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Belmont is very lucky to get in, I don't think they would almost any other year.

Ja Morant is gone next year for Murray, and the rest of the conference is steaming garbage.

I'd honestly be surprised if OVC gets multiple bids ever again.

Hey Valpo friends, dropping by to wish you guys good luck. BIG game tomorrow, very high stakes, I can't wait!

Would prefer to see Valpo avoid the play in game, but not at UNI's expense. Green is an obvious threat, but watch for Haldeman who has been red hot behind the arc, Lohaus is coming off a huge performance at MSU, and Berhow is capable of putting on a 3 point shooting or rebounding clinic. Whoever matches up with Isaiah Brown is going to have their work cut out for them, he's as good a defender as any in the Valley.

Whatever the result, looking forward to a high quality contest!

I'll just throw out my honest opinion. Not gonna pretend to know the financial situation. Also not sure how the UNI vs Valpo argument got so deep, borderline comical. Way too complex for any of us to be trying to draw conclusions/comparisons about tuition and funding and all that. Apples and oranges sounds about right. Anyways, Making the Arc pretty should be priority number one. It doesn't look good on TV right now. Dial back on the seating and model Loyola if you must. Nothing impressive about Gentile, but at least it looks like an honest to goodness venue you should be paying money to visit. You don't have to sacrifice the history or intimate feel of the place to get it looking like a real arena.

Making the ARC look good for viewers of a paid ESPN subscription service is probably the least effective way to spend money. There's far more pressing needs that will actually affect recruiting.

Idk enough to know if something is truly more pressing, but talk about complacency. It's your most visible facility, and recruits care alot about where they compete, fans care alot too. If you feel like your peak exposure is ESPN3 then I guess you have a point, but that's a really weak vision of your program.

I'll just throw out my honest opinion. Not gonna pretend to know the financial situation. Also not sure how the UNI vs Valpo argument got so deep, borderline comical. Way too complex for any of us to be trying to draw conclusions/comparisons about tuition and funding and all that. Apples and oranges sounds about right.

Anyways,

Making the Arc pretty should be priority number one. It doesn't look good on TV right now. Dial back on the seating and model Loyola if you must. Nothing impressive about Gentile, but at least it looks like an honest to goodness venue you should be paying money to visit. You don't have to sacrifice the history or intimate feel of the place to get it looking like a real arena.

Jake has no intention of leaving UNI (he's paid over a million per year, been in Cedar Falls for 17 years now, his kids only know CF, his wife loves the town, the town loves him, etc...) He's turned down 2.5-3m jobs to stay in CF. Hinson loves the MVC and isn't leaving SIU without being fired or retiring for good.

Wanted to circle back to this for a second. While it's great that UNI's coach has shown no intention of leaving, you're absolutely fooling yourself that he wouldn't leave in a heartbeat if the right opportunity came along. The $15-$20M contract at a Power 5 school represents generational wealth and a much, much easier path to the NCAA tournament. If he continues to have success, at some point he will get an offer too good to turn down, no matter how much he loves UNI.

We have experience with this - Bryce Drew lived nearly his entire life in Valpo, grew up here, went to h.s. here, was the greatest player in school history, made his home here even during his NBA career, then was on the coaching staff for more than a decade. His family is as indelibly linked to the university as any famous alum is at any other school in the nation -- heck, his family name is on the court at VU. He also turned down much more lucrative offers from SEC, Big 12 and Big East schools over the years. Until one day, he didn't.

Put simply, if Bryce Drew can leave Valparaiso, it can happen anywhere.

I see your point, and I will agree that sure, there are scenarios where he would leave. I will say however, that Ben Jacobson is a different breed. He has proven several times that money isn't his biggest motivator, and I think if UNI can continue to prove they are willing to do whatever they can to get the highest salary they can afford him, he will stay. Keeping coach Jake has always been and always will be priority number 1 for our AD.

I am genuinely curious also, what efforts were made to keep Drew on board? I guess its kinda cloudy with a private school, but every time UNI felt there might be pressure for Jake to go somewhere else, they hiked his salary considerably. They were able to amass a pretty unprecedented salary level for a program our size through donors.

Last record I saw, Bryce Drew was getting paid under 400k at Valpo. Was a much bigger salary not attainable to try and keep him, or was he out the door regardless?

Welcome to the Valley! Looking forward to some fresh competition.

You guys were still a great add but its more than bittersweet to miss out on what could've been so much more. I really hope there is a good reason. Otherwise, the Valley had an opportunity to be smart and proactive, but instead stuck its tail between its legs and stuck to tradition that's overstayed its welcome.

I for one am not optimistic they are going to do future expansion. That would be a pleasant surprise, and the Valley is not big on those.

I would prefer for a minimum capacity of 7,000 for Valley schools.

What's the reason behind that seemingly arbitrary number? Adding successful basketball programs is priority number 1, and like others have mentioned, The A-10 succeeds with lower attendance, and Valpo has a much bigger gym than Belmont and higher attendance than Murray State. I think its a total non-issue compared to other facilities. Your redbirds didn't have a single sell out in your best season in well over a decade, and frequently didn't hit 7000 this season. UNI didn't even sell out every game in arguably our best ever season in 14-15. ISUr and MSU certainly have the most legit arenas in the valley now, and the valley as a whole has a lot of nice arenas, but its time to look past that in the current state of mid majors. Fact of the matter is, with Valpo, we know we would bring in a team that can fill their gym and not have lousy sub-2000 attendance like a lot of other candidates.

I think Valpo would see an immediate bump in attendance. New conference with new teams would bring in some excitement, and playing more recognizable names like those old rivals you guys speak of and other good brands like UNI would all help. However, that novelty could wear off quickly if you don't find success.

You guys shouldn't read too much into the MVC forum discussion. I think the nay-sayers have drowned out the rational people at this point. I think a majority of fans would be happy with this move, there are always gonna be the displeased coming to the forums to spew their arguments. I agree that it would be silly to say anyone but us has done better than you guys in the last few years.

That being said, your expectation to come in and rise to the top immediately may be a bit optimistic. Genuine question: Is your team gonna be improving next year or taking a step back?

You guys lost 4 Horizon league games last year and then against Mke in the tourney. It would be impossible to argue that 4 losses in your league wouldn't translate into a few more losses in Valley play. That still puts you around the top 3 because of how below average accross the board the Valley was last year. This year, Bradley, Loyola, Missouri State, (hopefully UNI, maybe not), and maybe some others will be taking steps up in talent.

I'm not saying you won't be competitive or maybe even have a shot at success, but your road wouldn't be getting easier than last years. If you want to stay in the Horizon and never open up your ability to really grow as a program just because a few people have their doubts, then so be it.

I could get behind the idea of adding you guys and Murray State, and I think I will be pulling for that as a best case scenario for the valley based on the reality of the situation. Belmont would be great, but we all know that is a stretch. I would look forward to having some fresh competition coming to the McLeod Center!

Hey guys, UNI fan here. I've gotta think the Valley is gonna try and get you guys on board, but there are plenty of theories, and as we know, the last time they really screwed it up. Some think we shouldn't bother adding anyone this year, and set up for a bigger expansion next year. I don't think that bodes well, especially if your Horizon is trying to also gear up for an expansion.

You would be hard pressed to argue that moving to the MVC isn't a significant step up. Money, exposure, atmosphere, and competition are all pluses. I do have to agree that multi bid chances take a major blow without WSU, which is not to say it won't be possible. Our team is reloading, but Ben Jacobsen has proved over and over he can produce an at large caliber team. I don't think it's a stretch to say Illinois State could do the same. Most of the rest of the valley have tasted success and have the resources to be strong teams. That doesn't necessarily mean a lot, but at least they put basketball in the driver seat of their athletics. As far as UNI and ISUr jumping ship to go to fbs football, I don't think that is realistic right now. However, if the valley really screws up in filling WSU's void, we might push for a change, but resource wise, it would still be a stretch.

On another note, there are some concerns in the idea of taking you guys in. Fresh off the loss of Bryce Drew, it seems a bit up in the air as far as future success is concerned. Others feel hesitant with your old and relatively small gym, that seemed to struggle with attendance last season. Loyola left a bad taste in people's mouth with their gym and pitiful attendance. Would love to hear your guy's thoughts on those things, because its not always how it appears, and I don't doubt that you all are capable of continuing success.