What Do You Guys Think of This....

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

Complacency is the reason we're still in the Valley and many of our peers from years ago are in higher profile conferences. "We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present" -- Thomas Edison.

[ISASO]

A quick review of the list of notable alums of WSU reveals a distinguished cast of characters who didn't sit around waiting for their future to be dictated to them. They made their future, the future did not make them.

[Rlh04d]

Sounds great to me.

More NCAA tourney bids and more television time = more cash. More money and more exposure = higher talent.

I like the MVC a lot, but it is what it is. One or two NCAA tourney teams a year. A couple times a year the higher profile teams will get a game on ESPN. The profile of the conference and the money coming in isn't going to drastically change any time soon.

[rjl]

This would definitely put is in a league with some sizable markets. Wichita would actually probably be around the median market size.

[Slalomshocker]

Would Butler be willing to leave the Horizon League which they dominate (well, in recent years anyway) for a conference that would be extremely tough? If the A-10 starts to fall apart could the MVC pull SLU/Xavier/Dayton to the Valley?

When I saw yesterday that Temple was heading to the BE, I had the exact same thought about WSU and CU heading to the A-10, instead of BU I had MSU going since they have been a little better in hoops as late. I had not however, thought of ORU, and I really like them as an 8th team in the western division. I really like the idea, but I seriously doubt it would ever happen. The stability of the MVC is something you can't put a price on, and I think that will weigh a lot on the ADs/Presidents of the universities. Add in the fact that maybe Butler and ORU turn down the opportunity to move because they feel its in their best interest to be in a conference they can win regularly...

In our football driven state of college athletics, how long before the Big East loses its "BCS" credability for its terrible football? There won't be much left for FB if L'ville ends up in the B12. Their best team is already gone, Pitt and Cuse are going to the ACC...All they have left is a decent basketball conference. I realize they will have added SDSU and Boist St. but will those two schools last or are they playing the BE to get into the Pac-12 or B1G, Big12? Wouldn't it be a flash of karma that the very conference that started all this super conference and confernce realignment mess was the first one to fall apart?

[rjl]

The stability of the MVC is something you can't put a price on, and I think that will weigh a lot on the ADs/Presidents of the universities.

But, as has been said in this thread, it's not looking as stable in the next 15 years as it has been for the last 15. When you have teams talking about dropping their program--not moving to another conference, not underperforming, not dropping one or two sports, but rather dropping athletics entirely--that screams instability.

[pinstripers]

Look for attendance and population (TV viewing) and facilities.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Would Butler be willing to leave the Horizon League which they dominate (well, in recent years anyway) for a conference that would be extremely tough? If the A-10 starts to fall apart could the MVC pull SLU/Xavier/Dayton to the Valley?

When I saw yesterday that Temple was heading to the BE, I had the exact same thought about WSU and CU heading to the A-10, instead of BU I had MSU going since they have been a little better in hoops as late. I had not however, thought of ORU, and I really like them as an 8th team in the western division. I really like the idea, but I seriously doubt it would ever happen. The stability of the MVC is something you can't put a price on, and I think that will weigh a lot on the ADs/Presidents of the universities. Add in the fact that maybe Butler and ORU turn down the opportunity to move because they feel its in their best interest to be in a conference they can win regularly...

In our football driven state of college athletics, how long before the Big East loses its "BCS" credability for its terrible football? There won't be much left for FB if L'ville ends up in the B12. Their best team is already gone, Pitt and Cuse are going to the ACC...All they have left is a decent basketball conference. I realize they will have added SDSU and Boist St. but will those two schools last or are they playing the BE to get into the Pac-12 or B1G, Big12? Wouldn't it be a flash of karma that the very conference that started all this super conference and confernce realignment mess was the first one to fall apart?

You make some good points.

I don't think the Big East will ever lose its impact on college football, whether it be a BCS bid or something new they create, for one reason: population. The networks want those viewers, so it will always be relevant.

I don't think Butler goes anywhere, at least not for about 5 or 6 years. The Horizon is just starting to get the money from the NCAA for Butler's two runs. Since that money is going to be pretty healthy for several years, I don't see why Butler would leave now and lose out on a chance at it. In fact, I expect to see the Horizon to be a better conference in the future as schools will be receiving large sums that many of them have never seen before. Expect facilities upgrades and expanded athletic budgets for recruiting, coaches salaries, etc.

I've seen some people talk about having some MVC schools, some A10 schools and other breaking off to form a new conference. I just don't see that as a realistic possibility for several reasons, some of which are:
1) A lack of an NCAA tourney auto bid for at least 5 years (This is huge!)
2) NCAA payouts for NCAA tourney games go to conferences, not individual teams. If the teams leave, not only will they be leaving that money on the table, but they won't have anywhere near the same amount of money coming in from the new conference since they will have minimal appearances for several years. That is almost financial suicide. (By the way, this is another reason I think the basketball schools won't ever leave the Big East --- they don't want to leave all of that NCAA payout money on the table)

The only way it works is if teams leave to join an existing conference. The A10 has some appeal over other options IMO because it is a basketball conference first and because its teams have had successful runs in the NCAA tourney, meaning there is some nice NCAA payout money forthcoming (although it has to be split between a lot more schools than money that goes to the MVC).

[wufan]

MSU in Springfield COULD be a good fit. Nice sized city. I'm a HUGE advocate of such a conference. Heck, could a team like Marquette be swayed to go to a top basketball only conference?

As to the "no auto-bid for five years," with the teams proposed in aforementioned conference, there would still be 3-4 at-large teams each year.

[ripemupshocks]

Already been discussed repeatedly:

http://shockernet.net/forum/showthread.php?11102-Conference-Shake-Up-2.0

[rjl]

Already been discussed repeatedly:

http://shockernet.net/forum/showthre...e-Shake-Up-2.0