Grades for each Program

[Valpo14]

As a middle school teacher I thought it would be informative to ask what you think each of our sports programs grades are:
I understand it's not fair for the non scholarship programs ( or the ones with very few) to be graded the same as our fully funded so please adjust accordingly
Mine:
A programs
Men's Golf
B programs
Soccer Volleyball Tennis
C programs
Football ( men's basketball?) Baseball
D programs ( I admittedly don't know much about scholarships etc..)
Track/CC/Swimming/
D programs with scholarships
Women's Basketball
Softball
Women's Golf
I prefer not to give an F in my classroom

[VULB#62]

I'm replying in the context of since joining the MVC

NOTE 1:  I believe that Valpo gives admission preference to athletes and is probably more liberal with need-based financial aid to make enrollment more enticing for any non-athletic scholarship or partial athletic scholarship athlete.

NOTE 2:  Number in parentheses before each sport is the NCAA D-I maximum allowed. I.e., a D-I school is not required to give any athletic scholarships with the exception of MBB and WBB that must be funded by head-count and non-divisible. I believe all other athletic scholarship numbers are equivalency numbers allowing for dividing the money among more athletes than the max number.   

* Designates Valpo programs (to my knowledge) that have some athletic scholarship money in their budget (but may not be at NCAA D-I max). If there is no * then I believe that financial aid is purely based on need like football.

** Fully funded athletic scholarships to NCAA max.

A PROGRAMS
(4.5) MG - damn good every year
(14) WSO* - first team to get an MVC regular season title ever (might be a ** after they dropped MSO and could have moved the few MSO partial schollies to the women's program)

B PROGRAMS
(12) VB** - constantly mentioned as a competitive MVC team. Need to get their first regular or tourney championship to move to A
(8) WT - constantly mentioned as a competitive MVC team. Need to get their first regular or tourney championship to move to A

C PROGRAMS
(NS) Football - finally was in the PFL conversation at least till this season (so far)
(11.7) Baseball* - consistently mediocre but occasionally competitive
(12.6 M, 12.6W) M/W T&F and CC - while not yet in the championship conversation, this program has shown steady improvement each of the last five years in terms of individual PRs and improved placings.
(5) Bowling - started off as #1 in the country but has not been consistently in the national conversation since

D PROGRAMS
(9.9 M, 14 W) M/W Swimming & Diving - have started to improve competitively with the use of the Community swim facility for meets.
(13) MBB** - from riches to rags. Consistent disappointment
(15) WBB** - from rags to rags. Consistent disappointment
(12) Softball* - revolving coaching door
(6) WG - why can't we recruit female golfers the same way we recruit males?

[valpotx]

The sad thing about Men's Soccer is that the MVC seems very stable on that side nowadays, in having added 3 MAC schools to the conference, in addition to the new conference members that offer the sport.  That was such a crap decision to drop the sport

[usc4valpo]

BTW, why wasn't there any actions to can the WBB coach if they are a riches to rags program?

[vu72]

Baseball has to be a D. We finished tied for 7th of 10 last year but have finished last or second last every year in the Valley.  maybe D-.

[Valpo14]

BTW, why wasn't there any actions to can the WBB coach if they are a riches to rags program?

Great question
Perhaps not wanting to have to find 2 new basketball coaches the same year?

[VULB#62]

BTW, why wasn't there any actions to can the WBB coach if they are a riches rags to rags program?

USC, I'm assuming you were quoting from my earlier post, so I fixed it for you  . Actually, I think, with the fix, your question is even more compelling.

[usc4valpo]

How did the WBB program not get addressed? Apathy? they have been brutal.

[vu72]

How did the WBB program not get addressed? Apathy? they have been brutal.

This will be her fifth year out of probably a five year contract.  Given the costs surrounding the firing of Matt and the hiring of Roger, buying out a woman's coach probably didn't make sense financially.  The women's program has historically been awful except during the coaching of Keith Freeman.  Letting him go was probably one of the biggest mistakes Mark LaBarbera made while AD.

[usc4valpo]

good reply, although in the grand scheme of things the cost to get rid of the coach is at a crumbs level, and it is justified.

[historyman]

How did the WBB program not get addressed? Apathy? they have been brutal.

This will be her fifth year out of probably a five year contract.  Given the costs surrounding the firing of Matt and the hiring of Roger, buying out a woman's coach probably didn't make sense financially.  The women's program has historically been awful except during the coaching of Keith Freeman.  Letting him go was probably one of the biggest mistakes Mark LaBarbera made while AD.

I'm guessing that Coach Evans knew how to say a few of the "right" things to AD Small that kept her there to the end of the contract. If she makes some progress this season she "might" get a one or two year contract.

[VULB#62]

UPDATE:  Bowling just beat, in succession, #25 Morgan State, #11 Duquesne, and #3 Nebraska. What does that make VU?

[historyman]

UPDATE:  Bowling just beat, in succession, #25 Morgan State, #11 Duquesne, and #3 Nebraska. What does that make VU?

A unique strike force? A team that is truly Beaconing up?

[rogerwilco]

UPDATE:  Bowling just beat, in succession, #25 Morgan State, #11 Duquesne, and #3 Nebraska. What does that make VU?

It makes them... on a roll.

[IndyValpo]

How did the WBB program not get addressed? Apathy? they have been brutal.

This will be her fifth year out of probably a five year contract.  Given the costs surrounding the firing of Matt and the hiring of Roger, buying out a woman's coach probably didn't make sense financially.  The women's program has historically been awful except during the coaching of Keith Freeman.  Letting him go was probably one of the biggest mistakes Mark LaBarbera made while AD.

I would agree and disagree. If the men's team wasn't a dumpster fire needing addressed I think Evans is gone. I thought and still think the timing of getting rid of Freeman was correct. 3 very bad years and nothing to suggest a turnaround. The biggest issue was his replacement.

[historyman]

UPDATE:  Bowling just beat, in succession, #25 Morgan State, #11 Duquesne, and #3 Nebraska. What does that make VU?

rogerwilco said:

It makes them... on a roll.

Much better. :-)

[valpopal]

UPDATE:  Bowling just beat, in succession, #25 Morgan State, #11 Duquesne, and #3 Nebraska. What does that make VU?

UPDATE: A team without a coach.
[tweet]1719147081481249103[/tweet]

[VULB#62]

Huh???

WTF?

[vu72]

I just saw this.  This sort of announcement, particularly after a decent start to the season, would indicate some sort of impropriety.  We'll probably never know.

[JD24]

I just saw this.  This sort of announcement, particularly after a decent start to the season, would indicate some sort of impropriety.  We'll probably never know.

Agreed. The wording would indicate that somethin's up.