The Rise & Fall of the Valley

[Dave Stalwart]

I think they were trying to add Newman U and bring them up from D2.

Unfortunately there probabaly won't be any leaks because no one probabaly cares. I'll just have to wait patiently for the announcement that they decided to take the MIAA and rename it the MVC.

[Dave Stalwart]

My guess is they called an emergency meeting that spent its first hour complaining about WSU and talking about how nice it will be to have truly like minded schools and presidents working together now. Then, after they got finished with that important part of the meeting, Doug Elgin presented a graph showing what his favorite kinds of animals are, hoping to get a school to join the MVC that has a cool mascot. The word is that they took a long, hard look at UMKC because Kangaroos are really fun and they could capture the KC market.

[DwShock]

MoSt can't even keep its local kids.

http://www.ozarkssportszone.com/2017/04/09/chris-kendrix-austin-ruder-to-leave-missouri-state-program/

[DUShock]

That is too bad for Mo State. I wonder what's up.

[ShockerPhi]

That is too bad for Mo State. I wonder what's up.

Probably something to do with that Paul Lusk guy. Or the financial troubles. Or the lack of attendance. Or...

[DwShock]

If it's lack of attendance you do everything you can to keep your two local guys around. They probably just lay 27% of their attendance.

[Heinro]

Those 2 look like classic *ask to leave* situations. Where do they sit on open scholarships? Are they after recruits who would likely be more talented?

[Wild Heiny]

Those 2 look like classic *ask to leave* situations. Where do they sit on open scholarships? Are they after recruits who would likely be more talented?

Agree, these two played sparingly and were likely asked to leave or opted to leave to try and get more playing time.

[1972Shocker]

Ruder is a RS-Junior so he may well have earned his degree which affords him the opportunity to transfer without sitting out a year.

Kendrix looked like a decent player and a decent athlete to me and a lot of the MSU fans weren't happy wiht how Paul Lusk utilized him. Kendrix' problem, if he wants to play D-1 ball is to find a program that is willing to give hime two-year's of scholarship for one year of eligibility. Of course, he could do a Malcolm Armstead move I suppose or he could go D-II and be a star in a smaller galaxy for a year.

[Dave Stalwart]

Those two guys weren't that bad. They could be fine role players on a lot of rosters. I kinda think anyone that wasn't very satisfied where they were in the MVC is going to start transferring out. I think this off season is going to be crazy for the MVC unless they announce something amazing this week. I think even some coaches are going to be looking to move (Jacobsen and Muller, specifically). The MVC had better pull a rabbit out of a hat or it is toast. This is just the first of quite a few transfers I'm expecting to see this off season unless somehow the conference can instill some hope and vision that people will buy into.

[Dave Stalwart]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/umkc/article143330799.html

"UMKC was one of four schools considered by the Missouri Valley in 2013, along with Valparaiso, University of Illinois-Chicago and Loyola (Chicago) and when Creighton left for the Big East. Valley officials visited each school, and Loyola was the choice."

I did not know that those were the four schools considered to replace Creighton at the time. Surely, there were others, but this article makes it sound like those were the only four and that UMKC was actually contacted back in 2013. If this is true, then you can see why the MVC is falling apart...

[Dave Stalwart]

When I look at the geography of the WAC, it is a really hurting conference and practically needs to dissolve. I can see why UMKC would want out because the travel looks terrible for a bunch of low major schools. It would be tough for a lot of those schools to play each other regularly.

I think UMKC's best chance of changing that is to get picked back up with the Summit or Horizon if the MVC does go for the Dakota schools idea. Let the WCC take New Mexico State and Grand Canyon, let the MVC take some combination of NDSU, SDSU, USD, UND, UNO, Valpo, Belmont and Murray State. Then have the rest of the WAC either fill in where the gaps are created and dissolve or merge with the Big West or something. The WAC is just such a bad looking conference right now. I feel like it could just dissolve.

[Dave Stalwart]

http://www.omaha.com/sports/shatel-if-when-wichita-state-kicks-off-mid-major-realignment/article_5759bc6e-fdd1-5542-a1b6-b3fbd08ac62b.html

I'm hearing that UNO to the Horizon may be gaining traction. This was the only article I could find, but it's a few days old and no confirmation or anything. Makes me wonder if Valpo to the MVC may be a thing.

[BOBB]

When I look at the geography of the WAC, it is a really hurting conference and practically needs to dissolve. I can see why UMKC would want out because the travel looks terrible for a bunch of low major schools. It would be tough for a lot of those schools to play each other regularly.

I think UMKC's best chance of changing that is to get picked back up with the Summit or Horizon if the MVC does go for the Dakota schools idea. Let the WCC take New Mexico State and Grand Canyon, let the MVC take some combination of NDSU, SDSU, USD, UND, UNO, Valpo, Belmont and Murray State. Then have the rest of the WAC either fill in where the gaps are created and dissolve or merge with the Big West or something. The WAC is just such a bad looking conference right now. I feel like it could just dissolve.

The WAC is a disaster. It is several rungs below the MWC and MWC teams want to get to an upgraded conference. Will be interesting when BIGXII blows up and the P4 pick up the scraps and all go to 16. Could put AAC and MWC in bidding wars for some relatively attractive programs. Nevertheless, the Valley will not be part of any of those conversations. The remaining WAC, MAC,Sun Belt, etc...football teams should all go FCS at this point, or drop to DII entirely.

[Dave Stalwart]

What happened to the conference realignment thread? I gather that it became the AAC thread, but I just realized I'm probably using the wrong thread for these MVC realignment posts.

Maybe there needs to be a "Realignment and the MVC: Best possible outcome" thread :)