Other MVC schools are better because they have better players. They recruit better
They have better campus life
They have better resources
They have less academic restraint
They have winning culture
That’s just a few reasons.
The old MCC was set up with like university’s. They were all private, smaller university’s.
There is nothing wrong to admit when you are in over your head. UE is in over their head in the MVC. Maybe not at the very beginning because they were coming off such great success in the MCC with NCAA bids and NIT bids and great crowd support. But over time the MVC has swallowed that up and all that has been lost. And it’s not coming back while in the MVC
1. If they recruit better, then again, it comes down to people, which you say is not the issue.
2. Campus life is subjective. Go to Valpo or Bradley and tell me what is so much better. From a community standpoint, we compare favorably with every city not named Chicago in this league, and many would argue against Chicago..but a college student looking for adventure, I concede that one. There are hundreds of colleges smaller than UE. Apparently, there are reasons students elect to go there.
3. Resources?? We have one of the highest budgets in the MVC. We have one of the largest fanbases. Have you seen what we have done with the facilities? Go look at the renovations just completed on the baseball field. BTW, we beat Indiana last night, and the softball team beat Illinois over the weekend 9-1, apparently we are able to recruit teams with 9+ players who find our small campus as attractive as a large, Big 10 school.
4. Less academic restraint. Mindless excuse making. You realize the last 3 MVC Basketball Tournaments have been won by private schools? The final this year, both teams were. I am pretty sure our academic restraints aren't any more difficult than the other privates.
5. Winning culture. I will actually agree with you, that makes it tough. But that lack of winning culture would follow us into any league we are in. Plus, the stigma to a recruit that we are downgrading our program would not sit well.
Explain how a school like Loyola, can go 30+ years without a NCAA appearance, never win a conference title in a weaker Horizon league, and makes the jump to the MVC and becomes competitive? Simple..People, People, People.
The MCC, evolved into a stronger conference than the MVC. Marquette, SLU, Xavier, Butler, Loyola, Detroit, Dayton, Lasalle and Duquesne, along with us. I will take that every day of the week and twice on Sunday, then and now. Fact..Creighton and Bradley were very, very close to joining. Research the Courier archives from 91 and 92. Even after Marquette and SLU left. Creighton was in, and waiting for Bradley to accept. Fact. Bradley's President was even quoted they were strongly considering it, and stated that they were concerned about the recent additions and direction of the MVC. (Why all schools added since have been privates) Dayton abruptly bolts, and the rest is history. I was a season ticket holder in 93, and spent many games riding a fan bus from the Stockwell Inn. Nearly everyone was disappointed the MCC was imploding, and felt we were being forced to take a small step backwards...which it was in 1993.
We have MVC resources, MVC facilities, MVC fanbase...the ONLY question is do we have MVC people. End of story.
This will be my last post on this topic.
1. I gave reason why they recruit better.
2. UE campus life is not a typical campus life. Not looking up the enrollment but somewhere around 3000. It is loaded with International students.
3. Resources, yes I was at the game last night. I saw the field, it looks great!! Do you know how college baseball works? Yes, UE beat IU in a weekday game. It was a good win. If we have so much resources, why is our coach, until McCarty, at the bottome of the pay scaled in MVC? And I have also been to the practice facility. It is ok, I wouldn't say state of the art by any means.
4. Just because a school is private doesn't mean they don't lossen the purse strings for athletics. UE doesn't.
Again, Loyola, LaSalle, Duquense, SLU, Marquette, Detroit were not the same teams you try to compare to to today. Marquette, LaSalle and Duquense were very short stints in the MCC. SLU was awful till late 80's. Butler was not any good either. It was a different Butler team then you try to comapare to todays world.
Creighton was not the same as today. Creighton was one of the worst teams in the league when we joined the MVC, and that was true for several years.
Why did they look to leave MVC?
My guess...they are small private schools that wanted a conference that looked more like their university. Private, small, non football.
BTW, I had season tickets as well during all those years. Even before that when they went D1.