MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Stout survivor]

for fun here are some matchups for our fake CCIW/WIAC challange

Stevens Point vs Elmhurst  (1vs2)
La Crosse vs Augustana   (2vs1)
Oshgosh vs North Central    (3vs4)
Whitewater vs Wheaton   (4vs3)
Platteville vs North Park   (5vs6)
River Falls vs Carthage  (6vs5)
Stout Vs Milikin  (7vs8)
Eau Claire vs Ill Wesleyan   (8vs7)sd

I thought that by offseting the seeds it would give each conference an even chance at winning the whole deal...... still would need a tie breaker....

[frodotwo]

WIAC/CCIW is a great idea but who would pay for the neutral site? That has to cost a lot more than travel/room/board for the teams involved. Even if teams traveled with 500 that still is not enough to pay to rent the Kohl/Alliant Center. I don't know how the CCIW fans support their teams, but some WIAC teams don't even have a following at their own gyms.  Scheduling would be the easy part, just pick a week that the games would be scheduled in and leave a date open. Schedule #1 against #1, 2 vs 2, etc. Top half at WIAC counterparts floor one year and then CCIW the next, lower half at CCIW then at WIAC. Simple, lets make it happen.

[Stout survivor]

money money money ..... there are a lot of littel things to work out... bdshootblocker and I just come up with the ideas 

As for the crowds, that is why i feel that 4 schools from each conference should host at least at first couple years but if excitement should grow it is great if these players could play in bigger venues. 

i can only hope

[BDshotblocker]

I will concede the neutral floor for the four home games for each conference.  This should settle some of the money issues since schools have budgets for road games and the gym's are taken care of.

Would D3hoops make a note of (if this actually happened) putting it on the front page?  Since the earliest this could happen is in two years (next years schedules are probably full) that gives ample time to work on a marketing plan........Andrew Wagner..... Good luck on the class project.

[Mr. Ypsi]

frodotwo,

IWU travels extremely well (we take a point of pride in turning opposing gyms into 'home courts'), Wheaton travels well, the rest are still good by d3 standards, but not near the fanatic bases (Calvin and Hope will probably EACH have more fans this weekend at Aurora than Aurora does).

Stout survivor,

If THIS year's teams played your schedule, I'd give the slight nod to the CCIW.  I think NPU, Carthage, and IWU would all be favored; NCC and Elmhurst AT THEIR BEST may be better than the A game of UWSP and Oshkosh, but their top games seems pretty sporadic, so give the nod to the WIAC; the other three I'd call toss-ups.

Bottom line, I think the WIAC is USUALLY the best conference in the country, but THIS year I think our tops are pretty equal and the CCIW's bottom is superior.  (Not Superior, that's YOUR bottom!)

Just my opinion - a shame we'll never know! 

[Greek Tragedy]

I forgot the stats, but going back to last year's IWU/Whitewater regional game, the CCIW was something like 6-1 vs the WIAC, the lone win being Point over Augustana...something that could happen again if both teams advance that far.  Titan Q kept reminding me of it! lol 

[Andrew Wagner]

THREE TIMES this stupid computer has deleted everything I wrote. This is my last shot at it, and I'm being very brief with much mroe to come later.

Aside from the ability to better attract corporate sponsors with a bigger market, I've come up with three main factors to put this thing in Milwaukee or Chicago

* Exposure: Playing in bigger markets will allow the opportunity to attract more non-traditional DIII media that otherwise wouldn't pay much attention to the two leagues. Local news and newspaper coverage would probably generate more interest in non-traditional markets for the game. Expand the brand, so to speak. It would stand to help not only the WIAC or CCIW teams, but teams like MSOE, Carroll, North Park and others that people may never have thought about.
* Attraction: As much as I have enjoyed my tours of the WIAC, it's safe to say there's a little more to offer fans in MKE and CHI. Lodging, nightlife, museums, etc ... all would make it a little more worthwhile for people to hop in the car and make the trek. Plus, local resturants and bars and hotels would be more inclined to get involved and spend money, and on top of all that ... making an "event" out of it would allow the organizers to tap into the marketing resources of the local convention and visitor's bureaus, meaning more exposure and advertising that won't have to come out of pocket.
* Experience: While it would be fun for fans, how fun would it be for players to play on a Big T1e1n, Big East, or even Horizon League floor? BDSB and Stout Surv can probably attest to that. There are some legendary buildings in both markets, and nothing against the facilities in either league, why not make it something big time?

Real quick, I came up with venues in each city but im sticking with milwaukee for now due to time constraints ...

Al McGuire Center (Mar&^%$#@!quette University) - Close to Downtown and loging/resturants/bars/etc. As much as I loathe the NotreDameWannabes, the Al is a GREAT facility and would be a hell of a site. Has hosted a lot of HS ball here, so arrangements could be made.

Klotsche Center (UWM) - Similar to the Al, but further from Downtown yet probably a lot cheaper.

Kern Center - Small, but probably a good "starter home" and right smack in the middle of Downtown.

MECCA (will ALWAYS be the MECCA)  - Big, yes, but would probably be very willing to work with the leagues to make it feasible from an economic standpoint.

Much more to come, my mind is rollling. Too bad it's only a pipe dream . . .

[Stout survivor]

Mr. Ypsi it is great to here from you... Andrew Wagner you keep your head to the grindstone and maybe just maybe it might just happen.

but if a nuetral floor cant happen ...

It is good that teams travel well but i think that if the hosting schools promoted the games as one conference vs another for top dog rights i feel that WIAC or CCIW supporters would show (at least more then normal non-conference games in november).  the good thing about this idea is that the teams would match up very well and we could argue who would win but that is why they play the games

p.s. i think stout would have done well against milikin.

[UWPSUPERFAN77]

My condolences to the UWO BB team. You played well enough to get in the big dance. Your record is better than 2 or 3 teams that got in. Life is not fair. God allowed this to happen. Not much more to say.  God Bless and may your future be Blessed!

[John Gleich]

There may be more possibilities than we think with this... During every Hoopsville broadcast this year, they've had the Provident Pride School of the Week.  Provident Pride, as I understand it, is a tournament where all of the Maryland schools (save one, because there are 9) play in a tournament each year, rotating the schools where the tournament has been held.  Now, this is across state borders, sort of... (After all, it IS the CCIW, though some have attested that it should be the CCIIIIIIIIW, but...) and it's far more spread out than Maryland is (Superior to Whitewater is over a 6 hour trip, and I believe the IWU fans said it was 6 hours just from IWU to WW last year...) but it might be doable with the proper sponsors and venue. 

... This would take much more orgaization... but how about throwing Parkside in vs. Lewis or SIUE and/or one of the D-1 UW's or Marquette and play a D-1 like Illinois State, Southern IL, UIC, etc?  It truly COULD become a boarder battle on many fronts.  I mean, depending how far you'd want to take it, throw in a Bulls/Bucks game too..

Ok, maybe that part is getting carried away, but the rest would definitely be feasible.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mr. Ypsi it is great to here from you...

p.s. i think stout would have done well against milikin.

There's a reason I didn't include Millikin among the bottom-half winners.  But don't rest too easy - they beat Elmhurst AT Elmhurst!

[Pat Coleman]

The WIAC team that does not qualify for the conference tourney the year before can be the one left out of the WIAC/CCIW challange.

By the time the ninth place WIAC team is determined in February, it would likely be too late for them to pick up 1 or 2 non-conference games to fill the schedule for the next year.  It would need to rotate somehow.

That's not true. Teams add games late into the summer.

[BDshotblocker]

Is there a job in the WIAC for something like this? Or is it a coaches getting in touch with other coaches kindof thing.

[Stout survivor]

Now the Neutral site is taking on steam (i am going to here about it from BDshootblocker)

I would think that it would increase interest with fans that may not be interested in DIII as well as the most important thing to coaches ... RECRUITING. there is a lot of talent that in one weekend could be exposed to teams they may not have thought about or would want to travel to see schools a 6 hour drive away.  The extra media coverage combined with what could be a great atmosphere might increasse the talent in both conferences (maybe a little bit wishfull thinking)

here is another good reason from the CCIW board. Gregory Sager

It was only the third time that the MIAC has ever sent a team to the Final Four. Three Final Four teams in 32 years is not a sparkling record. The WIAC has had 11 Final Four teams, most from schools that have been in D3 half as long as has most of the MIAC, and the CCIW has had 14 Final Four teams.

Think about that for a moment: The WIAC and CCIW have been n 25 of the 32 Final Fours in D3 history. They've won 14 of the 32 D3 national championships between them. And yet the two leagues have one team apiece in this year's tourney.

WOW ... Why would DIII not want to showcase its top teams in a region if nothing else.  This might be just the hype and motivation needed increase attendence year round and overall energy to start the year..

it is fun to talk about and with more good points being brought up by everyone it is starting to give me a little hope... We should march to the WIAC offices and present our case

[chmarx]

Sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but I doubt this will happen.

It is up to the coaches and athletic directors in the conferences.

And money would be a BIG issue.

OS, I didn't go to Loras.  Brian did.  Maybe he will give you a scouting report.