(06-30-2016 03:47 PM)SubGod22 Wrote:  

(06-30-2016 03:35 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(06-30-2016 03:29 PM)SubGod22 Wrote:  

(06-30-2016 02:31 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Sub & Shox,

Current is 4 private/6 public, why wouldn't they add Valpo to get to 5/5 ?


Where are IL St, IN St, UNI, MO St and S Ill reasonably going to go?? Seems like any other regional DI conf (non-FB and FCS) would be a downgrade in bball. Don't think the MAC would take any. Maybe Sun Belt for MO St.

Because I don't think the public schools will allow it is why. Especially considering the private schools are pretty much the bottom 4 in the Valley when it comes to athletics.

I don't know where they'll go, but if the MVC continues to replace teams with teams that will finish near the bottom and bring nothing else to the table then they'll look elsewhere. We've already lost ground in basketball and others have gained quite a bit and if the top of the conference leaves for one of those nearby in ranking, that conference will easily move ahead of the MVC.

Us and Bradley have been down in basketball that's why the MVC has took the nose dive in that sport. We should have a pretty good team this year, 20+ wins. If that doesn't happen Lusk is gone. Bradley made a pretty good hire, but that team was just gutted. Get us two back in the top 6, attendance, RPI, and MVC tournament attendance will go back up as well.

That's definitely true about you and BU, but we still have UE getting much worse and complacent with a coach that will never challenge his team. We still have a Loyola that is just happy to be here. We still have a Drake that somehow continues to get worse. I'm not sure what's going to happen with SIU. The Trees do more with less than most but that's a risky game and their financial situation sucks, much like the IL schools. ISUr is playing a risky game of ignoring character while recruiting and that could blow up at any minute.

Maybe I'm overly negative, maybe not. I've supported the MVC and talked about its potential for a number of years only to see so many schools seem to stop making a real effort to improve. I tried to support the Loyola decision by seeing it from their POV but I'm losing patience with that. I might feel a little better if we'd just expand to 12 with the Dakotas but that will never happen.

Personally, in a perfect world, I'd love to see us, you, UNI and Bradley find a way out and into better situations. I think you all deserve a better chance than what I feel the Valley now provides.

We honestly did need to be in the Chicago market. An Illinois student can attend Missouri State cheaper than they can go to SIU, Illinois State, etc. I would preferred UIC to Loyola. At least they have their games on ESPN radio in Chicago and has a baseball team. But Loyola is rock solid academically and has cash that's the extent to it.