Report: Loyola-Chicago to join MVC

[wushock27]

So the WSU bashing from their fans has begun...

galenaRmbler wrote:
Less than two weeks ago I was watching the final four and rooting for Wichita State. I never dreamed that Loyola would be playing them at least twice next season! Since the news of Loyola's invitation to the MVC has broken, I have been reading everything I can from many sources. The number of ignorant and rude comments from Wichita fans has amazed me. Wichita State has quickly replaced Butler as the second favorite team I want LU to beat. If these derogatory comments continue they might even challenge # 1- De Paul. On second thought, I don't think that is possible.


This. Eff their fans complaining about their at-large chances. If you want to get into the tournament here's a novel approach: beat the teams on your schedule. Congrats on getting to the Final Four by beating 2 teams that never get out of the first round, a 13 seed, and a team led by bonafide NBA superstar and 7.2 GPA student Aaron Craft. Wanna impress us? Do it twice. At least Butler did that...

[Manhattan_Shocker]

Check this out guys. http://www.luc.edu/reimagine/thefive...orvillecenter/

It details how exactly they are investing into their program. Outside of their arena being surprisingly small, the improvements they are making rivals or exceeds any Valley school. Also, for such a small arena, it does look nice.

I also must add, as a new Chicago resident, I'm cautiously optimistic for Loyola because I get to see the Shockers play 20 minutes from my house now. That's not something I expected moving to Chicago.

[wushock27]

And this... Lol

what they think of us #23 [url] [-]


Posts: 108
1 hour ago
From the Witchita State board:

"So we're replacing one set of entitled trust fund narcissists with another of like kind or perhaps even worse, minus the respectable athletic department, and plus a locale in the most corrupt of US cities?'"

So let me get this straight.... we're supposed to be tongue-slobberingly grateful that they let us in their conference of no-name schools in nowhere places
. Got it. (Not really...)

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goramblers2011
#24 [url] [-]


Posts: 66
1 hour ago
From my initial reading of MVC boards, these Wichita fans have a VERY high opinion of themselves and a seemingly low opinion of everyone else (especially us). Too bad no one would have even heard of their school if it wasn't for their basketball team's success.

[ShockerFever]

Yes, we should all be thrilled to see a program come up now twice on our schedule that has had exactly 5 winning seasons in the last 28 years. Try reversing the roles, Rambler fans.

I do love some good ol' Rambler trash talking! They sure can back it up!

[AndShock]

I guess this is what we get for complaining about Evansville. The only difference is Loyola sucks way worse and their fans are way more obnoxious.

At least they have money and they're in Chicago...those are the only things that really matter, right?

[GO_SHOCKERS]

Honestly they are just defending their team like we all would do for the Shox. Granted they have nothing to back up their bitching but at least they are trying. I have no hate, it's not fault the MVC picked the ugly girl, at least she is a rich ugly girl.

[shox1989]

Honestly they are just defending their team like we all would do for the Shox. Granted they have nothing to back up their bitching but at least they are trying. I have no hate, it's not fault the MVC picked the ugly girl, at least she is a rich ugly girl.

....who lives in a very small house in a very large neighborhood. Maybe someday the rich, ugly girl will be able to build a much larger house, which would be good for all of her new relatives.

[shox1989]

I guess this is what we get for complaining about Evansville. The only difference is Loyola sucks way worse and their fans are way more obnoxious.

At least they have money and they're in Chicago...those are the only things that really matter, right?

And they are committed to spending $15 million annually on athletics. Which I am sure is much greater than what Evansville spends. WSU's athletic budget is around $20 million as I recall.

[Rlh04d]

Honestly they are just defending their team like we all would do for the Shox. Granted they have nothing to back up their bitching but at least they are trying. I have no hate, it's not fault the MVC picked the ugly girl, at least she is a rich ugly girl.

This.

What can we expect them to do? Just go "Yeah, they're right, we really do suck" ? Of course they're going to stick up for their school. And they should.

I don't have any problem with Loyola. I think they're going to be good -- eventually. Their facilities do look very nice, and they've been investing a lot of money lately. I have absolutely no doubt that they've got a huge upside to them ... eventually. It's just that they don't contribute to the Valley now, and they won't for the next ten years. I think it was Aargh who said it best ... the most important year for Wichita State fans is next year. And the next year. And the next year. I just really don't care what Loyola has the potential to grow into in 10 years, if they're going to hurt us next year. I fully recognize that is incredibly short-sighted thinking, and I don't care. Quite frankly, I can't spend as much time hoping for a new conference as I do for me to care what any team in the Valley is going to look like in 10-20 years.

Good for them for backing up their team. Do we really need to bully them for being bad? It stinks for us, but any good fan should stick up for their team, especially when they stink. I don't hate Loyola or any of their fans, I just hate the idea of adding a team that averages 2200 or so fans a game, has an SOS that has declined every season for seven straight, has an RPI that has declined I believe 5 of the last 7 (and the two improvements weren't anything to brag about), and quite frankly they've had one 20+ win season in the last 28 years or so.

[ShockerPrez]

We won't be storming our court if we beat Loyola next year.

Will Loyola if they beat us on their court?

[wsu789]

I'm glad to see that Loyola has some fans who care. I hope their passion is matched by the administration and that the newfound hatred for WSU will lead to better results than the hatred for Butler did.

While it is impossible to view Loyola's recent record as a positive, a friend reminded me yesterday that Shocker fans had a similar reaction when UNI joined the league. At least in hoops, they have been a positive. Incidentally, the last time I was this disappointed was when Jim Schaus hired a Jayhawk to coach us. Hopefully, I'm as wrong about this as I was about Mark Turgeon.

Loyola has many positives. I will choose to focus on those and hope they get much, much better in basketball.

[WuDrWu]

We won't be storming our court if we beat Loyola next year.

Will Loyola if they beat us on their court?

Pretty much anyone that beats us next year is going to storm the court.

But fear not, it ain't gonna happen much....if at all.

[wichshock65]

Speaking of next year, I just came across this little article on the next seasons most improved teams

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1605246-college-basketball-teams-àthat-will-drastically-improve-in-2013-14

[CBB_Fan]

Here is a post you may have missed from a mod on MVCfans.com. I think it is a very good explanation of why people are angry over this addition.

My quick hitting thoughts in general:

Loyola is a good long-term prospect. You add them and hope they grow into themselves over 10, 20 years. It's not an awful idea in a vacuum. They have potential.

The only time you don't take a team based on potential is if you need immediate returns from your investment. Like if you're in a critical time period, with rapidly changing environments in conference realignment, and slipping for a couple years means losing touch with the other top conferences in the country.

Which by the way, is the current situation. [emphasis: mine]

MVC is now behind the new Big 7 conferences, about to lose touch with the MWC for good, and battling the WCC and A-10. Fall behind them and you're now irrelevant. Being irrelevant now means being on the wrong side of a future split, of future TV contracts and media coverage, and eventually, of postseason opportunities.

The MVC needed an add that protected basketball product above all else. Oral Bob, Valpo, Detroit, Belmont, NMSU, Denver all do that much better than Loyola. Now, none of them are gangbusters, but they are competent, moreso than Loyola.

There is so much at stake in the next few years. Conference realignment is consolidating all the power at the top. Right now we have a high major, mid major, and low major. We're heading into an environment with the middle man cut out - just high major and low major.

Loyola might be big time in 2025. But by then, it'll be too late. We have to take every measure to be as good as possible, in the near term. We had candidates comparable to Loyola in non-basketball offerings, and had better basketball. Should've taken one of them.

Loyola would've been a perfectly fine candidate to add to the MVC - in a stable environment. Not in an unstable one.

Basically, Loyola is a very good add for long-term stability and success. Unfortunately, that isn't what the MVC needed. They needed a school that could could put out a good product in this time of great uncertainty, which could help the MVC stay relevant and competitive (which is what Wichita State would need to keep us content). Now the Valley may be permanently damaged by the time Loyola improves to the point that it is competitive.

[MadaboutWu]

I don't mind the Loyola fans taking exception to our talk. It must suck to join a new league and have everyone believe your team is a horrible addition. I think they also have a point about people talking smack about their fans/student population. We don't know them from Adam so why go there?

That said I am as upset as everyone else for this choice and see the rpi drag as an additional obstacle WSU will have to overcome for continued success.