Loyola to Valley

[MVCfans]

Jimmy Lemke wrote an introduction to Loyola for MVC fans. Plenty of good stuff here - link: www.mvcfans.com/wp

[GoRamblers]

Jimmy Lemke wrote an introduction to Loyola for MVC fans. Plenty of good stuff here - link: wp

I'm not sure I'd say that "many" fans are 70+. We have a couple of diehards that fit that bill, but the rest run the gamut from early 20's to 50's.

Other than that...good stuff.

[jwa123]

So Frank the Tank agrees with rlh04d that he raises good points. Like the one kicking Illinois State out I assume.

[rlh04d]

So Frank the Tank agrees with rlh04d that he raises good points. Like the one kicking Illinois State out I assume.

Lighten up, Nancy. I was joking.

Kind of.

[jwa123]

Yes Gertrude, I know you were joking - kind of. Just like you always do. That's OK you won't have to put up with us much longer since you are going to the CAA, or A10 or is that that the MWC? Not to worry though, I'm going to have a big going away party for you when you're gone. Can't wait.

[rlh04d]

Good viewpoints. One thing about demographics is that schools like Florida (public flagship) and Florida State (effectively the same status as a flagship like Texas A&M or UCLA) are able to go beyond their immediate market areas and legitimately deliver their entire home states. As you've noted, they deliver the Orlando market better than UCF ever could. University presidents and TV executives don't look at Florida State and say that they only deliver Tallahassee (small market), but rather that they deliver the entire state of Florida (massive market). The five power football conferences obviously focus the most on these types of schools plus a handful of key privates like Notre Dame and USC.

This is my point, though: What was Florida State thirty years ago? We weren't a flagship university in Florida. We didn't have much history. We were a few decades removed from being an all women's college. We had a new coach from West Virginia who had delivered a few excellent seasons and great bowl appearances.

So thirty years ago ... what was going to predict that Florida State would become one of the 15 biggest draws in college athletics? Bad market. Little endowment. No history. New coach. Not a great academic school, and not really anywhere near a flagship level. Very poor alumni history for being an older school (only 30 years of men being allowed to go, and female alumni weren't going to support football). So if you're looking at the future, how do you predict FSU's rise? I'm just going off of my own personal experience, but I could probably give you another dozen major examples if I try to put any real thought in it.

I know I said that USF and UCF could never get ahead of either FSU or UF, but I was wrong: If either of those schools finishes in the top 5 for 14 straight years with two national championships in either football or basketball, they will become a national school that delivers the Florida market as well. And not just those two ... doesn't matter who it is. If Jacksonville State or FAU suddenly became that good, they'd be a dominant power as well, which would translate into media power. Winning trumps demographics. Fans jump on the bandwagon, regardless of who is driving it or what the engine of the bandwagon looks like.

I know what we offer now. But how do you predict that we would get to that level? Your demographic argument is one that should theoretically be predictive of future success.

[rlh04d]

Yes Gertrude, I know you were joking - kind of. Just like you always do. That's OK you won't have to put up with us much longer since you are going to the CAA, or A10 or is that that the MWC? Not to worry though, I'm going to have a big going away party for you when you're gone. Can't wait.

I can't wait to see what dollar store party your school would be able to throw.

Just think, if we leave, you'd ... probably be the fourth worst Valley program in Illinois.

[jwa123]

& in spite of this year WSU is consistently the third best program in Kansas. I have no doubt that in spite of the rousing success you had this year things will revert back to the mean.

[CBB_Fan]

& in spite of this year WSU is consistently the third best program in Kansas. I have no doubt that in spite of the rousing success you had this year things will revert back to the mean.

What can I say? We have a state that cares about it's college basketball. Only three other states really have the same sort of fascination with CBB: Indiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

Every D1 school in our state has at least 2 Final Fours. Every D1 school in our state has had a coach that won national CoY. Every school has been #1 in the country. Every school has numerous Elite 8s, Sweet 16s, etc.

So being the #3 school in Kansas is better than being the #3 school in any other state in the nation. That makes us the NCState of Kansas, which is not something to be ashamed of. Especially now that we are routinely better than KState and even occasionally KU.

So yes, historically we are #3. We were #1 this year, and we are not going to be #3 next year or hopefully much in the future. Whereas only Creighton could really make a better claim in the Valley (because Nebraska is HORRIBLE) towards their standing. What is a team like SIU, for instance? The 12th best school in Illinois last year?

[rlh04d]

& in spite of this year WSU is consistently the third best program in Kansas. I have no doubt that in spite of the rousing success you had this year things will revert back to the mean.

I didn't say you'd be the fourth best team in Illinois. If you want to go for the full state, I'm putting you behind Illinois, Northwestern, DePaul, Bradley, SIU, and soon to be Loyola. You're going to be the seventh best program in your state.

And the University of Illinois doesn't hold a candle to either KU or K-State.