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Good afternoon Shocker fans. I've been lurking around here since it seemed likely that a WSU exit from the MVC was the only way that Valpo would potentially be getting an MVC invite. It's been very interesting reading. Although Valpo hasn't achieved at the same level as WSU our positions seem similar. We have both come to dominate conferences that are recently diminished due to Big East defections (Creighton and Butler) and the fall off of previously successful programs (Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Cleveland State, Milwaukee - among others). The weakening of our conferences has led to grumbling among fans, but we also both seem to lack options for moving to a new home. Certainly based on the talk around here WSU would already be gone if a viable offer had been made by the MWC or AAC. It appears that a lack of football is keeping you out of any conference that has the potential to be significantly better than where you are already at - and adding football (at least to this outsider) seems like a real challenge.
Given the lack of existing options, several posters have speculated about creating a new conference. There are obviously huge challenges with this, the biggest being a lack of NCAA shares without a likely TV contract lucrative enough to make up for them. However unlikely, it may still be the most feasible option other than adding a couple additional members who can only marginally improve a conference that is retaining all its existing members. So with this in mind I set out to build the best possible conference that WSU could have any chance of pulling together. I eliminated all schools with FBS football, and all schools already in the Big East or A10. I also eliminated schools on the coasts (no Gonzaga or VCU). I then looked at the schools that were left and picked out the strongest 9 based on a four year cumulative average of ESPN's Basketball Power Index (a computer ranking similar to KenPom, Sagarin and others). A quick look suggested that although this conference would lack big "brand" names, it could still potentially be as strong as any league outside the Power 5 + BE. I pulled more data together on this group of schools and have compiled it into a PDF. You can view it at the link at the bottom of this post.
What is clear is that if something like this is to be attempted, WSU is the only school with the money, clout and on-court success to take the lead and make it happen. What do you think?
Given the lack of existing options, several posters have speculated about creating a new conference. There are obviously huge challenges with this, the biggest being a lack of NCAA shares without a likely TV contract lucrative enough to make up for them. However unlikely, it may still be the most feasible option other than adding a couple additional members who can only marginally improve a conference that is retaining all its existing members. So with this in mind I set out to build the best possible conference that WSU could have any chance of pulling together. I eliminated all schools with FBS football, and all schools already in the Big East or A10. I also eliminated schools on the coasts (no Gonzaga or VCU). I then looked at the schools that were left and picked out the strongest 9 based on a four year cumulative average of ESPN's Basketball Power Index (a computer ranking similar to KenPom, Sagarin and others). A quick look suggested that although this conference would lack big "brand" names, it could still potentially be as strong as any league outside the Power 5 + BE. I pulled more data together on this group of schools and have compiled it into a PDF. You can view it at the link at the bottom of this post.
What is clear is that if something like this is to be attempted, WSU is the only school with the money, clout and on-court success to take the lead and make it happen. What do you think?
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