Valpo Horizon League rivalries?

[historyman]

Some have mentioned that changing conferences has nothing to do with HL rivalries but I think this makes a good argument for changing conferences. Again I don't think that the MVC and the A-10 are good answers for change of conference. Maybe better than the Horizon but not the real answer. A midwest private religious schools conference with some majors and some mid-majors is the real answer. This will take some real leadership on the part of some presidents and administrators in the midwest to get this to work. In the meantime Valpo needs to get their facilities upgraded as quickly as possible so they are not passed over again by a better conference.


Butler, DePaul, Evansville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Loyola, Detroit, Dayton, Xavier, and others are all possibilities.

You think it's possible Butler, Marquette, and Xavier leave the Big East and Notre Dame the ACC to form a conference with Detroit-Mercy, Evansville, and Loyola?

If done correctly, yes, that conference with a nice Comcast Sports Network or Fox Sports 1 contract, could go a long way with profitability.

[RedHawk]

I don't think schools are going to leave the Big East, so I count that one out. 

I think the Atlantic 10 would be a good fit based on the size of the schools, and it's not a football conference, but they have an even number of teams (14) and I don't see them wanting to expand.

The American conference for basketball only would make some sense to me. They have 11 teams for basketball (Navy makes 12 for football), and they don't have a team in the Chicago area. Lots of well-known teams, but very spread geographically. Travel would be expensive.

I think the best solution is grab Belmont and go to the MVC.

[VULB#62]

Or steal Belmont away from the OVC and add them to the HL while "relegating" the school with the lowest combined MBB and overall sports contribution to the league to the second division.  Oh, wait... there is no second division.

[a3uge]

Not to further derail the topic, but I believe Belmont declined a visit from the MVC when they were deciding between Loyola, UIC, UMKC, and Valpo.

[VULB#62]

Belmont to the HL might make the HL a 2 bid conference.  Right now OVC is a 1 bid and so is the HL.  Lets see how this season plays out and whether Belmont has second thoughts. 

[a3uge]

Belmont to the HL might make the HL a 2 bid conference.  Right now OVC is a 1 bid and so is the HL.  Lets see how this season plays out and whether Belmont has second thoughts.

Belmont isn't going to join the Horizon.

[VULB#62]

Yeah, I agree. But what the heck.

[bbtds]

Let me throw another twist... could the rivalry also consist of "schools where our current students applied... but decided not to attend?"

Augustana! Concordia Wisconsin! Concordia Seward!

BRING THEM ON!!!

How about the other 8 or 9 Concordias? Luther? Wartburg? Carthage? Gustavus Adolphus Gusties? Lenior Rhyne? Wagner? Pac Luth? Tex Luth? Augsburg? Bethany-Kansas? Bethany-Mankato? Cal Luth? Capital? Gettysburg? Grand View? Immanuel-Eau Claire? Muhlenberg? Newberry? MLuth-New Ulm? Roanoke? St Olaf? Susquehanna? Theil (Teel)? TrinLuth? WiscoLuth? and last but not least, Wittenberg? Any others?

[VUfan]

St Olaf,  The Crusader Classic League 

[bbtds]

St Olaf?

St Olaf,  The Crusader Classic League 

One other, Lakeland of Sheboygan, Wisconsin? It ended up as a seminary in the Twin Cities.Played in the Crusader Classic one year.

Lakeland traces its beginnings to German immigrants who, fleeing from religious controversy in Europe, traveled to North America and eventually to the Sheboygan area where they settled in 1847. Even as they struggled for food and shelter, these pioneers thought in terms of higher education for their children.

In 1862, they built Missionshaus (Mission House), a combined academy-college-seminary. The school provided training in the liberal arts followed by a traditional seminary curriculum, as most of the early students were destined to become ministers. As the needs of its students changed, Mission House gradually broadened its purpose. By the end of the century, enrollment was no longer limited to pre-theological students and the college had developed strong programs of study in a wider number of disciplines. A talented, scholarly faculty set high standards for the college early in its existence; standards which have been maintained to this day. Known simply as Mission House for 95 years, the college adopted the name Lakeland in 1956 and the seminary moved to Minneapolis/St. Paul in 1962 to become United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. The era of Mission House had ended, but Lakeland became heir to its campus, tradition and educational mission.

Not exactly Lutheran today but it's origins are from a group mostly intertwined with Lutherans. Reformed, I believe.

[VULB#62]

St Olaf?

St Olaf,  The Crusader Classic League 

One other, Lakeland of Sheboygan, Wisconsin? It ended up as a seminary in the Twin Cities.Played in the Crusader Classic one year.

Lakeland traces its beginnings to German immigrants who, fleeing from religious controversy in Europe, traveled to North America and eventually to the Sheboygan area where they settled in 1847. Even as they struggled for food and shelter, these pioneers thought in terms of higher education for their children.

In 1862, they built Missionshaus (Mission House), a combined academy-college-seminary. The school provided training in the liberal arts followed by a traditional seminary curriculum, as most of the early students were destined to become ministers. As the needs of its students changed, Mission House gradually broadened its purpose. By the end of the century, enrollment was no longer limited to pre-theological students and the college had developed strong programs of study in a wider number of disciplines. A talented, scholarly faculty set high standards for the college early in its existence; standards which have been maintained to this day. Known simply as Mission House for 95 years, the college adopted the name Lakeland in 1956 and the seminary moved to Minneapolis/St. Paul in 1962 to become United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. The era of Mission House had ended, but Lakeland became heir to its campus, tradition and educational mission.

Not exactly Lutheran today but it's origins are from a group mostly intertwined with Lutherans. Reformed, I believe.

Good find (with a slight adjustment).  The seminary moved to the Twin Cities, but the college is actually still in Sheboygan.  It is a D-III school and the "Muskies" compete 18 varsity sports in the NACC along with Concordia Chicago, Wisconsin Lutheran and Concordia Wisconsin.

Today, Lakeland College is a bachelor's and master's degree-granting liberal arts institution related to the United Church of Christ with nearly 3,500 students (900 traditional undergraduate students and 2,600 evening, weekend and online students) from 24 countries, 10 on-campus residence halls and more than 30 majors, including our newest academic programs: aviation, communication and nursing.

In addition we have evening, weekend and online centers in Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin Rapids, Chippewa Valley, Fox Cities, Green Bay and a two-year international campus in Tokyo, Japan.

[bbtds]

It ended up as a seminary in the Twin Cities.

Yes, I should have said they split off a seminary to the Twin Cities. I was thinking of the more religious component of the "Missionhaus," the academy/college/seminary that started in the mid 1800's.

[valpotx]

St Olaf,  The Crusader Classic League 

My dad played in the Crusader Classic for St. Olaf at Valpo (played/started in football, basketball and baseball at St. Olaf).  I believe that is what it was called in the early 70s.

[bbtds]

Before the Crusader Classic was a bowling tournament it was a basketball tournament between Lutheran schools held in Hilltop Gym every year. Some of the colleges invited were St Olaf, Luther, Carthage(WI), Augustana(SD), Augustana(IL), Wartburg, Wittenberg, Pacific Lutheran, Gustavus Adolphus, Augsburg, etc. In 1977 near the end of the time Valpo hosted the Crusader Classic they played Carthage College and the game went to double OT before the Crusaders pulled it out. The pressure was really on the Crusaders because Valpo had never lost a Crusader Classic basketball game. The final score was 94-87. When Valpo decided to switch to Div.I they ended the Crusader Classic and were undefeated in that tournament.