We'll Rise UP again!

[Da Coach]

I don't think Creighton could have risen as far as they have while staying in the MVC. The Big East gives them a lot more exposure with TV and really increased their recruiting. They were a strong program in the MVC for a long time but not a Top 25 contender like they have been about every other year since being in the Big East.

Creighton does seem like the one team that left the MVC in recent years that has proven it was a good move for their program. The Big East has an extremely lucrative national TV deal with Fox Sports, which means a lot more money for them. And the national exposure helps recruiting and keeps them competitive. Having a good coach (and being able to pay him to stay) helps, too.
Check Creighton's records since they left the MVC in 2013. After a few mediocre seasons adjusting to the higher level of competition, they have been a consistent winning team the last several seasons.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...creighton/men/

For Butler, the pattern has been just the opposite. Since leaving the Horizon League and ending up in the Big East, they had a few years of initial success, but now have become a perennial also-ran. It is still more lucrative in the Big East, but they aren't the national power they had become-
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...ls/butler/men/

Of the other recent teams who left the MVC, none have seen quite the success that Creighton has.
Tulsa, who left in 1996, has bounced from the WAC to the CUSA to the American Athletic Conference. They had good success in the WAC, but after jumping to the CUSA and now the AAC, not so much. They have only 2 at-large NCAA appearances, one as a #13 seed and one as an 11-seed in the First Four in the last 20 seasons. And this year they hit rock bottom with a1-17 record in the AAC, 5-25 overall, and a NET of 323 and RPI of 329.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/tulsa/men/

Wichita State, who left in 2017, had several good seasons initially in the AAC, but now for the last couple seasons they have been also-rans. They have had only 1 NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 5 years, and that ended quickly with a loss in the First Four.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...ita-state/men/

Loyola left in 2022, and their success immediately disappeared. After 5 straight finishes at or near the top of the MVC, and 3 NCAA Tournament appearances in those seasons, they were awful in their first season in the Atlantic-10
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...loyola-il/men/

They finished in 15th place, dead last, in the A-10, with an RPI of 280 and NET of 268.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ings/_/group/3

[Tommy]

Here are the conferences to root against and the order to root against them:

1. Big 10
2. Big East
3. Big 12
4. ACC
5. SEC
6. Pac 12

Feel free to change the order, but GO MID-MAJORS!

[Stryker]

Creighton does seem like the one team that left the MVC in recent years that has proven it was a good move for their program. The Big East has an extremely lucrative national TV deal with Fox Sports, which means a lot more money for them. And the national exposure helps recruiting and keeps them competitive. Having a good coach (and being able to pay him to stay) helps, too.
Check Creighton's records since they left the MVC in 2013. After a few mediocre seasons adjusting to the higher level of competition, they have been a consistent winning team the last several seasons.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...creighton/men/

For Butler, the pattern has been just the opposite. Since leaving the Horizon League and ending up in the Big East, they had a few years of initial success, but now have become a perennial also-ran. It is still more lucrative in the Big East, but they aren't the national power they had become-
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...ls/butler/men/

Of the other recent teams who left the MVC, none have seen quite the success that Creighton has.
Tulsa, who left in 1996, has bounced from the WAC to the CUSA to the American Athletic Conference. They had good success in the WAC, but after jumping to the CUSA and now the AAC, not so much. They have only 2 at-large NCAA appearances, one as a #13 seed and one as an 11-seed in the First Four in the last 20 seasons. And this year they hit rock bottom with a1-17 record in the AAC, 5-25 overall, and a NET of 323 and RPI of 329.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/tulsa/men/

Wichita State, who left in 2017, had several good seasons initially in the AAC, but now for the last couple seasons they have been also-rans. They have had only 1 NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 5 years, and that ended quickly with a loss in the First Four.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...ita-state/men/

Loyola left in 2022, and their success immediately disappeared. After 5 straight finishes at or near the top of the MVC, and 3 NCAA Tournament appearances in those seasons, they were awful in their first season in the Atlantic-10
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...loyola-il/men/

They finished in 15th place, dead last, in the A-10, with an RPI of 280 and NET of 268.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ings/_/group/3

Creighton has really accomplished the dream I have for BU. Since their first couple of years in the Big East they have become a team that has been ranked in the top 25 almost every other year. While they haven't had a lot of post season success, they are consistently getting in the NCAA tournament and usually winning a game.

I think Creighton's success comes from a very supportive University and fan base, two very good coaches over the past 20+ years, and fitting into their new conference really well. It's a dream come true really. However, their success was established prior to moving to the Big East. They had made it to the NCAA tournament 12 times in about 30 years starting in the early 80's up till their move to the Big East. They had the success and stability of a high performing program. Their move to a power conference just solidified the performance of the program and took it to the next level. This is very different than what happened at Butler and Loyola.

Butler & Loyola's success is IMO a product of personnel. Their coach was able to get the players needed to become a power program, and once gone, the success of the program has as well. Not saying they can't be good again, it is just unlikely. I expect Loyola's future to closely mirror Butler. I see no real reasons Loyola has an opportunity to succeed in the A-10. They did not have decades of strong performance like Creighton, and IMO have reversed to their mean, which is pretty darn poor performance. There really isn't anything about either Butler or Loyola that says they can have great success again outside of a chance at some amazing personnel acquisitions (Coach or players).

Wichita State is going to be an interesting program to watch in the future I think. I think WSU was closer to Creighton than Butler and Loyola as far as where their success came from. WSU is also a good institution with a very strong fan base, good facilities and pretty good market, like Creighton. I think WSU could go either way, but I think they have a better chance of maintaining a strong program than either Butler or Loyola.

[Da Coach]

The big difference between where Wichita State is now and where Creighton was is the money factor. The AAC does not have the big TV money deal that the Big East does, and Wichita State does not play football, so they don't share in the sizeable football money that their other conference members do. That will hinder their ability to recruit at as high a level as Creighton did, and maybe even the others in their conference. And if they do have some success, they probably won't be able to sustain it, and won't be able to pay a successful coach to stay.

And I agree about Loyola in the A10. Seems destined to be a long struggle.No natural rivalries, enormous amount of travel, and few of their games are on TV (other than ESPN+). Even after several years of great success, they don't draw all that well in the Gentile Center, and they get little media coverage even in their own city. The glow of their recent past success will fade, recruiting will get harder, and they will have trouble keeping up in the A-10. And if the few Loyola fans that made the trip down I-55 to St. Louis thought is was a long trip, now they have to travel to Brooklyn for the A-10 tournament. I wonder if any of them even bothered to make the trip this year, since they knew they would be one-and-done. In addition to much greater cost to get there, the hotels, and restaurants in NYC are way more expensive than STL.

[Stryker]

The big difference between where Wichita State is now and where Creighton was is the money factor. The AAC does not have the big TV money deal that the Big East does, and Wichita State does not play football, so they don't share in the sizeable football money that their other conference members do. That will hinder their ability to recruit at as high a level as Creighton did, and maybe even the others in their conference. And if they do have some success, they probably won't be able to sustain it, and won't be able to pay a successful coach to stay.

And I agree about Loyola in the A10. Seems destined to be a long struggle.No natural rivalries, enormous amount of travel, and few of their games are on TV (other than ESPN+). Even after several years of great success, they don't draw all that well in the Gentile Center, and they get little media coverage even in their own city. The glow of their recent past success will fade, recruiting will get harder, and they will have trouble keeping up in the A-10. And if the few Loyola fans that made the trip down I-55 to St. Louis thought is was a long trip, now they have to travel to Brooklyn for the A-10 tournament. I wonder if any of them even bothered to make the trip this year, since they knew they would be one-and-done. In addition to much greater cost to get there, the hotels, and restaurants in NYC are way more expensive than STL.

Agree 100%. I suspect Loyola will perform about as well as George Mason. Pretty crazy to think George Mason made a final 4 run in 2006 and then has only been back to the tournament twice since then, and hasn't made an appearance since 2011. It's way more likely Loyola ends up mirroring George Mason than not.