Public vs Private - The Competitive Imbalance

[Khan4Cats]

Wasn't trying to knock Evansville with the question mark...I just don't know what's going on there. They have essentially a lame duck coach and are not recruiting at the level of other Privates: Bradley, Loyola and Valpo. From my view point things don't look to promising compared with the rest of the Valley.

Aces were a whisker away from dancing two years ago when Washpun hit a buzzer beater to send UNI to the dance instead. Just saying.

And many would argue that they shouldn't have had to rely on that game if they had simply scheduled more aggressively with the team they had instead of fattening up on SWAC cupcakes.

[Khan4Cats]

Agreed 100%.

Adding the best public out there that the MVC can get (Murray State) and the best private out there the MVC can get (Valpo) seems to make the most sense and takes care of both sides. It seems easy enough which is probably why it wont happen.

This is the best course. Leave the door open for a 12th to emerge, but get the best out there that are near/within our footprint.

[BCPanther]

Author sure seems to cherry pick his time frame and sports. I haven't done any research, but somebody pointed out that he skipped several NCAA appearances by Bradley in soccer. Didn't count Drake's numerous tennis NCCAA qualifications and I'm sure there are others. I personally think all of the privates are on an upward swing in Basketball. Couldn't even have this conversation before Creighton quit.

He clearly said that it had to be sports that all 9 remaining schools participate in.

[tribecalledquest]

Author sure seems to cherry pick his time frame and sports. I haven't done any research, but somebody pointed out that he skipped several NCAA appearances by Bradley in soccer. Didn't count Drake's numerous tennis NCCAA qualifications and I'm sure there are others. I personally think all of the privates are on an upward swing in Basketball. Couldn't even have this conversation before Creighton quit.

He clearly said that it had to be sports that all 9 remaining schools participate in.

Of course he did. But those are arbitrary reference points--not for any reason other than it fit the narrative he had created in his mind.

[Cdizzle]

His point is valid.

His methodology is absolutely terrible.

[uniftw]

Author sure seems to cherry pick his time frame and sports. I haven't done any research, but somebody pointed out that he skipped several NCAA appearances by Bradley in soccer. Didn't count Drake's numerous tennis NCCAA qualifications and I'm sure there are others. I personally think all of the privates are on an upward swing in Basketball. Couldn't even have this conversation before Creighton quit.

He clearly said that it had to be sports that all 9 remaining schools participate in.

Of course he did. But those are arbitrary reference points--not for any reason other than it fit the narrative he had created in his mind.

It's not as bad as people think.

How do you start splitting sports not every school plays? What about sports in other conferences? How do you quanitify the multiple wrestling All Americans UNI lands? How do you quantify the wrestling teams finish in the NCAA championships? Same for swimming, tennis, etc...


He did also use the all sports standings, which show the privates at the bottom of the league as well.

[tribecalledquest]

It's not as bad as people think.

How do you start splitting sports not every school plays? What about sports in other conferences? How do you quanitify the multiple wrestling All Americans UNI lands? How do you quantify the wrestling teams finish in the NCAA championships? Same for swimming, tennis, etc...


He did also use the all sports standings, which show the privates at the bottom of the league as well.

The public schools have always been better in the all-sports trophy. That's not new news and they have advantages in sports that don't offer full scholarships to the full roster. That's not whining--just the truth.

[uniftw]

First of all, the only NCAA shares that earn money are men's basketball, which is the only real revenue producing sport. He makes it sound like Drake and Bradley are looting ISU Blue's volleyball shares and laughing to the bank. Men's basketball is all that matters from a revenue perspective.

Second, he forgets to mention Loyola joined in the 2013-14 season and had a roster of Horizon players that is slowly being upgraded. Faulting them is faulty. If we're being fair, we should give them a total pass, or at least a pass until this last season.

That leaves Drake, Bradley and Evansville. Bradley is in its worst stretch in program history, after a 2006 Sweet 16, 1996 NCAA at large, and 3 NCAA bids in the 1980s (plus an NIT title). Historically, we've carried our weight.

He says there were 4 public NCAA bids this decade. He's right, but 3 of the 4 are by UNI. The remaining one was a flukeish Indiana State run in 2011.

Evansville hasn't earned an NCAA share since 1999. Of course last year they were a bucket away from winning Arch Madness. It easily could've been them instead of UNI. Missouri State and Illinois State haven't earned NCAA shares since the 1990s either.

So all the other schools have been leeching off UNI this decade. For the sake of the conference let's hope that changes.

Is Bradley carrying their weight though?

Since I was born (I'm just shy of 30), Bradley has just 3 NCAA tournament bids. 3 bids in 30 seasons. 1 every 10, and they really aren't close to another one. Sure, the 3 season span between 85/95-87/88 had 2 bids, but that is going back over 30 years.

In many ways Bradley is just like Drake and Evansville. A lot to brag about int he 50s and 60s, but pretty much nothing since, especially in terms the last decade or two, which is what really matters

I think Bradley is the one private that can actually become a "giant", but for the most part they haven't really don't much in 30 years

[tribecalledquest]

First of all, the only NCAA shares that earn money are men's basketball, which is the only real revenue producing sport. He makes it sound like Drake and Bradley are looting ISU Blue's volleyball shares and laughing to the bank. Men's basketball is all that matters from a revenue perspective.

Second, he forgets to mention Loyola joined in the 2013-14 season and had a roster of Horizon players that is slowly being upgraded. Faulting them is faulty. If we're being fair, we should give them a total pass, or at least a pass until this last season.

That leaves Drake, Bradley and Evansville. Bradley is in its worst stretch in program history, after a 2006 Sweet 16, 1996 NCAA at large, and 3 NCAA bids in the 1980s (plus an NIT title). Historically, we've carried our weight.

He says there were 4 public NCAA bids this decade. He's right, but 3 of the 4 are by UNI. The remaining one was a flukeish Indiana State run in 2011.

Evansville hasn't earned an NCAA share since 1999. Of course last year they were a bucket away from winning Arch Madness. It easily could've been them instead of UNI. Missouri State and Illinois State haven't earned NCAA shares since the 1990s either.

So all the other schools have been leeching off UNI this decade. For the sake of the conference let's hope that changes.

Is Bradley carrying their weight though?

Since I was born (I'm just shy of 30), Bradley has just 3 NCAA tournament bids. 3 bids in 30 seasons. 1 every 10, and they really aren't close to another one. Sure, the 3 season span between 85/95-87/88 had 2 bids, but that is going back over 30 years.

In many ways Bradley is just like Drake and Evansville. A lot to brag about int he 50s and 60s, but pretty much nothing since, especially in terms the last decade or two, which is what really matters

I think Bradley is the one private that can actually become a "giant", but for the most part they haven't really don't much in 30 years

I don't think you will find any Bradley fan arguing that the MBB has held its weight since, at best, 2007. So that's 10 years. Not once has anyone denied this. The point has been it isn't from lack of trying or lack of spending or because it's a "private" school.

[uniftw]

I don't think you will find any Bradley fan arguing that the MBB has held its weight since, at best, 2007. So that's 10 years. Not once has anyone denied this. The point has been it isn't from lack of trying or lack of spending or because it's a "private" school.

Hey, I'm with you on Bradley. I really am. Out of all the schools I want to get really good, it's Bradley.

A yearly top 4 or 5 of UNI, Bradley, SIU, MOSU and Valpo would be great for the Valley and would be a 2-3 bid league.