What should BU do?

[SFP]

The refereeing situation in MVC has always been IMO below the quality of the other areas of the league. The top part of the league for the most part year in and year out puts a good product out there. There are some schools that are not putting in the investment into their programs to maintain consistency and they should be dealt with in some type of programmatic response. But that is not the problem with this league. It is the refereeing that is dragging the quality of the overall league down. For the most part there is some really good talent throughout the Valley, the league attracts very good coaches and the fan base is very loyal. I believe the MVC will always stay a notch below or there will be no way of getting to the next level until the refereeing situation is improved. It really has effected the flow of the game and the quality. This is not about just BU but all the other schools and players in this league that deserve more.

[SFP]

I also believe if the MVC does not take this seriously we should consider jumping to another conference.

[ph]

1) The MVC is least likely to get good refs on Sat, Wed and any game not on national TV.
Solution: change the schedule to all different days and/or only allow Wed/Sat games if there is a national TV contract

2) The MVC may or may not be "shooting itself in the foot" by issuing too many "points of emphasis" to the scheduled officials.

[lake Camelot]

I said nothing. I know that will tick everyone off, but The conference is what it is. We aren't going to get the top refs. I hope they can improve it by reviewing tapes with the refs, but I don't have any interest in changing conferences.

[RedbirdFan21]

I know I am not a BU fan... but its obvious that MVC officiating is not up to par with BCS Conferences... I don't think this is ever going to change though.

I didn't really know what option to pick, because it is clear that option #1 is not accurate (IMO) because there are problems.

Regarding option #2... what do you mean DEMAND changes be made? What are you (we) going to threaten??? Not play the games unless we get better refs? It just doesn't seem feasible to me.

Option #3- I don't think any other conferences (besides BCS conferences) are going to be any better. It is a reality that BCS conference can afford to pay ref's more then non-BCS schools- and they do. I don't think the MAC, C-USA, Horizon...etc etc have any better officiating..and if they do, you are sacraficing playing in a better confererence, for better refs. And it could/would hurt other sports, leaving the MVC. Plus, I am pretty sure a school would not leave a conference just because the officials were bad.

I guess my post was pointless, because I did not provide a resolution.

Option #2 is the most feasible, but there wouldn't be any "demanding" anything from the MVC... the schools could ask for a roundtable discussions with coaches, AD's and SID's or something like that... but I am not even sure that would fly...

[SFP]

Redbird as members of this conference we all have the right to demand better quality in all aspects of this league. When you say the BCS will spend more money for the better officials I say why are we not striving to increase our overall revenue base to help close that gap. I believe some schools in this conference are too poor and or cheap and are bringing the overall quality down. You either canafford to play in a high quality league or you cannot. Investments need to happen on all levels of the game in order for the MVC to take the next jump in recognition which will then increase revenue. I'd like to see a chart of which schools have generated the most revenue for the conference and then compare that to what the shools have invested into their program. I would bet the schools that have invested wisely into their programs are generating the most revenue for the overall conference.

[mrcoachdude]

It is what it is.......nothing to do here...but complain

[SFP]

It is what it is.......nothing to do here...but complain

The problem is I'm sick of complaining about this issue since I started following this league. We have options and there are solutions. We need to ask more of the league if it truly wants to compete with the big boys instead of complaining. Trust me if the league could get greater recognition the revenue would increase, TV exposure would also increase, and we would start to get the respect we deserve. If I was not a MVC fan I do not know how many Valley games I would watch because it is painful watching the refs kill the flow of the game and kill any hope of a great ending.

[RedbirdFan21]

Redbird as members of this conference we all have the right to demand better quality in all aspects of this league. When you say the BCS will spend more money for the better officials I say why are we not striving to increase our overall revenue base to help close that gap. I believe some schools in this conference are too poor and or cheap and are bringing the overall quality down. You either canafford to play in a high quality league or you cannot. Investments need to happen on all levels of the game in order for the MVC to take the next jump in recognition which will then increase revenue. I'd like to see a chart of which schools have generated the most revenue for the conference and then compare that to what the shools have invested into their program. I would bet the schools that have invested wisely into their programs are generating the most revenue for the overall conference.

I don't disagree with really any of this... BUT

What are you proposing? The 10 MVC schools gather and "demand" something be done? What will you threaten if they don't give in to your demands?

[2bradleyfans]

I would be ready to move to a new conference. If nothing else start the exploritory process and show D. Elgin we mean business.

I don't think the MVC wants to lose one of their Marquee schools (of which I consider Bradley to be)

I would vote for A-10. C-USA would be an option too. Having Memphis come to Carver every year would be alot of fun.

Also, the Horizon League might actually make the most sense. Two schools in Chicago, Two good Wisconsin programs, Valpo, Butler, Detroit, Cleveland, Wright

[TheAsianSensation]

Oy vey.

First off, many officials work both BCS games and MVC games. There is no such separation between officials that work BCS games and MVC games. They all work them all.

Yes, officiating is not great in the MVC. Guess what. It's terrible EVERYWHERE. Moving to another conference doesn't solve anything - you still have the same bad reffing.

Bradley moving conferences, period? Heck no. You really think the A-10 would be eager to add us? Nope. CUSA? They'd want a football program too. MAC same. Every other conference is obviously inferior.

And maybe the lack of flow in games has something to do with the fact that this is one of the best, if not the best, defensive-oriented conferences in the nation. When you play defense, flow of games break down and more fouls are called because of the physicality.

[lake Camelot]

I would be ready to move to a new conference. If nothing else start the exploritory process and show D. Elgin we mean business.

I don't think the MVC wants to lose one of their Marquee schools (of which I consider Bradley to be)

I would vote for A-10. C-USA would be an option too. Having Memphis come to Carver every year would be alot of fun.

Conference USA isn't much. I look at the teams and think why are Tulsa and Memphis in that conference instead of the Valley. Then I remember Tulsa left because of football.I look again and there are decent football schools.They would not take Bradley, and I don't want Bradley to go there. The A-10 is a nice conference, but we would lose a bunch of our rivals. You can say we can still schedule them in non-conference but I don't see a Tulsa Home and home yet.

"Also, the Horizon League might actually make the most sense. Two schools in Chicago, Two good Wisconsin programs, Valpo, Butler, Detroit, Cleveland, Wright " ..........(Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!Way!!!!!!!!!!! !)

[BUFAN]

I would be ready to move to a new conference. If nothing else start the exploritory process and show D. Elgin we mean business.

I don't think the MVC wants to lose one of their Marquee schools (of which I consider Bradley to be)

I would vote for A-10. C-USA would be an option too. Having Memphis come to Carver every year would be alot of fun.

Also, the Horizon League might actually make the most sense. Two schools in Chicago, Two good Wisconsin programs, Valpo, Butler, Detroit, Cleveland, Wright

Right on 2bradleyfans, right on...

[SFP]

Oy vey.

First off, many officials work both BCS games and MVC games. There is no such separation between officials that work BCS games and MVC games. They all work them all.

Yes, officiating is not great in the MVC. Guess what. It's terrible EVERYWHERE. Moving to another conference doesn't solve anything - you still have the same bad reffing.

Bradley moving conferences, period? Heck no. You really think the A-10 would be eager to add us? Nope. CUSA? They'd want a football program too. MAC same. Every other conference is obviously inferior.

And maybe the lack of flow in games has something to do with the fact that this is one of the best, if not the best, defensive-oriented conferences in the nation. When you play defense, flow of games break down and more fouls are called because of the physicality.

I disagree with you here! Did you watch the UCLA/Arizona State game last weekend? Both teams play great D but the refs really let them play and at the end of the game the players decided the outcome. There was plenty of banging and incedental contacts that were not called and I see the same thing in the Big East, Big Ten, SEC and ACC. They are getting their players ready for the next level. This is a mans game at this level and should not be called like a girls. That foul charging foul called on McCain should have been a no call and that hand call on D?? There are some over lapping refs but those are our best refs in this league. Our botton feeder refs are probably doing HS games on the side.

[squirrel]

As TAS said, many of the guys who work MVC games are already working MAC, Horizon, CUSA, etc. Each league has its own style of play to an extent, and some refs get used to one style and have a bad game when they run into a different style.

Also, there is no such thing as Valley officials. They contract independently to all leagues.

The league has already started to move more games (particularly projected big games) to Tuesday and Sunday, when there are fewer games overall, therefore a better pool of officials to utilize.

Why go to the Horizon just to lose to Butler (a program we are already inferior to and are losing in regional awareness to), Valpo, UIC, Milwaukee, Loyola, etc. . .It's already an inferior league, and we are by no means guaranteed to be better than a number of programs there, so you are only increasing your irrelevance.

Also, the MVC is decent on the women's side of things and brings in a good chunk of NCAA Tourney money in women's hoops and volleyball that other leagues you would move to don't, and therefore you're hurting BU in the pocketbooks too.