SLU to MVC

[Panthers to the Bone]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/bryanburwell/story/6094DC75F1EE8C23862572970016DB7F?OpenDocument

Interesting article...what are people's houghts?

[BCPanther]

I would welcome SLU. They have had decent success in the past and they fit really well geographically, obviously.

However, I like 10 teams. If they are added, we need to dump somebody. To be honest, I would like to dump the two Indiana Schools and add SLU and somebody else close to really make this league even more geographically sensible. I could see adding SLU and UW-Milwaukee....

[TravelingPanther]

I was under the impression they would never be welcome.

I'd like to see how NDSU and SDSU do in the Mid-Con, and if they start becoming succesful, add them and start Valley football.

I don't think St Louis has done much for a while. Plus the MVC tourney would be a home game for them.

[joecooll6]

That would ruin our double round robin conference schedule. I really like that. Dont mess with it. They left, dont let em back in! Plus, it would make it tough to get tickets to Arch Madness!

[Panthers to the Bone]

I'm in similar thinking joe.

I love the 18 game, even schedule. Adding another team would make it uneven unless there was a 12th team added. I don't think 12 teams are necessary. Why? We already packed out the ScottTrade Center for the semis and finals. We already draw strong crowds. We have already proven we can get 3-4 bids into the NCAA tournament. With 2 more teams will that really improve the chances at getting more (while adding more teams to revenue share with=less money for each conference team)? My opinion is no.

What it could do, however, is if you added a SLU, there may be more interest in increasing the television package with FSN Midwest (stationed out of STL). If a team like Butler, DePaul, UW-Milwaukee, UI-Chicago (example teams from metro areas), you could add another media market to the MVC arsenal, but really, can that Valley improve that much by adding those schools? I don't think so, b/c teams in conference will still only go .500 as a conference in conference play. Teams have to lose...teams have to win. Also, I know I would personally miss seeing SIU, MSU, Wichita, Bradley, Creighton, etc...if they were not a 'round robin' league, and we saw them in 'The Mac' every year.

[JCPanthers]

We already get crappy seats at the Scottrade Center....adding SLU would probably move all of our seats to the upper deck. Thanks to the Valley!!

[Khan4Cats]

I don't see SLU joining without someone else going, and no one is going anytime soon that I can tell.

My expectation is that we will see a collapse of the Big East and A-10 conferences with Notre Dame taking their BcS Football money and keeping it to themselves by forming a conference of non-BcS schools. You could see the likes of Georgetown, Dayton, Xavier, St. Joes, SLU, Marquette, DePaul...
All private schools with no football or non-scholarship FCS level teams but pretty sound basketball programs. The NCAA would be pressured to waive their waiting period for a conference to earn an automatic bid, the Big East would still have its football schools, the A-10 would be back to an East Coast conference.
Just a thought.

[panther2317]

SLU should have joined a couple of years ago when they had the chance. It was a perfect fit, but I think their administration thought that they were 'a little too good' for the Valley and chose the "rigorous" Atlantic 10 instead. I can't imagine it's great for their budget to have to travel to the east coast for many of their road trips. Did they really think their fans would love to see games vs. Fordham, Duquesne, Richmond and Charlotte? I know Xavier, UMass, Temple and St. Joe's are good name teams, but when was the last time Temple was any good? St. Joe's was a one hit wonder and UMass is decent this year, but hasn't been good since Calipari left for the NBA.

Joining the Valley, from a SLU perspective made a ton of sense. They would have regional rivalries with SIU, MSU, Illinois State and Bradley and the rest of the conference is very solid. Travel would have been at a minimum compared to the old C-USA and the Atlantic 10 and the conference tournament is in their backyard! It seemed like a no-brainer. They (SLU) had a brain fart on that decision.

[ceaser150]

My memory is a little cloudy. Was an invitation extended to SLU 3 1/2 years ago? I don't see what the Valley would get out of adding them, except that it is a larger market. But how important is SLU basketball in St Louis with the Cards, Blues, and Rams also in town?

[UNI MadCat]

I agree with the sentiment that if this were ever seriously considered, you'd also want to add in a team like UW-Milwaukee or UIC and dump the Indiana schools to preserve the 10 teams and round-robin but increase your presence in larger markets. My guess is, its not nearly as easy as it sounds. If it were that easy, the thought of trips to Milwaukee and StL would have to be more appealing (and less expensive) than Terre Haute and Evansville.

[Newsbreaker]

There has been talk lately that the league coaches are pushing for a 16, rather then 18 game, league schedule.

That would mean one home only series a year, and one road only series per year. Add one or two additional teams, and you have a considerably less balanced schedule.

[in_the_stands]

I don't see SLU joining without someone else going, and no one is going anytime soon that I can tell.

My expectation is that we will see a collapse of the Big East and A-10 conferences with Notre Dame taking their BcS Football money and keeping it to themselves by forming a conference of non-BcS schools. You could see the likes of Georgetown, Dayton, Xavier, St. Joes, SLU, Marquette, DePaul...
All private schools with no football or non-scholarship FCS level teams but pretty sound basketball programs. The NCAA would be pressured to waive their waiting period for a conference to earn an automatic bid, the Big East would still have its football schools, the A-10 would be back to an East Coast conference.
Just a thought.

That's the dream of a lot of SLU fans judging from the forums on the St. Louis Post Dispatch website. Also, they see the MVC as inferior in terms of academics and prestige. Pretty snobby of them, I know, but that's their view.

[FerociousCat]

"If it ain't broke..."

If SLU did join the Valley, the conference tourney would almost have to be moved to Kansas City. SLU had some success when Larry Hughes was there, but other than that...
I wonder if this would effect recruiting for SIU, MSU, etc. Those teams rely so heavily on the area. If I was a local kid, I'd much rather play against regional teams in the MVC, then travel to the A-10.

[Newsbreaker]

Academically, they have a point. US News ranks them 77th on the list of "National Universities." They would supplant Drake/Creighton as the "academic class" of the Valley, that's for sure.

[ceaser150]

I think it would be a hard sell to the Indiana schools to move the tourney to KC. Wouldn't Chicago make more sense, or even Iowa City?