(03-10-2014 10:38 PM)msu_bears Wrote: (03-10-2014 10:20 PM)Chuck A Wrote: Still UIC and Loyola were pretty much neck-and-neck. The deciding factor came down to the ridiculous Public vs Private hogwash! If the Flames are invited, the ratio is 7 public schools to 3 privates and the MVC presidents would've had problems. They already had enough ruckus from the Valley AD's because they invited a program with NO BASEBALL!
this is my biggest problem with the MVC. The conference only has 1 identity: the schools are the biggest basketball team in their respective midwest towns(now loyola is the exception which is the minor team in a major city). But the private vs public, football vs non football, baseball, UNI dropping baseball, 22k students vs 3k students, etc just shows the conference is comprised of some schools that aren't similar. The conference is all about the status quo because nobody can decide on what the conference is, that is why they never went after butler, SLU, or any other powerful mid major programs that could have solidified the conference as a major player but instead they waited for every other conference to make moves and then lose Creighton before the MVC could be forced to do anything...
I agree with much of this, but the MVC had gone after SLU a number of times and been turned down. Elgin would love nothing more than getting SLU in the MVC but it's not going to happen. They have zero desire.
I do think the MVC lacks forward thinking at all. This conference should focus on basketball more than anything else because that's where they can make a name for themselves and get positive publicity. I think Loyola has some potential, but it was a bit of a head scratcher. But at the same time, questions surround a lot of potential schools.
And if the MVC loses a school and adds yet another IL school I'd be pissed. Unless Wichita is the team that leaves than I won't care as much.
Milwaukee has financial issues
Belmont has Coach Byrd issues. What will they be when he retires?
Denver apparently isn't willing to add baseball which apparently the MVC asked them to do. At least that's what I've heard.
ORU acually seems solid but had some financial issues in the recent past.
XDSU's have a location issue.
UIC has a competitiveness issue.
UMKC has a competitiveness and financial issue.
I haven't done much research as I don't expect anyone to leave in the immediate future, but I'd take looks at, in no particular order, Denver, ORU, Murray State, Belmont and the XDSUs. I'm not sure if you could add NDSU without SDSU though. And I'm not sure the MVC wants to go to 12 as the round robin format works great for basketball. But I do think going to 12 could potentially help increase the number of bids and offset any potential loss of NCAA tournament revenue.
Personally, I don't care about the public/private ratio. I just want to see good basketball. I wish Wright State could do something as I think there could be potential there and they're in a good area. But they don't seem to do much. I'd also hoped that Arlington would get their act together as I thought I heard they were going to put more effort into raising their level of basketball but that really hasn't happened. And even if they were better I doubt they could get in because of travel concerns for the eastern schools but being in the Dallas area wouldn't suck. Sort of the same for Little Rock. There's a nonfootball school that just can't do enough with basketball to get in either. Don't know what their financial situation is like.