Anybody read Bob Lutz' article today?

[DUShock]

Do folks really think a charter member of the Valley, a conference which has had the likes of Louisville, Memphis, KU (yes that KU), Oklahoma A&M, to only name a few former members would force out a charter member of the oldest or second oldest athletic conferences in the nation? It'll be a cold day in Hades before a charter member is sent packing. Drake University is here to stay...

Go Shocks!!!!

[KC Shox]

Xavier definitely would not jump ship. They already have a huge complex being in the A 10 and being referred to as a mid-major. These guys have issues.

Tulsa would not join as well, similar complex as with Xavier. Lutz was spot on and I would love this new conference.

[ShockTalk]

Go-Shockers - Didn't realize Xavier played football; are they just starting?

Very good basketball, second rate football, and no improvement in baseball. Do you really want to travel to Ohio??? Tulsa would NEVER join this group!

[ShockTalk]

DUShock - Why does charter-member Drake play football in the Pioneer League? That has to be one of the strangest looking leagues I've ever seen.

[DUShock]

DUShock - Why does charter-member Drake play football in the Pioneer League? That has to be one of the strangest looking leagues I've ever seen.

It has to do with scholarships, the Pioneer League is a non-scholarship League. Not a single player in the entire League is on a football scholarship. Honestly, if WSU ever were to resurrect the pigskin sport the Pioneer League would likely be a point of consideration in determining viability. The Gateway is de facto MVC football complete with scholarships.

Go Shocks!!!!

[ShockTalk]

D-1 football will probably never happen here, but joining a conference full of D-1 football teams, without us having football, is even more unlikely. It's nice to dream, tho. I want more southern teams, better weather for baseball, easier travel for the Shox as well as the fans, and larger media markets.

I don't think there would be any problem with 8 schools having football in a 10 team league or 9-10 in a 12 team league. A couple of D1 leagues are made up of only nine members now and the Big East only has 8 football schools.

If the non-football schools bring good value in other sports, they will be an asset to the league.

[Shockerman]

I Love conference speculation season...

New Southwest conference (Texas State alum owns the rights to the name)
* Listed with Travel partners

State Division
SIU-Illinois State
Wichita State-Missouri State
Arkansas State-Texas State

University Division
SMU-Tulsa
Houston-Rice
Tulane-LaTech

New Missouri Valley
CU
UE
DU
BU
Butler
ORU
UWM
UWGB
SLU
Detroit

New Summit
UND (Transitioning to DI)
NDSU (Just finished Transition)
SDSU (Just finished Transition)
USD (Transitioning to DI)
UNI (Spent 50+ years in a conference with the above)
Minn State (wants to go DI)
Indiana State
Youngstown State

New Low major league
Ark-Little Rock
UMKC
IUPUI
Oakland
IPFW
Valpo
Loyola
UIC
Cleveland State
Wright State

[shock10]

STINKS

[Ashockalypse]

I like the GO SHOCKERS proposal

[Veritas]

I think The Lutz touches on the fact that the current Valley is dead, boring, and simply not attractive for WSU to be a member.
It also should plant the seed once again, that unless WSU gets football and jumps to a better conference, we'll be pooled and possibly stuck for a long while with the likes of UE, INSU, Drake, UNI, and other coyote nowhere schools (unless of course those schools are indeed dropped and replaced).
As a basketball conference, the one school that has had any continuity of coaching is CU and they can't seem to make a run deep into the NCAA tournament - thus they are a pretender rather than a contender. The two prestige schools in the Valley for basketball include Bradley and WSU. The rest are coat-tail riders.

Face it, it's time for WSU to move on to better things and leave the Valley.

[shocky]

At this point we should just stay put and not make any changes. Lutz is being short sighted except for the addition of St Louis and kicking out maybe UE and UNI. Remember when we took on UE? They had a great support under Jim Crews for several years and did well in the MCC. They would get 10 to 12k a night and I was very impressed by them. Well, times change and now they are just trying to survive like DU and UNI. By the way, WTF was the deal adding UNI anyway. That was just nuts. Butler is the little flavor of the month like UE was and if they start losing their field house will be a ghost town, Just like UE is now. I think until recently they were after thought in Indy. All these little private schools are a gamble and just a season or two from DII, so just forget them unless they prove something long term.

Please forget about ORU, UMKC, Butler....blaa...blaaa blaaaaaa! I don't see an upgrade here and when ORU goes back to DII like they did before we will all be pi$$ed that we ever even thought of it. No one in KC cares about UMKC no matter what conference they are in. Period!

If we ever leave the Valley it would be because we have football and are moving to C-USA or Mountain West. Other than that, we are just not gaining in my opinion.

Since I'm dreaming...We add football, and as Shockerman suggested, we start the new SWC:

This is my dream conference. Low travel cost, regional rivals and good media markets.

WSU
TU
SMU
TCU
Houston
Rice
New Mexico State
UTEP
Opional:
North Texas
La Tech
Arkansas State
Tulane

[GO_SHOCKERS]

Go-Shockers - Didn't realize Xavier played football; are they just starting?

Very good basketball, second rate football, and no improvement in baseball. Do you really want to travel to Ohio??? Tulsa would NEVER join this group!

You're right about Xavier they are club football only, I thought they played in the Pioneer League along with Butler and Dayton.

Butler University
Campbell University
Davidson College
University of Dayton
Drake University
Jacksonville University
Marist College
Morehead State University
University of San Diego
Valparaiso University

The point of my league would focus on Basketball, hence the lack of 1-A football schools. I would love 1-A football here I just don't see it happening for awhile.

[Rosewood]

Can I get a quick time out? Huddle up here guys.

Ok, we all realize that none of this is going to happen any time soon, right? Ok, good.

Ok, team on three...

[ShockTalk]

Can I get a quick time out? Huddle up here guys.

Ok, we all realize that none of this is going to happen any time soon, right? Ok, good.

Ok, team on three...

Don't be too sure about that. The last couple of times there were re-alignments, the dominoes fell pretty quickly and if you weren't ready for it, your school was left behind.

I think Memphis will go to the Big East very soon and that 4 or 5 teams from the Big East will leave. This will affect C-USA and some other conferences which will include schools we might want to be a part of. Hopefully, we have done (or are doing) our homework and are not on the outside looking in. :noidea: :cry:

IF you want this to happen, you'd better be pro-active about it.

:wsu_posters:

[Veritas]

Can I get a quick time out? Huddle up here guys.

Ok, we all realize that none of this is going to happen any time soon, right? Ok, good.

Ok, team on three...

Don't be too sure about that. The last couple of times there were re-alignments, the dominoes fell pretty quickly and if you weren't ready for it, your school was left behind.

I think Memphis will go to the Big East very soon and that 4 or 5 teams from the Big East will leave. This will affect C-USA and some other conferences which will include schools we might want to be a part of. Hopefully, we have done (or are doing) our homework and are not on the outside looking in. :noidea: :cry:

IF you want this to happen, you'd better be pro-active about it.

:wsu_posters:

You're right! Hopefully, AD Sexton is on his game and working on nicely positioning the Shox.