American Athletic Conference

[Flip1381]

After looking at the athletic schedules, the only sports that play a significant amount of MVC teams are BB, WBB, Baseball, volleyball, and Softball. Like someone posted earlier, the other sports like cross country, track, golf, and tennis play nontraditional schedules, with some MVC teams mixed in. The main connection to the MVC for these four sports is the conference tournament at the end of the year.
There would be an increase in cost of travel with any conference realignment choice, whether it be nBE, A10, or even someone mentioned the MWC. There could also be a boost in recruiting if the recruits knew for sure WSU would be playing games near their hometowns if it were the nBE or A10.

[shock]

Look for Elgin to enact a popular vote among the mvc schools for the auto bid instead of the tourney for mor parity.

[Rlh04d]

I've come to the sad conclusion that the best realignment possibility for WSU is that a couple of Valley teams raise the level of their game and provide quality competition.

Being a non-FB school in the middle of FB country is a problem. We're currently playing in the best non-FB-oriented conference remotely close to our geographical and academic footprint.

I don't think Valley teams raising their game is relevant to our situation.

It just doesn't matter if they raise their game. It doesn't matter if Indiana State could push for an at-large spot every year, while UNI, MoSt, and Bradley become top 75 RPI programs yearly.

Just as it didn't matter when Creighton was in the conference. The conference was much stronger, and not laughable, but I think the real problem comes down to the fact that it's still the Missouri Valley Conference. And the MVC structurally will never again be better than the 8th/9th conference in the country. That's the ceiling.

We can survive in the MVC as a major powerhouse, just as Gonzaga can survive in the WCC. And if the Valley gets better, maybe it can return to being comparable to the WCC. But the real problem is still that being a powerhouse in a small conference doesn't bring you much money, it doesn't get you a decent television deal, and it doesn't get you much respect.

The real problem we're going to face isn't whether a couple good teams can raise their RPI 25 spots, or the bottom dwellers can raise their RPI's 50-100 spots. Even if that miracle happened, we'd still be in the MVC. The real problem is when my wife asks me who the Shockers are playing this week, I have to say "Evansville." It doesn't matter if Evansville is a top 100 RPI that year ... it doesn't even matter if Evansville is having a historically successful year and they're making a run at a conference championship or an at-large bid. No one knows what the hell Evansville is, and saying they're the Purple Pimps certainly doesn't make it better.

Great runs come and go. There's a very good shot that WSU will have a downturn at some point in the next ten years. Having a downturn in the MVC is way more crippling than having a downturn in a conference with television money and national respect. I want WSU to use the current run to put it into a better situation for the next few decades, rather than just being in a good situation only if our current level of play continues in perpetuity.

Being the next Gonzaga would be great, but I'd rather be the next Butler/Memphis/etc. If Gonzaga runs into a few bad years, they're the answer to a trivia question and not a ton else for the average fan. At least those other programs will be on TV keeping up their profile even when they're bad.

Even if we win a national championship here ... hell, Loyola has one >=) Even the highest level of success can be fleeting if you aren't able to raise your stature with it.

[1972Shocker]

After looking at the athletic schedules, the only sports that play a significant amount of MVC teams are BB, WBB, Baseball, volleyball, and Softball. Like someone posted earlier, the other sports like cross country, track, golf, and tennis play nontraditional schedules, with some MVC teams mixed in. The main connection to the MVC for these four sports is the conference tournament at the end of the year.
There would be an increase in cost of travel with any conference realignment choice, whether it be nBE, A10, or even someone mentioned the MWC. There could also be a boost in recruiting if the recruits knew for sure WSU would be playing games near their hometowns if it were the nBE or A10.

Close. Men's and women's tennis does play a round-robin schedule with All-Sports Trophy points based on the regular season finish. They also play a post-season tournament. However, only 6 Valley schools field a men's tennis team and 8 of the 10 Valley schools field women's tennis teams.

The only sports where all 10 Valley members field teams are VB, WXC, MBB, WBB, Softball and WGolf.

[pogo]

Title IX plays havoc with the mens programs in the FB schools.

[Dave Stalwart]

I just noticed that SIU improved to 5-6 in the Valley.

I don't have anything to say for Bradley, but SIU has almost clawed their way out of the trash can.

UNI plays ILST tonight. One of them will fall from 5-5 to 5-6.
MoSt plays at Eville, too. If Ballentine plays like he has been and Mockevicious learns what is and isn't a foul, MoSt might also fall from 5-5 to 5-6.

Point being, SIU might finish the night tied for 4th. Their rpi is sniffing the 200 line, too.

[Dave Stalwart]

I guess I should complete the thought...

The Redbirds are no where near 15th place like I expected with Mullers Old Testament sized pre-season exodus.

Say what you want, Muller may be their Marshall.

Lusk is doing fine at MoSt and UNI still has Jacobsen. Not sure about Bradley yet, but I'm ready start thinking the teams that should be strong inthe Valley are maybe goin to start rising to the top again.

#wishful thinking

[Play Angry]

Eh, the league is littered with schools who have potential to be Top 50-100 programs if they (i) hire the right coach, and (ii) raise their spending to keep said coach. That's a lot tougher than it sounds. Those same teams can occasionally career it and pop into the Top 50 for a year or two if they go all in on a senior heavy class (ISUb this year, UNI in 2009 and 2010, etc).

The spending just is not there for anyone other than WSU, and maaaaaaaybe Bradley and Illinois State, to be consistent postseason teams over the long haul though. Jacobsen has done a lot with a little at UNI, but unless he can find another cave troll like Egelseder, I think their time as a contender is done.

#GottaEscape

[SB Shock]

On sports daily today they talked to the CU beat writer. Here is what I heard.

1. BE will expand in a year or two from now.
2. He thought WSU would bring alot to the BE especially with the health of their whole sport program.
3. BE will remain a private school conference and there is no chance in hell WSU would ever be offered membership.
4. CU would like to schedule WSU in sports where it would be to their benefit (like baseball), but don't have a interest in basketball.
5. CU baseball coach won't admit it publically, but he does not like the BE for baseball. Only benifit is the program should be a favorite for winning the auto-bid each year. But they have schedule problems.

[ABC]

On sports daily today they talked to the CU beat writer. Here is what I heard.

1. BE will expand in a year or two from now.
2. He thought WSU would bring alot to the BE especially with the health of their whole sport program.
3. BE will remain a private school conference and there is no chance in hell WSU would ever be offered membership.
4. CU would like to schedule WSU in sports where it would be to their benefit (like baseball), but don't have a interest in basketball.
5. CU baseball coach won't admit it publically, but he does not like the BE for baseball. Only benifit is the program should be a favorite for winning the auto-bid each year. But they have schedule problems.

Why no interest in basketball?

[SB Shock]

Why no interest in basketball?

It about what "CU" needs to have on their schedule - it was basically the KU rationale.

[jpshocker]

It about what "CU" needs to have on their schedule - it was basically the KU rationale.

No basketball then no baseball. No deal. We're not going to give them the opportunity to listen to our sweet new sound system at Eck unless they agree to basketball.

[SB Shock]

No basketball then no baseball. No deal. We're not going to give them the opportunity to listen to our sweet new sound system at Eck unless they agree to basketball.

I would agree, but evidently the AD doesn't - we play KU and KSU while they refuse to play us in bball.

[shockmonster]

I would agree, but evidently the AD doesn't - we play KU and KSU while they refuse to play us in bball.

The Big 12 gives us something RPI wise. If the BE is that bad, Creighton doesn't.

[pogo]

Scheduling the flagship and title town don't bother me too much since it is close and only a couple of hours away. The other team that left the conference and shall not be named can suck rocks (you know what I mean) especially if it means it would benefit their program. We don't need their rpi dragging us down.