American Athletic Conference

[ShockerFever]

By the end of May eh?

[AndShock]

By the end of May eh?

2017

[Dave Stalwart]

I don't think we need to create some kind of new conference to have a relevant situation again and even though I like the idea of moving to a better conference, I still think there is one other way. I stand by my hope that the current MVC would just make a few specific moves to strengthen itself. It doesn't need to be a power conference, it just needs to stop thinking like a low major in a mid major's body.

It really wouldn't take much at all to make this conference into one that fights for the 6-10 conference ranking every year. There may be multiple ways to do it, but to me, the easiest thing that always comes to mind is to just swap a couple schools out and add some of the remaining MVFC schools that make sense.

Whoever said it wouldn't be bad to just try to merge the regular MVC with the MVFC as much as possible has my vote as long as the additions make the conference a little better. In my little fantasy world, there is no reason why Loyola, Drake and maybe Evansville can't go do fine in the Horizon league. I like the rest of the MVC just fine. And don't get me wrong about Evansville, they have been good enough lately, but they really demonstrated their ceiling over the last few years. I do have a little more patience for them than I do for Loyola. The Loyola thing looked bad from the start and I don't have much hope for it.

Just cut our losses and give me Valpo for Loyola and give me UNO for Drake and then add NDSU and SDSU from the MVFC. That 12 team version of the MVC would do just fine and the additions of UNO, SDSU and NDSU will do a TON to add the potential for better western rivalries. Yeah, it will still have it's down years and all because none of these are big time "gets" except for Valpo, but we don't need the MVC to be a power conference. We just need it to not be a drag. We just need schools that don't get satisfied competing for the 200-350 RPI spots.

If you factor in a hopeful resurgence of Bradley, MoSt and SIU, you've got a pretty strong conference starting to take shape.

Wichita State
Nebraska-Omaha
North Dakota State
South Dakota State
Missouri State
Northern Iowa

Valpo
Indiana State
Southern Illinois
Bradley
Illinois State
Evansville

[Shocker1976]

That is one of the things the current study will allegedly address. However, Dr. Bardo has state that the answer to that question may well be that the Valley is our best option at this point. I don't think that is the answer they really want to hear but Dr. Bardo has stated that it is a possible answer.

The biggest problem the WSU seems to have at this point when it comes to conference realignment is that opportunities are more dependent on what the target conferences and their institutions desire and not on what WSU may desire. In other words, WSU is not driving the bus at this point. The best they can do is position themselves to be at the bus stop should the bus every come along.

I do think that the Valley could take some steps to strengthen itself overall if they were more proactive but they don't seem to be of a mind to do that. Perhaps, a couple of schools on your list could figure in to that if the Valley ever decided to make some moves. Hard to put a lot of faith in that considering the Valley's history of being on the wrong side of conference realignment.

IMO the money WSU spent on this "study" should have been used for other purposes; the options available to WSU are obvious
(1) either resign itself to remaining a member in the MVC or
(2) adopt a plan to establish a new conference with like-minded universities (per Bardo's publicly stated vision).

The whinging poms on this board need to face this reality and stop complaining about how bad Elgin is as commissioner of a conference comprised of a majority of schools that revel in their declining mediocrity.

[WSUwatcher]

"Whinging poms?"

[Walker]

IMO the money WSU spent on this "study" should have been used for other purposes; the options available to WSU are obvious
(1) either resign itself to remaining a member in the MVC or
(2) adopt a plan to establish a new conference with like-minded universities (per Bardo's publicly stated vision).

The whinging poms on this board need to face this reality and stop complaining about how bad Elgin is as commissioner of a conference comprised of a majority of schools that revel in their declining mediocrity.

You call it complaining, but I don't think we should stop hoping and calling for better opportunities. The squeaky wheel is the one that gets oiled. Elgin is a bad commissioner and this conference is a train wreck of mediocrity. This university has outgrown this conference, and shares no similar vision for the future. The schools that it would be worth starting a new conference with, are already in solid, stable conferences that it would be crazy for them to leave what they have, with exception to maybe Valpo and SFA.

There is a better conference out there for WSU, Bardo and Boatright just need to stick with it.

[Shocker1976]

"Whinging poms?"

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...Whinging%20Pom

[Shocker1976]

You call it complaining, but I don't think we should stop hoping and calling for better opportunities. The squeaky wheel is the one that gets oiled. Elgin is a bad commissioner and this conference is a train wreck of mediocrity. This university has outgrown this conference, and shares no similar vision for the future. The schools that it would be worth starting a new conference with, are already in solid, stable conferences that it would be crazy for them to leave what they have, with exception to maybe Valpo and SFA.

There is a better conference out there for WSU, Bardo and Boatright just need to stick with it.

You are absolutely correct regards Elgin and the mediocrity of the Valley.

If you could only name that "better conference" for Bardo and Boatright.

[Aargh]

We've been having this discussion for years. It's become incredibly obvious that there are no good options. None.

BEast? Probably the most illogical of all options. That group of schools will never add an outlier that's not a private school. The AAC looks promising, but Houston, Memphis, and Cincy are potential P5 candidates. Without any 2 of those (logically Memphis and Cincy), the league is just a mess. The MWC wants NOTHING to do with WSU. The A10 is already at 14 teams

That leaves forming a new league. That requires convincing 9 other "quality" teams to pay departure fees to their current leagues, give up all their current NCAA shares to their current leagues, and then join a new conference that has no NCAA shares. then we see lists of proposed schools who might be on the list to do that, and those proposed leagues make no sense.

The lists that 1976 wants to discuss are ludicrous. When that's pointed out, the only response is to post the better teams.

We've been down this path for years. The sad fact is that there are no like-minded public universities that make sense for a new conference. That doesn't even go to the next obstacle, which would be to convince them to quit their current leagues in order to form a new league.

The horse is dead. Must we be continually dragged back to the corpse to observe that it doesn't smell very good?

[1972Shocker]

It is very possible that the primary goal of Dr. Bardo's study is to position WSU in a way that might enhance opportunities that MAY arise in the future. Stopping by other conferences and leaving a calling card in case a need or opportunity arises down the line.

[ShockdaWorld]

Nah...nobody "must be continually dragged". It's fairly simple to just skip threads you want no part of.

[ShockdaWorld]

It is very possible that the primary goal of Dr. Bardo's study is to position WSU in a way that might enhance opportunities that MAY arise in the future. Stopping by other conferences and leaving a calling card in case a need or opportunity arises down the line.

Could also be a way to (hopefully) push the rest of the MVC to step their game up. I just hope whatever it is, it isn't an effort in futility.

[1972Shocker]

Could also be a way to (hopefully) push the rest of the MVC to step their game up. I just hope whatever it is, it isn't an effort in futility.

Or Both.

[ShockerPhi]

We've been having this discussion for years. It's become incredibly obvious that there are no good options. None.

BEast? Probably the most illogical of all options. That group of schools will never add an outlier that's not a private school. The AAC looks promising, but Houston, Memphis, and Cincy are potential P5 candidates. Without any 2 of those (logically Memphis and Cincy), the league is just a mess. The MWC wants NOTHING to do with WSU. The A10 is already at 14 teams

That leaves forming a new league. That requires convincing 9 other "quality" teams to pay departure fees to their current leagues, give up all their current NCAA shares to their current leagues, and then join a new conference that has no NCAA shares. then we see lists of proposed schools who might be on the list to do that, and those proposed leagues make no sense.

The lists that 1976 wants to discuss are ludicrous. When that's pointed out, the only response is to post the better teams.

We've been down this path for years. The sad fact is that there are no like-minded public universities that make sense for a new conference. That doesn't even go to the next obstacle, which would be to convince them to quit their current leagues in order to form a new league.

The horse is dead. Must we be continually dragged back to the corpse to observe that it doesn't smell very good?

Now I'm all depressed. Because I think you're right.

[Walker]

It'd make for a great country song.