SIU @ GB

[Jet915]

You gotta love Barry, here are some quotes when asked about the possibility of Creighton leaving:

"When you go on the road in the Missouri Valley Conference, and you go on the road and play other opponents, night in and night out, seven out of the 10 schools, those games are sold out. Sold out," Hinson said after tonight's game in Green Bay, Wis. "It's a basketball conference. It's a basketball league. It's the Missouri Valley Conference. You want to leave? They'll be people lining up to get into our conference, because that's how good it is, and I don't think anybody is leaving."

Maybe Barry should be MVC commish.

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/dawgblog/big-east-schools-departure-could-finally-bring-conference-realignment-to/article_e27e58a8-474f-11e2-88f2-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true

[shoxrox]

Count me in the Like Barry Club as well.

[valleyclimber]

Barry Hinson is indeed a credit to The Valley. He's dead-on right on The MVC being top level where every team better be ready to go on the road and hit arenas where the fans are die-hard and knowledgeable. You're not going to get that just anywhere thesedays when college hoops seem to be an afterthought in some circles.

Hate to say it, but CU may have themselves a bigger payday by moving conferences, but longterm it might be the day some Bluejay officials regret in that they'd be giving up tradition and gambling that they'd be decent longterm in a new conference. If time passes and CU falls down a few pegs in a new conference, do you think they'll pack 17,000 plus fans for home games? Guess time will tell, but it just seems to me as a HUGE gamble and maybe just a money grab.

Anyway, glad Barry is back in The MVC and telling it like it is. IMHO MSU really gave him a raw deal when they showed him the door, and now he's got a chance to show them they made a pretty big mistake.

ROCK IT VALLEY!!!

[LJay]

If you ask douchebag UN-Lincoln fans we will still get 17,000 because beer is served.

[Drakey]

There is really no explanation as to why Creightons attendance more than tripled over a period of a couple years. It's just a weird combination of events, including the opening of a new municipal auditorium in a city with no other sports presence and having a pretty good team. I think it just resulted in a bunch of bandwagon fans that Creighton has been good enough to keep. I will say that give the Bluejays a few losing seasons and that attendance will dwindle pretty quickly. I think thier proposed confernce affiliation just might be the ticket to get those losing seasons with the extended travel for road games and two or three superior programs in the conference.

Butler and Evansville were roughly in the same position before Evansville bolted from the Horizon and joined the Valley. Both applied, and unfortunately for Evansville they were accepted and Butler rejected. Butler just got better and better playing against weaker competition, while Evansville got worse and worse playing against better competition night in and night out. Evansvilles attendance dropped in half. While I'm not certain of Butlers attendance, I remember it being pretty bad ten years ago, and I assume now every game is a sellout.

[pafan]

While I'm not certain of Butlers attendance, I remember it being pretty bad ten years ago, and I assume now every game is a sellout.

Not even close.

In 2009-10, the year of Butler's first run to the national championship game, Butler's average attendance was slightly less than Evansville's, around 5000. Last year, they averaged about 6600 with two sellouts. Best attendance this year is 8,282 from a game against Ball State: a school whose campus is maybe 60 miles away.

Hinkle Fieldhouse will seat just shy of 10,000.

[Jet915]

There is really no explanation as to why Creightons attendance more than tripled over a period of a couple years. It's just a weird combination of events, including the opening of a new municipal auditorium in a city with no other sports presence and having a pretty good team. I think it just resulted in a bunch of bandwagon fans that Creighton has been good enough to keep. I will say that give the Bluejays a few losing seasons and that attendance will dwindle pretty quickly. I think thier proposed confernce affiliation just might be the ticket to get those losing seasons with the extended travel for road games and two or three superior programs in the conference.

Butler and Evansville were roughly in the same position before Evansville bolted from the Horizon and joined the Valley. Both applied, and unfortunately for Evansville they were accepted and Butler rejected. Butler just got better and better playing against weaker competition, while Evansville got worse and worse playing against better competition night in and night out. Evansvilles attendance dropped in half. While I'm not certain of Butlers attendance, I remember it being pretty bad ten years ago, and I assume now every game is a sellout.

I don't have the exact numbers on me but the 5 years where we didn't make the tourney (07-11), our attendance dropped but it dropped to like 13-14K. Not bad for down years if you ask me.

[valleychamp]

There is really no explanation as to why Creightons attendance more than tripled over a period of a couple years. It's just a weird combination of events, including the opening of a new municipal auditorium in a city with no other sports presence and having a pretty good team. I think it just resulted in a bunch of bandwagon fans that Creighton has been good enough to keep. I will say that give the Bluejays a few losing seasons and that attendance will dwindle pretty quickly. I think thier proposed confernce affiliation just might be the ticket to get those losing seasons with the extended travel for road games and two or three superior programs in the conference.

Butler and Evansville were roughly in the same position before Evansville bolted from the Horizon and joined the Valley. Both applied, and unfortunately for Evansville they were accepted and Butler rejected. Butler just got better and better playing against weaker competition, while Evansville got worse and worse playing against better competition night in and night out. Evansvilles attendance dropped in half. While I'm not certain of Butlers attendance, I remember it being pretty bad ten years ago, and I assume now every game is a sellout.

I don't have the exact numbers on me but the 5 years where we didn't make the tourney (07-11), our attendance dropped but it dropped to like 13-14K. Not bad for down years if you ask me.

That's a little deceiving in that those years were not "bad" years. They may have not made the tournament, but those were all upper half MVC, 20+ win seasons if I am not mistaken. I know they tied UNI for the regular season title in '09.

[DoubleJayAlum]

There is really no explanation as to why Creightons attendance more than tripled over a period of a couple years. It's just a weird combination of events, including the opening of a new municipal auditorium in a city with no other sports presence and having a pretty good team. I think it just resulted in a bunch of bandwagon fans that Creighton has been good enough to keep. I will say that give the Bluejays a few losing seasons and that attendance will dwindle pretty quickly. I think thier proposed confernce affiliation just might be the ticket to get those losing seasons with the extended travel for road games and two or three superior programs in the conference.

Butler and Evansville were roughly in the same position before Evansville bolted from the Horizon and joined the Valley. Both applied, and unfortunately for Evansville they were accepted and Butler rejected. Butler just got better and better playing against weaker competition, while Evansville got worse and worse playing against better competition night in and night out. Evansvilles attendance dropped in half. While I'm not certain of Butlers attendance, I remember it being pretty bad ten years ago, and I assume now every game is a sellout.

I don't have the exact numbers on me but the 5 years where we didn't make the tourney (07-11), our attendance dropped but it dropped to like 13-14K. Not bad for down years if you ask me.

That's a little deceiving in that those years were not "bad" years. They may have not made the tournament, but those were all upper half MVC, 20+ win seasons if I am not mistaken. I know they tied UNI for the regular season title in '09.

You are right -- 2009 does not belong in the discussion. CU tied for the conference crown and was a bubble team for the NCAA tourney. I also do not believe that ticket sales were down that year.

As to the other years, those are "down years" for Creighton. A fourth place or fifth place finish in the MVC is a bad year.