Not looking good for Loyola

[wufan]

They did spend some serious bucks on an arena renovation, so at least there's that.

Its a great arena, just too small.

[shocka khan]

More like the Wabash Valley Conference, as the Wabash is the river demarcating a good portion of the border between Illinois and Indiana.

Terre Haute is just about the first exit east, on I-70 IIRC.

[_kai_]

Say that outloud. It rolls of the tongue and is fun to say!

Illindiana . . . Illindiana . . . one more time . . .

Illindiaaaannnaaaa. So smooth.

[Kung Wu]

Its a great arena, just too small.

No doubt, but if they get that 60's mojo back it would make a great women's volleyball/men's volleyball/women's basketball arena and they can build something new. They need a Coach Marshall, really really badly. Of course, who doesn't?

[LandStander]

We will know LoyChi is serious about basketball when they let Porter go. I'm sure he's a good guy but I'm afraid he's not THE guy that LoyChi needs to get their program kickstarted with new energy. They are committed to spending money to resurrect their program supposedly -- well ... let's see it. Upgrade your coach.

Loyola needs to get committed about getting fans in the seats. I know a winning record is the easiest but I don't see that happening for awhile. I went to their senior day last year cause they were handing out free tickets and I'd be surprised if there were 100 people there. That includes the band, the cheerleaders and both teams and coaches. It was pathetic and they were giving away tickets!

[Kung Wu]

Loyola needs to get committed about getting fans in the seats. I know a winning record is the easiest but I don't see that happening for awhile. I went to their senior day last year cause they were handing out free tickets and I'd be surprised if there were 100 people there. That includes the band, the cheerleaders and both teams and coaches. It was pathetic and they were giving away tickets!

I just don't see that happening unless and until they are regularly competing at the top of the Valley. Over the long run I have more hope for them being able to do that than I do an Evansville type of program. That hope could fizzle out very quickly if they don't make the changes necessary in the next couple of years though.

It would have been much better to bring in a program that has proven that they can and will compete at that level in the recent past. I can see them making an argument that they were in a conference that would not allow them to attract a good enough coach to pull them out of the dregs. I'd buy that, but now they don't have that excuse.

They need to raise the expectations on Moser substantially. As @Cdizzle: pointed out: Without an AD to raise those expectations, we can expect more of the same out of LoyChi.

[Shocker-maniac]

Unless they are consistently a top 25 program, I would be surprised if they can draw a whole lot of fans. From what I understand Chicago is first and foremost a pro sports market. I don't see how even an upper division MVC team could draw that much interest in that market.

[Cdizzle]

I just don't see that happening unless and until they are regularly competing at the top of the Valley. Over the long run I have more hope for them being able to do that than I do an Evansville type of program.

People like to make fun of Evansville, and often they have good reason, but as recently as 5 years ago Evansville was Top 100 in attendance. That year and the 12 years prior (data I have, I would actually expect it to go UP considerably if you include the other 2 years they have been in the Valley), Evansville averaged 7,093 fans per game. All while amassing the fewest league wins of any team in the conference, at a rate 0.7 losses/year LOWER than the next worst. How big is Loyola's fancy new arena? I just don't see the reason for hope. That doesn't mean that Loyola can't beat teams, pull off upsets, or even have a good year in the league, I just don't see anything that demonstrates the basis for expecting the development of a strong program unless serious financial changes occur, which by their apparent unwillingness to shell out even for an AD much less a basketball coach don't even look to be a possibility much less imminent.

[Dave Stalwart]

Unless they are consistently a top 25 program, I would be surprised if they can draw a whole lot of fans. From what I understand Chicago is first and foremost a pro sports market. I don't see how even an upper division MVC team could draw that much interest in that market.

Probably. And it makes you wonder what the MVC was thinking.

[Shock Therapy]

Probably. And it makes you wonder what the MVC was thinking.

But what about the academics?!?!

[LandStander]

But what about the academics?!?!

Everyone that I know that goes to Loyola is after different pre-med degrees and don't have time or a care about sports.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I dont think the arena is too small. Even Big East power Depaul only averaged less than 2,000 people per game last year.

This is two years ahead of a new 10,000 seat arena opening.

Duke (9,600) and Gonzaga (6,000) are proof bigger isn't always better, but atmosphere and engagement of those in arenas are.

[Shock Therapy]

Everyone that I know that goes to Loyola is after different pre-med degrees and don't have time or a care about sports.

I was being facetious. One of the reasons given for the Loyola pick was the academic profile of the school. Which is why the presidents should not be the ones to make the decision. It should be up to the ADs.

[Kung Wu]

People like to make fun of Evansville, and often they have good reason, but as recently as 5 years ago Evansville was Top 100 in attendance. That year and the 12 years prior (data I have, I would actually expect it to go UP considerably if you include the other 2 years they have been in the Valley), Evansville averaged 7,093 fans per game. All while amassing the fewest league wins of any team in the conference, at a rate 0.7 losses/year LOWER than the next worst. How big is Loyola's fancy new arena? I just don't see the reason for hope. That doesn't mean that Loyola can't beat teams, pull off upsets, or even have a good year in the league, I just don't see anything that demonstrates the basis for expecting the development of a strong program unless serious financial changes occur, which by their apparent unwillingness to shell out even for an AD much less a basketball coach don't even look to be a possibility much less imminent.

I have higher expectations for Valley teams than what Evansville has achieved since 1999. For me attendance takes a second seat to being a top 3 team in the conference and getting frequent invitations to the ball. If you aren't getting those invitations your attendance is going to suck (Evansville being a notable exception as you pointed out).

LoyChi had an AD that was rolling heads and only left in July (3 1/2 months ago) to head up the athletic department at UPenn. So saying that LoyChi won't hire an AD is stretch. Apparently they really liked Calhoun and considered it a surprise -- but what MVC AD is going to turn down an opportunity to run UPenn's department? Especially with all the recent scandal there, that's a HUGE opportunity for any AD to show that they can clean house and run a tight ship at a major program. My guess is it was because she was willing to fire successful coaches at LoyChi, that she was called up to UPenn. She was probably cleaning house at LoyChi.

The point being that their last AD was a solid hire, so taking their time to get the next hire right makes sense. The question is: How long is Moser's leash and have they set high enough expectations for him? Since a university president is unlikely to fire a coach without an AD's input we get to sit around and wait.

[Cdizzle]

While I understand your point, you also can't have a 10-team league full of teams that finish in the top 3. The math doesn't work out. Attendance drives revenue which drives the ability to play someone other than Chicago St. 3 times a year. Which allows teams that don't finish in the top 3 to have schedules that might not destroy the RPI of the conference.