Nov. 11 Regional Rankings

[bigsig50]

I can see why Lindenwood decided to cut and run from the MIAA go to the GLVC. They would have probably finished in the bottom half of the MIAA, but instead they're now a top dog in the GLVC and might qualify for the playoffs....what a joke.

Appreciate your thoughts.

University athletic's conference affiliations at small schools like LU aren't made with only Football (or even mostly) in mind. LU essentially cut their travel budget by a third (conservatively) with this move. While this is a football board, and we all love this sport, dollars and cents are a cold, hard, emotionless fact.

I can see why you might say LU would finish in the bottom half of the MIAA. I will say this is clearly an improved LU team, especially as the season's gone on. What would a full season have looked like? We won't ever know. If the chips fall right, perhaps we'll get to see the two conference champs face off in the first round?

[Inkblot]

I think people on this board tend to forget that the GLVC is one of the top conferences in basketball...

[TSU_Mike59]

I think people on this board tend to forget that the GLVC is one of the top conferences in basketball...

Same for men's soccer, swimming, softball, wrestling, golf, and a handful of other sports, but as bigsig said above, while everyone here thinks everything focuses on football, there's so much more in play.

[Inkblot]

(And also the GLVC-GMAC merger that's been suggested would yield at least a 27-team conference in men's basketball...)

[northwest missouri state]

I can see why you might say LU would finish in the bottom half of the MIAA. I will say this is clearly an improved LU team, especially as the season's gone on. What would a full season have looked like? We won't ever know. If the chips fall right, perhaps we'll get to see the two conference champs face off in the first round?

1/10.

[Redready]

I can see why Lindenwood decided to cut and run from the MIAA go to the GLVC. They would have probably finished in the bottom half of the MIAA, but instead they're now a top dog in the GLVC and might qualify for the playoffs....what a joke.

Did the GLVC win a PO game last year against the MIAA?

[Shanghai Mule]

Did the GLVC win a PO game last year against the MIAA?

Hell, even a half blind dog stumbles across a bone once in a while.

[Redready]

Hell, even a half blind dog stumbles across a bone once in a while.

LOL. That's true. But fact remains, GLVC won that game. I'm not even saying they're improving, but maybe. Let's hope the Mules win the MIAA. I like that LU is doing well. I like that UCM is doing well. It's always better if we all continue to improve and push the other teams.
Good luck this weekend.

[Inkblot]

Indianapolis never made the playoffs in all their years in the GLIAC/MIFC. Their first year in the GLVC, they won the conference, made the playoffs, and won a playoff game.

[Taxman]

Appreciate your thoughts.

University athletic's conference affiliations at small schools like LU aren't made with only Football (or even mostly) in mind. LU essentially cut their travel budget by a third (conservatively) with this move. While this is a football board, and we all love this sport, dollars and cents are a cold, hard, emotionless fact.

I can see why you might say LU would finish in the bottom half of the MIAA. I will say this is clearly an improved LU team, especially as the season's gone on. What would a full season have looked like? We won't ever know. If the chips fall right, perhaps we'll get to see the two conference champs face off in the first round?

I'd hope so. Maybe it's the fact LWU actually did finish in the bottom half of the conference for each of the past 6 years avging slightly above 3 wins per year. But voila! A move to the conference filled with MIAA (and GLIAC) rejects yields a conference title. Who saw that coming? Everyone.

2009 SBU, 2013 Truman, 2005 Rolla, and now 2019 LWU - What do they all have in common? All thought their teams had "clearly improved" after exiting the MIAA. LWU being a bottom tier MIAA team and instantly winning the GLVC shows how ridiculously weak that conference is.

Alternatively, how many teams that join the MIAA instantly improve their status? UNK, FH, UCO, NSU, etc... all struggled, at least initially, to get their footing in the league.

And playoffs?! Playoffs?! Playoff teams don't lose to teams that are 4-5 and in the bottom half of the GLIAC.

[bigsig50]

I'd hope so. Maybe it's the fact LWU actually did finish in the bottom half of the conference for each of the past 6 years avging slightly above 3 wins per year. But voila! A move to the conference filled with MIAA (and GLIAC) rejects yields a conference title. Who saw that coming? Everyone.

2009 SBU, 2013 Truman, 2005 Rolla, and now 2019 LWU - What do they all have in common? All thought their teams had "clearly improved" after exiting the MIAA. LWU being a bottom tier MIAA team and instantly winning the GLVC shows how ridiculously weak that conference is.

Alternatively, how many teams that join the MIAA instantly improve their status? UNK, FH, UCO, NSU, etc... all struggled, at least initially, to get their footing in the league.

And playoffs?! Playoffs?! Playoff teams don't lose to teams that are 4-5 and in the bottom half of the GLIAC.

I'm pretty confident that lindenwood would've done much better this year than the past had they stayed in the MIAA.
But that's just my opinion.

[northwest missouri state]

*smells bait*
*swims away*

[Brandon]

Indianapolis never made the playoffs in all their years in the GLIAC/MIFC. Their first year in the GLVC, they won the conference, made the playoffs, and won a playoff game.

Yes. That was a different regional configuration.

[PSR]

I'm pretty confident that lindenwood would've done much better this year than the past had they stayed in the MIAA.
But that's just my opinion.

Wasn't you confident that Lwood was going to do better last year as well? I remember reading your 5 page posts about how this and that has improved only to see the same results in the Conference.

[bigsig50]

Wasn't you confident that Lwood was going to do better last year as well? I remember reading your 5 page posts about how this and that has improved only to see the same results in the Conference.

Overall, they were better. More competitive in games. A few bounces go LU's way, and they may have had a winning record. But that's the way football goes. This year, they are winning those close games. With a lot of young teams, it's about learning how to win those games.

Don't get me twisted. The MIAA is a superior conference top to bottom than the GLVC. The top half of the league would also be capable of dropping in and winning it.

However, the league as a hole has improved this year. They've almost doubled (if not, I haven't checked in a couple of weeks) their OOC wins from last year. Not saying it's great, but it's progress. What's the conference ceiling? I won't kid myself into thinking they'll reach MIAA or GLIAC level. The bottom of the conference just isn't that invested. But UIndy and Lindenwood most certainly are. Truman, Rolla, and McKendree are also intent on building winning programs.


In any case, there always seems to be hurt feelings when some posters point out that LU jumped over and won the conference in their first year. Wasn't that expected? Everyone kinda knew it would be an easier path, right?