State being a top program over the last several years, they cannot be ignored as a rival. Then again, just like the Creighton SIU rivalry evaporated, should either Creighton or Wichita State have several years of bad basketball, this rivalry will fade as well.

True rivalries in this conference are difficult. Too much diversity between public and private schools, size of the schools and distance to travel. The biggest rivalries in this conference are always between the top teams and these rivalries will remain fluid.