Possible Missouri Valley Conference Expansion

[VUGrad1314]

United has flights nonstop from O'Hare to Paducah Or you can hop your private plane and land in Murray. It's only a six hour drive. Not too bad for the 44th best program in college basketball. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/the-greatest-college-basketball-programs-ever-ranking-the-top-teams-of-all-time-nos-50-26/

Joe, Do you think Murray State's stars are going to stick around next year to experience MVC basketball and make the team's transfer to their new league smoother or do they have other ambitions that will take precedence? I hope they stick around because with Loyola heading out we really need Murray State and Belmont to hit the ground running if we want to stay viable as a multibid conference.

[Just Sayin]

insane kolaches, jerky, pecans, potato chips, breakfast brisket tacos, beaver nuggets, t-shirts, brisket sandwiches, and much much more!!!  Better than the Iowa I80 Truck stop off mile 284 sponsored by UNI.

What's a beaver nugget?  Are you being naughty?

[VUGrad1314]

Brisket tacos\brisket sandwiches do sound pretty good I have to say. But that is ot enough to get a program into a conference I'm afraid. Maybe I'll have to make a stop if I'm ever in Texas though.

[usc4valpo]

What's more important - Valpo being successful or the MVC getting multiple bids?

[VUGrad1314]

What's more important - Valpo being successful or the MVC getting multiple bids?

They're both critically important. Don't forget that the MVC's success IS Valpo's success because tournament appearances and wins by MVC teams means money for VU. Lots of money. Tens of thousands of extra dollars per year per win. If we can't get the bids ourselves we should strive to have a league that can get as many teams in the tournament and therefore hopefully win as many games in the tournament as possible to generate the most money for member institutions. That's why I want as many strong programs in the MVC as possible. It's all about seeding and wins and therefore money that Valpo very desperately needs. 


Valpo would no doubt have been more successful as an individual program had they stayed in the Horizon League but as part of a one and done league where they would struggle to get higher than a 13 seed the financial troubles we are facing would be even worse than they are now without the massive injections of cash Loyola and Drake's success have brought us. Ideally we would rise to a situation where we could have both and Valpo takes command of a multibid MVC but since that seems wholly impossible right now we should be very happy that the MVC has brought in the schools they have brought in so far.


I continue to hold out hope that we will one day see an era where Valpo dominates the MVC or at least is consistently competitive but I just don't see it until certain changes are made.

[usc4valpo]

Totally disagree. Your are nickel and dimming with the multi bid argument. We need to. At this in 7 figures, not 5. Percent

[usc4valpo]

Totally disagree. Your are nickel and dimming with the multi bid argument. We need to look At this in 7 figures, not 5.

[VUGrad1314]

Totally disagree. Your are nickel and dimming with the multi bid argument. We need to. At this in 7 figures, not 5. Percent

What else can we do right now? Unless a big donor shows up out of nowhere  to give us money for the upgrades we need it's not going to happen and it's not like we're going to get where we need to go on the court without a coaching change. The only thing we have as fans is to hope the conference stays strong and generates money for us this way. We're darn sure not going to be able to do it ourselves under Lottich. It sucks to face that reality but the facts don't lie. This program needs a change if it is to have any hope of succeeding in the future. I think that UNI game makes it abundantly clear at this point. 

[may know]

The MVC getting two bids increases Valpo's chance from 1/10 to 1/6. I'm not sure why that question is posed as an either/or, as if supporting the MVC getting more bids precludes supporting Valpo. In reality, the two go hand-in-hand -- we just have to get back to where we were to take advantage of something we previously did not have access to.

[usc4valpo]

You have to wonder if
1. Valpo is not up to the challenge to compete in all facets in the MVC
2. If Valpo runs status quo and appears better, then the quality of the MVC had become diluted

Again Valpo basketball sucks right now and not meeting expectations. If the  Valley gets multiple bids and additional cash, that cash will not be sufficient nor will enable Valpo not to continue a suck state.

[oklahomamick]

Give Lottich some time.  He just needs more time.  Once he recruits his players we will start winning.  He's using Bryce's players who are HL type of players.......

[VUGrad1314]

Murray State's board of regents has advanced the motion to join the MVC with enthusiastic support! It looks like it's done! Just waiting on football applying to the MVFC for 2023 but RacerJoeD says that's mostly a formality at this point! This is awesome! Terrific news for the MVC!

[RacerJoeD]

Exciting day! So glad to join the premier Midwest MM basketball conference.

Not sure our two all conference first team players stay, they both have pro all in their sights. That said I don't expect a major drop off, though maybe some growing pains early on. We have a pretty good recruiting class lined up and we are playing 10 deep so far this season so the talent level is there.

We have a top ten player in Missouri, a four star out of Memphis, Jaxson Edwards out of Cathedral in Indianapolis, and a three star center all committed.

[VUGrad1314]

Exciting day! So glad to join the premier Midwest MM basketball conference. Not sure our two all conference first team players stay, they both have pro all in their sights. That said I don't expect a major drop off, though maybe some growing pains early on. We have a pretty good recruiting class lined up and we are playing 10 deep so far this season so the talent level is there. We have a top ten player in Missouri, a four star out of Memphis, Jaxson Edwards out of Cathedral in Indianapolis, and a three star center all committed.

This is all very very good. I'm very happy to read that! Sounds like Murray State will be just fine. I think growing pains are certainly to be expected both Loyola and Valpo have experienced them but I am confident that the Racers will compete from the jump. I reiterate: this is a great day!

[Just Sayin]

I think growing going backwards pains are certainly to be expected both Loyola and of Valpo

[valpotx]

I don't doubt that UTA didn't want to pay the fee.  It is indicative of how that commuter campus views their sports, and how DFW views the UTA Mavericks.  They are completely irrelevant, even to UTA alums, such as my wife.

[usc4valpo]

Tx - excellent point on commuter schools. Same can be said with UIC, umkc, Omaha, etchings

[wh]

Enrollment impact of Murray State moving to Missouri Valley Conference
Jan 7, 2022 Updated 9 hrs ago 

91% of the Murray State student body is from the Missouri Valley Conference footprint.

https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/enrollment-impact-of-murray-state-moving-to-missouri-valley-conference/video_21441b28-7035-11ec-a3f8-7f56bc290ac6.html

[VUGrad1314]

Tx - excellent point on commuter schools. Same can be said with UIC, umkc, Omaha, etchings

I'm a little nervous about the potential UIC addition but they do have a very solid overall athletic department even if their men's basketball isn't great and their academic reputation is sterling plus they keep us in a very valuable market for MVC schools. There's a lot to like even if the men's basketball isn't up to snuff. With Belmont and Murray State on board maybe we can afford to take the plunge on a "market school" at this point even though I would prefer another solid basketball add like South Dakota State if it were possible.

Enrollment impact of Murray State moving to Missouri Valley Conference Jan 7, 2022 Updated 9 hrs ago  91% of the Murray State student body is from the Missouri Valley Conference footprint. https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/enrollment-impact-of-murray-state-moving-to-missouri-valley-conference/video_21441b28-7035-11ec-a3f8-7f56bc290ac6.html

According to their board of regents at their meeting 80% of their alumni are in this footprint as well. They're such a perfect fit and I'm so glad they're finally here! We definitely need them with Loyola exiting.

[wh]

Tx - excellent point on commuter schools. Same can be said with UIC, umkc, Omaha, etchings

I'm a little nervous about the potential UIC addition but they do have a very solid overall athletic department even if their men's basketball isn't great and their academic reputation is sterling plus they keep us in a very valuable market for MVC schools. There's a lot to like even if the men's basketball isn't up to snuff. With Belmont and Murray State on board maybe we can afford to take the plunge on a "market school" at this point even though I would prefer another solid basketball add like South Dakota State if it were possible.

Enrollment impact of Murray State moving to Missouri Valley Conference Jan 7, 2022 Updated 9 hrs ago  91% of the Murray State student body is from the Missouri Valley Conference footprint. https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/enrollment-impact-of-murray-state-moving-to-missouri-valley-conference/video_21441b28-7035-11ec-a3f8-7f56bc290ac6.html

According to their board of regents at their meeting 80% of their alumni are in this footprint as well. They're such a perfect fit and I'm so glad they're finally here! We definitely need them with Loyola exiting.

The public school search is over. Murray State won. It's now 6-5 publics over privates. The next school this conference adds, whether it's next month or 5 years from now had darn well better be a private school. 7-5 is totally unacceptable. If there are no privates that fit the mold right now, leave it as is.

[VUGrad1314]

I really think the next add is going to be a public and it's going to be UIC I think there's a big difference between adding a football playing public vs a non football public Non football publics function a lot more like private schools anyway and I think the MVC places a high degree of importance on maintaining a presence in the Chicago market UIC is the best and really only way to do that with Loyola gone. Moreover UIC has an excellent academic reputation and a really solid athletic department outside of men's basketball. There's a lot to like there. I don't think the public private balance matters much to the presidents given that we were rumored to be going as high as 14 and every candidate except Belmont was a public. I think we've reached the phase where we are going to accept non football publics as pseudo privates of sorts and I don't see that as a bad thing. Even with an uneven split favoring the public's which has existed throughout much of the MVC's history the conference has thrived and it's members have enjoyed a mostly harmonious coexistence. I expect nothing less in the future regardless of the split between publics and privates. Let's not forget that even with an uneven split this is still by far the most institutionally friendly conference we have ever called home by far in addition to being by far and away the most competitive. I see no reason to be upset even if the conference adds a couple more public schools. As for private schools I really believe St Thomas is eventually coming down the line once they get their feet under them in D1. They have so much potential I have no doubt that the MVC has their eyes on them

[FWalum]

What is sad to me is that if we had added Belmont and Murray 2 years ago, I don't think Loyola is going anywhere. The MVC is probably the top Mid-Major conference and also a perennial multi-bid conference.

[usc4valpo]

Belmont and Murray St. are decent additions. My question is how important it is to have 12 members.

[vu72]

Belmont and Murray St. are decent additions.

Decent?  Talk about hard to please!  Who did you want?  UCLA?   

[VUGrad1314]

What is sad to me is that if we had added Belmont and Murray 2 years ago, I don't think Loyola is going anywhere. The MVC is probably the top Mid-Major conference and also a perennial multi-bid conference.

We can thank the MVC presidents for not having Murray State sooner If they had been willing to go to 11 teams like they should have back in 2017 they would have gotten the Morant Racer teams And we can thank Rick Byrd and Belmont's now retired president who at the time when expansion was being discussed decided against moving. I'm just glad both of these mistakes have now been corrected. I don't think it cost us Loyola though. I think the A10 still has a higher average NET than the MVC even if we add Murray State and Belmont to it right now. Plus the obvious institutional fit of the A10 would be hard for the Ramblers to turn down. The slight bump up in quality of competition for them is just a bonus.