New 12-team MVC Tournament format

[Da Coach]

The Missouri Valley Conference has confirmed how the new 12-team MVC Tournament bracket will be formatted for the 2022-23 MVCT in St. Louis in March 2-5, 2023.
The top 4 seeds will get a 1st round bye, while the lower 8 seeds play in 4 games on Thursday. Then the winners of those 4 first round games will match up with the top 4 seeds in 4 games on Friday. Then there will be 2 semifinal games on Saturday, and a championship game on Sunday.
As in past years, the Saturday games will be televised by CBSSports Network, and the Sunday championship game will be televised by CBS.
This means that instead of 4 teams that had to win 4 games in 4 days to win the tournament, now 8 teams will have to accomplish that feat to win. It also likely means bigger crowds and more tickets sold for Thursday games

 

[braves16]

I would like for them to just go to a 8 man tournament. I remember in the mid 90s when they went to that format for a couple of years. SIU won the MVC tourney 3 years in a row and the next year didn't make.

 

[Da Coach]

Note that Bradley has been the #5 seed in 3 of the last 5 tournaments, and they won the 2019 MVC Tournament from the #5 seed.
But if they are the #5 seed next year, they will be playing in the Thursday games, and will need to win 4 games in 4 days to win the tournament.
IMO, in the 2023 tournament, Bradley has maybe the best hope to finish in the top 3 seeds in 22 years. The last time Bradley finished higher than the #4 seed was 2001, when they were the #2 seed..

Here are the Bradley seeds in all past MVC Tournaments (1977-present).
2021-22- 5
2020-21- 8
2019-20- 4
2018-19- 5
2017-18- 5
2016-17- 7
2015-16- 9
2014-15- 10
2013-14- 7
2012-13- 8
2011-12- 10
2010-11- 10
2009-10- 5
2008-09- 4
2007-08- 5
2006-07- 4
2005-06- 5
2004-05- 8
2003-04- 7
2002-03- 6
2001-02- 8
2000-01- 2
1999-00- 5
1998-99- 4
1997-98- 7
1996-97- 2
1995-96- 1
1994-95- 4
1993-94- 2
1992-93- 7
1991-92- finished tied for 9th & did not make tournament (only top 8 teams made tournament)
1990-91- 7
1989-90- 5
1988-89- 4
1987-88- 1
1986-87- ineligible due to NCAA sanctions
1985-86- 1
1984-85- 4
1983-84- 5
1982-83- 4
1981-82- 1
1980-81- 5
1979-80- 1
1978-79- finished tied for 8th (out of 9 teams) and was eliminated from MVCT by tiebreaker
1977-78- 5
1976-77- 6

 

[houstonbrave]

Yeah-not sure how the overall attendance will be. It is harder for working folks to get there for Thursday games-especially the early ones. It ends up being a huge advantage to be in the top 4. How many folks will show up for the bottom 8 knowing they have to win games on 4 consecutive days. Will I go-yeah even if we are not in the top 4, but it may really hurt overall attendance.

 

[bigjimmy]

As a basketball junkie I love it. Regular season Valley matters just a wee bit more now as 5 and 6 get that 4th game. As long as we can mesh the old and the new players better than we have the last few years there's no reason why we can't finish in the top 4. The new schools, (UIC, Murray State and Belmont), will their fan bases travel especially if their respective seasons are below expectations. Can't wait!

 

[Da Coach]

As a basketball junkie I love it. Regular season Valley matters just a wee bit more now as 5 and 6 get that 4th game. As long as we can mesh the old and the new players better than we have the last few years there's no reason why we can't finish in the top 4. The new schools, (UIC, Murray State and Belmont), will their fan bases travel especially if their respective seasons are below expectations. Can't wait!

The fan bases for Murray State and Belmont are pretty passionate, though Belmont's is not real large. And UIC's, from what I've seen, is not quite as passionate.
Here were their home attendance numbers last season-
School.........Avg. Home Attendance in 2021-22
Belmont..............1,996/game
Murray St............4,338/game
UIC......................2,093/game

Here are the average attendance numbers for the 2021-22 MVC teams (per MVC.org):
Bradley...... 4,351
SIU............ 4,282
MO St........ 3,747
Evansville.. 3,268
Loyola........ 3,266
Drake......... 3,204
IN State......2,990
IL State...... 2,901
No. Iowa.... 2,574
Valpo......... 1,758

Belmont and UIC could be battling for the worst attendance numbers next season. Murray State could be near the top. However, they probably won't have a Top 25 team next year, and that will likely mean lower attendance
It will be interesting to see how well they travel.
The Enterprise Center is almost 5 hours from Nashville and from UIC. Murray State is about 3½ hours away.
I'll be surprised if the UIC students and fans travel anywhere near as well as Loyola's did.

 

[egib52]

As a basketball junkie I love it. Regular season Valley matters just a wee bit more now as 5 and 6 get that 4th game. As long as we can mesh the old and the new players better than we have the last few years there's no reason why we can't finish in the top 4. The new schools, (UIC, Murray State and Belmont), will their fan bases travel especially if their respective seasons are below expectations. Can't wait!

I totally agree with this. The regular season should matter a lot.