http://goshockers.com/sports/2015/5/27/W...ities.aspx

Here are the market sizes for the largest TV markets in the country. Dallas and Houston are in the top 10, but Memphis is #48, New Orleans is #53 and Tulsa is #61. Wichita sits at #69. The smallest market in the AAC is Greenville at #103.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/09...ates/5037/

Wichita is the 49th largest city in the nation (in population). Here is its Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wichita_kansas

The MVC is one of the oldest conferences in the nation and was established the same year Oklahoma became a state - 1907. Present AAC members Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and TU have all been past members. Other members have included two present Big10 teams Nebraska and Iowa, five Big12 teams Iowa St, Kansas, KSU, Oklahoma, OSU, and Missouri presently of the SEC.

Notice the small map in the middle of the wiki page in the "membership timeline" section showing the members geographic map locations and how isolated WSU is becoming - especially if the MVC loses Missouri St in Springfield. Notice the AAC western schools are geographically as close/closer than most of the members of the MVC to Wichita.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_V...Conference

Here is a comparable list of cities by population rank.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Un...population

Bump.

Just a look at the AAC we have today shows that it needs more west-east balance. Some of the western programs that play the so-called minor sports need that extra program to balance out the non-football teams and allow easier travel and good rivalries in the west. So IMO the program that can remedy all those problems sits in Wichita, Kansas.

Here is a breakdown of the West versus East total schools fielding sports other than Football.

Sponsored Sports (other than FB)----------------West/East Comparative Number of schools

Mens Soccer----------------------------------------------------------3-5

W Soccer--------------------------------------------------------------4-6

Volleyball--------------------------------------------------------------5-6

MBB--------------------------------------------------------------------5-6

WBB--------------------------------------------------------------------5-6

Baseball----------------------------------------------------------------3-5

Softball-----------------------------------------------------------------3-4

Those are all the sports sponsored by the league except football of course which allows Navy football. So just looking at the numbers you can readily see that an additonal western member that plays those sports and is fairly strong with a good history in them should be considered. And the additonal advantage of being a drivable destination. So with the one exception of Soccer, the league balances out in almost every sport played for the title in the west. A blanced league is a better league imo.

Wichita St plays all those sports listed except soccer and has a very good history of competition in them.

Bump

Bump

Again, WSU proves it is a quality program by defeating a Final Four team from last year, OU in Oklahoma City 76-73. The Shockers have now beaten TU, OU and LSU for three very good quality wins with their only losses so far to #10 Louisville and #24 Michigan St. For a team in a mediocre league (the MVC) the Shockers play nationally relevent basketball in front of sell out crowds every week and travel many of those fans wherever they compete. If you compare WSU basketball to some of the other teams who tend to sit at the bottom of the AAC, there is none.

The AAC needs another basketball team!!!!! Lets see, who could we invite?!

The objective should be to make the AAC into a very strong major conference in basketball that is greater than the Big East (who doesn't have FB). Once that is accomplished, the AAC can then be fully recognized as a P6 league that has surpassed all the G5 in every way and could legitimately sit down with the powers of the NCAA and demand inclusion in the playoff discussions if there ever is an expansion of the Final Football Four to an Elite 8.

This topic has already been posted on the Rivals board several times already. Hasn't shut the board down yet. I agree Wichita St. is no-brainer for AAC. It would balance out the football only Navy.

Watched the WSU vs Southern Illinois game tonight which was a dominant 87 to 45 win in Wichita. The Shockers are now 18-4 and certain to be "IN" the NCAA tourney again no matter how they do in the MVC tourney.

I did learn something that is pretty impressive about Wichita St. They have drawn at least 10,000 attendance for 193 consecutive games to Koch Arena. (That was from the announcer on the TV feed.) Obviously, WSU is a very strong program and would be a great addition to the AAC which often struggles with attendance issues. The only problem might be that some of the other programs in our conference wouldn't be able to keep up.

This additon of a 12th MBB team needs to happen as soon as this basketball season is over in March. Get-er-done!

Athlon Sports magazine usually makes a preseason prediction of teams they think are NCAA tourney worthy. Right or wrong it is a way to gauge the strength or weakness of a conference in the eyes of the media and nation. Their prediction was that the AAC would get three teams into the "dance" - UCONN, Cincinnati and SMU. So with the UCONN slide to mediocrity this year, the league lost one of those and it looks like there won't be another AAC team to replace the Huskies. But the WSU Shockers are an annual preseason pick which shows they have a head start to get in.

This Saturday when we play SMU, at about the same time WSU will be playing the only team in the MVC that has any chance of dethroning the Shockers - Illinios St. The game is at WSU which is a very difficult place to win. Obviously if WSU wins that game, they will not only be IN the NCAA again, but probably a fairly high seed - probably a higher seed than anyone in the AAC except Cincinnati.

The AAC should be a multi bid league every year (at least three in), but that may not occur this time. Cincy, SMU and who else? With a very young team, TU just needs to get into any tournament that gives them extra work, and a CBI would be better than a one and done NCAA. But for the good of the AAC we need three, four or more NCAA bids every year. WSU would come close to assuring that. IMO

5 Year Trends and Average # of Wins per Comparable Team 2012-2016


Team----------Total Wins-------------Average Wins Per Year
Cincinnati--------120-----------------------24
Memphis---------118-----------------------23.6
UCONN-----------117-----------------------23.4
SMU--------------107-----------------------21.4
Temple-----------104-----------------------20.8
Tulsa---------------99-----------------------19.8
Houston------------87-----------------------17.4
ECU----------------81------------------------16.2
UCF----------------79------------------------15.8
Tulane-------------79------------------------15.8
USF----------------63------------------------12.6

WICHITA ST------148------------------------29.6
****(2012 27 wins/2013 30 wins/2014 35 wins/2015 30 wins/ 2016 26 wins)***The shockers are currently 20-4.

As you can see the Shockers have the best winning percent 5 year trend. Of course, they don't play in the AAC, but that is still an excellent winning trend over that period.

Source - Sporting News College Basketball Magazine

WSU beat Illinois St yesterday who had upset them earlier at Normal, Illinois. WSU won by a runaway score of 86-45. WSU is now in first place in the MVC with an overall record of 21-4. They are certain to be in the big dance and may well be ranked this week. All five starters in the game last night will return next year.

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2016/12/1...lley-rumor

At the end of the article, the writer envisions a number of replacements for WSU, should they (WSU) make the move. But IMO they left out a program that fits the MVC like a glove - ORU with competitive mens and womens basketball as well as a very good baseball program and is a perfect geographic fit.
IMO ORU would jump at the chance. They are as close to WSU as any available program that would listen to the MVC. ORU has the facilities, the tradition and the potential to be a Valley team imo.


http://www.oruathletics.com/landing/index

http://www.oruathletics.com/ORUFacilities

An example of ORU being a good fit in the MVC for instance, is that they already play several MVC teams in other sports like baseball. The baseball schedule this year includes Valley programs (in other sports) Missouri St, Dallas Baptist, ND St, SD St as well as the WSU Shockers. So there is a scheduling connection that already exists between the MVC and ORU. And certainly the facilities at ORU would be comparable or better than any in the remaining MVC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_Rober...s_baseball

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_Rober...basketball

This weeks AP MBB Poll:

11. Cincinnati
25. SMU
26. Wichita St

** WSU (21-4) has 5 games remaining in the regular season and will be heavily favored in all. Then they will be the top seed in the MVC Tournament so there is a decent chance they will reach the 30 win plateau again by advancing in it. They should also get a good seed in the NCAA Tourney and a great opportunity to advance there and have even a better record.

If anyone is interested, the Shockers play Missouri St at Wichita tonite on CBS SN at 8pm. The WSU record is presently at 21-4 and 11-1 in the MVC.

WSU beat MSU last night in Wichita 80-62. They are now 22-4 and should be in the top 25 polls this week from their #26 last week. They are beating every team in the MVC by huge double digits.

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One of my hopes is that the NCAA tournament rounds that will be played here will draw some good teams that will bring good crowds to the BOK. WSU draws so well and travels so well that it would really make the NCAA here a success.

Then next year, the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita hosts their first/second rounds. Since we are such a young team this year, next season should give us hope for an NCAA bid and if that were to occur, Wichita would be ideal for a short travel destination.

There is a pool of teams I'd like to see here this year. (Of course not all would be assigned to Tulsa). (Teams that normally would be great draws like OU won't be coming with their unexpected down year, but there are still several nice possibilities).

RabidTU's Hoped For Pool of Teams (Partial List)

Kansas
Creighton
Oklahoma St
SMU
Baylor
Wichita St
AAC Selects (Memphis, Houston, Tulsa)
SEC Selects (Arkansas, LSU, Texas A@M, Missouri)
B12 Selects (Tech, UT, TCU, K-State)

Selects are teams that unexpectedly win their conference tourney or are surprise committee picks.