• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

Murray State calls special meeting of Board of Regents- possibly to vote on joining MVC?

Da Coach

Da Coach

Moderator
Staff member
It's being reported that there is a special meeting of the Special Board of Regents tomorrow at Murray State University. It concerns what they call "Intercollegiate Athletics", among a few other items. The announcement states that there will be an action item regarding "Intercollegiate Athletics" that will require a vote by the Board of Regents
This seems very suggestive that they will vote on some important issue regarding their athletic department, perhaps whether to join the Missouri Valley Conference?

http://www.murraystate.edu/Libraries/Board_of_Regents/MediaAnnouncement42117.pdf

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/855108095655247872

14vs229.png

25it7k5.png
 
There are rumors that Valparaiso is meeting to make a similar decision, however, because it is a private school, there is less tranparency and no meeting has been announced publicly.

On the other hand, the prevailing rumors are that Belmont prefers to stay in the Ohio Valley Conference for now. So apparently we'll soon see. The MVC could be adding 1 or possibly 2 schools.
 
Is that a current statement made this afternoon?

The other similar statements I have seen are at least 3 days old
https://twitter.com/AKAJeffBidwell/status/854101892577849346

and if you want any hint that is double-speak just read that 2nd sentence..
"The (agenda) item is not intended to provide resolution to an issue not requiring resolution." - what???


and they all play word games, so I am not sure I buy it anyway....
.... I recall when Geno signed after nearly a dozen other candidates were approached, offered, & declined...
then Mike Cross publicly announced that Geno Ford was the only one that the offer was ever made to when we knew for a fact otherwise... :roll:
 
As we've said before, it would be too early for anything close to a final decision from either side. The MVC will want to see detailed financial information from any school they are interested in, and they will want to make on-site visits and examine all their venues, and probably interview their coaches.
Plus, in the case of Murray State, because they play football in the FCS-level Ohio Valley Conference, that situation would also need to be resolved.
But regardless what the AD may have said to try to assuage their athletes and fans, this confirms that Murray State has been contacted by the MVC, and although they may not have been extended an official offer yet, they are in the process that is heading that direction, and tomorrow's meeting is an early vote to see if their Board supports proceeding.
 
I saw that statement on Twitter shortly after the meeting was announced. I looked into it, and i didn't see it any sooner, but it could've been a previous statement reposted as it was from a tweet, not a report.
 
The MVC needs to add at least 1 school. But the idea of expanding to 12 schools, and dividing the conference into two 6-team divisions has some appeal.
The 12 team option would create some scheduling problems, since the schools would no longer play 2 games against each other team. And if they dropped to 2 games against division opponents, and 1 against the other division, that would be only 16 conference games. Schools would have to fill that void by scheduling 2 additional non-conference games. It is hard enough to fil non-conference schedules now, and that would get harder. But I could accept either option.
 
The Murray State Board of Regents at their meeting this morning also set an increase of an extra 2% in student tuition for next year only for special use.
That would raise an estimated $1,466,660. It was not specifically stated what the money would be used for. But it is noted that there is a $1 million penalty to leave the Ohio Valley Conference if 2 years notice is not given.
https://twitter.com/dreamarlowe85/status/855438622828498944
 
Da Coach said:
The Murray State Board of Regents at their meeting this morning also set an increase of an extra 2% in student tuition for next year only for special use.
That would raise an estimated $1,466,660. It was not specifically stated what the money would be used for. But it is noted that there is a $1 million penalty to leave the Ohio Valley Conference if 2 years notice is not given.
https://twitter.com/dreamarlowe85/status/855438622828498944
Click to expand...

Holy Cats, Batman! That sure seems like a lot of money to just toss away. I suppose their are some financial advantages to joing the MVC? I wonder if they would pay the penalty if invited to the MVC?
 
pfcmsh said:
Holy Cats, Batman! That sure seems like a lot of money to just toss away. I suppose their are some financial advantages to joing the MVC? I wonder if they would pay the penalty if invited to the MVC?
Click to expand...

Yes, they would. That is very likely what the added 2% hike in student tuition was instituted for.
Wichita State paid a hefty penalty to leave the MVC.
The Mountain West recently set a $5 million buyout to discourage schools from leaving. Some conferences now have much bigger buyouts which include loss of conference revenues that were earned.A couple of the biggest penalties- Rutgers paid out $11.5 milion to leave the Big East, and the University of Maryland ended up paying out over $30 million to leave the ACC and join the Big Ten-
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...-lawsuits-buyout-big-ten-conference/13781545/
 
Da Coach said:
Yes, they would. That is very likely what the added 2% hike in student tuition was instituted for.
Wichita State paid a hefty penalty to leave the MVC.
The Mountain West recently set a $5 million buyout to discourage schools from leaving. Some conferences now have much bigger buyouts which include loss of conference revenues that were earned.A couple of the biggest penalties- Rutgers paid out $11.5 milion to leave the Big East, and the University of Maryland ended up paying out over $30 million to leave the ACC and join the Big Ten-
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...-lawsuits-buyout-big-ten-conference/13781545/
Click to expand...

Technically WSU didn't have an exit fee. However, they gave up their remaining NCAA shares. So I guess in that way they are losing money. It was money to be paid out over time. The Valley didn't technically have a exit fee though. Otherwise they would have had to pay that AND lose their shares.
 
Da Coach said:
The MVC needs to add at least 1 school. But the idea of expanding to 12 schools, and dividing the conference into two 6-team divisions has some appeal.
The 12 team option would create some scheduling problems, since the schools would no longer play 2 games against each other team. And if they dropped to 2 games against division opponents, and 1 against the other division, that would be only 16 conference games. Schools would have to fill that void by scheduling 2 additional non-conference games. It is hard enough to fil non-conference schedules now, and that would get harder. But I could accept either option.
Click to expand...

DC - I don't mind adding 3 to get to 12. But... I would prefer NOT to have split divisions. That has always shown a weak division and a strong division and I don't recall seeing how it has helped a conference.

HOWEVER - I am STRONGLY in favor of the teams playing unbalanced schedules. I believe this is a tool and a benefit to a conference commissioner to then create schedules that are easier for some teams and harder for others. And... so by doing this.... like in the Power Conferences.... it is the responsibility of the commissioner to maximize potential at-large bids. If it helps a potential at-large team to only have to play the best two teams once at home.... and playing a couple of the bad teams only on the road... it can maximize some wins, minimize some losses and maybe minimize embarrassing losses on the road against the top teams.... then a team might get a better chance at an at-large bid.

I may not be able to prove it cause I have not done an actual study of this... but I have seen some peculiar schedules with some "middle of the pack" Power 5 teams over the past 10 years or more.... and they seem to get easy schedules allowing for them to be "on the bubble" whereas if they had a harder schedule or if they actually had a full home-and-away to expose them for the sham they are... they wouldn't be in the discussion.... but, these Power 5 Conference commissioners have a duty and responsibility to maximize potential for at-large bids. Then... with Top50 rpi wins at home and not having to get spanked by 25 or more on the road .... they get put on the board against a team like ISU this past season and OF COURSE the Power 5 team is gonna get the bid over a mid-major like ISU.

So.... I say it's about time we expand to 12 and let the commissioner (and maybe all school AD's together decide) how the scheduling will be.
 
Todd Golden, the Indiana State beat writer, reports hearing of rumors that Wisconsin-Milwaukee is still a strong candidate to be considered by the MVC-
https://twitter.com/TribStarTodd/status/855558194403438592


On the surface, Milwaukee might seem like a good school to add. But.....
But they only drew a miserable 1,461 average attendance for their men's basketball last season, which is almost a 50% reduction in average attendance from the year before, and hundreds less than the worst drawing MVC team.
Plus, the bigger concern is that their Athletic Department has been frought with turmoil since the hiring of their current AD, Amanda Braun. She has alienated many people in the media, fired the well respected basketball coach Rob Jeter after a 20-win season, pushed their popular play-by-play guy out the door, and angered and alienated most of the fans.
Their basketball team reportedly has the worst academic performance of any Horizon League team multiple years running.
Furthermore, under her direction, the Athletic Department at Wisconsin-Milwaukee has run an $11 million deficit. As recently as last summer, one of the Regents on the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Board of Regents suggested that the athletic department was run so incompetantly that they should eliminate athletics altogether!-
http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/...uing-uwm-athletics-b99742346z1-382552441.html

Here are a few quotes from the Regent in that article-
http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/...uing-uwm-athletics-b99742346z1-382552441.html

UW System regent Tim Higgins challenged UWM athletic director Amanda Braun....
"Your organization has an $11 million deficit. Your organization has for the second year in a row, as far as I can tell, balanced its budget to the extent that it is balanced on the backs of students of this university. Your organization admits that your men's basketball program is the academically lowest-ranked in the league in which you play. What's the justification for continuing this?"
Braun initially appeared taken aback and asked for clarification. "The justification to continuing athletics at UWM?"
"Yes," Higgins responded. "As a Division I program."
"I think athletics at the Division I level is a worthwhile investment," Braun said.
The athletic department finished the year ending June 30, 2015, nearly $11 million in the red.


And here are some choice quotes from the play-by-play guy Bill Johnson, as he quit-
http://deadspin.com/uw-milwaukee-radio-play-by-play-guy-quits-burns-every-1771178090

Never have so many competent, talented people been run off by such a talentless group of entitled beaurocrats [sic]. No matter how much the coaches, players, and support staff care, they can’t overcome incompetent administrators.
UWM leads the world in incompetent administrators.
I criticize awful athletic directors like Koonce, Costello, Geiger, and Braun. It’s not their fault. Hell, if they elected me President I’ld take the job. If I suck at it, it’s not my fault. I’m not qualified to be President.
Should Amanda Braun turn down an AD job just because she’s horribly under qualified? Hell no. She’s a bad AD, and a deplorable human being, but those are the cards she’s been dealt.
Those in charge of the UW System have failed to hire effective administrators. Failed. F F F F!

She fired head basketball coach Rob Jeter last year after a 20-win season, mostly for personal reasons, and refused to allow them to participate in a post-season tournament even though donors had offered to cover the costs. The team dropped to 11 wins this year and finished dead last in the Horizon League under their new coach, who was hired last year in what was a botched hiring process.
http://www.wtmj.com/sports/college/the-two-sides-to-the-milwaukee-panthers-saga-amanda-braun
http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/...etball-tournaments-b99685711z1-371817131.html
http://fox6now.com/2016/03/30/uwm-p...-after-coach-rob-jeters-firing-i-was-shocked/

Just to prove it wasn't a fluke, she also fired their tennis coach who had achieved performance bonuses, and then she said he was fired for poor performance! Afterward, the tennis coach called her "a liar" and had a few other choice words to say about her-
http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/...cle_11cbc17b-24a6-5ab8-9da1-d7e957cbe694.html

I think the MVC would be best advised to avoid that trainwreck.
 
the disaster there goes back to the Bruce Pearl era and the people who worked under him - and they've been trying to fix things since then -
Braun is the 6th different Athletic Director since 2009, each of whom has made their problems worse.
Rob Jeter was a capable coach - heck- he was our admin's FIRST CHOICE to call and bring in for an interview when we were hiring in 2011..
and yet he simply could not be successful in the long term there with that disaster of an admin over him.
 
Da Coach said:
Todd Golden, the Indiana State beat writer, reports hearing of rumors that Wisconsin-Milwaukee is still a strong candidate to be considered by the MVC-
https://twitter.com/TribStarTodd/status/855558194403438592


On the surface, Milwaukee might seem like a good school to add. But.....
But they only drew a miserable 1,461 average attendance for their men's basketball last season, which is almost a 50% reduction in average attendance from the year before, and hundreds less than the worst drawing MVC team.
Plus, the bigger concern is that their Athletic Department has been frought with turmoil since the hiring of their current AD, Amanda Braun. She has alienated many people in the media, fired the well respected basketball coach Rob Jeter after a 20-win season, pushed their popular play-by-play guy out the door, and angered and alienated most of the fans.
Their basketball team reportedly has the worst academic performance of any Horizon League team multiple years running.
Furthermore, under her direction, the Athletic Department at Wisconsin-Milwaukee has run an $11 million deficit. As recently as last summer, one of the Regents on the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Board of Regents suggested that the athletic department was run so incompetantly that they should eliminate athletics altogether!-
http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/...uing-uwm-athletics-b99742346z1-382552441.html

Here are a few quotes from the Regent in that article-
http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/...uing-uwm-athletics-b99742346z1-382552441.html

UW System regent Tim Higgins challenged UWM athletic director Amanda Braun....
"Your organization has an $11 million deficit. Your organization has for the second year in a row, as far as I can tell, balanced its budget to the extent that it is balanced on the backs of students of this university. Your organization admits that your men's basketball program is the academically lowest-ranked in the league in which you play. What's the justification for continuing this?"
Braun initially appeared taken aback and asked for clarification. "The justification to continuing athletics at UWM?"
"Yes," Higgins responded. "As a Division I program."
"I think athletics at the Division I level is a worthwhile investment," Braun said.
The athletic department finished the year ending June 30, 2015, nearly $11 million in the red.


And here are some choice quotes from the play-by-play guy Bill Johnson, as he quit-
http://deadspin.com/uw-milwaukee-radio-play-by-play-guy-quits-burns-every-1771178090

Never have so many competent, talented people been run off by such a talentless group of entitled beaurocrats [sic]. No matter how much the coaches, players, and support staff care, they can??™t overcome incompetent administrators.
UWM leads the world in incompetent administrators.
I criticize awful athletic directors like Koonce, Costello, Geiger, and Braun. It??™s not their fault. Hell, if they elected me President I??™ld take the job. If I suck at it, it??™s not my fault. I??™m not qualified to be President.
Should Amanda Braun turn down an AD job just because she??™s horribly under qualified? Hell no. She??™s a bad AD, and a deplorable human being, but those are the cards she??™s been dealt.
Those in charge of the UW System have failed to hire effective administrators. Failed. F F F F!

She fired head basketball coach Rob Jeter last year after a 20-win season, mostly for personal reasons, and refused to allow them to participate in a post-season tournament even though donors had offered to cover the costs. The team dropped to 11 wins this year and finished dead last in the Horizon League under their new coach, who was hired last year in what was a botched hiring process.
http://www.wtmj.com/sports/college/the-two-sides-to-the-milwaukee-panthers-saga-amanda-braun
http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/...etball-tournaments-b99685711z1-371817131.html
http://fox6now.com/2016/03/30/uwm-p...-after-coach-rob-jeters-firing-i-was-shocked/

Just to prove it wasn't a fluke, she also fired their tennis coach who had achieved performance bonuses, and then she said he was fired for poor performance! Afterward, the tennis coach called her "a liar" and had a few other choice words to say about her-
http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/...cle_11cbc17b-24a6-5ab8-9da1-d7e957cbe694.html

I think the MVC would be best advised to avoid that trainwreck.
Click to expand...

Does Amanda Braun know JG? Are they related?:-o
 
It doesn't mean UWM would be a trainwreck forever though. I don't think they would be a bad school to have in the MVC. Bigger market area than most of the rest
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top