It's probably a longshot, but does anyone think New Mexico State could have a shot at joining the Missouri Valley Conference (and get out of arguably the worst conference in D1) to replace Wichita State?

Realistically, I think the Valley will go after Valparaiso, UIC, or maybe Belmont. But NMSU ought to be lobbying hard anyway.

Geography again would be the Aggies biggest hurdle I would think

Why? Without Wichita there is no reason.

(04-07-2017 09:03 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  Why? Without Wichita there is no reason.

Look at the WAC lately?

I just can't see the midwestern oriented Valley considering NMSU even though they are the best fit in university size, support, and quality of play.

Why leave the WAC when you dominate it every year and basically get a free ride to the NCAA Tourney every year?

They've won the WAC Tournament 6 out of the last 8 years. They've won the regular season and/or tournament titles 7 out of the last 8 years. They're 93-29 against WAC competition the past 8 years.

Life's good if your NMSU in the WAC...

The WAC is nowhere near the worst conference in America. Last year they were #19 out of 32 conferences in RPI. Just to compare it to some other conferences that get mentioned as potential fits for NMSU, CUSA was #23, the Big Sky was #28 and the Big West was #29.

The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist. Hindsight being 20/20 I wish Idaho had never left.

Actually, UTA may be a consideration for the MVC.

(04-09-2017 09:39 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  Actually, UTA may be a consideration for the MVC.

They probably are, but we've had this discussion before, not even UTA fans believe they would accept such an invite.

MVC without Wichita is a one bid league.

Supposedly Valparaiso and Murray State are the top candidates but have no idea how reliable those rumors are.

(04-09-2017 10:44 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Supposedly Valparaiso and Murray State are the top candidates but have no idea how reliable those rumors are.

Murray State is a top level OVC basketball team with 1st round NCAA wins, CIT championships, NIT wins. I don't see them wanting to upset that path with a move to a new conference.

Valpo is probably a lock for the MVC

NMST is a western school. I get that the WAC is a land of misfit toys, but I can't see them giving up games in Texas, Arizona, Utah, and Cali for for Iowa, Indiana and Illinois

(04-08-2017 12:16 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist.

Who?

(04-10-2017 10:59 AM)_x_ Wrote:  

(04-08-2017 12:16 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist.

Who?

D2 moveup. This matters because while the WAC has some decent basketball schools at the top, the 2012 football collapse meant there was a period when the conference had to take anything with a pulse just to keep a minimum number of schools to keep its autobid. This included Chicago St., which enrolled a grand total of 86 freshmen this year and may not even exist as a school soon.

So, while Cal Baptist is not an exciting add, it at least shows that the WAC is pulling out of its nosedive. The conference is at least no longer at risk of death and is a better home for NMSU basketball than another one-bid conference based in the midwest.

(04-10-2017 11:30 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 10:59 AM)_x_ Wrote:  

(04-08-2017 12:16 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist.

Who?

D2 moveup. This matters because while the WAC has some decent basketball schools at the top, the 2012 football collapse meant there was a period when the conference had to take anything with a pulse just to keep a minimum number of schools to keep its autobid. This included Chicago St., which enrolled a grand total of 86 freshmen this year and may not even exist as a school soon.

So, while Cal Baptist is not an exciting add, it at least shows that the WAC is pulling out of its nosedive. The conference is at least no longer at risk of death and is a better home for NMSU basketball than another one-bid conference based in the midwest.

I cant believe that nmsu fans and donors are very excited about that lineup of conference mates. seems like they would consider playing in the movalley a nice step up

(04-11-2017 07:36 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 11:30 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 10:59 AM)_x_ Wrote:  

(04-08-2017 12:16 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist.

Who?

D2 moveup. This matters because while the WAC has some decent basketball schools at the top, the 2012 football collapse meant there was a period when the conference had to take anything with a pulse just to keep a minimum number of schools to keep its autobid. This included Chicago St., which enrolled a grand total of 86 freshmen this year and may not even exist as a school soon.

So, while Cal Baptist is not an exciting add, it at least shows that the WAC is pulling out of its nosedive. The conference is at least no longer at risk of death and is a better home for NMSU basketball than another one-bid conference based in the midwest.

I cant believe that nmsu fans and donors are very excited about that lineup of conference mates. seems like they would consider playing in the movalley a nice step up

Maybe, but NMSU considers itself a western school, and the MVC without Wichita St. doesn't have any members that are going to sell tickets in Las Cruces. In the WAC they play games in Arizona, California and Texas. In the MVC they'd spend all their time shuttling between Indiana and Iowa. Either way they'd play no-name schools but the WAC seems geographically better for them.

(04-11-2017 07:36 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 11:30 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 10:59 AM)_x_ Wrote:  

(04-08-2017 12:16 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist.

Who?

D2 moveup. This matters because while the WAC has some decent basketball schools at the top, the 2012 football collapse meant there was a period when the conference had to take anything with a pulse just to keep a minimum number of schools to keep its autobid. This included Chicago St., which enrolled a grand total of 86 freshmen this year and may not even exist as a school soon.

So, while Cal Baptist is not an exciting add, it at least shows that the WAC is pulling out of its nosedive. The conference is at least no longer at risk of death and is a better home for NMSU basketball than another one-bid conference based in the midwest.

I cant believe that nmsu fans and donors are very excited about that lineup of conference mates. seems like they would consider playing in the movalley a nice step up

Now that Wichita State is gone, there is not a team in the MVC that can compare to Grand Canyon University. GCU this season averaged 6,463 in attendance. There basketball budget is $4.3 million, larger than anyone in the MVC or Sun Belt. This season they had back-to-back home games against Louisville and San Diego State. There are not many schools that can schedule those two teams at home in the same week in non-conference play. They swept a two game series with San Diego State and are 49-16 over the past two seasons. Plus, they are in a top 15 TV market and are recruiting well. They are coached by former NBA star Dan Majerle.

The WAC had two top 60 RPI schools (NMSU & Cal State Bakersfield) this season. CSUB, the regular season WAC champ, went into Arlington and beat UTA in the NIT. Utah Valley beat BYU on the road. The WAC is a pretty good conference with good Markets and a lot of upside. The MVC has become stale.

(04-11-2017 10:42 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(04-11-2017 07:36 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 11:30 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 10:59 AM)_x_ Wrote:  

(04-08-2017 12:16 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist.

Who?

D2 moveup. This matters because while the WAC has some decent basketball schools at the top, the 2012 football collapse meant there was a period when the conference had to take anything with a pulse just to keep a minimum number of schools to keep its autobid. This included Chicago St., which enrolled a grand total of 86 freshmen this year and may not even exist as a school soon.

So, while Cal Baptist is not an exciting add, it at least shows that the WAC is pulling out of its nosedive. The conference is at least no longer at risk of death and is a better home for NMSU basketball than another one-bid conference based in the midwest.

I cant believe that nmsu fans and donors are very excited about that lineup of conference mates. seems like they would consider playing in the movalley a nice step up

Maybe, but NMSU considers itself a western school, and the MVC without Wichita St. doesn't have any members that are going to sell tickets in Las Cruces. In the WAC they play games in Arizona, California and Texas. In the MVC they'd spend all their time shuttling between Indiana and Iowa. Either way they'd play no-name schools but the WAC seems geographically better for them.

Actually, there are still fans who remember our conference rivalries with Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Bradley (Hersey Hawkins), Drake (Louis Lloyd) and of course Indiana State (Larry Bird). NMSU would still draw more fan support for MVC games than WAC games.

However, the WAC is a better fit for NMSU geographically. Most of the WAC schools are in major cities or nearby metro areas... Seattle, Phoenix, Kansas City, Chicago, Salt Lake City metro (Orem), and with the addition of Cal Baptist, the Los Angeles metro (Riverside). Only NMSU and UT Rio Grande Valley are in more remote locations. Las Cruces is 40 mile north of El Paso, TX and Edinburg, TX is budded up against McAllen, TX. Travel to MVC school would be more difficult.

(04-11-2017 10:14 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(04-11-2017 07:36 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 11:30 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  

(04-10-2017 10:59 AM)_x_ Wrote:  

(04-08-2017 12:16 AM)LatahCounty Wrote:  The WAC has some bad members but just gained some stability with the pending addition of Cal Baptist.

Who?

D2 moveup. This matters because while the WAC has some decent basketball schools at the top, the 2012 football collapse meant there was a period when the conference had to take anything with a pulse just to keep a minimum number of schools to keep its autobid. This included Chicago St., which enrolled a grand total of 86 freshmen this year and may not even exist as a school soon.

So, while Cal Baptist is not an exciting add, it at least shows that the WAC is pulling out of its nosedive. The conference is at least no longer at risk of death and is a better home for NMSU basketball than another one-bid conference based in the midwest.

I cant believe that nmsu fans and donors are very excited about that lineup of conference mates. seems like they would consider playing in the movalley a nice step up

Now that Wichita State is gone, there is not a team in the MVC that can compare to Grand Canyon University. GCU this season averaged 6,463 in attendance. There basketball budget is $4.3 million, larger than anyone in the MVC or Sun Belt. This season they had back-to-back home games against Louisville and San Diego State. There are not many schools that can schedule those two teams at home in the same week in non-conference play. They swept a two game series with San Diego State and are 49-16 over the past two seasons. Plus, they are in a top 15 TV market and are recruiting well. They are coached by former NBA star Dan Majerle.

The WAC had two top 60 RPI schools (NMSU & Cal State Bakersfield) this season. CSUB, the regular season WAC champ, went into Arlington and beat UTA in the NIT. Utah Valley beat BYU on the road. The WAC is a pretty good conference with good Markets and a lot of upside. The MVC has become stale.

cs bakersfield came in on fire..they couldnt miss. they didnt look like the same team against gatech..

The concern about the WAC is not so much about it's PRI. It's that every single school would leave for almost any other league west of the Mississippi. Chicago State may not even remain open as a school in coming years, let alone be able to continue fund athletics.

The WAC is filled with schools from the former Great West Conference, which no longer exists. NMSU ought to be very concerned about that.

Why wouldn't the MVC just offer Youngstown or NDSU as full members since they do compete in the MVC in football?