PDA

View Full Version : SLU and their new AD



BBC 08
02-05-2008, 10:27 PM
Here is an interesting article on SLU and their new AD that I think the board will enjoy:

SLU's new AD (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/jeffgordon/story/3614367DA6496454862573E6005816F8?OpenDocument)

One spot really stood out to me in the entire piece:

* The Atlantic 10 affiliation remains problematic. Although men’s basketball is on the upswing this year -– with several legitimate NCAA Tournament candidates emerging from the fray -– the A-10 remains a tough fit for SLU.

Travel costs are a big issue for the non-revenue sports. So is the depth of competition, or lack thereof. And the low-profile TV package is an issue for Majerus’ program.

It will be interesting to see where the A-10 is headed with new leadership. It will also be interesting to see what happens with the unwieldy Big East Conference; maybe, just maybe, a number of SLU-like programs in the Midwest could form a conference that makes more sense for those schools.


Looks like we aren't the only ones who want a new conference affliation.

Thoughts?

dc_x
02-06-2008, 09:44 AM
"Others hold out hope for a Great Midwest II, a new conference with schools like Dayton, DePaul, Butler, Detroit, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, Loyola-Chicago and Xavier. With the right leadership, a league featuring such basketball-oriented colleges could flourish on many levels."

No thanks - that sounds like the old MCC.

Muskie
02-06-2008, 09:50 AM
SLU is closer to most of the schools in the MVC. Many of their fans see that as a much better conference than the A-10. It also doesn't help that the MVC plays their conference tourney at the Scottrade Center. If you go over to Billikens.com and do a search you'll find many heated debates about which conference would be better for SLU to belong to. Majerus has also said he'd like to get out of the A-10.

Lasser83
02-06-2008, 08:43 PM
Does SLU really have the right to complain about their conference affiliation? In the past 20 years, they have shown little success on the court. Attendence and general fan following have been weak.

I find it a bit strange that they demand to be in a better conference. There's a reason why the Big East decided not to invite SLU (and bring in a large market).

SLU can jump to the MVC if they want. But I don't think that would be a good longterm decision.

cinskyline
02-06-2008, 08:50 PM
"Others hold out hope for a Great Midwest II, a new conference with schools like Dayton, DePaul, Butler, Detroit, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, Loyola-Chicago and Xavier. With the right leadership, a league featuring such basketball-oriented colleges could flourish on many levels."

No thanks - that sounds like the old MCC.

Exactly. A league like this does not benefit X at all. You lose all of your East Coast connections and that league would be much worse than the A-10.

Now, replace Loyola with Marquette and Milwaukee-Wisconsin with Creighton and you might have something.

Actually, now that I look at it, I'm not sure that is in X's best interests either.

American X
02-06-2008, 08:52 PM
Not sure the MVC would want SLU. They are all set with the balanced conference schedule.

Snipe
02-09-2008, 06:33 PM
The A-10 has been good to us. Travel for us is about in the same boat. We have to take a plane just about everywhere.

As bad as some of the teams and venues in the A-10 are, the conference has really benefited Xavier.

If SLU could rise to the top of the A-10 it could benefit them too.

If the Big East ever implodes I am not sure we want to join the BE basketball school.

I think if the powerschools in the A-10 disbanded the conference and then formed a 9 team conference it would be an excellent league.

Fred Garvin
02-10-2008, 03:28 AM
[QUOTE=Snipe;11185]The A-10 has been good to us. Travel for us is about in the same boat. We have to take a plane just about everywhere.

The article said travel is an issue for "non-revenue sports."

ATL Muskie
02-10-2008, 06:58 AM
I'm sure Majerus pines for the chance to be in a conference with Marquette, DePaul, etc. His dreams are as big as his appetite. I agree with Lasser, since when does SLU have a case for getting a higher profile? Sure everyone wants to be in a high profile league, but has everyone done their fair share of the heavy lifting, and does everyone deserve it? I want a threesome with two hot ample-cheasted blondes, but do I deserve it? Don't answer that.....

Muskie
02-10-2008, 11:09 AM
I'm sure Majerus pines for the chance to be in a conference with Marquette, DePaul, etc. His dreams are as big as his appetite. I agree with Lasser, since when does SLU have a case for getting a higher profile? Sure everyone wants to be in a high profile league, but has everyone done their fair share of the heavy lifting, and does everyone deserve it? I want a threesome with two hot ample-cheasted blondes, but do I deserve it? Don't answer that.....

ATL you deserve it!

DC Muskie
02-11-2008, 07:48 AM
Xavier will never be in a Midwest focused and dominated league again.

Take that to the bank.

xavierj
02-13-2008, 09:56 PM
Screw SLU. Boot them and bring in Butler. At least we would have a natural rival and I love going to Indy.

STLfan
02-15-2008, 02:19 AM
The conference I would like to see SLU and X in would look something like this (assuming the Big East doesn't break up).

Bradley
Butler
Creighton
Dayton
Drake
Saint Louis
Valparaiso
Xavier

All private schools and play each team home and away each year.

The Current RPI's for these schools looks like this

Drake - 10
Xavier - 11
Butler - 17
Dayton - 28
Creighton - 64
Valparaiso - 94
Bradley - 103
Saint Louis - 104

Last year they finished

Creighton - 20
Butler - 27
Xavier - 33
Bradley - 38
Saint Louis - 74
Dayton - 75
Drake - 113
Valparaiso - 164

That would be an eight team league that could consistently send three or four teams to the tournament.

A couple of other notes on things I have read in this thread.

On the MVC vs. A10 debate. Most SLU fans seem to prefer the A10 for now despite some of its problems. The MVC has tried before to get SLU and they would still love to add them to the league. The Valley has its head quarters in St. Louis and that is also where their tournament is every year. I think part of the reason people want to stay with the A10 is because they believe that it will put them in a better position during the next conference shake up. In particular if the Big East basketball schools break away. Also there are more Catholic universities like SLU in the A10.

As to why people at SLU would want to be in a better conference. Doesn't everybody? SLU is now investing heavily in its hoops program with an 80+ Million dollar on campus arena and paying a high profile coach (Majerus) a Million a year. That is a lot of money and I am sure the people at SLU would like to be with other schools that are committed to their basketball programs.

There is no question that out of the current leagues the A10 is the best option for us at this time but ever since we joined I wondered how long that would be the case. Or how long the A10 would be able to survive in its current format of 14 teams, fairly spread out, a mix of private and public schools and schools that seem to have different levels of commitment to winning sports programs.

Lasser83
02-15-2008, 03:26 AM
STLfan, there's a lot to like about your potential conference.

Those schools are very close together. Fans could easily drive to many away games, increasing attendance. Rivalries could develop.

And your right. That type of conference could consistantly get 3 teams in the tourney. And for the past decade, the A10 hasn't done much better with many more teams.


But on the down side, those teams are in much smaller markets than most schools in the A10 right now. Playing in New york, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington DC exposes us to a larger population. And its easy to get recruits on the east coast to visit the team for an away game.

Also, those schools you listed are generally smaller with generally smaller budgets. For example, GW isn't very good right now, but imagine if they get an ambitious new President who wants to spend a ton of money from their large endowment. He could do it. (actually, much like what SLU is doing right now).

In contrast Drake is a good school. But it's unlikely they will be able to pay the big bucks to upgrade their facilities and land a big name coach.

You might have a problem with my specific example. But generally speaking, A10 schools will be able to pour more money into their basketball teams than the schools you mentioned.

Lasser83
02-15-2008, 03:39 AM
There is no question that out of the current leagues the A10 is the best option for us at this time but ever since we joined I wondered how long that would be the case. Or how long the A10 would be able to survive in its current format of 14 teams, fairly spread out, a mix of private and public schools and schools that seem to have different levels of commitment to winning sports programs.


Yeah, I agree. I think the big problem is geography. But the schools, themselves, have a lot in common. Most A10 schools are mid-size and private. And they all have very good academic reputations.

The problem is trying to justify flying and housing the track team to New York City for a meet.

But for basketball alone, I like the current arrangement and like the other schools in the conference.