Well again, I hope BU is able to make a move up into a better conference as it definitely will help their recruiting, and will make for much more attractive opponents at Carver Arena. But I just don't think it's a realistic possiblity at the moment due to factors way beyond their control. That's why I think it's just as important to show that there are programs who have obtained just as much national success while residing in somewhat weaker conferences. Bradley and anyone else in the Valley needs to prepare themselves for either scenerio and how things will play out once all the dominoes fall into place. But the important thing is that even if Bradley ends up staying in a slightly weaker conference, they still have every opportunity to build their program into a national power since I believe they will be better able to commit to doing so than the DePaul's of the world. And I think Gonzaga, Butler, Creighton and Xavier amongst others have shown it can be done even within the lesser conferences.
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Bottom of a big conference or top of a middle/lower conference?
- Thread starter BUBalum05
- Start date
Well again, I hope BU is able to make a move up into a better conference as it definitely will help their recruiting, and will make for much more attractive opponents at Carver Arena. But I just don't think it's a realistic possiblity at the moment due to factors way beyond their control. That's why I think it's just as important to show that there are programs who have obtained just as much national success while residing in somewhat weaker conferences. Bradley and anyone else in the Valley needs to prepare themselves for either scenerio and how things will play out once all the dominoes fall into place. But the important thing is that even if Bradley ends up staying in a slightly weaker conference, they still have every opportunity to build their program into a national power since I believe they will be better able to commit to doing so than the DePaul's of the world. And I think Gonzaga, Butler, Creighton and Xavier amongst others have shown it can be done even within the lesser conferences.
braveatheart
New member
OK, I will take the bait.
Don't sell your soul for money. Not that any of the conferences organized around media markets would want us anyway.
Find a conference made up of your regional peers. A confernce with natural rivalries. I would say the best thing going right now is the MVC. However you could sure dream up something better. But loyalty goes both ways. Maybe we are lucky to be in the MVC.
We are in a pretty good conference for us. Let's just try to dominate the MVC and be happy with that.
Don't sell your soul for money. Not that any of the conferences organized around media markets would want us anyway.
Find a conference made up of your regional peers. A confernce with natural rivalries. I would say the best thing going right now is the MVC. However you could sure dream up something better. But loyalty goes both ways. Maybe we are lucky to be in the MVC.
We are in a pretty good conference for us. Let's just try to dominate the MVC and be happy with that.
Shoot for the moon is what I've been taught and if life gives you a lemon you make lemonade. I'm just not into a discussion of being in a lesser conference because the alternative may haunt us for a long long time. This is not the time to talk about lesser conferences.
BTW I'll hold the administration accountable for the outcome. This is a fluid situation I'd have to believe with the money and media potential this will all be put together the next 6-8 months.
BTW I'll hold the administration accountable for the outcome. This is a fluid situation I'd have to believe with the money and media potential this will all be put together the next 6-8 months.
No, you are right SFP. Maybe I am settling for less than we can be. I'm just more or less speculating on what may happen. We can pledge as much funding and great recruiting as we want. We can plead that despite our small tv market we still are deserving of a spot in the new Catholic 7 conference, especially if we promise to do whatever it takes to make us into an annual tournament contender. And we can promise the great fans of our team that playing in a better conference will make for more interesting opponents to come into Carver Arena on an annual basis, something which is rare right now. And you are right SFP, I was raised exactually the same way, and I don't want to sell myself short on that type of philosophy.
But I also recongnize that the way big time college sports are run these days, working hard and shooting for the moon does not always guarantee success when you have a very unfair playing field. Hard work pays off if everyone gets an equal chance to compete. I'm not sure the powers that be at this new conference have Bradley's best interests in mind, and that has nothing to even do with our recent on court performance. It's all about dollars and facilities and geography and the "big boys" mentallity that runs college sports these days. That's why I keep saying that even if we are forced to stay in the same level of a conference we have been these past decades, that does not mean we have to abandon those principles of hard work and shooting for the moon even within the confines of a revamped MVC.
I totally agree that we should throw everything we have in our power at getting into the new conference in order to try to get into a better situation, if for no other reason than to protect us from a potential D1 split that will most likely occur within the next decade or so. But if this does not work out for us (latching onto a strong private school conference that is), we still do have options left, even if that means rebuilding the Valley into a conference with the best of the rest. I think teams like Oral Roberts, Detroit, Valpo, Drake and even a Loyola and/or UIC would not kill Bradley's chances of becoming a strong program with national aspirations. But sometimes shooting for the moon can mean more than one strategy, and it will be up to the Catholic 7 to make the next move. All we can do is be ready for whichever way will open up for us.
braveatheart
New member
Are you being serious, or satirical?
Serious
That's what I thought. And I don't think there is anything wrong with going this route if all other avenues are closed to us. We should shoot high, but as I stated above, we know how big time college sports work, and I'm being realistic here.
braveatheart
New member
I understand your thinking. And of course we have not been invited to anything yet. I just look at Boise State in football who for years couldn't wait to get invited to the Mountain West Conference. That was a perfect conference for them. Great geographic rivalries with games close enough that fans could go to some road games. Two years ago they finally get into the MWC.
Then the Big East comes calling and BSU has visions of huge TV dollars. Never mind that there will never be a logical rivalry or that fans can't travel to road games or that the other school sports have to find a different lesser conference. Of course now we see what has happened to the Big East. I am sure BSU has some second thoughts at this point. I mean really? Boise State in an East coast conference. Of course the Catholic 7 thought is was crazy too.
Lets just not sell our souls for money. Lets look at what is a logical fit. That is all I am saying.
Then the Big East comes calling and BSU has visions of huge TV dollars. Never mind that there will never be a logical rivalry or that fans can't travel to road games or that the other school sports have to find a different lesser conference. Of course now we see what has happened to the Big East. I am sure BSU has some second thoughts at this point. I mean really? Boise State in an East coast conference. Of course the Catholic 7 thought is was crazy too.
Lets just not sell our souls for money. Lets look at what is a logical fit. That is all I am saying.
Interesting topic. My thoughts is that we should attempt to move up if possible. At this time, I do not think that the opportunity is there for us for a couple of reasons. Therefore, I think what we need to do is to meet with other schools in the MVC and use this strength in numbers approach to pressure the MVC Commissioner to try to bring in more quality schools to the MVC.
--I will freely admit that I have not kept up with what the MVC is currently doing but interested to hear everyone's feedback on this--
--I will freely admit that I have not kept up with what the MVC is currently doing but interested to hear everyone's feedback on this--
I agree. Great points!
Are you saying the "Catholic 7" leaving the Big East is crazy? It's about the only logical thing I've seen happen since the realignment armageddon began.
Gary the Gargoyle
New member
I think it depends on how secondary one considers FCS football to basketball in this league.
You left out the fact that BYU, SDSU, TCU, and Utah all left as well and that the MWC isn't anywhere close to what it once was.
braveatheart
New member
BYU and TCU left before BSU decided to join and SDSU left for the Big East with BSU. Not sure about the timing on Utah. However Nevada and Fresno State came to the MWC and are rivalries from back in the WAC.
braveatheart
New member
No I am saying the Catholic 7 thought the Big East became a convoluted mess. The C7 leaving makes total sense. BSU joining makes little sense at this point.
All the departures happened after BSU decided to go the MWC. BSU accepted an invitation to MWC in June 2010. Utah announced they were leaving a couple weeks later, although there departure was pretty much a given at the time. BYU announced their independence in August 2010 and TCU announced they were going to the Big East in November 2010.
Sure, Boise chased the money and doesn't look like it will work at as well as they hoped. But it's not like they are stuck either. Rejoining the MWC seems like the most probable scenerio if this thing with the Big East crumbles. Back to where they started and no worse off then they would have been if they stayed.
Ah got it, and totally agree.
braveatheart
New member
You are right on the timing. I stand corrected. I was going by memory and my memory is obviously faulty.
To say they are no worse off is just not true. They will have a $5 million buyout if they leave the Big East before July 2013 but $10 million if they leave after. Those numbers could be reduced under certian conditions. But they will also forfeit conference distributions they would have earned if they had stayed.
There were also cost to leave the MWC for the Big East. Here is an article that said the costs could reach $21 million to leave the MWC for the Big East. Not sure what they actually came to.
http://voices.idahostatesman.com/20...te_exit_fee_mountain_west_could_be_21_million
To say they are no worse off is incorrect.
Of course BSU is spending state money and Bradley doesn't have that luxury.
I wasn't thrilled about the Valley going after the Dakota schools from the Summit conference, if it ever comes to this. But maybe that's not a bad idea after all as S. Dakota St. shocked #12 New Mexico at the Pit today 70-65! Most BCS schools would have trouble winning there! Talk about a resume builder for SDS as they improve to 10-4. Coach Mo will have his work cut out for him if WIU has any chance of beating this team in the Summit this year!
Also, Wright St. up on Cincinnati 28-22 at the half.
Also, Wright St. up on Cincinnati 28-22 at the half.