Possible Missouri Valley Conference Expansion

[vu84v2]

RacerJoeD - Thanks for the briefing. I think that you might be undervaluing the niceness of the people in Murray. I had some dealings with the university a few years back and found people to be very friendly and welcoming.

[wh]

Like I have said if football is the holdup for Murray State to the MVC we should have a resolution soon because there will be spots opening up. I can't understand what other holdup there could be beyond petty BS that shouldn't be part of the decisionmaking process so I'm assuming it is indeed football related until I hear concrete proof otherwise.

Some bright university presidents have this under control and will do what's in the best interest of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Trust the plan.

[VUGrad1314]

I know it's just more grist for the rumor mill but.... This could be what's holding everything up. Murray State and the MVC could very well be ready to announce their partnership but the OVC might (somewhat understandably given their current state) be being petty about the Racers' teams vis a vis autobid qualifications in sports. I don't understand why conferences do this. All it does is delay the announcement it doesn't make them reconsider and just creates ill will and hurt feelings while accomplishing nothing.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-934351.html

[wh]

I know it's just more grist for the rumor mill but.... This could be what's holding everything up. Murray State and the MVC could very well be ready to announce their partnership but the OVC might (somewhat understandably given their current state) be being petty about the Racers' teams vis a vis autobid qualifications in sports. I don't understand why conferences do this. All it does is delay the announcement it doesn't make them reconsider and just creates ill will and hurt feelings while accomplishing nothing.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-934351.html

Two related thoughts:
• In general, conferences have increased their penalties substantially for member schools that don't give proper notice before moving to another conference (several million dollars in many cases). Maybe the OVC is playing hardball on the amount? Maybe the MVC won't help Murray State pay the penalty? Who knows?
• Or, how about this? Commissioner Jackson made a point of saying the MVC is a bb conference. Period. Maybe he doesn't want to add a school with football program baggage. It's football (and not even big time football) that is causing all of this silly game of conference hopping. With Murray State they have to find a place for their FB program to reside. Maybe there's a risk that they might want to move to a FB conference in the future, something that never came into play with Loyola, Valpo, or Belmont. Maybe there's people on the selection committee who don't want to risk becoming part of the next football cluster? Who knows?

[VUGrad1314]

I know it's just more grist for the rumor mill but.... This could be what's holding everything up. Murray State and the MVC could very well be ready to announce their partnership but the OVC might (somewhat understandably given their current state) be being petty about the Racers' teams vis a vis autobid qualifications in sports. I don't understand why conferences do this. All it does is delay the announcement it doesn't make them reconsider and just creates ill will and hurt feelings while accomplishing nothing. https://csnbbs.com/thread-934351.html

Two related thoughts: • In general, conferences have increased their penalties substantially for member schools that don't give proper notice before moving to another conference (several million dollars in many cases). Maybe the OVC is playing hardball on the amount? Maybe the MVC won't help Murray State pay the penalty? Who knows? • Or, how about this? Commissioner Jackson made a point of saying the MVC is a bb conference. Period. Maybe he doesn't want to add a school with football program baggage. It's football (and not even big time football) that is causing all of this silly game of conference hopping. With Murray State they have to find a place for their FB program to reside. Maybe their's a risk that they might want to move to a FB conference in the future, something that never came into play with Loyola, Valpo, or Belmont. Maybe there's people on the selection committee who don't want to risk becoming part of the next football cluster? Who knows?

Trust me when I say that Murray State football isn't going to be taking the Racers anywhere. This is a basketball school through and through.

[VUGrad1314]

Weird and interesting to hear this. Even those closer to the situation have no idea what's going on. I really hope they get announced soon to take the attention off of our struggles. If we're not going to or for whatever reason can't pull our weight in this conference then the conference would be well suited to find programs that can. Murray State is as good a bet as any program out there to be one of those programs that can.

https://twitter.com/MattBrownEP/status/1456434728018620421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1456434728018620421%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

[vok22]

Loyola to the A-10 next year. My guess is that is the reason the Murray addition was held up. Belmont would keep us at 10, Murray would put us at an odd 11. Either stay with just Belmont or find another team to bring in with Murray to bring us to 12.

[elephtheria47]

Ouch.

[VU75]

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reports MVC pursing UT Arlington , Murray State and ..........UMKC.

[VUGrad1314]

I mean this always made sense for Loyola once their commitment and performance were obvious. I'm not surprised or really upset (they're doing what's best for their program) I just really don't like that we couldn't bring Belmont and Murray State into a league where there were no defections so that the maximum benefit of their additions could be realized. I am fully on board with Murray State as a subsequent addition (assuming they're still interested) but Good God I can't believe we're about to add Arlington and UMKC. Nothing against those institutions. They are fine academic adds but they bring NOTHING athletically and make the conference much worse (Not that we have been much help since we joined either so I guess we shouldn't complain). That said if we were going to go for market based additions I really wish we had added Milwaukee Wright State NKU Oakland schools that might actually be able to contribute on the hardwood. Or if we were going after the Summit League why not the Dakotas St Thomas or Oral Roberts? With Arlington and UMKC we are taking bad schools (athletically) far away. I wish we were keeping our footprint tighter.

[oklahomamick]

UIC before any of those schools.....

[Chairback]

I don't see the rush to add another unless someone else is leaving.  Belmont is a fantastic addition.   10 is a good balance

[VUGrad1314]

UIC before any of those schools.....

UIC before most of the HL teams I mentioned? Why?

I don't see the rush to add another unless someone else is leaving.  Belmont is a fantastic addition.   10 is a good balance

I disagree. Murray State is absolutely needed now. NKU would be very good as well to get to 12. If we countered the loss of Loyola with Murray State and NKU we might be able to come out of this just as strong as we were before. If not at least not significantly weaker.

[oklahomamick]

UIC because it's Chicago, academics and has one of the better baseball facilities.  I think with the right coach and maybe some increase in spending they could really put something together.  Plus we can't beat them the last 2 years.....

UIC has a higher ceiling than any of the other HL schools. 

[tiny707]

UIC....

[covufan]

UIC because it's Chicago, academics and has one of the better baseball facilities.  I think with the right coach and maybe some increase in spending they could really put something together.  Plus we can't beat them the last 2 years.....

UIC has a higher ceiling than any of the other HL schools.

UIC light years before UMKC. It is a joke that anyone is seriously considering UMKC. Summit to WAC back to Summit and then somehow springboard into MVC?


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[valpo64]

I have heard that UMKC is a very poor academic institution with poor facilities  Sorry but I cannot rate the source.      Let's relax with 10 in the Valley.

[oklahomamick]

Kansas City is actually a good academic school.  A lot of post graduate programs.  It's next to the Plaza in KC.  Great area to shop and dine.  But they don't get my vote.....

Don't forget UIC was strongly considered years ago when the MVC came to Loyola and Valpo's campus. 

[Just Sayin]

If UIC would come to the MVC, we would absolutely kick their butts.

[VUGrad1314]

If UIC would come to the MVC, we would absolutely kick their butts.

Once we have a different better coach maybe.

UIC because it's Chicago, academics and has one of the better baseball facilities.  I think with the right coach and maybe some increase in spending they could really put something together.  Plus we can't beat them the last 2 years..... UIC has a higher ceiling than any of the other HL schools.

Chicago has such a crowded sports\CBB scene. Loyola's ascension makes it difficult for me to believe we would see lightning strike twice there but I suppose it's possible. I'd much rather roll the dice on them than Arlington or KC. They are closer and we would reliably pull students out of that market as opposed to praying we can convince a bunch of Texas kids to come here. It's just not realistic. I feel the same way about Milwaukee. They'd be a coach and some commitment away and unlike UIC they've actually shown that before. If we're making not so good basketball decisions can we at least have them be close to the footprint so that we have a good shot at recruiting students and have drivable interesting games for the fans? No one's coming out to see Arlington but they will for Milwaukee because of that history and our former shared history.


Ideally we do the following:


Murray State NKU and UIC right now (since I think Missouri State is gone. It's one thing to stay and remain loyal to the MVC with Loyola still in it It's quite another to see them leave hear the likes of Arlington and KC being bandied about and look at a CUSA that held on to WKU and MTSU and also has good basketball programs like Liberty and New Mexico State in it. I could see them leaving which is why I advocate adding three right now.


Tell Milwaukee they're absolutely on deck if they turn things around. Same message to Wright State if they can get their house in order.


Tell St Thomas and Bellarmine that we are monitoring them and if they continue to progress they will receive much consideration later especially if a vacancy (Illinois State and\or UNI to FBS?) should occur. If Milwaukee can turn things around, and\or Wright State gets it together financially going as high as 14 would be palatable. if not I would be pretty content with UIC NKU and Murray State being added (assuming Missouri State is gone) and rolling with that 12 team lineup. If Missouri State stays then UIC gets waitlisted. NKU is just the better add athletically and with the loss of Loyola we're going to need some punch in that department. I believe that boosting the academic profile of the conference is far easier than boosting the athletic profile. There are fewer additions that move the needle athletically than there are that do so academically. We can always add a school with a good academic reputation struggling athletically but only if our league continues to remain solid athletically. With Loyola gone especially we need to be prioritizing athletic prowess with any additions we make.

Unless of course being a multibid conference in multiple sports just isn't something we're very interested in anymore. In which case I am very sad and disappointed.  And with names like Arlington and KC being among the top mentioned it sure does sound that way. The one saving grace is that Norlander mentioned that this was all before Loyola decided to leave. Hopefully that will cause the MVC presidents to recalibrate their thinking in a more athletically centered direction and help the league weather this storm. There's a chance we can emerge from this no worse for wear but we need to do it right. Adding KC and Arlington is doing it wrong. Reshuffle the board and put NKU and UIC at the top alongside Murray State. I'm willing to roll the dice on a big market school that hasn't shown much recently but let's make that school be in Chicago or Milwaukee rather than all the way in Texas especially with Missouri State being a massive flight risk.

[usc4valpo]

SFA

[valpotx]

SFA

Noooooooooo.  Also, noooooooooo to UMKC

[VUGrad1314]

And noooo to Arlington. Todd Golden nails it here. If we want to get into new markets there are far better choices than the ones rumored. Also Murray State is a must for the on court value they bring.

https://www.tribstar.com/sports/todd-aaron-golden-mvc-needs-to-hit-sweet-spot-between-markets-and-good-basketball-fit/article_90adeba4-82af-509f-8768-22e6d6ff3454.html

[VUGrad1314]

The most optimistic thing I can post about Valpo right now is this: The last time we were in a multibid conference that lost its signature member to the A-10 we stepped up and became the flagship member of that conference (even though it lost multibid status). Maybe that can repeat itself but we need to wake up and commit to the program ASAP if we want to make that happen. And we might have to go in a new direction as far as coaching goes. Sorry but I think it's pretty much time at this point. Lottich is going to have to turn it around really quick to change my mind there.

[VALPO LI]

And noooo to Arlington. Todd Golden nails it here. If we want to get into new markets there are far better choices than the ones rumored. Also Murray State is a must for the on court value they bring.

https://www.tribstar.com/sports/todd-aaron-golden-mvc-needs-to-hit-sweet-spot-between-markets-and-good-basketball-fit/article_90adeba4-82af-509f-8768-22e6d6ff3454.html

Good read.  It makes sense to have the MVC concentrate it's expansion search within the Midwest.  UIC, Milwaukee, NKU, (maybe). Kansas City doesn't stand out for me either but location wise it works.  Does the MVC poach any other OVC schools SIUe, EIU, any of the remaining Tennessee schools or would Kansas City be a better fit for the Valley?  All just seem a bit blah.
On a side note the digs keep coming towards Valpo's facilities.
"...no one wants a repeat of Valparaiso, which hasn't made any significant investment in its facilities since its gained MVC entry." Keep plugging the holes in this sinking ARC.