Air Force to valley? WTH

[ABC]

And do we know that there is anything to this beyond a newspaper article?

This could be an example of the arrogance of a Div 1 Football/athletic department assuming that we would jump at the chance to take them.

[RoyalShock]

And do we know that there is anything to this beyond a newspaper article?

This could be an example of the arrogance of a Div 1 Football/athletic department assuming that we would jump at the chance to take them.

I think it was just the (mostly uninformed) opinion of a newspaper columnist.

I hope this rumor has no legs.

[SubGod22]

And do we know that there is anything to this beyond a newspaper article?

This could be an example of the arrogance of a Div 1 Football/athletic department assuming that we would jump at the chance to take them.

I think it was just the (mostly uninformed) opinion of a newspaper columnist.

I hope this rumor has no legs.

It better not. It definitely wouldn't help their programs any and sure as hell does NOTHING for the Valley.

Are there any programs with football that don't seem to be a geographic fit for their current conference that would be open to moving the other programs to the Valley and would be a benefit to this conference as a basketball school? Was that sentence long enough?

[ShockerFever]

Uh, no.

Their football still stays in the MWC? That's a new one.

[BOBB]

Thanks to wufan and DJA. I wasn't aware of "The Admiral's" growth spurt. I was aware that they were willing to let him out of his duty. That's a pretty big jump for an 18-yr old kid!

[shox1989]

And do we know that there is anything to this beyond a newspaper article?

This could be an example of the arrogance of a Div 1 Football/athletic department assuming that we would jump at the chance to take them.

I think it was just the (mostly uninformed) opinion of a newspaper columnist.

I hope this rumor has no legs.

It better not. It definitely wouldn't help their programs any and sure as hell does NOTHING for the Valley.

Are there any programs with football that don't seem to be a geographic fit for their current conference that would be open to moving the other programs to the Valley and would be a benefit to this conference as a basketball school? Was that sentence long enough?

AFA does have a national following that is the only real plus I could see from this.

But really the AFA is a lot better addition then Evansville, UNI or even SMS were at the time. At least the AFA has been division 1 for a long time and has that national following. Previous MVC expansion has meant helping a team move up from division 2. It's been a very long time since the MVC actually added a new team that improved the conference (you would probably have to go back to the Memphis and Louisville days).

[SubGod22]

And do we know that there is anything to this beyond a newspaper article?

This could be an example of the arrogance of a Div 1 Football/athletic department assuming that we would jump at the chance to take them.

I think it was just the (mostly uninformed) opinion of a newspaper columnist.

I hope this rumor has no legs.

It better not. It definitely wouldn't help their programs any and sure as hell does NOTHING for the Valley.

Are there any programs with football that don't seem to be a geographic fit for their current conference that would be open to moving the other programs to the Valley and would be a benefit to this conference as a basketball school? Was that sentence long enough?

AFA does have a national following that is the only real plus I could see from this.

But really the AFA is a lot better addition then Evansville, UNI or even SMS were at the time. At least the AFA has been division 1 for a long time and has that national following. Previous MVC expansion has meant helping a team move up from division 2. It's been a very long time since the MVC actually added a new team that improved the conference (you would probably have to go back to the Memphis and Louisville days).

That national following does nothing for the conference. Poor teams. Poor attendance. A bottom half team for sure. The Valley may have made poor decisions in the past by adding teams that were just moving up. It doesn't mean they need to keep making that same mistake and add weaker and weaker teams. If we can't get a more established school, we need to at least target some with potential and preferably in markets that could possibly be of help to TV contracts. AFA is a great institution. But they're not going to improve the Valley and aren't going to help with TV. People may tune in to watch their respectable football team, but basketball isn't doing much. The Valley needs to grow with purpose. Not just grow to grow.

[shox8498]

My Name is Doug Elgin, and I know NO-THING about AFA joining the Valley.

[ShockTalk]

And do we know that there is anything to this beyond a newspaper article?

This could be an example of the arrogance of a Div 1 Football/athletic department assuming that we would jump at the chance to take them.

I think it was just the (mostly uninformed) opinion of a newspaper columnist.

I hope this rumor has no legs.

It better not. It definitely wouldn't help their programs any and sure as hell does NOTHING for the Valley.

Are there any programs with football that don't seem to be a geographic fit for their current conference that would be open to moving the other programs to the Valley and would be a benefit to this conference as a basketball school? Was that sentence long enough?

AFA does have a national following that is the only real plus I could see from this.

But really the AFA is a lot better addition then Evansville, UNI or even SMS were at the time. At least the AFA has been division 1 for a long time and has that national following. Previous MVC expansion has meant helping a team move up from division 2. It's been a very long time since the MVC actually added a new team that improved the conference (you would probably have to go back to the Memphis and Louisville days).

That national following does nothing for the conference. Poor teams. Poor attendance. A bottom half team for sure. The Valley may have made poor decisions in the past by adding teams that were just moving up. It doesn't mean they need to keep making that same mistake and add weaker and weaker teams. If we can't get a more established school, we need to at least target some with potential and preferably in markets that could possibly be of help to TV contracts. AFA is a great institution. But they're not going to improve the Valley and aren't going to help with TV. People may tune in to watch their respectable football team, but basketball isn't doing much. The Valley needs to grow with purpose. Not just grow to grow.

Don't get your hopes up on that one. Too many leaches in this league and only about 3 or 4 proactive schools. I mean, if you couldn't convince this league to add lil old Dallas Baptist to improve baseball....well, the only solution is to have a plan to jettison a number of schools and have hungry replacements in the wing. And just how likely is that?

What I got out of that article was that the AFA wanted to bring all the non-football sports they could to a weaker Valley so they could be more competitve than in their current non-BCS league. What a joke this league has become.

[Ta town]

From the mouth of the AFA AD in this article. Another newspaper reference about AFA joining the valley. Would the schools really vote in AFA? This blows....

Seriously ORU would be better than AFA, not in name but at least baseball would get a much needed addition that is solid and basketball wouldn't be any worse than AFA. (NOT SUGGESTING ORU TO MVC just saying I'd take them over AFA any day).

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_19073868

EDIT: even worse, mvcfans posted this article on his sight: This quote kills me. What is Doug E thinking? He better have a 12th member lined up that is going to offset this bigtime.

"Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh said the academy is “strongly leaning” towards moving its sports other than football to the Missouri Valley Conference, which has told Air Force it would be interested in hosting those teams.

“Now that I’m excited about this, I might push to bring those other sports to the Missouri Valley Conference, even if we stayed in the Mountain West for football,” Mueh said."

Read more: http://www.gazette.com/articles/mueh...#ixzz1aI9I2f2a

[SHOCKvalue]

Let me see if I get the thrust of those articles correctly; Excluding football, the MVC is a competitive step down from the MWC.

Uh.... okay. Did I get that right?

I'd love to see some metrics that come close to supporting that presumption, but alas, I'm too lazy.

The MWC has obviously had some FBS football success recently, but overall they're nothing more than the western version of the MVC with FBS and a prettier geographic backdrop.

And it's just retarded enough that Elgin will be all over it, or already is. Hurry Doug, maybe you can ride the MVC to DII status before college football money delegates it.

[pinstripers]

Not sure why we would bother adding AFA.

[60Shock]

I hear your comments and disregarding the fact that the likelihood of this happening are very remote, I guess, being a military man, I am the lone wolf who would welcome the AFA with open arms.

!. They are very well known school widely recognized throughout the entire country, which certainly cannot be said for perhaps more than half of our present members. Otherwords, their presence adds recognition to a conference badly in need of it.

2. And this is not only in sports, but academically as well. Having any of the Military Academies as a MVC member would be an overall plus to Valley.

3. They play a very decent brand of football. And this may be the most important aspect of the equation. If this university ever bites the bullet and brings back football, which I personally think they will eventually have to do to stay competitive), this might just be the catalyst that will assist it along. For it would not be inconceivable, even if the AFA still plays football in another conference, for them to play us in football. And if Wichita is the sports town that many of you seem to think it is, you should have no trouble drawing upwards of 50,000 fans to the game.

Of course, one game along won't do it. But it definitely could be the start.

[pinstripers]

that's a couple good points, but D-1 football ain't coming back to Wichita

[RoyalShock]

How about they take our spot in the MVC and we take their's in the MWC?