Missouri Valley - Mountain West Challenge to end?

[unifight789]

I would only like to see a challenge with the A10, WCC only because of BYU now being there, and maybe the CAA. There would be no benefit in having a challenge against the horizon, MAC, or CUSA IMO.

[unipanther99]

Hopefully Bracketbusters would be re-evaluated as well.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I would only like to see a challenge with the A10, WCC only because of BYU now being there, and maybe the CAA. There would be no benefit in having a challenge against the horizon, MAC, or CUSA IMO.

The WCC also has Gonzaga and St Mary's, along with BYU. Who wouldn't want Gonzaga on the floor? The A10 would be the most ideal, but they seem pretty paranoid about the "mid major" label and I'd find it hard to believe that they would agree to a challenge with a fellow mid major. I've got no problem with a challenge against CUSA. Quite a few MVC teams are already in home and home series with CUSA schools (UAB, Tulsa) and Cusa has put multiple teams in the tourney the last several years.

The CAA seems the most plausible, but it seems like bracketbuster usually ends up with quite a few match-ups between the MVC and CAA. I know we looked into a challenge against the CAA in the past, but the CAA ultimately decided it didn't want to participate.

[ShockValue]

The A-10 and CAA are the only other conference worth doing something like we have with the MTN.

[valleychamp]

Hopefully Bracketbusters would be re-evaluated as well.

You kind of have to wonder about the future of the BB, if this is true.

We cannot hardly keep playing the BB series when we could potentially play many of the good teams from those conferences already in some sort of "challenge" series.

[BirdmanBB]

The other thing with the bracketbuster is that usually the top games are loaded with valley teams. One has to look at that and realize it isn't in place so we can give lower conferences marquee home games.

I always thought a bracketbuster involving the MWC, A10, MVC and CUSA would make more sense.

Someone brought this up on our site, but when it says Elgin is looking into a challenges with 3-4 conferences, maybe he is just talking about 1 game involving 3-4 conferences instead of multiple challenges. If it can consist of the ones listed above, there could definitely be a TV audience for this sort of matchup.

[SubGod22]

I'm gonna list every team and conference I've seen mentioned. Starting with us. All numbers come from RealTimeRPI.com and are averages from the last 8 years for comparison.

MVC = 8.625
Creighton = 66.25
Northern Iowa = 69.625
Southern Illinois = 83.625
Wichita State = 87.75
Missouri State = 87.875
Bradley = 118.75
Illinois State = 139
Drake = 156
Indiana State = 159.125
Evansville = 193.375
Conference Avg = 116.1375

WCC = 12.75
Gonzaga = 31
BYU = 60.25
Saint Mary's = 74.125
Santa Clara = 170.375
San Francisco = 176
Portland = 183.375
San Diego = 198
Loyola Marymount = 222.875
Pepperdine = 225.875
Conference Avg (adding in BYU)= 149.0972

A10 = 9.75
Xavier = 41.75
Dayton = 72.875
Temple = 74.875
St. Joseph's = 89
Charlotte = 113.375
George Washington = 114.75
Rhode Island = 115.5
Saint Louis = 125.125
Richmond = 126.125
UMass = 129.625
Duquesne = 175.875
La Salle = 177
Fordham = 211.75
St. Bonaventure = 229.25
Conference Avg. = 128.3482

CUSA (won't include the teams leaving) = 9.75
Memphis = 31.5
UAB = 52.625
UTEP = 83.875
Tulsa = 137.375
Southern Miss = 150.625
Marshall = 158
Rice = 190.5
Tulane = 211.125
East Carolina = 229.375
Conference Avg. = 138.333

MAC = 15.5
Kent St. = 70.875
Miami = 92.75
Akron = 95.125
Ohio = 126.25
Buffalo = 145.25
W. Michigan = 153.5
Bowling Green = 196.875
Toledo = 201.75
Ball St. = 217.625
C. Michigan = 260.25
N. Illinois = 265.375
E. Michigan = 267.5
Conference Avg. = 174.4271

Horizon = 13.75
Butler = 76.25
Milwaukee = 115.25
Wright St. = 115.375
Green Bay = 140
Valpo = 161.625
Illinois-Chicago = 177.375
Cleveland St. = 177.75
Loyola = 190.625
Detroit = 194.5
Youngstown St. = 262.125
Conference Avg. = 161.0875

CAA = 12.25
VCU = 61.125
Old Dominion = 63
George Mason = 78.25
Hofstra = 108
Drexel = 117.875
Northeastern = 125
NC-Wilmington = 170.625
Delaware = 212.875
William & Mary = 213.5
Georgia St. = 215.75
James Madison = 234.875
Towson = 246.125
Conference Avg. = 153.9167

WCC has a large gap after the top 3. That would be a little concerning.

I could see where the A10 wouldn't be all that excited about hooking up with us.

I don't have a big problem with CUSA except for the fact that it is in flux right now and it's hard to know what it'll look like in a couple years.

The MAC doesn't look all that great. Some decent teams at the very top, and a lot of horrid teams outside of that.

The Horizon isn't great, but we could do a lot worse.

The CAA isn't bad.

[unipanther99]

Great analysis... I think you would want to pair with a conference that consistantly has 3-4 really solid <100 RPI schools and make sure we get the match-ups right. Past that, and we really don't often have our 4th-5th place team competing for an at large spot anyway.

[SubGod22]

I forgot to throw in the MWC as well. I'm listing the teams they're supposed to have in '13-'14 in RPI order. And a few teams they should consider adding. I'd think the two WAC schools would love to leave the WAC for the MWC at this point.

UNLV = 59.5
Nevada = 64.75
New Mexico = 85.125
Air Force = 134.625
Colorado St. = 164.125
Fresno St. = 170
Wyoming = 171.125
Conference Avg. = 121.3214

Utah State (WAC) = 40
UTEP (CUSA) = 83.875
New Mexico St. (WAC) = 138.125
North Texas (Sun Belt) = 159.5

If interested in non FBS football schools:
Pacific (Big West) = 121.375
Montana (Big Sky) = 159.5
Weber St. (Big Sky) = 166


If they added any of these three then continuing with the MWC/MVC Challenge could be fine.

[BirdmanBB]

Has the WAC added anyone since the Departures of Hawaii, Fresno St. and Nevada? Right now they are down to 5 members and I would think Utah St. and maybe New Mexico St. would likely get invites to the MWC. Kind of surprised they aren't making moves to stay relevant. Louisiana Tech would make sense in the CUSA. Not sure what Idaho and San Jose St. would do.