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Post by PantherU on Apr 19, 2013 22:31:25 GMT -6
This is a link to a forum thread. The reason I post this thread is because there are two articles linked inside - one laying out the potential suitors for the Horizon League, the second what I would do if given that list. Link: PantherU's take on Horizon League Expansion
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Post by stillaphoenixphan on Apr 20, 2013 9:08:13 GMT -6
This is a link to a forum thread. The reason I post this thread is because there are two articles linked inside - one laying out the potential suitors for the Horizon League, the second what I would do if given that list. Link: PantherU's take on Horizon League ExpansionI read the whole thing and you have put a lot of work into it. I like your 1st choice the best then probably #3 and last #2. If you've read some of my posts on this subject I've always looked at the #12. I don't know if you plan on having an eastern and western division. I don't remember seeing it? If you do then I would agree with the order of 1,2,and 3. Home and away in division and 1 game out of division. This would save on travel but then it probably would be the 2 champions playing for the NCAA bid? I know the tournament at the end brings in bucks so I'm not sure about other ideas. The other possibility is 2vs5 and 3vs4 in each division with winners playing for a chance to go against #1 and winners playing for the Championship? Thanks for the time and effort you put into this, I can see it took a lot of work. Feel free to pick my thoughts apart, I'm sure there's many different scenarios. Ps I see your board also had a new member who's 1st post was about GB's coaching investigation? Also very easy to see what the agenda was, I want to thank the MKE fans for not taking the bait. Hopefully this strengthens the relationship between GB and MKE. We go a lot farther as UW system partners with a good rivalry.
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Post by rocketmailsouthpaw on Apr 20, 2013 10:53:22 GMT -6
Hats off to you blackpanthermke for an extremely well thought out and detailed analysis of the HL and potential expansion. You have my vote if we want to send a representative to the league office to give a presentation on this.
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Post by gbbrl97 on Apr 20, 2013 19:37:50 GMT -6
Great articles blackpanthermke!! Although scenario #1 is the most sexy, #2 is most likely to happen if the HL wants to go to 12 teams. If they stay at 10 teams, then #3 may be the best course of action.....
Here's a scenario.....If the HL did go to 12 teams, would that change the conference tournament format? How would you award home court between the two teams who win their respective divisions? Would the HL go back to a neutral court site for the HL tourney? I think you could do that provided that the 2 division champs get an automatic bye to the semi-finals.
If the most likely 12 team scenario holds true, you could hold the conference tourney at the Sears Center Arena (in Hoffman Estates, IL), which would be central to most of the teams in the HL. You would invite 10 teams (top 5 from each division) only and keep the similar bracket setup from HL tourneys in the past where the top 2 seeds got byes to the semis. Those 4 teams who advance the quarterfinals and the two teams that get the byes (6 total) get to go to Chicago. The other teams would play on campus sites prior to the quarterfinal round.
Scenario #1 or #2 would give the HL the best depth regarding teams who have been to the NCAA's in recent years (with the exception of NKU).
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Post by shooting the J on Apr 21, 2013 9:19:38 GMT -6
Very well written, but I think a serious candidate needs to be added to the list now that Loyola has left. That school is Chicago St. A longstanding doormat, they are now under new leadership and have a increaed commitment to athletics. A few years ago they built the 7300 seat Jones Convocation Center, which would give their facilities a 10 in Jimmy's scoring system. Their location is also a ten, the strength of the HL has always been its reach into Chicago. They needs to remain. They would be a natural rivalry with UIC, and their program might take off in an NCAA recognized Midwest conference.
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Post by thetulsawarrior on Apr 21, 2013 9:57:52 GMT -6
Maintaining a strong Chicago presence is vital to the future of the Horizon league, for recruiting, for reducing travel costs and maintaining a solid footprint in the upper midwest. I'd strongly support Chicago State.
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Post by gbbrl97 on Apr 21, 2013 11:51:58 GMT -6
In a sense, Chicago State could be a high ceiling program, kind like NKU.....Right location, new(-er) arena, but is the lack of success on the court due to their affiliation with the Great West and soon to be WAC??
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Apr 21, 2013 12:16:31 GMT -6
I understand the interest by fans in Chicago State. It is the same interest the MVC had in Loyola. Chicago State does have a nice hoops arena and is building or built a nice baseball stadium. Beyond that I don't see any commitment to athletics. They don't seem to have the basics like a full coaching staff. They are bad at all sports. They need to come up with a lot of cash to improve their sports before I would consider adding them to the HL. If you add them now you add a rock to sink the league and then the Chicago Market doesn't seem so important.
I think Denver, KC, NDSU and SDSU are too far out there to be a good long term fit. I think EIU and WIU don't really have anything that appeals to me in terms of success, facilities and geography. I think Robert Morris, SIUe, IUPUI and IPFW fit from a geography stand point but they don't seem to have the direction as a department to grow market share, build/use updated facilieties or grow in to an HL power. I don't mind Oakland. To let them in I would like the HL to ask for updates to the baseball, softball and soccer facilities. I don't know how much upside they have but I don't see a lot of downside. I find Murray state interesting. They feel like a OVC team that we like because they are on a good hoops run right now. Long term I am not sure if they elevate the conference or not. I don't see a lot of downside here. I like NKU a lot. They seem to be committed, they have the facilities, they are in a good market for the HL. This is a program that is walking the walk, getting in now might be a good investment for the HL. I love Belmont. I don't know what their interest would be but they just feel like a fit. They are in a new market for the HL, they have good facilities and they win. I would love to think the HL is dragging their feet because they are working on schools like Evansville, Dayton or Duquesne but I know that is wishful thinking. I would be willing to accept rolling with Oakland and NKU right now and then working to get two more after that as long as one of the two is Belmont. For what it is worth I hear the league thinks it can get 1 to 3 teams to commit in the next few months.
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Post by phearthephoenix on May 4, 2013 11:39:51 GMT -6
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on May 4, 2013 12:46:28 GMT -6
These two might not be sexy and grab a lot of headlines but as I wrote earlier I think they are good stabilizers for the league. I welcome both and also hope the league isn't done here.
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Post by stillaphoenixphan on May 4, 2013 14:53:16 GMT -6
These two might not be sexy and grab a lot of headlines but as I wrote earlier I think they are good stabilizers for the league. I welcome both and also hope the league isn't done here. Both would be good additions. I too would like 2 more 12 gives you so many more options as well as more D1 games.
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Post by gbbrl97 on May 7, 2013 17:41:09 GMT -6
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Post by shooting the J on May 9, 2013 6:06:10 GMT -6
IUPUI has a press conference scheduled for today, likely to announce a move to the soon-to-be renovated State Fairgrounds Coliseum for the 2014-15 season. Ongoing renovations to the 8,000+ seat arena will be completed in the summer of 2014. Check out this link to see the proposed renovationsWith IUPUI now gaining an excellent home for basketball, they should move to the top of the HL's list of schools for expansion. They'd fit well as a travel partner for WSU. Much better than Detroit did for years. The HL is a league that represents classic midwestern cities, they need a team in Indy. Get IUPUI into the HL and let them spend there budget on basketball instead of travel, and their program will take off.
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Post by Chuck A on May 9, 2013 12:15:27 GMT -6
IUPUI has a press conference scheduled for today, likely to announce a move to the soon-to-be renovated State Fairgrounds Coliseum for the 2014-15 season. Ongoing renovations to the 8,000+ seat arena will be completed in the summer of 2014. Check out this link to see the proposed renovationsWith IUPUI now gaining an excellent home for basketball, they should move to the top of the HL's list of schools for expansion. They'd fit well as a travel partner for WSU. Much better than Detroit did for years. The HL is a league that represents classic midwestern cities, they need a team in Indy. Get IUPUI into the HL and let them spend there budget on basketball instead of travel, and their program will take off. Marketing is everything in this day and age and those letters (IUPUI) just don't cut it. They should lose the letters and, since both branches are in Indy, just call themselves Indianapolis. Sounds better than "Ooey-Pooey"! THEN we can talk!
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Post by shooting the J on May 9, 2013 12:25:35 GMT -6
IUPUI has a press conference scheduled for today, likely to announce a move to the soon-to-be renovated State Fairgrounds Coliseum for the 2014-15 season. Ongoing renovations to the 8,000+ seat arena will be completed in the summer of 2014. Check out this link to see the proposed renovationsWith IUPUI now gaining an excellent home for basketball, they should move to the top of the HL's list of schools for expansion. They'd fit well as a travel partner for WSU. Much better than Detroit did for years. The HL is a league that represents classic midwestern cities, they need a team in Indy. Get IUPUI into the HL and let them spend there budget on basketball instead of travel, and their program will take off. Marketing is everything in this day and age and those letters (IUPUI) just don't cut it. They should lose the letters and, since both branches are in Indy, just call themselves Indianapolis. Sounds better than "Ooey-Pooey"! THEN we can talk! Agreed, but isn't there already a private school there of that name? They'd have to be Indy State or something similar.
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