Missouri Valley - Mountain West Challenge to end?

by **MVCfans** » October 15th, 2011, 9:18 pm

Andy Katz tweeted that the Mountain West and Conference USA commishioners have indicated that the conferences could look into basketball scheduling agreements in light on their recent football alliance.

@ESPNAndyKatzAndy Katz

Both conference commissioners said there could be men's basketball scheduling agreements. MWC-CUSA Challenge!

I'd hate to see the current challenge end as it did make for some nice out of conference games. If it does, maybe we could start to push for the MVC-CAA Challenge.

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by **Shockerfan13** » October 15th, 2011, 9:39 pm

Wouldn't surprise me. If it does happen it's just gonna make scheduling quality opponents even harder. Would not be good for the Valley IMHO. Elgin needs to get something going and be proactive in all this movement. We are gonna be left in the dust.

by **DoubleJayAlum** » October 16th, 2011, 8:22 am

Challenge events don't work without TV. What made the MVC-MWC challenge work was The Mtn TV network. If we lose this challenge, which I am very concerned about after this new FB news, it will not be easily replaced by a CAA or A10 challenge.

Another problem could be getting CUSA teams on the schedule. This year Tulsa plays three MVC schools and UAB plays two. If the two conferences are going to be forced to play more BBall games against one another, we may lose the CUSA games too.

by **unipanther99** » October 16th, 2011, 10:26 am

If it does end, I would rather try to partner with the A-10 than CAA.

by **pafan** » October 16th, 2011, 11:46 am

I'm not sure why one implies the other. If the MWC started a "MWC-CUSA challenge", there's still plenty of room on the schedule for an "MVC-MWC challenge."

by **WSUbballer** » October 16th, 2011, 12:45 pm

We aren't the powerful multi-bid conference that we used to be (maybe we're heading that way again this year..), but I would think we are a clear step up in basketball to the C-USA. Especially, if you look at it top to bottom.

If the MWC is only concerned about playing the top of the C-USA, which its top team or two is probably better than the Valley's top one or two, then I guess I see their logic. But to think that the C-USA is a better overall basketball league than the Valley is bullsheet and they would be stupid for dropping us for them.

by **DoubleJayAlum** » October 16th, 2011, 10:01 pm

pafan wrote:I'm not sure why one implies the other. If the MWC started a "MWC-CUSA challenge", there's still plenty of room on the schedule for an "MVC-MWC challenge."

In theory, yes.

Two things though - (1) This may actually be a "scheduling alliance" between MWC and CUSA, meaning that it may be more than one game per team each year. That would eat up more possible games. (2) Schools may not be interested in giving up scheduling authority for more than one non-con game.

by **Haha** » October 17th, 2011, 7:25 am

The Beast will either end up taking 5 from this newly formed pile of 22 teams or 4 at the least. CUSA will be hit the hardest possibly only 3, maybe up to 5 if BSU and AFA stay put.

Note that the football alliance is actually going to be it's own league. The CUSA and MWC will now be non football conferences. Both commissioners have been quoted in saying that now with the alliance football league they can look at potentially adding non football schools.

If the BEAST raid goes off as planned then the MWC conference will be down to 7 schools (Hawaii is football only) and CUSA will be down to 9 schools for Oly sports (BTW Oly sports is anything outside of football, ever heard of the dream team?).

So the challenge might not work out anymore anyways. One thing to watch out for is if this comes to pass is what basketball schools might get invited into one of the two leagues. Maybe not an MVC team but what if Temple slides over to CUSA side and then with that X and Dayton with the BEAST stable decides to follow them. Then the A-10 looks to backfill with maybe a Bradley or CU or teams like SLU start checking options like the MVC.

Point being I think if BEAST is able to raid like they want it will trickle down to MVC one way or another. Possibly hurting A-10 which in turn helps the MVC, or in an extreme case an MVC team actually bolts.

by **bigdawg** » October 17th, 2011, 9:22 am

unipanther99 wrote:If it does end, I would rather try to partner with the A-10 than CAA.

The A10 will never agree to it. They think they're too good. The CAA or WCC would be great though.

by **BirdmanBB** » October 17th, 2011, 10:00 am

Someone on our board pointed out that it is TV that really makes these Challenges work. MWC has the Mtn. network and CUSA has CBS Sports Network. Unless MVC-TV is ready to take a giant leap forward with our own channel, I doubt any Challenge with the A10 or CAA would happen.