Oakland's Horizon League Announcement Tuesday, May 7th at 4:00 pm????

[a3uge]

Like co14 just said, if Murray State (or Belmont) doesn't want to leave, then why do we blame the Horizon for not adding them? It's absolutely ridiculous that we have posters on here who continually rip the league for not replacing Butler with a magical perfect school without EVER naming/arguing which schools could reasonably added. Seriously just name this school that can be talked politely into moving conferences to the HL.

It's nonsensical at this point to be disappointed at the league for this move. I don't care if it was proactive, reactive, nuclearactive... it's done now and the HL made the right move. Don't take that for granted. Look at the MVC. They added a horrible program without any recent success. They are the best mid major conference in the midwest and replaced their top school with a school that's going to make their RPI worse than if they didn't add anyone. They rushed the move when they didn't have to.

And we want to blast the HL? How about being happy we replaced a school with multiple 250+ RPI seasons and no postseason appearances in over a decade with a school that in the past 5 years has had a better RPI than we've ever had (twice), two tournament appearances, and four 20+ win seasons. And we didn't have to go to the Dakotas to get them.

So instead of directing your anger at an entity that has little to do with the caliber of teams we play in conference, you guys should direct it at some things that DO affect the conference's ability to produce more NCAA bids, better RPIs, etc: How about directing it at UWGB who managed to sink their program into the ground with their idiot coach? Or UWM who hired the most incompetent AD in D1 history and turned a great basketball program into one that plays in a gym twice as bad as the ARC? What about UIC who can't seem to turn their "Chicago Potential" into any actual success? Or YSU ('nuff said)?

[valpotx]

ESPN version:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9252065/oakland-golden-grizzlies-leaving-summit-league-join-horizon-league

[EddieCabot]

+1  As 2014 has said all along, Oakland is a huge upgrade and you should see an immediate improvement in the HL's RPI ranking, # of NCAA bids and NCAA tournament seeding.  Oakland has always played a great non-conference schedule and next year's is no exception.

I still don't get this poster.  He is obviously being a smart a$$ here.  Sometimes he appears to be sincere, and other times he just loves to belittle Valpo and the HL.

Just agreeing with 2014 that the Oakland for Loyola swap is a net positive for the Horizon.  Read the a3uge post above for details of Oakland's recent basketball success.  They'll definitely help the Horizon next year, especially since they are returning 4 starters (including Travis Bader at 22+ ppg) from a team that beat the Horizon's regular and post-season champs.

They also schedule very well in the non-conference.  Next year's schedule has UNC, Gonzaga, UCLA and Cal ... those games will be huge bumps to their (and the league's) SOS and RPI.  Given that the Horizon was 29th in OOC SOS last year, they might be able to learn a thing or two from Oakland on the scheduling front.  I would hope teams would improve schedules on their own, but if not, I support the scheduling guidelines suggested by BigDWSU in another thread.

[valpospartan]

I predict that Oakland is going to have a fairly strong impact on the league - they will not be patsies in many sports.

[a3uge]

+1  As 2014 has said all along, Oakland is a huge upgrade and you should see an immediate improvement in the HL's RPI ranking, # of NCAA bids and NCAA tournament seeding.  Oakland has always played a great non-conference schedule and next year's is no exception.

I still don't get this poster.  He is obviously being a smart a$$ here.  Sometimes he appears to be sincere, and other times he just loves to belittle Valpo and the HL.

Just agreeing with 2014 that the Oakland for Loyola swap is a net positive for the Horizon.  Read the a3uge post above for details of Oakland's recent basketball success.  They'll definitely help the Horizon next year, especially since they are returning 4 starters (including Travis Bader at 22+ ppg) from a team that beat the Horizon's regular and post-season champs.

They also schedule very well in the non-conference.  Next year's schedule has UNC, Gonzaga, UCLA and Cal ... those games will be huge bumps to their (and the league's) SOS and RPI.  Given that the Horizon was 29th in OOC SOS last year, they might be able to learn a thing or two from Oakland on the scheduling front.  I would hope teams would improve schedules on their own, but if not, I support the scheduling guidelines suggested by BigDWSU in another thread.

I honestly thought you were being sarcastic too.  Don't know why... Internet sarcasm is hard at times.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

a3, let's call it your "Bayesian sense" based on his track record, its context, your instinct, etc

It's much more amusing to check out the comments on the DetNews article (than the Freep too)
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130507/SPORTS0203/305070434/Oakland-accepts-invitation-join-Horizon-League?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CSports

UDM-OAKLAND RIVALRY:
So It Begins

[EddieCabot]

I honestly thought you were being sarcastic too.  Don't know why... Internet sarcasm is hard at times.

Understood ... I'll admit I've made one or two sarcastic posts in the past.  In the future, I'll provide some visual aids like this ...

[crusaderjoe]

I doubt anyone on this board is angry or disappointed at the HL for adding Oakland.  However, this does not discount the fact that the HL's move today might just be the most "no brainer" conference move in this whole expansion shuffle aside from when Idaho announced that they were moving from the WAC to the Big Sky for all sports other than football.  "No brainer" conference moves are not proactive.  Being proactive is not just about exercising an LUC for OU swap.  The bigger picture dictates otherwise. Some people on this board see that.

It still remains to be seen whether the Valley erred in taking Loyola.

[valpotx]

I predict that Oakland is going to have a fairly strong impact on the league - they will not be patsies in many sports.

It looks like only their softball team is down this year (possible patsy), with two conference wins.  I know that it isn't exciting to most, but their women's soccer team could end Milwaukee's HL dominance in the sport, and their S&D has always been top notch.

[covufan]

Welcome to Oakland.  This brings the HL back up to 9, and has been in the works since the Butler move to the A-10 - announced more than a year ago.  The HL needs to move a little faster than a year to replace Loyola - hopefully in the next few weeks.

[valpopal]

Oakland fans experience their first advantage of being in the Horizon League: Watching the Oakland Press Conference live in HD on the HL Network.

[classof2014]

The past 3 games between Oakland and Valpo have been decided by a total of 5 points. Should be fun to see them play each other twice a year!

[agibson]

It's much more amusing to check out the comments on the DetNews article (than the Freep too)
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130507/SPORTS0203/305070434/Oakland-accepts-invitation-join-Horizon-League?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CSports

I don't know about the comments, but interesting to see the numbers there.

"The initial move will cost Oakland an exit fee (Summit) of $250,000 and an admittance fee (Horizon) of $882,000.
"

And completely nuts to hear their AD (paraphrased) saying that _80%_ of his athletic budget was spent on travel in the Summit.  He thinks it might now drop to 20-25%.

[milanmiracle]

1993 called and wants its conference back. I vote they rename the conference the Mid-Con...truth in advertising? The only team not from the Mid Con at one point or another...Detroit. Heck, in 1993 this WAS the Mid Con. Everybody now in the "Horizon League" with the exception of Oakland and Detroit, was a member of the Mid Con in 93. Twenty years later, it's the same teams with a different name. Those that come from the sea, return to the sea...

[LaPorteAveApostle]

...and how many NCAA bids did its schools have then?

the conference is like the girl you didn't really notice in junior high, only to find that she had become a 7, 7 and a half in high school.  Maybe an 8 once she fills out, er, expands again.

[VULB#62]

Welcome to Oakland.  This brings the HL back up to 9, and has been in the works since the Butler move to the A-10 - announced more than a year ago.  The HL needs to move a little faster than a year to replace Loyola - hopefully in the next few weeks.

I prefer to think that Oakland replaced LUC (big RPI gain) and we're looking for someone to replace Butler.  I know NKU is not that school, but I'd like to see them be #10.  With those 10 in hand, the attraction to the HL is bigger and a really good RPI school is within our grasp.

[agibson]

I thought there was some tradition of fixing grammar when using quotes?

From Paul Oren's piece on the Oakland addition
http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/oakland-accepts-invitation-to-horizon-league/article_0c5a07b6-73d6-5b89-8393-f5f41a1b0f4e.html

"I think it's fantastic," Valparaiso men's basketball coach Bryce Drew said. "Us, more than anyone else (in the Horizon League), has a tradition with Oakland. We've played extremely competitive games and we were becoming quite a rivalry (in the Mid-Con)."

Us has?  Man.

[valpotx]

Interesting to see that Oakland has been added to the top of the HL website, without any 'coming 2013-2014' note:

http://www.horizonleague.org/

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I thought there was some tradition of fixing grammar when using quotes?

Pretty sure that's been dying if not totally killed off.  If you read Sergei Fedorov quotes back in the day, you'd have thought he was a native speaker; whereas if you read Pavel Datsyuk quotes these days, you'd have thought they actually translated it into gibberish.

[VULB#62]

From Paul Oren's piece on the Oakland addition
http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/oakland-accepts-invitation-to-horizon-league/article_0c5a07b6-73d6-5b89-8393-f5f41a1b0f4e.html

Valparaiso vs. Oakland
All-time Records

Men's Basketball: 17-5

Women's Basketball: 9-13

Volleyball: 17-3

Baseball: 19-15

Softball: 13-13

Men's Soccer: 3-6-1

Women's Soccer: 4-7-1

[LaPorteAveApostle]

That's 82-62-2, for those of you scoring at home.

POINT VALPO

[a3uge]

I thought there was some tradition of fixing grammar when using quotes?

Pretty sure that's been dying if not totally killed off.  If you read Sergei Fedorov quotes back in the day, you'd have thought he was a native speaker; whereas if you read Pavel Datsyuk quotes these days, you'd have thought they actually translated it into gibberish.

Pavs, you have been accused of using magic while on the ice. What do you have to say about this?

***Pulls a Sammy Sosa and pretends not to speak English***

[zvillehaze]

Here's a blog entry from Paul Oren that I haven't seen linked yet.

http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/oakland-is-the-right-fit-for-horizon-league/article_3a679bfa-b8c1-11e2-ab6d-001a4bcf887a.html

Nicely done, but noticed he stated something about Valpo being "back in a conference with two members from the old Mid-Con".  Aren't there more than two or am I missing his point?

[Chuck A]

Yeah, everybody's from the old Mid-Con except Detroit.

[VULB#62]

Here's a blog entry from Paul Oren that I haven't seen linked yet.

http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/oakland-is-the-right-fit-for-horizon-league/article_3a679bfa-b8c1-11e2-ab6d-001a4bcf887a.html

I took this quote out:

"The Horizon League is a much better basketball league than the Summit League. Trading Oakland for Loyola will only strengthen the league."

It also diminished the summit.