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I am an Oral Roberts grad and was at an athletic function and I was told by a person within the department that we have been in discussion with the Missouri Valley about joining the league. I know our entire fan base has been lobbying for that for a long time and it sounds like we might finally be making some official inquiries about what it takes to get done. Our school has a couple of very large influential boosters with athletics ties who could write the checks if money was an issue.

I know we would love to join the MVC if it ever was an option. Sure hope we have reason to be visiting here more soon.

Great luck this season to all of you.

I'm not sure what we are going to do with all these new schools. First USD, now Oral Roberts?

(Given the choice, I take ORU over anything in the Dakotas BTW)

ORUgrad wrote:I am an Oral Roberts grad and was at an athletic function and I was told by a person within the department that we have been in discussion with the Missouri Valley about joining the league. I know our entire fan base has been lobbying for that for a long time and it sounds like we might finally be making some official inquiries about what it takes to get done. Our school has a couple of very large influential boosters with athletics ties who could write the checks if money was an issue.

I know we would love to join the MVC if it ever was an option. Sure hope we have reason to be visiting here more soon.

Great luck this season to all of you.

Speaking as a Bears fan and Missouri native, I'd love to have you in our conference. I have been clamoring for ORU to get an invite for several years now. I'd love to see our league back in Oklahoma and your school has an awesome campus, sincere dedication to athletics, and very classy fans in Tulsa. It would be a great regional rival for my Bears to go up against your Golden whatever it is you are. I sincerely hope this is true. You would fit in very well in our conference.

DoubleJayAlum wrote:I'm not sure what we are going to do with all these new schools. First USD, now Oral Roberts?

(Given the choice, I take ORU over anything in the Dakotas BTW)

The MVC is just preparing for the departure of WSU and CU to the A-10. I have heard from multiple sources that there is a sealed envelope on Eric Sexton's desk.

ORU is a better choice than the Dakotas, but still, no. The Tulsa market is overcrowded as it is with OU, OSU, and Tulsa, so we wouldn't be getting much of a market share. ORU has had some measure of success in basketball and baseball, but I'm not sure how sustainable that is. I'm also concerned with the university's reputation and finances. There was a scandal a few years ago and the media narrative was that the school was about to go broke until Hobby Lobby stepped in. Not sure I want this association with the Valley. The Southland is probably a better fit.

Bluejay09Bear06 wrote:ORU is a better choice than the Dakotas, but still, no. The Tulsa market is overcrowded as it is with OU, OSU, and Tulsa, so we wouldn't be getting much of a market share. ORU has had some measure of success in basketball and baseball, but I'm not sure how sustainable that is. I'm also concerned with the university's reputation and finances. There was a scandal a few years ago and the media narrative was that the school was about to go broke until Hobby Lobby stepped in. Not sure I want this association with the Valley. The Southland is probably a better fit.

You know if we applied this admission standard to the sitting members of the MVC I'm not sure we could justify keeping everybody in place. Guess what in Des Moines Drake draws a limited marketing share, it is a Iowa/Iowa State town. In Springfield, MSU is a fledging entity in many ways trailing behind the throngs of Missou, Oklahoma, and Arkansas fans that you will see. In terms of finances no one is doing great. UNI is in bad shape as has been documented many times.

You don't want ORU? Okay. Fine. They aren't perfect. But for the love of all that is...holy in the MVC lines like "Not sure I want this association with the Valley" is about as arrogant as it gets. I hope you have never complained about mU or Kansas fans in KC acting arrongant because if you have...pot meet kettle.

Now for some additional thoughts on ORU: I think they are a mini Baylor with a basketball coach with ethics and slightly less attractive coeds. Slightly. In whatever conference they have been in they have been near the top in men's/women's basketball, baseball, etc. It would be tougher sledding in the Valley but don't think that they can't do it. Here's a quick exercise for everyone on this board: take a look at the gentleman on the end of your bench. Is he a better coach than Scott Sutton? Maybe two schools on here can legitimately say "Yes." I haven't studied them thoroughly but they seem to fit. Bradley and Evansville are still in this league right? How would you compare them to ORU? Not too favorably in my humble opinion.

We have to be prudent with expansion and I will study ORU more carefully in the coming days and report back here with my findings. I suspect they should be the #1 candidate if we need to add someone. If they aren't...okay that's fine but they have had success. More than most in this here Missouri Valley Conference. We aren't too good for them. We just aren't.

A lot of ignorant snobbery on this thread...................

Too long, did not read

I'm really wondering which side (ORU or MVC) initiated the talks. ORU's recent move seems to suggest ot me that the MVC made the initial contact.