MVC/MWC Challenge

[squirrel]

Looks like a great deal for everyone involved!

"Since the MWC's inception in 1999, MWC and MVC teams have faced each other 32 times, with the Mountain West carrying a 17-15 edge."

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_10836067

http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/spo...cmvc-mens-bas/

And if not for that miraculous 30+ footer UNLV hit against us when Spoon had the Rebels in town, it would be even-up.

[amettrick]

This is a really good move. The MWC is probably the closest comprable conference to the MVC so we match up pretty well with their teams. I have to assume this will get picked up by either ESPN or FSN, so it will be a great way to get extra exposure.

I know a lot of people here want it to replace the BracketBuster, but I kind of hope the MVC stays in the BB. I realize it comes with that "mid-major" stigma we all hate, but it's still an extra chance to be seen on ESPN, and every game on ESPN is another chance for a potential recruit to watch the Braves play and fall in love with JL's high-tempo offense.

[thefish7]

That's great news! Well done, Doug Elgin.

[BuBraves55]

sounds neat indeed

[RedbirdFan21]

Anyone have a guess or read about the procedure they will use to decide what team has to sit out (since the MVC has 1 more team... draw staws???) or what team will play what team? I assume the commissioners will agree on matchups- trying to get the top of the MVC vs. the top of the MWC... etc etc...

[TheAsianSensation]

I can't remember if the MWC has a contract with CSTV or not. That aside, from a TV perspective, this sounds like something ESPNU can turn into an all-day special, I say. Along with squeezing a couple games on ESPN.

And from a scheduling perspective, you can never complain about quality non-con games.

[SFP]

In terms of RPI this will work out for both conferences. I'm glad to see two conferences of our caliber make something like this happen. It could have been so easy for this not to happen.

[amckillip]

This is great. I think this will onyl do positive things for the conference, hopefully we can dominate the MWC like the ACC does the Big Ten!

[Big Mike]

Sounds like a good deal to me and should help out on some scheduling woes! As of last years conference RPI.....the Mountain West (#9)finished
right the the Valley @ (#8 ).....both ahead of conference USA @ (#10)....

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html

PS....anyone else want a home game with Utah and marshall henderson....that would be a nice win!

[Da Coach]

Sounds like a good deal to me and should help out on some scheduling woes! As of last years conference RPI.....the Mountain West (#9)finished
right the the Valley @ (#8 ).....both ahead of conference USA @ (#10)....

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html

PS....anyone else want a home game with Utah and marshall henderson....that would be a nice win!

Home game- yes.
Road game- hope not! I cringe when I recall the last time Bradley played at Utah.

[Dubl R 1]

Home game- yes.
Road game- hope not! I cringe when I recall the last time Bradley played at Utah.

I cringe the last time I recall that Utah came here. If I'm not mistaken, didn't we get destroyed here by them?

[Big Mike]

Here is the rest of the story from the PJS just posted....

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x221225386/Challenging-stuff

[MacabreMob]

Here is the rest of the story from the PJS just posted....
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x221225...llenging-stuff

In the link, it says this:

"Because there are 10 Valley schools and nine in the Mountain West, one MVC school would sit out each year. Commissioner Doug Elgin said that would be the lowest seeded team in the previous year's conference tournament, with a contingency to prevent one school from missing two Challenges in a row."

[MacabreMob]

I was thinking about the article BigMike posted which led me to considering what this past season's matchup's might have been.

Going with the assumption the MWC gets the Home court advantage (5 home and 4 road) and using each conferences' Media Day Projections from last year, you'd get these matchups (final RPI included):

62 SIU @ 25 BYU
24 UNLV @ 105 Bradley
123 Mo St @ 95 Utah
59 New Mex @ 46 Creighton
33 ISU @ 82 SD St
219 Wyoming @ 199 Wichita St
131 UNI @ 198 TCU
167 Air Force @ 10 Drake
251 E'Ville @ 265 Colo St

(UNM tied for 4th with SD St but had more 1st place votes so I put them higher)

Looking at last year's CHN Top 144 Countdown, you'd get these matchups (Countdown rank first and RPI in parenthesis included):

24 SIU (62) @ 37 BYU (25)
46 SD St (82) @ 44 Bradley (105)
60 Creighton (46) @ 67 UNLV (24)
83 Wyoming (219) @ 64 Wich St (199)
76 UNI (131) @ 96 New Mex (59)
130 Utah (95) @ 93 Mo St (123)

109 ISU (33) @ ??? ??? ???*
* so I will insert my guess

109 ISU (33) @ NR Air Force (167)
NR TCU (198 ) @ NR Drake (10)
NR E'Ville 251 @ NR Colo St (265)

[Da Coach]

Kirk Wessler tell the story about how Jim Les "accidentally" broke this news about the MVC/MWC Challenge--

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/sports/uconn/x1588593930/Kirk-Wessler-Mountain-West-Missouri-Valley-Challenge-a-win-win-deal