MVC Expansion
- Thread starter Seven
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Went to the Murray State board and read from page 22 to the end on their quest to the MVC. Link is on Redbird football thread. Always good to get an outside perspective and came away with 4 takeaways.
1. When talking about the elite basketball programs in the MVC, ISU red was never mentioned.
2. When talking about basketball doormats of the MVC, ISU red was mentioned, more than once. Face it gang, our glory years are distant distant memories.
3. MVCF, they were not worried about competing with the “east” teams, but thought they would have trouble competing with the “western” teams, specifically mentioning the Dakota schools.
4. They also mentioned how great an addition South Dakota State all sports program would be to the valley. Specifically mentioning SDSU women’s basketball program is on par with Belmonts and how both of those programs will raise MVC women’s basketball exposure. Also that SDSU brings other things that are desirable to the table.
Looks to me ISU needs improvement in several sports areas. We are not looked upon as an elite program in football, men’s and women’s basketball and that is pretty much the marquee sports in college. Donors and recognition mainly comes from very few sports programs.
1. When talking about the elite basketball programs in the MVC, ISU red was never mentioned.
2. When talking about basketball doormats of the MVC, ISU red was mentioned, more than once. Face it gang, our glory years are distant distant memories.
3. MVCF, they were not worried about competing with the “east” teams, but thought they would have trouble competing with the “western” teams, specifically mentioning the Dakota schools.
4. They also mentioned how great an addition South Dakota State all sports program would be to the valley. Specifically mentioning SDSU women’s basketball program is on par with Belmonts and how both of those programs will raise MVC women’s basketball exposure. Also that SDSU brings other things that are desirable to the table.
Looks to me ISU needs improvement in several sports areas. We are not looked upon as an elite program in football, men’s and women’s basketball and that is pretty much the marquee sports in college. Donors and recognition mainly comes from very few sports programs.
Birgs
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SDSU/St. Thom/UIC next adds.
You get comfortable travel partners in the Flames & Valpo, Good competetive adds (as much as I would prefer not west, but appease UNI vs. going Detroit, not Omaha UMKC)
You get comfortable travel partners in the Flames & Valpo, Good competetive adds (as much as I would prefer not west, but appease UNI vs. going Detroit, not Omaha UMKC)
TBS_20
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That's really good
SgtHulka
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Luckily those are all fixable issues. You just need an attention grabbing run. Nobody gave a rats ass about Loyola, Creighton or Wichita during long stretches during the not too distant past. They were all fixed with the right hire at the right time.
ISU86
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Saint Thomas? Not even through their first (of a four) year transition to Division I, in a 1,800 seat gymnasium?
To quote Jerry Seinfeld, when George Costanza wanted to be his faux-latex salesman, "I don't think so".
MadBird
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Thank you I haven't been able to figger out this Tommie love here, let them make a splash in the Summit before we come calling. People bitched and moaned about Loyola, Valpo, turning up nose at UMC and UTA, but our arms are open for a DIII school and a DIII gym? Forget it.
Bird Friend
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Wait a minute . . . people on here are doubting St. Thomas?
SgtHulka
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Then are you saying ISU needs the right hire?
TBS_20
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Mainly, the story. So dominant on their D3 league that they were kicked out. So, they joined non-scholarship football FCS and went 7-3 in their first year in D1 and plan to go scholarship. Plus, they're a private school that can easily sustain whatever may come. Obviously, their facilities are D3 and need to be updated.
NashvilleBirdFan
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While us underachieving in recent years is frustrating, we are still in great shape to rise to the top tier in any sport as the school continues to excel in the academic and enrollment side.. I would much rather be ISU going forward than any other school, with the possible exception as Missouri St as they are also doing well growing their university. Academics are not as good as ISU, but they are getting better.
Not disagreeing with what you are saying. I really thought President Bowman had us on the right path. The Hancock remodel was a big step. Now we need to win again. I’m not as worried about football as men’s basketball going forward. Indoor practice facility another great piece. Again ISU needs the winning tradition that I think we were getting close to having when Donewald was here. Unfortunately that was in the last century.
I guess one of the major things I notice is how few ISU graduates in central Illinois wear ISU “gear”. Winning brings pride and a whole lot of other positive things with it.
I do agree with a lot of the sentiment on the Murray fan board that their good/great tradition of basketball helped get them the invite. MVC needed another program besides Belmont with Loyola leaving.
I would just like to see ISU get some “respect” that comes from winning consistently. ISU’s footprint needs to be much bigger than McLean county and that is what winning will get you.
MadBird
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There's more to the story than you offer.
Athletic "domination" was only one factor in their being "asked" to leave. UST is more than double the enrollment of the next biggest school in the MIAC (and that is a women's school w/o football obviously), and 3 times larger than most. They have a number of graduate programs, which most MIAC schools don't. It would be comparable to say DePaul or Loyola having football and playing in a DIII conference with say, Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin, etc. Many questions about their compatibility with the other largely religious, undergrad, liberal arts schools. Furthermore, UST's football program came recently to it's success, and of course they never won a national championship. They became contenders in the last ten years. There were many questions about "sportsmanship" in the football program too - they were not nice conference mates (running up the score, onside kicks and two point conversions in blowouts, etc.).
There is some question whether UST will be able to sustain DI programs, with schollies for all sports. That's an unknown and one of the reasons they went Pioneer League to start. They had no other DIII or DII landing spots. They've got a ways to go to address not only facilities issues but financial stability too. For crissakes, they haven't even finished one year in DI!!! Give them a chance to sort it out.