Conference Realignment - impact on MVC?

[squirrel]

Everyone who joined the MVC in the early 90s wave (MSU, UNI, UE) was coming off strong runs in weak conferences with multiple NCAA bids. I am not sure what you are getting it.

Of the 3 there was actual outrage over UNI, not the others.

[BCPanther]

Everyone who joined the MVC in the early 90s wave (MSU, UNI, UE) was coming off strong runs in weak conferences with multiple NCAA bids. I am not sure what you are getting it.

Of the 3 there was actual outrage over UNI, not the others.

Coming from a UNI fan that outrage was justified. We had a decent two year run and had one win in the Dance. We were totally overmatched in basketball for most of the first 12 years we were in the league (though we did make the Arch Madness title game in 1994).

We got in for two reasons. The amazing strength of our Volleyball program and the national respect that Eldon Miller had as a basketball coach. If Eldon would have been given any money or resources I think we would have been a lot more successful, but we had a wrestling centric AD that not only didn't give resources to basketball, he also forced Eldon out and replaced him with the disaster that was Sam Weaver.

I think we've made up for it in the past decade...

[Khan4Cats]

Everyone who joined the MVC in the early 90s wave (MSU, UNI, UE) was coming off strong runs in weak conferences with multiple NCAA bids. I am not sure what you are getting it.

Of the 3 there was actual outrage over UNI, not the others.

Coming from a UNI fan that outrage was justified. We had a decent two year run and had one win in the Dance. We were totally overmatched in basketball for most of the first 12 years we were in the league (though we did make the Arch Madness title game in 1994).

We got in for two reasons. The amazing strength of our Volleyball program and the national respect that Eldon Miller had as a basketball coach. If Eldon would have been given any money or resources I think we would have been a lot more successful, but we had a wrestling centric AD that not only didn't give resources to basketball, he also forced Eldon out and replaced him with the disaster that was Sam Weaver.

I think we've made up for it in the past decade...

A lot of the outrage was also that we played basketball in a domed football stadium. That may work for Syracuse and the NCAA Tournament, but 500 fans in a 16,000 seat cave with locker rooms 3 blocks away is not going to be popluar for a conference.

But yes, our long-standing connections with Volleyball through the Gateway Conference and then football with half of the conference teams, along with Eldon helped get us in. And while we were on the perimeter, we were also not completely out of the footprint of the Valley.

[unipanther99]

I don't think Eldon Miller's impact on UNI's athletic program can be overstated. Without him, we are another Western Illinois at best.

[sixth ace]

NDSU and SDSU would be 2 more teams to split NCAA Tournament revenue with who will never earn at-large bids.

No thanks. I'd rather hang on at 9 teams than add another leech.

League members and fans said that about UNI for more than 10 years.

They've also been correctly saying it about Evansville for 20 years.

You'll have to wait til 2019 to be correct

[Dean Wormer]

They've also been correctly saying it about Evansville for 20 years.

Not really. They were a perennial tourney team when they joined and quickly competed. However, they have just as quickly plummeted.

Everyone who joined the MVC in the early 90s wave (MSU, UNI, UE) was coming off strong runs in weak conferences with multiple NCAA bids. I am not sure what you are getting it.

UE has 1 NCAA bid since joining in 1994, 0 NIT appearances.

You can say MSU and UNI were in a weak conference, although those Charlie Spoon teams were pretty darn good, but UE was winning conference titles against the likes of Butler, Xavier, Dayton, Marquette, SLU among others. You certainly can't call the old MCC a weak conference.

[uniftw]

You can say MSU and UNI were in a weak conference, although those Charlie Spoon teams were pretty darn good, but UE was winning conference titles against the likes of Butler, Xavier, Dayton, Marquette, SLU among others. You certainly can't call the old MCC a weak conference.

Were those schools were what they are today?

If they weren't it doesn't meany anything.

[shoxrox]

Creighton can't even dominate the Valley with one of their best teams in their program's history and they think they're gonna roll over the C7 conference?

[jwa123]

Creighton can't even dominate the Valley with one of their best teams in their program's history and they think they're gonna roll over the C7 conference?

I don't recall anyone from Creighton stating they were gonna roll over the C7 conference. If they get an invite to the C7 and take it, can anyone blame them? For instance, when it comes to The Valley, the folks at WSU want out of town the first bus possible - if that bus ever arrives.

[tribecalledquest]

Much of this talk is just talk for talks sake and wanting change for the sake of change.

Would WSU REALLY be better off in a different league? Would the Jays REALLY be better off in the C7? I get it---it's nice to feel "wanted". I'm just not sure if a real cost analysis study was done that moving leagues would be beneficial in the end.