Any chance MVC goes to 12?

[BUDude]

Wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[AndShock]

Considering how much we had to reach just to get to 10, God I hope not.

Although adding UIC and....Chicago State...wouldn't surprise me just so the MVC can have even more reason to move the tourney to Chicago.

[rlh04d]

Considering how much we had to reach just to get to 10, God I hope not.

Although adding UIC and....Chicago State...wouldn't surprise me just so the MVC can have even more reason to move the tourney to Chicago.

Yup.

I wanted us to move to 12 to bring in teams that would help immediately as well as teams that would be long-term projects (Loyola). Unfortunately, I don't think the MVC will ever make any moves that aren't designed to retract geographically to lower travel costs and build as slowly and safely as possible. If we were adding a Denver, Murray State, New Mexico State, etc. to get to 12, awesome ... but I have the disturbing feeling we'd get two more long-term projects in the Illinois vicinity.

[glm38]

Considering how much we had to reach just to get to 10, God I hope not.

Although adding UIC and....Chicago State...wouldn't surprise me just so the MVC can have even more reason to move the tourney to Chicago.

Yup.

I wanted us to move to 12 to bring in teams that would help immediately as well as teams that would be long-term projects (Loyola). Unfortunately, I don't think the MVC will ever make any moves that aren't designed to retract geographically to lower travel costs and build as slowly and safely as possible. If we were adding a Denver, Murray State, New Mexico State, etc. to get to 12, awesome ... but I have the disturbing feeling we'd get two more long-term projects in the Illinois vicinity.

Totally agree with this. I don't want anymore long term projects either. The Loyola add was ok and I understand why it was done. BUT If we add anymore teams it needs to be a team like Denver, Belmont, etc that could help us now.

[Mikovio]

The three best candidates to me clearly are Denver, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Valparaiso, in that order. They have strong programs and healthy endowments and bring in major markets. UW-M would get Valley games televised in Wisconsin and make recruiting Milwaukee easier.

I don't think there's any sort of an Illinois conspiracy at play here. It just so happens the best candidates are in or close to Illinois. An exception would be Denver, but apparently they passed last time around. Another exception would be New Mexico State, but they might have too great an impact on travel costs and they would need to find arrangements for their FBS football program or go independent. Of course that type of untenable situation is what pushed Tulsa out.

Also this is assuming SLU and Dayton either get into the New Big East or otherwise still refuse to join the Valley.

[m-v-c]

Yeah, there's always a chance. But until the candidates are better than Denver or Belmont, two schools who can't draw jack for fans, it isn't going to happen.

Would love to revisit this at the same time next year if Denver and/or Belmont are coming off, say, 14-win seasons. Will people think they're a slam dunk addition then? Until they show they can draw even reasonable fan followings, just don't see the fascination with them. It takes one disinterested fan base to average 2,000 fans per game when a team has been to as many NCAA tourneys recently as Belmont has. And Denver has no basketball presence in Denver.

Also can tell people the MVC does not want UW-Milwaukee. Athletic department in major upheaval. Been through a number of ADs recently and hasn't been able to decide if it wants to play in a 3,000-seat on campus arena or in the 12,000-seat downtown MECCA. Very modest fan support in Milwaukee and known mostly as a commuter school, not the type of fan base that would ever populate Arch Madness. Really their recent D-I success was entirely because of hires Bo Ryan (one year) and Bruce Pearl.

[rlh04d]

Yeah, there's always a chance. But until the candidates are better than Denver or Belmont, two schools who can't draw jack for fans, it isn't going to happen.

Would love to revisit this at the same time next year if Denver and/or Belmont are coming off, say, 14-win seasons. Will people think they're a slam dunk addition then? Until they show they can draw even reasonable fan followings, just don't see the fascination with them. It takes one disinterested fan base to average 2,000 fans per game when a team has been to as many NCAA tourneys recently as Belmont has. And Denver has no basketball presence in Denver.

Also can tell people the MVC does not want UW-Milwaukee. Athletic department in major upheaval. Been through a number of ADs recently and hasn't been able to decide if it wants to play in a 3,000-seat on campus arena or in the 12,000-seat downtown MECCA. Very modest fan support in Milwaukee and known mostly as a commuter school, not the type of fan base that would ever populate Arch Madness. Really their recent D-I success was entirely because of hires Bo Ryan (one year) and Bruce Pearl.

Denver still has a ways to go, but comparing it to Belmont is disingenuous. Their last few seasons:

2009-10: 1,979
2010-11: 3,388
2011-12: 5,460

Obviously predicting increases like that to continue forever is ignorant ... but they're in a hell of a lot better shape than Loyola right now. I'd be interested in seeing what their 2012-13 numbers were like. I can't find a news story about it, the NCAA stats aren't out yet, and I'm too lazy to average it out myself.

[Sharpe]

Yeah, there's always a chance. But until the candidates are better than Denver or Belmont, two schools who can't draw jack for fans, it isn't going to happen.

Would love to revisit this at the same time next year if Denver and/or Belmont are coming off, say, 14-win seasons. Will people think they're a slam dunk addition then? Until they show they can draw even reasonable fan followings, just don't see the fascination with them. It takes one disinterested fan base to average 2,000 fans per game when a team has been to as many NCAA tourneys recently as Belmont has. And Denver has no basketball presence in Denver.

Also can tell people the MVC does not want UW-Milwaukee. Athletic department in major upheaval. Been through a number of ADs recently and hasn't been able to decide if it wants to play in a 3,000-seat on campus arena or in the 12,000-seat downtown MECCA. Very modest fan support in Milwaukee and known mostly as a commuter school, not the type of fan base that would ever populate Arch Madness. Really their recent D-I success was entirely because of hires Bo Ryan (one year) and Bruce Pearl.

Denver still has a ways to go, but comparing it to Belmont is disingenuous. Their last few seasons:

2009-10: 1,979
2010-11: 3,388
2011-12: 5,460

Obviously predicting increases like that to continue forever is ignorant ... but they're in a hell of a lot better shape than Loyola right now. I'd be interested in seeing what their 2012-13 numbers were like. I can't find a news story about it, the NCAA stats aren't out yet, and I'm too lazy to average it out myself.

Denver averaged 3,312 last year in 16 home games including a 1st round NIT game that only had about 2,100 people there.

[rlh04d]

Denver averaged 3,312 last year in 16 home games including a 1st round NIT game that only had about 2,100 people there.

Got a source for that? I couldn't find one.

If true, that's a very unfortunate downturn in attendance.

[KC MVC FAN]

Said it before, say it again!!!! MVC belongs in Kansas City and UMKC belongs in the MVC.. New AD and new BB coach. Yes, I do believe there is an IL and IN conspiracy to add more schools east of the Mississippi. Perhaps the MVC needs to split---new Mississippi River Conference (all IL, IN and maybe WI and KY/TN schools), and a new MVC with UNI, Drake, UMKC, MSU, WSU, plus another 3 or 5 to be ID'd (???? NM State, SD a/o ND State, Denver, Oral Roberts, maybe a Texas or and Arkansas mid major ???????). Does reduce travel costs and provides two fairly balanced conferences.