(04-02-2013 07:42 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote: (04-01-2013 11:33 PM)templefootballfan Wrote: I would think St Louis & Dayton would get 1st look.
even with BE talking to them
Even if the Big East doesn't take them (and I firmly believe that it's a matter of when for SLU for sure with the decision being between Dayton and Richmond for #12), the MVC isn't going to have any poaching ability over the A-10. In fact, the MVC is much more susceptible to the A-10 poaching them. University presidents are almost universally eastward looking in their outlook and the A-10 is still a stronger on-the-court conference overall even if they lose SLU and Dayton. What the MVC should want is for the Big East to stop dilly-dallying with SLU. If SLU is in the A-10 long-term, then that gives the A-10 the incentive to start trying to take MVC members like Wichita State and Bradley instead of backfilling from the CAA. This is another reason why the Chicago area schools (UIC, Loyola and Valpo) are pieces that have greater value in the midmajor conference realignment game than what many people are giving them credit for. The better fan bases might be in the small markets of the MVC, but there's just no way that any A-10 school (including SLU and Dayton) are trading the exposure they're getting in Philly, DC and NYC for a league where the largest market is Wichita. No university president thinks that way. I'm not someone that believes in the power of adding markets for the sake of adding markets like a lot of realignment observers, but in the case of the MVC, their complete lack of any markets of value at all is a massive long-term threat to their stability. Frankly, it's been amazing that the league has performed as well as it has, but the extremely poor demographics of its footprint (I'm not exaggerating when I say that it might have the worst demographics of any Division I conference) is going to catch up to them if it's not changed.
I have to respectfully disagree. The A10 without SLU, Dayton, Butler and Xavier isn't a better on the court product. I know the MVC went through a couple of weak years recently, but they've still be right behind the A10. And I know losing Creighton hurts the way we're viewed, but the MVC is a lot stronger as a whole than many realize. Generally speaking, the bottom of our conference isn't that bad. The past few years would say otherwise, but that' more outside the norm than many realize.
And if SLU is gone, I'm not sure there's anyway that the A10 could pull in teams from the MVC. There's simply too large of a gap for most after that, unless they went after an Indiana State or Evansville. UE would make no sense whatsoever. ISUb would be a stretch in my mind. And that would only be possible I think if Dayton were left behind. If both Dayton and SLU are gone, the closes school to the MVC schools would be in Pittsburg I believe.
I'm still shocked at the reports of Denver declining consideration. Shocked and disappointed. There was a tweet someone posted on ShockerNet earlier from I believe the Missouri State President that talked about only visiting schools who've expressed interest and not wasting time with those that haven't. I'm not sure if that means they're only visiting those who've contacted them or if they did reach out to Denver and try to talk, but the list of names that have popped up in the past week aren't that attractive.
I could maybe buy into Valpo. Solid program. Attendance is okay. It'd be yet another Indiana school though. But it's still probably the most attractive.
ORU has some history. Not sure what their potential is right now though.
UIC/Loyola neither have a recent history of any success that I'm aware of. Not sure what their financial commitment is. And I don't like the idea of a 4th school in Illinois. Even if it is in Chicago.
UMKC....
I haven't seen Belmont mentioned lately but they had questions surrounding them as well. Horrible attendance numbers make you take pause and wonder what their ceiling really is.
I haven't seen any other names lately which disappoints me and leads me to continue hoping that Wichita finds another conference willing to take on a nonfootball school. I like the MVC, but if this is the pool we're selecting from, I'm starting to lose hope.