UAB to the MVC?

[Wufan]

My question about football was legit. UAB dropped football and are rumored to be actively looking at the MVC for a landing place for basketball. Lot all would seem to be the absolutely last thing that is relevant to this discussion. Now if it's confirmed that they are coming here, then it's a real discussion point, but in this case we aren't even putting the cart before the horse, we are loading the cart and we don't even own a horse.

[uniftw]

My question about football was legit. UAB dropped football and are rumored to be actively looking at the MVC for a landing place for basketball. Lot all would seem to be the absolutely last thing that is relevant to this discussion. Now if it's confirmed that they are coming here, then it's a real discussion point, but in this case we aren't even putting the cart before the horse, we are loading the cart and we don't even own a horse.

You don't think considering all potential outcomes of them joining is happening?

Listen, I don't think they bring football back, but it's worth talking about. Why wouldn't the MVC schools join the Summit schools in a football only conference if they broke away? Because chances are they broke away because they got sick of dealing with MVC/MVFC schools deciding to put basketball even, or head, of football in priorities. They wouldn't break away and start a new conference just to have the exact same conference restart with them.

The OVC is an inferior league to the MVC right now, but would it be if ISUr, UNI, SIU and ISUb all took off for it and MSU bolted for another opening as soon as they had it (if they didn't go OVC with the others)? Who does the MVC attract when you've got WSU and then Drake, Bradley, Evansville and Loyola? Whose your big draw to get teams to join there? I promise you WSU would be gone to anywhere that would take them at that point. Yes, that's a doomsday scenario and has a .0002% chance of happening, but let's not pretend lesser scenarios aren't being/haven't been talked about.

UNI is commited to the MVC, unless something radical happens with membership (per Troy Dannen). I can't say as much about MSU, SIU or ISUr.

UAB brining a basketball only school would only solidify the conference, especially if it meant bringing another solid program with them.


I guess I'll table the football issue unless it comes up if they are added

[Cdizzle]

Now as for UAB, at this point I'm assuming they'll be in the MVC in 2016.

Assuming no one leaves, what team joins with them?

Couldn't the league, you know, make a replacement.....

[Drakey]

UAB would be a plus for the Valley as long as they DON'T have a scholarship Football program. Better yet, no football program at all. I personally would be fine with all of the Football schools leaving and being replaced with non-football schools. In the long run that is the only way to build a basketball conference above the other mid-majors. If the Valley wasn't such a hodge podge of schools they might even be able to attract the good Midwest basketball schools who are playing way out of their geographical area.

[Redbird Recon]

I personally would be fine with all of the Football schools leaving and being replaced with non-football schools.

Like? And don't waste time mentioning schools in the A10 or BE. Drake vs. Belmont and Evansville vs. Lipscomb isn't going to turn the MVC around. At that point the Valley would be closer to the small private conferences of the east coast.

[uniftw]

UAB would be a plus for the Valley as long as they DON'T have a scholarship Football program. Better yet, no football program at all. I personally would be fine with all of the Football schools leaving and being replaced with non-football schools. In the long run that is the only way to build a basketball conference above the other mid-majors. If the Valley wasn't such a hodge podge of schools they might even be able to attract the good Midwest basketball schools who are playing way out of their geographical area.

Yeah...because Drake, Evasnville, Loyola and Bradley have done so much to help raise the profile of the Valley the last decade.

Let's say ALL 5 of UNI, Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Missouri State and Missouri State left. Does UAB still want to join a conference that has Wichita State and then a bunch of teams that almost never finish out of the cellar of the previous conference?

Let's pretend UAB does join. You're now at 6 teams. Still not enough for an AQ. Who are you pulling in with Drake, Bradley, Evansville, and Loyola as your future selling points?

Do you think WSU wants to stick around in a conference that loses it's only other team to be worth a damn for more than 1 year in the last decade? They barely want to be here with UNI they sure as hell won't stick around without the other schools that consistently finish top half of the conference.

Maybe Drake should drop football? Maybe that would help them missed Thursday night more than once a decade....maybe....


To get back to 10 do you would have a conference of:
WSU
Evansville
Drake
Bradley
Loyola
Belmont
ORU
Valpo

Then some combo of SIU-E, Austin Peay, UAB, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Illinois Chicago


That sounds like a winner of a conference...sounds like the Horizon league now. Congrats on kicking out the good teams to essentially join the Horizon or OVC.

[Wufan]

Of the teams named above that would potentially leave:

UNI has 4 NCAA appearances in the last 10 years and 3 wins
SIU has one appearance and one win
ISUb has one appearance and zero wins
MSU has zero appearances
ISUr has zero appearances

Of those proposed to stay:

WSU has five appearances and nine wins
Bradley has one appearance and two wins
Drake has one appearance and zero wins
Loyola has zero appearances
Evansville has zero appearances

UAB has three appearances and three wins (third best of the 11 teams noted)

[Cdizzle]

Of the teams named above that would potentially leave:

UNI has 4 NCAA appearances in the last 10 years and 3 wins
SIU has one appearance and one win
ISUb has one appearance and zero wins
MSU has zero appearances
ISUr has zero appearances

Of those proposed to stay:

WSU has five appearances and nine wins
Bradley has one appearance and two wins
Drake has one appearance and zero wins
Loyola has zero appearances
Evansville has zero appearances

UAB has three appearances and three wins (third best of the 11 teams noted)

So you're saying there isn't a difference?

Hmmmm.

[Wufan]

Of the teams named above that would potentially leave:

UNI has 4 NCAA appearances in the last 10 years and 3 wins
SIU has one appearance and one win
ISUb has one appearance and zero wins
MSU has zero appearances
ISUr has zero appearances

Of those proposed to stay:

WSU has five appearances and nine wins
Bradley has one appearance and two wins
Drake has one appearance and zero wins
Loyola has zero appearances
Evansville has zero appearances

UAB has three appearances and three wins (third best of the 11 teams noted)

So you're saying there isn't a difference?

Hmmmm.

Eh. We only did 10 years. One group has a national championship, three national title appearances, seven final fours, ten elite 8s.

One group has 0, 1, 1, and 1.

Anyone care to count sweet 16s? Of course it would be a football league, so maybe we should count FBS bowl games instead?

[Redbird Recon]

The great irony is that Wichita has no avenues for upward exit due to the fact that they don't have football.