Valpo to be visited by MVC this week, thoughts?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I currently work in the library and from what I heard of the Moellering Library it was dump and same with the old union.

I used to work in the library m'self, and it was, pretty much.  At least in the basement with the Archives.

[milanmiracle]

If Valpo does not get an invitation to join the MVC, it will most likely be due to our inferior (by comparison) athletic facilities.  Some of us on this board have said repeatedly things like you can't have your cake and eat it too, we are living on borrowed time, the credit for our bb program goes strictly to the Drews who have succeeded despite the lack of support from the university to upgrade the ARC, etc.  Athletic facility needs should have been planned for years ago and built piecemeal into various campus improvement initiatives over the years - but they weren't.  So here we are when it comes time to put on a dog and pony show for MVC officials, trying to explain how we have a glorified high school gym for men's basketball (our glory sport), an NCAA sponsored inter-collegiate track and field program with no track facilities, a football field that (well, everyone knows the drill), while our competitors are proudly displaying their new this and modern that.  Someone would actually have to lie to make a statement to the search committee that the university fully supports its athletic programs.  I'm sure that whoever represented Valpo conveyed how they have big plans for facility improvements in the future, but why would anyone believe them. Excuses and promises don't make for a very convincing presentation.

For those in the brotherhood who have steadfastly defended past decisions by the administration and board to ignore athletic facility needs in favor of everything else, I hope you don't complain if/when we get turned down. A day of reckoning has been coming for a long time and frankly it's probably long overdue.   

[VULB#62]

Don't know if anybody has posted this before and if so my apologies. The athletic department is adding folks and in addition to ml2, now have added an experienced major gift officer specific to athletics.  Ifthey don't get something launched soon then there are other significant issues.

I have it on pretty good authority that individual coaches' fund raising activities going forward are being put on hold until these two put together a coordinated plan for the whole department.  That's good from a planning standpoint I guess, but planning takes time and we're losing daylight and the hay ain't getting made.  Short-term, it also stifles coaches' initiative and creates a chilling effect. 

[valpotx]

I currently work in the library and from what I heard of the Moellering Library it was dump and same with the old union.

I used to work in the library m'self, and it was, pretty much.  At least in the basement with the Archives.

The basement at Moellering was a perfect place to film one of those ghost hunting shows lol.  It was creepy, and I don't get get creeped out much. 

[agibson]

I'm a geography major so I'm in the new Kallay-Christopher Hall which is very nice and much better than still being in the basement of Neils.

Geo-met was, I believe, in the basement of Mueller.  (Where Homer's office, among other things, is now located.  But it's had some upgrading in the meantime.)

It's Physics and Astronomy, alas, that's in the basement of Neils and has been since the building was constructed (or at least since it was finished).

[VULB#62]

I currently work in the library and from what I heard of the Moellering Library it was dump and same with the old union.

I used to work in the library m'self, and it was, pretty much.  At least in the basement with the Archives.

The basement at Moellering was a perfect place to film one of those ghost hunting shows lol.  It was creepy, and I don't get get creeped out much.

I'm a geography major so I'm in the new Kallay-Christopher Hall which is very nice and much better than still being in the basement of Neils.

Geo-met was, I believe, in the basement of Mueller.  (Where Homer's office, among other things, is now located.  But it's had some upgrading in the meantime.)

It's Physics and Astronomy, alas, that's in the basement of Neils and has been since the building was constructed (or at least since it was finished).

[valpopal]

Rumors are circulating at Loyola's athletic department that it is expecting to be invited to join the MVC. This coincides with today's naming of Sheryl Swoopes as its head women's basketball coach.

[agibson]

This coincides with today's naming of Sheryl Swoopes as its head women's basketball coach.

Wow!

I mean, her only coaching experience is apparently a stint as an assistant high school coach.  But, wow!

[valpotx]

I'll believe the Loyola rumor as much as I did UIC.  Until it has something backing it, I don't care what a school's administration 'thinks' is assured.    I just don't see the MVC adding a school that doesn't have baseball, unless Loyola is committing to do so in the future.  I know that they are adding DBU for baseball only, but it just doesn't make sense to add an all sports team without your second best sport...

[wh]

It's like competing against 2 poor performing co-workers for a position with another company and they beat you out because they're wearing fancy suits and shiny shoes paid for a rich daddy that you don't have.  Never mind that they are 2 of the biggest underachievers your company has, or that they would have to completely reinvent themselves to make a positive impact on the other company.

[crusaderjoe]

LUC to the MVC?

http://www.ksdk.com/sports/article/375070/6/Loyola-Chicago-to-join-the-Missouri-Valley-Conference

[LaPorteAveApostle]

[valpotx]

I'll wait for the big boy networks to confirm that Loyola was invited.  It would be a dumb move by the MVC if they only invited Loyola, so I would have to think that if this is true, that they are going to have an additional 2 by end of month.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Again, this is similar to last year's HL rigmarole in that many felt it would take 3 good schools to replace the loss of one great one.

I'm sure you're right, Tx.  The MVC couldn't sell "Loyola for Creighton, everybody!" any more than we could "Ladies and gentlemen, now batting for B----r, OAKLAND!!!"

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Well...more smoke.

Evansville:
http://www.courierpressblogs.com/sports/ue/?p=4295

WHOI (Peoria):
https://twitter.com/hoijim/status/323158907377815552

In the latter, note that this seems to be the prelude to 12, not a singular action...

EDIT:  I refuse to believe it until Jimmy the Panther says it's not going to happen

[Dave_2010]

This is disappointing for a handful of reasons. Hopefully this rejection will get the administration's attention and encourage to move the timetable for athletic facility renovations forward. I wouldn't be shocked if the A-10 makes a move at a couple of the eastern HL schools in the event of any more defections in its ranks (read: SLU, Dayton).

On another note, Jim LeCrone needs to hit a homerun with any possible replacements. Oakland (or any other Summit school) will impress nobody. Ideal world is Murray State and Belmont, but I'm not sure why either school would want to make the jump. The OVC has better geography for them and has been consistently earning higher seeds recently (Butler excluded).

[valpopal]

David Woods, Butler basketball reporter for the Indianapolis Star, is reporting in tweets that both UIC and Loyola will go to the MVC with the possibility of another addition to make the total in the conference an even 12:

"Horizon losing both Chicago schools" ... "Both to the Missouri Valley" ... "Who knows if MVC is done? Could add another for 12th member."

Who knows? 

[VULB#62]

This is disappointing for a handful of reasons. Hopefully this rejection will get the administration's attention and encourage to move the timetable for athletic facility renovations forward.

Doubt it.  Their attention is focused in other more spiritual directions.   

[classof2014]

If Loyola is the only team going to the MVC I'll be SHOCKED!!! They suck! From what I read there's nothing saying valpo got rejected. Possibly, they could go to 12. Picking up Loyola makes no sense what-so-ever. Replacing a to 25 Creighton with a top 250 Loyola... Makes no sense. Still think the expansion to 12 is very possible.

[valpotx]

It's probably going to be UIC/Loyola/ORU.  The MVC appears to value potential versus proven results.  UIC and Loyola have been terrible in the main revenue sport for a very long time.  I still think that Belmont and Denver are too far outside their main region, and UMKC is just plain awful at everything they do.  We don't have the facilities to improve our conference situation anytime in the near future unfortunately, regardless of winning sports programs

[classof2014]

I still think Valpo has a better chance than UIC does. I see 6 public and 6 private. I think that's the route they're gonna go. Valpo, Loyola, and ORU all coming to the MVC. Evens it up at 6 and 6. Makes sense.

[wh]

Here's what some of our "higher profile" posters are saying, unfortunately choosing not to contribute anything to this forum to say it (but that's a topic for another day):

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/323188992260575234

[valpotx]

Well, if it is just Loyola from the HL, hopefully the administration does see that athletic facility improvements are necessary in order to increase Valpo's name recognition to get into one of the top mid-major conferences we aspire to be in.  The other improvements around campus have been great and needed, so hopefully a new campaign starts soon to allow for a future move to the MVC.  I don't see Wichita State staying around another few years, so there will be other openings in the future.  Their administration has talked about adding football again for years, and the MWC would love to have them as a program.

Who would the HL be adding?  Oakland seems like the most logical answer at the moment, and will get us to 6 baseball teams if UIC is not invited to the MVC.  Do we look to the Dakotas?  Though outside of the footprint, they aren't far enough away to ignore their various teams having success on a national level.  It is a lot better option than the local teams of IPFW, IUPUI, etc.  Murray State is not coming, and neither is Robert Morris or Belmont. 

[agibson]

Well...more smoke.

At least these rumors come with expiration dates, more or less...

"will be announced as the its newest member at a news conference Friday"

[wh]

Comment from a WSU poster (and I don't mean Wichita State):

If this is true I just hope the MVC stops at 10 and only adds Loyola. We could immediately add Oakland and have enough baseball teams to keep our automatic bid and be a stronger basketball conference just by swapping teams.

I agree with this assessment.  Oakland's men's bb program has done extremely well in recent years, especially given all the recruiting disadvantages associated with being in the far NE corner of a low major conference that is spread out across a third of the country.  Put them in the HL and they will be a top 3 or 4 program within 2 or 3 years, as opposed to perennial bottom-feeder Loyola. Obviously, the HL has more work to do than that, but it would be a great start.  As mystified as I am about the MVC choosing Loyola, the plain truth is they are an RPI killing anchor whose contributions won't be missed.