Report: Loyola-Chicago to join MVC

[SubGod22]

No way were the Illinois and Indiana schools gonna accept Denver. That was always a stupid suggestion.

Not a stupid suggestion when they actually bring something of value. I was hoping that this conference actually cared about the one sport that makes it relevant at all in the national scene. Denver would help that. This conference though has shown that they don't give a **** about any of that and only care about catering to the poor sisters by bringing in one of the few schools that they can beat the **** out of. If Loyola wins more than 2 games in this conference next year I'll be absolutely shocked. And no more than 3 in any given season over the next decade.

ZERO value. Valpo would have been better. And it would still give the poor sisters a bus ride. ORU would have been better. Is Tulsa too far for them? And with Denver, they were only looking at about 3 total trips per year. Not that painful.

As I'd said before, it didn't have to be Denver. Denver was the best choice though as far as a private school and basketball. There were still at least 3 better options for privates than Loyola. And at least 5 better options total. And most of those were still close enough for the weak ass schools to bus to.

Question, who brings fewer fans to STL next year, Loyola or Evansville?

[1979Shocker]

Here are the common opponents of Loyola and Wichita State this past season.

DePaul Detroit Detroit

Loyola 69-61 W 65-73 L 75-76 L

Location Away Home Away

Wichita State 74-63 W 94-79 W

Location Neutral Home

[SubGod22]

...quick, does LaSalle know what state the Loyola Ramblers are located?

The only people who care where Loyola is located are Bradley, Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Evansville, Drake and UNI. I'm going to guarantee those seven voted for them because of the location. And I wouldn't be completely surprised if Loyola only received those seven votes.

[CBB_Fan]

Loyola could be fine in the long term. They have enough money to improve facilities, and maybe they'll come out as an upper-level MVC team after the adjustment period. They have the money to improve, if they decide to invest.

But the problem is, we don't care about their long-term future in the MVC. We care about maximizing what we have right now, and Loyola is a direct threat to that. Marshall has stated that he moved to the MVC partially to avoid having to win the tournament every year, and adding a low quality team makes it harder and harder to do that.

Basically, the addition of Loyola hurts our chances of keeping Marshall. We will jump conferences to avoid losing him. By the time Loyola could be good, Marshall will probably be retired. It isn't like Loyola is the only team that could have done this (UIC or UMKC are the same deal), but we would have vastly preferred a team like Belmont, Denver, or even ORU. With teams like that, we could improve the conference and keep getting at-large bids.

I think that the Valley avoided adding those teams because they want to become the IIAR (Indiana and Illinois Also Rans). They think that is the future. Adding a team like Belmont or Denver would appeal to us, but they probably don't think we will be a member for very long. Why add a team to appeal to a member that is probably going to leave anyway?

Still, I think switching conferences went from a luxury to a necessity with this move. We have to leave at the first opportunity. If we lose Marshall, the doors to the top will be forever closed, and we need to capitalize on our recent success.

[pinstripers]

Maybe pointless would be a better word.

[shockerfan]

Their non-con won't fly in the Valley. Or at least it better not....

Ironically, we were supposed to have a return game at home against Bradley...

But the rest of the schedule looks like this (at the moment):
Hosting a 3 team MTE (according to the Bball Travelers website)
Northern Illinois
@ Mississippi St. (Return of the Game of Change)
@ Fordham
@ Kent St.
@ Tennessee Tech?

I think this leaves 4 games open.

[60Shock]

Hey, at least Sheryl Swoops will make her way to CKA. That girl can ball.

If only Sheryl was eligible to play on their men's team.

The only thing I want to hear about the MVC is: Gone! Gone! Gone!

[60Shock]

Here's the thing: I think Loyola might be okay long-term. I think it's entirely possible that you will be a contributing, strong member of the MVC long-term, given a commitment to improving athletics. I don't think you'll ever really matter in Chicago, but I could see you rising to a level beyond any of the other Valley teams. I'm not discounting the potential growth of your program here ... I think you have a much higher ceiling than the other eight members of this conference.

However: We're not concerned about what your program is going to look like in ten or twenty years, while the Valley's leadership is. I personally don't really care if you're going to be a team that can get NCAA bids in ten years -- I don't cheer for your school, so it really doesn't effect me either way, and I'm really not worried about what this conference looks like in ten years, if the next nine are going to utterly suck. I'm worried about what you are currently. And what your program is currently is a drain on the Valley, which will be a cellar dweller in both the standings and in RPI, which will negatively impact the RPI of us and every team we have to play, which then impacts us again when we play them.

For your long term future, this is a great move. For the long-term future of the Valley, this might be a good move. For the next ten years, for WSU as a program and for this conference to maintain itself as a top 10 RPI conference or to earn at-large NCAA tournament bids, this is a very bad move. And I'm not worried about the state of your program or the state of this conference in ten years ... I'm worried about how you're going to impact WSU's program for the forseeable future. Which is negatively.

I wish your program nothing but the best long-term. I just think you make us a significantly worse basketball conference in the forseeable future, and are the latest in a line of decisions based on contracting our conference into being more and more regional rather than national to meet the demands of the poor members of our conference in travel costs, due to their insistence on wasting all of their money on FCS football.

Very well said, Rlh04d.

[DwShock]

Creighton leaving hurts Wichita state more than adding any other team. No team is going to bring to the table what CU did.

[Denver Shocker]

Not a stupid suggestion when they actually bring something of value. I was hoping that this conference actually cared about the one sport that makes it relevant at all in the national scene. Denver would help that. This conference though has shown that they don't give a **** about any of that and only care about catering to the poor sisters by bringing in one of the few schools that they can beat the **** out of. If Loyola wins more than 2 games in this conference next year I'll be absolutely shocked. And no more than 3 in any given season over the next decade.

ZERO value. Valpo would have been better. And it would still give the poor sisters a bus ride. ORU would have been better. Is Tulsa too far for them? And with Denver, they were only looking at about 3 total trips per year. Not that painful.

As I'd said before, it didn't have to be Denver. Denver was the best choice though as far as a private school and basketball. There were still at least 3 better options for privates than Loyola. And at least 5 better options total. And most of those were still close enough for the weak ass schools to bus to.

Question, who brings fewer fans to STL next year, Loyola or Evansville?

Apparently, the DU AD came out early in the process and said the school wasn't interested in moving into the MVC for whatever reason. Who knows, he might have been blowing smoke and playing the game, but since I live in Denver I would have been pumped had they got in. However, DU would not have been an excellent choice for the Valley either. Hockey will always be the number one sport for DU and that obviously doesn't fit with MVC-basketball priorities and their basketball draw is a mixed bag. I went to a bball game a few years ago (free tix) against Arkansas State and there were literally less than 300 people at the game. Plus, I seriously doubt DU would really have a noticeable representation in St. Louis during Arch Madness.

Let's face it, the MVC was put in a no win situation. None of the schools available make up for Creighton's departure (who has a 17,000 avg. attendance??). I can see the viewpoint where Loyola might have strong growth potential, but if the impossible were to happen in the next 10 years and they take over DePaul in that town, well then see ya later Loyola...they are joining the Big East.

[Zorkon]

If it had been me I wouldn't have added anyone, but I don't mind Loyola. With the final four run and a solid future I don't see Marshall going anywhere soon. If he gets an irresistible offer then he will take it, but in that case he would take it anyway even if Louisville and Memphis and Cincinnati were still in the MVC.

People seem to be overestimating and underestimating WSU all at once. For one thing WSU should try winning the MVC tournament once or maybe twice. Try winning the regular season for multiple years in a row. Try winning games in the ncaa tournament for several years in a row. That gives Marshall something to shoot for before he can feel like he's mastered anything at WSU.

On the other hand don't discount the opportunity that Marshall now has to build WSU into a regular national contender. The MVC is still good enough to allow that to happen. Schedule tough non-conference games and win them. Advance to the sweet 16 repeatedly. Go 35-4 instead of 30-9. I've been a WSU fan through good times and bad times and I don't like the attitude of fans who now consider WSU to be too good for a conference, particularly when WSU couldn't even win the conference or its tournament.

[1972Shocker]

The fact of the matter is that the Valley did not appear to have any great options, however, from the conference perspective this invitation should be based on long-term factors and not just who will be good next year.

With that said my preference would have been to defer this decision for a year and see what further shake out occurs in the Big Priest, AAC and A-10 and the at that point make decision on how to proceed.

I'm not sure, in the long run, that adding Loyola-Chicago is really much worse than adding any of the other options bandied about. And I suppose that does not preclude th Valley from making an expansion move next year if their is some positive fallout as realignment continues to shake the tree. However, Elgin has commented that they think 10 teams is the right number, so whether there is any really any appetite on the part of the Valley to expand or merge is questionable.

It we are fortunate, let's hope what the Valley does becomes irrelevant to us in the near future.

Obi Wan Kenobi please help us, you're our only hope!

[shocks02]

My first thought was a mixture of surprise and confusion. After taking a glance at their facilities however, I can see why the Valley was impressed. Loyola has no reputation whatsoever in the last several decades but they certainly have the potential to greatly improve. Filling the private school void, and/or Jesuit school category, seems like it also played a factor in the decision.

The Valley took a huge risk on the Ramblers, hopefully it will pay off.

[Veritas]

Loyola joining the Valley could be a result to the fact that WSU has made it be known that they are looking to leave the Valley. Thus, the Valley leadership chose a shool that is more in their geographic footprint in contrast to a Denver, ORU, or even UMKC.

Intersted in seeing the MoVal Pres' votes. I think WSU might have advised Elgin that they are looking to leave and Elgin asked for silence until a replacement for CU was found.

Let's hope so.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

I know this is probably just wishful thinking, but maybe--just maybe--they picked a school that doesn't appeal to us for a reason. Maybe WSU and the Valley see the writing on the wall in regards to WSU or know something we don't know. Maybe there's discussions going on behind the scenes with the MWC/AAC/A-10 and we will be out of this horrific situation by the beginning of next season.

Thank you for indulging me this trip into fantasy land. I now return you to your regularly scheduled reality.

Edit: great minds think alike @Veritas:!