Missouri Valley / A-10 Hoops Challenge

[peoriakid]

What do you think of this idea?

The Big 10 / ACC Challenge has been a success for both conferences. Apparently other conferences are taking notice as there is now going to be a SEC/ Big East Hoops challenge.

Well, with all this talk about SLU joining the MVC, and comparsions between the MVC and the A10, it gave me an idea.
Why not a MVC/ A10 challenge? Yeah, I know they have 14 schools in the A10, so only the top 10 from the previous year would get to participate. (that would work out good anyway because who really wants to be stuck playing Duquesne or LaSalle) It would make for some interesting matchups. Obviously you would match up top teams against each other, mid level teams against eachother, etc, just like the Big ten/ ACC challenge. Can you imagine?

SIU vs. Xavier
Creighton vs. Dayton
Bradley vs. George Washington
St. Joes vs. Wichita St.
UMass vs. Northern Iowa
SLU vs. Missouri St.

This would guarantee the more Dominate MVC teams a quality non conference game. It would probably get decent media coverage. Also, I cant really think of a conference that matches up any better. Might even lead to some nice new rivalries. Geographically the two conferences sort of overlap a little. Is there a better conference to match up with that I'm not thinking of?

So what do you think?


Ryan

[amckillip]

Re: Missouri Valley / A-10 Hoops Challenge

This would guarantee the more Dominate MVC teams a quality non conference game. It would probably get decent media coverage. Also, I cant really think of a conference that matches up any better. Might even lead to some nice new rivalries. Geographically the two conferences sort of overlap a little. Is there a better conference to match up with that I'm not thinking of?

So what do you think?


Ryan

Horizon League? The top is solid, Butler, Wright State, Loyola, but past that theres not tons. I think the best choice would be the CAA for true competition, but I think the A10 is perceived as a better league so that might help publicity some. C-USA also comes to mind, though I wouldn't want to play Memphis.

[Da Coach]

I am sure the MVC would be interested, but would the A10? I suspect the A10 believes they are well above the MVC and this would be a step down for them. That would be the menatlity we would have to overcome. Maybe if the MVC finished with a higher RPI for several more years that would chenge.

[tornado]

Ahem......not trying to bash the A-10, but consider this..

First...there are 14 teams in the A-10...so what gives?
People make fun of the Big Ten because they have 11 teams, but at least they're close.
Will someone please explain the logic of calling your conference the A-10 when you have 40% more teams than that?

Next......three of the teams in the A-10 are nowhere near the Atlantic Ocean, nor the Atlantic Coast.
Those teams are Dayton, Xavier, and St. Louis.
Now, keeping that in mind, take a look at the average season attendance (in 2006-2007) for all 14 of the A-10 teams:


6026, Charlotte
12266, Dayton
2097, Duquesne
2542, Fordham
3403, George Washington
2423, LaSalle
5967, UMass
4486, Rhode Island
4023, Richmond
4245, St. Joseph
9667, St. Louis
3456, St. Bonaventure
4312, Temple
9910, Xavier


did you notice what I noticed?
They only have three teams whose average attendance is even close to what many MVC teams draw!
And the funny thing is that all three of those top drawing teams in the A-10 are the teams they have to actually leave the Atlantic Coast to get to.
So if those guys were smart, they'd jump at the chance to come to the midwest and play the Valley teams.
NINE of the A-10 teams' attendance would place them LAST in the Valley, and two more of them would fit right in with the bottom dwellers in the Valley (Drake, Indiana State, Evansville, ISU).

I would love to hear an A-10 response.

[VromanFan]

Ahem......not trying to bash the A-10, but consider this..

First...there are 14 teams in the A-10...so what gives?
People make fun of the Big Ten because they have 11 teams, but at least they're close.
Will someone please explain the logic of calling your conference the A-10 when you have 40% more teams than that?

Next......three of the teams in the A-10 are nowhere near the Atlantic Ocean, nor the Atlantic Coast.
Those teams are Dayton, Xavier, and St. Louis.
Now, keeping that in mind, take a look at the average season attendance (in 2006-2007) for all 14 of the A-10 teams:


6026, Charlotte
12266, Dayton
2097, Duquesne
2542, Fordham
3403, George Washington
2423, LaSalle
5967, UMass
4486, Rhode Island
4023, Richmond
4245, St. Joseph
9667, St. Louis
3456, St. Bonaventure
4312, Temple
9910, Xavier


did you notice what I noticed?
They only have three teams whose average attendance is even close to what many MVC teams draw!
And the funny thing is that all three of those top drawing teams in the A-10 are the teams they have to actually leave the Atlantic Coast to get to.
So if those guys were smart, they'd jump at the chance to come to the midwest and play the Valley teams.
NINE of the A-10 teams' attendance would place them LAST in the Valley, and two more of them would fit right in with the bottom dwellers in the Valley (Drake, Indiana State, Evansville, ISU).

I would love to hear an A-10 response.

Well I'm not responding on behalf of the A10...I agree with your points...I would just qualify some of your attendance figures because I'm pretty sure some of those teams...Fordham...St. Joe's...play in small gyms...so your figures may not really reflect the interest and support of some of those programs.

[tornado]

so are they having sellouts of 2500?
I find that hard to believe, but even if it's true, then stop scheduling a few of the home games and come play at BU or Creighton where the revenue from 10,000-12,000 fans will be something they don't see often.

[audacious_aficionado]

I am sure the MVC would be interested, but would the A10? I suspect the A10 believes they are well above the MVC and this would be a step down for them. That would be the menatlity we would have to overcome. Maybe if the MVC finished with a higher RPI for several more years that would chenge.

please explain this to me coach. i usually agree with the insight you provide but i don't understand that the A10 would feel we are a step down. looking at their teams, they have a few decent teams up top but no depth at all. i can see how they might have a bias and think they are a better conference and they could beat us in a challenge. however, i'm not sure how they would think it would be a true step down and choose not to get the recognition this challenge would bring. i really like the idea.

[Da Coach]

I don't see it as a step down for the A10, so these are not my personal feelings. But every fan of an A10 team that I have ever talked to feels that way.

Here is just 1 example- the poster who came on this board a couple weeks ago named laughing and ridiculed Bradley and the MVC and touted the great basketball history of the A10 and of Charlotte. Much of that attitude comes from simple ignorance, but the fact is that nearly every team in the A10 is from a large city and they would consider visits to Peoria, Normal, Carbondale, Terre Haute, etc., below them. Scroll through this thread to see this Charlotte fan attitude toward Bradley and the MVC--

http://www.bradleyfans.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=51388#51388

Don't agree with that? try this-- go to the message board for any A10 team and suggest a MVC-A10 Challenge series. See what responses you get. I think I already know.

[Rusty 54]

I put the arena capacities after the school names

6026, Charlotte 9105
12266, Dayton 13,455
2097, Duquesne 6,200
2542, Fordham 3,200
3403, George Washington 5,000
2423, LaSalle 4,000
5967, UMass 9,493
4486, Rhode Island 7,657
4023, Richmond 9,071
4245, St. Joseph 3,200 (that is the capacity on the athletics site, is the attendance correct?)
9667, St. Louis 20,000 (Scottrade Center, I don't know if they play all the games there)
3456, St. Bonaventure 6,291 (Largest ever, people in the aisles and on the floor)
4312, Temple 10,206 (This might be anther convention center though)
9910, Xavier 10,250

[VromanFan]

I put the arena capacities after the school names

6026, Charlotte 9105
12266, Dayton 13,455
2097, Duquesne 6,200
2542, Fordham 3,200
3403, George Washington 5,000
2423, LaSalle 4,000
5967, UMass 9,493
4486, Rhode Island 7,657
4023, Richmond 9,071
4245, St. Joseph 3,200 (that is the capacity on the athletics site, is the attendance correct?)
9667, St. Louis 20,000 (Scottrade Center, I don't know if they play all the games there)
3456, St. Bonaventure 6,291 (Largest ever, people in the aisles and on the floor)
4312, Temple 10,206 (This might be anther convention center though)
9910, Xavier 10,250

Thanks for the research. Who knew Dayton hoops was so popular? I thinks St. Joes plays some home games at the Palestra.

[Chico]

Used to be, and might still be, when the teams from Piladelphia played each other they played in the Palestrea Arena, which might be spelled wrong. If they still do, I'm sure the attendance picks up more than when they play in their little gyms, which makes their average attendance pathetic for a city that size.

[Braves4Life]

Pathetic

I put the arena capacities after the school names

6026, Charlotte 9105
12266, Dayton 13,455
2097, Duquesne 6,200
2542, Fordham 3,200
3403, George Washington 5,000
2423, LaSalle 4,000
5967, UMass 9,493
4486, Rhode Island 7,657
4023, Richmond 9,071
4245, St. Joseph 3,200 (that is the capacity on the athletics site, is the attendance correct?)
9667, St. Louis 20,000 (Scottrade Center, I don't know if they play all the games there)
3456, St. Bonaventure 6,291 (Largest ever, people in the aisles and on the floor)
4312, Temple 10,206 (This might be anther convention center though)
9910, Xavier 10,250

What a truly pathetic conference! The attendance( or lack of) tells the whole story. Even the fans deep down don't feel these teams offer any excitement and aren't worth watching. I agree with Da Coach that these teams and their fans are elitist snobs that refuse to look at the facts and simply spout their uneducated opinions.(like how I put words in your mouth DC?)

Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with this conference. There is little history and tradition, and what small amount there is resides in the Philly rivalries.

I'd rather see us take a step up and challenge the Big (l)East, or go after the Big 12, Mountain West, or Colonial Athletic. My preferences would be The Mountain West (BYU, UNLV, Air Force, SDSU, Wyoming, New Mexico) or the Pac-10.

[audacious_aficionado]

I don't see it as a step down for the A10, so these are not my personal feelings. But every fan of an A10 team that I have ever talked to feels that way.

Here is just 1 example- the poster who came on this board a couple weeks ago named laughing and ridiculed Bradley and the MVC and touted the great basketball history of the A10 and of Charlotte. Much of that attitude comes from simple ignorance, but the fact is that nearly every team in the A10 is from a large city and they would consider visits to Peoria, Normal, Carbondale, Terre Haute, etc., below them. Scroll through this thread to see this Charlotte fan attitude toward Bradley and the MVC--

http://www.bradleyfans.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=51388#51388

Don't agree with that? try this-- go to the message board for any A10 team and suggest a MVC-A10 Challenge series. See what responses you get. I think I already know.

wow, thanks for that link to the thread. that makes me think differently about that entire school reading what he said.

i think i understand your logic a little better now. i won't be suggesting that to one of their message boards. i guess i personally don't see how it would be a step down but i CAN see that many of the fans of the A10 might be that overconfident.

[MacabreMob]

Re: Pathetic

I put the arena capacities after the school names

6026, Charlotte 9105
12266, Dayton 13,455
2097, Duquesne 6,200
2542, Fordham 3,200
3403, George Washington 5,000
2423, LaSalle 4,000
5967, UMass 9,493
4486, Rhode Island 7,657
4023, Richmond 9,071
4245, St. Joseph 3,200 (that is the capacity on the athletics site, is the attendance correct?)
9667, St. Louis 20,000 (Scottrade Center, I don't know if they play all the games there)
3456, St. Bonaventure 6,291 (Largest ever, people in the aisles and on the floor)
4312, Temple 10,206 (This might be anther convention center though)
9910, Xavier 10,250

What a truly pathetic conference! The attendance( or lack of) tells the whole story. Even the fans deep down don't feel these teams offer any excitement and aren't worth watching. I agree with Da Coach that these teams and their fans are elitist snobs that refuse to look at the facts and simply spout their uneducated opinions.(like how I put words in your mouth DC?)

Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with this conference. There is little history and tradition, and what small amount there is resides in the Philly rivalries.

I'd rather see us take a step up and challenge the Big (l)East, or go after the Big 12, Mountain West, or Colonial Athletic. My preferences would be The Mountain West (BYU, UNLV, Air Force, SDSU, Wyoming, New Mexico) or the Pac-10.

B4L, my preferences would be B10, B12, then MtnWest.

[Braves4Life]

Re: Pathetic

I put the arena capacities after the school names

6026, Charlotte 9105
12266, Dayton 13,455
2097, Duquesne 6,200
2542, Fordham 3,200
3403, George Washington 5,000
2423, LaSalle 4,000
5967, UMass 9,493
4486, Rhode Island 7,657
4023, Richmond 9,071
4245, St. Joseph 3,200 (that is the capacity on the athletics site, is the attendance correct?)
9667, St. Louis 20,000 (Scottrade Center, I don't know if they play all the games there)
3456, St. Bonaventure 6,291 (Largest ever, people in the aisles and on the floor)
4312, Temple 10,206 (This might be anther convention center though)
9910, Xavier 10,250

What a truly pathetic conference! The attendance( or lack of) tells the whole story. Even the fans deep down don't feel these teams offer any excitement and aren't worth watching. I agree with Da Coach that these teams and their fans are elitist snobs that refuse to look at the facts and simply spout their uneducated opinions.(like how I put words in your mouth DC?)

Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with this conference. There is little history and tradition, and what small amount there is resides in the Philly rivalries.

I'd rather see us take a step up and challenge the Big (l)East, or go after the Big 12, Mountain West, or Colonial Athletic. My preferences would be The Mountain West (BYU, UNLV, Air Force, SDSU, Wyoming, New Mexico) or the Pac-10.

B4L, my preferences would be B10, B12, then MtnWest.

Mob, I'd love to see B-10 first as well but we all know that would NEVER happen. I only listed what I consider to be conferences with the guts to accept our challenge