The Rise & Fall of the Valley

[Play Angry]

Mark Adam's tweeting that Valpo will be likely addition and ONLY addition.

lol, Murray State fans killing themselves in droves if this is the case.

[Aargh]

Sometimes I think the only way Elgin will ever wear any big boy pants will be when the undertaker puts them on him. He is outstanding at thinking small.

[1972Shocker]

This certainly fits the "easy bus ride" model as the MVC's footprint expands further east of the Missouri Valley basin.

Now if they can just get someone to take Missouri State of of their hands.

[1972Shocker]

Sometimes I think the only way Elgin will ever wear any big boy pants will be when the undertaker puts them on him. He is outstanding at thinking small.

Could be but how do you know for sure this is his thinking and hasn't been dictated to him by the member institutions?

[WheatShock]

Could be but how do you know for sure this is his thinking and hasn't been dictated to him by the member institutions?

I think that's the more likely scenario.

[Walker]

If Valpo ends up being the only add for the Valley, I think it shows that the university presidents just concede that the Valley is just a one bid league and they don't want the NCAA credits split up even more than they already are. Might as well stay with 9 if that's the case. I guess a scenario involving multiple adds would still most likely result in the Valley being a one bid league, but I think it would at least give them a fighting chance in the future to become a multi-bid league. It's too bad if they don't add Murray State as well.

[WuShock16]

As much as 11 (or any odd number for that matter) would be fine for men's basketball, an odd number would be a logistical nightmare for volleyball and women's basketball, both sports relying upon travel partners for scheduling. That's why they'll either come back to 10 or eventually go to 12.

[Walker]

As much as 11 (or any odd number for that matter) would be fine for men's basketball, an odd number would be a logistical nightmare for volleyball and women's basketball, both sports relying upon travel partners for scheduling. That's why they'll either come back to 10 or eventually go to 12.

Hadn't thought about the sports that require travel partners. Maybe sticking with 10 is the way to go until they have 2 other candidates they know will be the best fits.

[Aargh]

I agree it was the university admins call on any adds. Elgin should have had some input before he let it out that Murray and Valpo were being considered. If the admins weren't going to go for 11 (or 12), he should have known that before the process of finding a replacement or additional members was started.

There is a lot of speculation on the Net that the OVC told Murray that their move would be an all or nothing move and the OVC would not allow them to remain in that conference for FB only. If that's the case, then Murray had no option. FB schedules are done. The MVFC probably coulodn't work an additional FB member into the schedule for fall.

It's tough to replace a BB-only school with a BB and FB school on short notice.

[Cdizzle]

If Elgin is blameless and has no power (and maybe that is true), then what is the point of paying someone $300k+ for a useless position? He had no problem taking credit when things were going well.

Another smaller league had great success in that same tournament: the Missouri Valley Conference. Bradley and Wichita State made surprising round-of-16 runs, and two other schools also made the tournament, for eight units, or $10.2 million over the next six years.

Missouri Valley Commissioner Doug Elgin’s compensation increased 40 percent over the life of that payout, from $224,250 in 2006 to $316,269 in 2012, according to conference tax records. Elgin defended his compensation and, unlike Yeager, said it was absolutely tied to the success of his conference’s basketball performance.

“I would hope that when the CEO of a business, when their return is off the charts, that their compensation is commensurate with performance,” said Elgin.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics ... caa-money/

[ShockerPhi]

“I would hope that when the CEO of a business, when their return is off the charts, that their compensation is commensurate with performance,” said Elgin.

If that's the case, I hope he also believes CEO's compensation should be tied to performance when performance is poor as well. Not just when it's good.

[Jtaylor]

Word out there is that they add Valpo this year and find a better school to go with Murray State and make it 12 next year.
lso from the Murray State forum:
"I thin
Ak football may be a bigger stumbling block in the Valley than any other conference. The Valley football conference didn’t lose a team and they were not looking to add a team. So, our football team in this scenario is holding us back. That might not be the case in other conference realignment in the future, but, it certainly does seem to be an issue this go around. It looks like adding Valpo is just the cleaner fix and they are not looking for all the complications that Murray State brings to the table with a FCS football program that has not been in the Playoffs in years

[Dave Stalwart]

Honestly, if they wanted to just go to 10 for now, Valpo is probalby the best thing that could have happened and they appear to be pulling it off. It hurts the Horizon League and helps create some separation there for the MVC. It also adds strength and keeps the conference footprint close together. It's the best single add the MVC could make, so I'm glad they are getting that done.

I'm okay with 10 if the 10th school is Valpo. Good for both parties.

[SHOCKvalue]

Valpo's house:



Makes LOLoyola's place seem like the Taj Mahal.

Valpo spends just under $14M on their sports, which (although I don't have the most recent numbers right in front of me) puts them well into the running for poorest athletic department in the Valley of Dearth.

Such a Valley move; to obscurity and beyond, as a more depressed Buzz Lightyear might say.

[DwShock]

Valpo will allow them save money on advertising costs. You usually see valley stuff in abc order. All they have to do is make a sticker and put it over WSU