Valley Expansion

[BradleyJD]

Maybe the Valley could pick up some of its former members who might be free with all of these conference realignments.

The Big 12 is about to be no more....maybe Elgin should get on the phone. Even with the lack of major football, they could maybe swing something regardless.

[TheAsianSensation]

Some random thoughts jumbled together about the Valley and expansion:

The lack of D-1 football means the Valley can't do much even if they wanted to. They could theoretically have Iowa St fall in their lap but it'd mean the MAC, CUSA, and the MWC all simultaneously turn them down.

Any program with D-1 football won't join the Valley until the point that there's a split between the BCS conferences and the NCAA as a whole. When that happens, everyone else is left behind and playing football with InSU, IlSU, MSU, UNI, and SIU becomes feasible, and that's when you can pick up an Iowa St, or perhaps Cincy or another Big East castoff.

The one long-term move the Valley could make is having the football members move up to D-1 football and hope there isn't a split. They could then be on the same level as, say, the MAC, and then add good basketball programs that also have D-1 football (Western Kentucky comes to mind immediately, Butler may speculate and join).

And finally, there's the Big East split that could happen, and all those basketball programs (Marquette and DePaul are the big names for our purposes) could be available. But they're more likely to alliance with each other and the A-10 schools than probably even take one Valley school. Maybe if a A-10/Big East alliance forms a 16-team conference, a couple Valley schools join that. But that's breaking up the Valley, not expanding it.

[thefish7]

What about an option where Kansas, for example, joins the MVC in everything except football where it becomes an FBS independent... At least up until that point that some of the other MVC schools (UNI, ISU, SIU) are ready to move up to FBS.

Personally, I think our best hope is for the megabasketballconference you described.. 16ish teams made up of MVC, A10, and BE castoffs.

[Rusty 54]

I really hope BU has been planning for this, and that if something does in fact happen that we are in a position to improve. There are probably a lot of opinions on this, but if Bradley is in a position to move I would take success for BU over the Valley in a heartbeat.

[BUFanatic]

IMO, Football shouldn't have conferences. I like the barnstorming days (why I like ND as an Independent) where you schedule and you get some good rivalries (Michigan, USC, Boston College) and can play other people to test you, instead of having to stick to a set number of games that have to be "conference" and having a small non-con schedule. It would eliminate the whole "football power" (Ohio Buckeyes) vs. the "basketball power" (Duke, UNC, etc.) and let basketball come to the levels of immense popularity that football shares at most all schools. It's harder to break into football than Basketball, IMO, because of the whole crappy Bowl system. The playoff system of the March Madness makes it more possible for all schools to have a chance, and less of the schools are chosen because of their attendance and money.

[ph]

The valley or more importantly, Bradley better be looking to expand.

I thought the B10 was really solid, with a slight nice to have an 12th team for a conf championship game, but it appears that the B10 is looking to expand, and because of that desire they will survive.

If the MVC is just waiting to see what happens, then "by-by" will happen.

[BUFanatic]

I, for one, am praying we can pick up Butler finally! SLU might be nice too.

[Rusty 54]

BU, Butler, SLU, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Creighton, WSU, UNI, isu, SIU, with maybe ISUblue and Drake could be a very interesting basketball conference, I realize that it does not take football into account and so it ultimately may not realistic at all.

Unfortunately, I fear that if a conference doesn't look at Bradley's history, we haven't done much in the past couple years to prove that we add anything to any potential conference.

[BUFanatic]

[QUOTE=Rusty 54;184221]BU, Butler, SLU, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Creighton, WSU, UNI, isu, SIU, with maybe ISUblue and Drake could be a very interesting basketball conference, I realize that it does not take football into account and so it ultimately may not realistic at all.

Hmmm, I wouldn't worry about the football being too big @ SLU, Butler, Kansas/Kansas St. (maybe), and the other Valley Schools. Most of these schools are mostly BB schools, except for Iowa St. I would drop SIU, the B Ball program seems to be sinking to SIU-Carbondale. Maybe swap it with Missouri State. That, and you've made it 13 teams instead of an even number, which would make the tournament awkward. 12 is a nice even number we can work with. Poor Evansville they WERE the most recent members, though. Maybe get in with the rest of the Horizon League?

[BUFanatic]

oh, and, Iowa State ( 1907-1928 ), Butler (1932-1934), SLU (1937-1974) and Kansas State ( 1913-1928 ) were once MVC Members!

[Rusty 54]

Hmmm, I wouldn't worry about the football being too big @ SLU, Butler, Kansas/Kansas St. (maybe), and the other Valley Schools. Most of these schools are mostly BB schools, except for Iowa St. I would drop SIU, the B Ball program seems to be sinking to SIU-Carbondale. Maybe swap it with Missouri State. That, and you've made it 13 teams instead of an even number, which would make the tournament awkward. 12 is a nice even number we can work with. Poor Evansville they WERE the most recent members, though. Maybe get in with the rest of the Horizon League?

I missed Missouri State, I thought I was forgetting a school. I wouldn't be so quick to drop Southern, they have had a lot of success recently just not the last couple years.

[basketball nut]

BU, Butler, SLU, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Creighton, WSU, UNI, isu, SIU, with maybe ISUblue and Drake could be a very interesting basketball conference, I realize that it does not take football into account and so it ultimately may not realistic at all.

Unfortunately, I fear that if a conference doesn't look at Bradley's history, we haven't done much in the past couple years to prove that we add anything to any potential conference.

The one thing you are forgetting that what makes BU an interesting p/u for a BB oriented conf. is the fan base and how we draw. Attendance is more important to other teams then what your record is. Everything is based on money and what could a team bring to the conference.
W/ the break up of the B12, and possibly the B-East, the possiblity of a power BB conference becomes more real. The MVC would have 4 teams attendance wise that would be lucrative and that would be BU, CU, WS, & MSU-after that the attendance drops off considerably which would IMO ellimate the rest of the MVC teams

[houstontxbrave]

The one thing you are forgetting that what makes BU an interesting p/u for a BB oriented conf. is the fan base and how we draw. Attendance is more important to other teams then what your record is. Everything is based on money and what could a team bring to the conference.
W/ the break up of the B12, and possibly the B-East, the possiblity of a power BB conference becomes more real. The MVC would have 4 teams attendance wise that would be lucrative and that would be BU, CU, WS, & MSU-after that the attendance drops off considerably which would IMO ellimate the rest of the MVC teams

I am not sure attendance really means a thing. Size of TV market and population/demographics mean a lot more.

My thought is the trickle down will eventually effect the Valley. But I think it only will effect CU and WSU, unless MSU,ISUred, SIU and UNI jump feet first into higher level football.

Bradley needs to do everything it can to get alligned with Depaul, Marquette, Butler, SLU, Drake, Xavier, etc anyone who does not play football but plays basketball.

But this whole thing eventually will be the BCS power conferences playing one tourney and everyone else in another... so likely conference affiliation on the basketball side non BCS will not matter. The power BCS will eventually break away from the NCAA.

[BUFanatic]

The one thing you are forgetting that what makes BU an interesting p/u for a BB oriented conf. is the fan base and how we draw. Attendance is more important to other teams then what your record is. Everything is based on money and what could a team bring to the conference.
W/ the break up of the B12, and possibly the B-East, the possiblity of a power BB conference becomes more real. The MVC would have 4 teams attendance wise that would be lucrative and that would be BU, CU, WS, & MSU-after that the attendance drops off considerably which would IMO ellimate the rest of the MVC teams

why MSU? I didn't know they had good attendance. I was thinking about NIowa and ISUred. Oh, and, we have to keep Drake b/c they are the only original MVC member left in the Conference.

[basketball nut]

I am not sure attendance really means a thing. Size of TV market and population/demographics mean a lot more.

My thought is the trickle down will eventually effect the Valley. But I think it only will effect CU and WSU, unless MSU,ISUred, SIU and UNI jump feet first into higher level football.

Bradley needs to do everything it can to get alligned with Depaul, Marquette, Butler, SLU, Drake, Xavier, etc anyone who does not play football but plays basketball.

But this whole thing eventually will be the BCS power conferences playing one tourney and everyone else in another... so likely conference affiliation on the basketball side non BCS will not matter. The power BCS will eventually break away from the NCAA.

Size of TV market and population/demographics do mean a lot but they still want to see the butts in the seat (which BU has and if the conf comp. was better could fill even more seats) as this is the way they make money. One thing BU has going for it is the Comcast TV pkg and the fact they show some games in Chicago which easily could be expanded.

Bradley needs to do everything it can to get alligned with Depaul, Marquette, Butler, SLU, Drake, Xavier, etc anyone who does not play football but plays basketball. I couldn't agree more and have said that for a long time and especially if the BE breaks up which w/ the raiding of conf. going on seems likely, and what seems to be happening w/ the BCS make up of 4-6 major conferences and you're right they will split off from the NCAA and form their own conference w/ their own rules which will open up the dishonesty in recruiting like wwe have never seen it in our life times (much similar to what it was in the 50's & 60's)