The Rise & Fall of the Valley

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

Adding Valpo is what the MVC should have done when Creighton left. Loyola was a long term gamble, and what the conference needed was a short term boost. Loyola has done nothing of significance the past 4 years, whereas Valpo could have immediately added to the competitiveness of the league. The MVC should have known we were tip toeing towards the door, but instead they thought we were being too big for our britches. The pickin's are gettin' slim for quality programs below the MVC--its best hope may be trying to improve within its current membership. It has programs with historical success (Bradley, SIU, UNI), but what it's lacking most is vision and a strong desire to improve. That's a culture problem.

[ShockCrazy]

I had to look this up, because I never understood what a travel partner was. So for those, like me, that don't understand it. UCONN volleyball can fly into Wichita play a match, bus to Tulsa, then fly out. So Wichita and Tulsa would travel at the same time, giving the opponents opportunities to consolidate travel. Given the rising cost of hotel space and the decreasing cost of-albeit increasingly frustrating-air travel, I'm not sure how much of a win this is economically. Certainly less disruptive to the players as a bus can take them directly from point A to point B.

Check out Paul's latest article on the increase in costs for AAC, flights for such a large travel party are EXPENSIVE. Hotels and busing is much cheaper. Regarding WuShock16's point on odd numbers being a logistical nightmare, it really changes nothing, one team just doesn't have a travel partner and when you are hosting or traveling to the team with out a travel partner, that is the week you play your travel partner.

[1972Shocker]

I think the only Wichita State sport that has a travel partner system is Volleyball. The difference between the Valley and the AAC is that in the Valley they typically played matches on back-to-back days, usuallly Friday and Saturday. Always made a tough trip or home stand for travel partners having to face WSU and MSU on back-to-back days. In the AAC it looks liek they take a day off in between matches playing either Friday-Sunday or Thursday-Saturday (based on last year's schedule). It also looked like travel partners played their matches on Wednesday. So the extra day of travel every weekend will add a layer of costs to the Volleyball program as well as the increase in flying required.

[RoyalShock]

Going strictly by KenPom over the last seven years, Valpo and Murray make sense to add now. The question is weather Murray can get back to where they were without that previous run of good coaches.

[1972Shocker]

@RoyalShock: if not too much trouble I am just curious what Wichita State's average KenPom rating over the past 7 years has been?

[RoyalShock]

@RoyalShock if not too much trouble I am just curious what Wichita State's average KenPom rating over the past 7 years has been?

I forgot to add that I found that graphic on twitter. But I went and looked and WSU's 7-year average is 22.28. That's a silly number when compared to the others on that chart.

[Shocker-maniac]

Adding Valpo is what the MVC should have done when Creighton left. Loyola was a long term gamble, and what the conference needed was a short term boost. Loyola has done nothing of significance the past 4 years, whereas Valpo could have immediately added to the competitiveness of the league. The MVC should have known we were tip toeing towards the door, but instead they thought we were being too big for our britches. The pickin's are gettin' slim for quality programs below the MVC--its best hope may be trying to improve within its current membership. It has programs with historical success (Bradley, SIU, UNI), but what it's lacking most is vision and a strong desire to improve. That's a culture problem.

This - The thing that has most disappointed me about adding Loyola was there was all this talk that Loyola had lots of money that they were going to invest in their athletic facilities and programs. Since that time, I have never heard one thing about facility or program upgrades. Then of course there was all of the talk about them being in a huge media market. Only problem is there are only about 500 people in that market that care one bit about Loyola sports.

[BOBB]

This - The thing that has most disappointed me about adding Loyola was there was all this talk that Loyola had lots of money that they were going to invest in their athletic facilities and programs. Since that time, I have never heard one thing about facility or program upgrades. Then of course there was all of the talk about them being in a huge media market. Only problem is there are only about 500 people in that market that care one bit about Loyola sports.

Loyola or DePaul would have been an awesome place to go to school. That being said a trip on the El will show you any number of B1G flags flying on people's decks, but I have never, never ever, never ever seen a Loyola flag.

[Kung Wu]

That being said a trip on the El will show you any number of B1G flags flying on people's decks, but I have never, never ever, never ever seen a Loyola flag.

Well that's because you never hopped on the Express at Platform 9 3/4 and traveled to Hogwarts.

[1972Shocker]

I forgot to add that I found that graphic on twitter. But I went and looked and WSU's 7-year average is 22.28. That's a silly number when compared to the others on that chart.

I guess in this case that qualifies as off the charts.

[Shoxcity]

Was there ever a possibility of the MVC adding Murray State after Creighton left? Would've made more sense than Loyola.

[RoyalShock]

Was there ever a possibility of the MVC adding Murray State after Creighton left? Would've made more sense than Loyola.

Probably not. Since Creighton is a private school, it was inevitable another private school would replace them.

[Shoxcity]

How political would you say it is regarding the voting process between public and private schools voting in new members?

[RoyalShock]

How political would you say it is regarding the voting process between public and private schools voting in new members?

This is only my gut feeling, but the privates will probably always feel defensive and protective of the public/private ratio, especially after what WSU did in terms of budget. And they have enough votes to block any school they want from joining. Assuming Valpo gets added, bringing the split to 5/5, they could easily keep Murray or any other public from tipping the balance back in favor of the publics. Would they? Who knows. Bradley is the only one of the current privates who, IMO, could excel no matter what the league dynamics are.

[1972Shocker]

This is only my gut feeling, but the privates will probably always feel defensive and protective of the public/private ratio, especially after what WSU did in terms of budget. And they have enough votes to block any school they want from joining. Assuming Valpo gets added, bringing the split to 5/5, they could easily keep Murray or any other public from tipping the balance back in favor of the publics. Would they? Who knows. Bradley is the only one of the current privates who, IMO, could excel no matter what the league dynamics are.

This is why I thought the Valley should have just taken the 10 teams in the MVFC and said this is our new conference for all sports. Then leave Bradley, Drake, Loyola and Evansville to either add whatever teams they prefer or join either the Horizon, Summit or OVC or perhaps even move down to D-II.

Whether that was ever eve a thought or even a reasonable possiblity I couldn't say.