When does SIU-E move to D1?

[BLIKNS]

Any word on a conference.I`m thinking Summit.Thanks

[Pistol]

Any word on a conference.I`m thinking Summit.Thanks

I think new D1 schools have at least a year, if not longer, requirement to be an Independent.

[BLIKNS]

Actually the local school here,Florida Gulf Coast University moved to D1 this year,and played in the Atlantic Sun,but was ineligible to play in the conference tournament.However,the women`s team(D2 runner up last season)finished 2nd in league and received a bid to the WNIT.

[id02285]

Actually the local school here,Florida Gulf Coast University moved to D1 this year,and played in the Atlantic Sun,but was ineligible to play in the conference tournament.However,the women`s team(D2 runner up last season)finished 2nd in league and received a bid to the WNIT.

I actually live in Edwardsville and speak with Coach Forrester occasionally at games and at basketball camps as my boys usually attend all of those. He has told me they are looking very hard at the Ohio Valley Conference. I believe they are going to be an independent next year, 2008/2009 which will be their first year. He further indicated you have like a 4-5 year transition period to gradually increase your D1 schedule to be fully D1 at the end of the 5th year. However, he stated they were going in feet first with 100% D1 games next year.

[Dungeon Yankee]

I actually live in Edwardsville and speak with Coach Forrester occasionally at games and at basketball camps as my boys usually attend all of those. He has told me they are looking very hard at the Ohio Valley Conference. I believe they are going to be an independent next year, 2008/2009 which will be their first year. He further indicated you have like a 4-5 year transition period to gradually increase your D1 schedule to be fully D1 at the end of the 5th year. However, he stated they were going in feet first with 100% D1 games next year.

How would this affect someone like DM who might tranfer to SIUE. I was of the opinion that if DM tranferred to another D1 school, he would have to sit our another year leaving him with 2 years of eligibility. However, if he went D2, he could play immediately and thus have 3 years of eligibility remaining

[BLIKNS]

That was my thoughts,say if someone were to transfer to Edwardsville,would they have to sit out.The Ohio Valley makes sense,I didn`t think that direction.

[Box and Won]

I've said it before, but I think putting SIUE on the schedule is a no-brainer.

[Pistol]

I've said it before, but I think putting SIUE on the schedule is a no-brainer.

If they're really putting all D1 teams on the schedule their first year, and have some quality on there, they might not be as much of an RPI-killer as I'd thought. Rick has shown that he likes the games that might have some extra interest (i.e. regional games, all-Jesuit, etc.), so I wouldn't be surprised to see them on there soon.

[id02285]

If they're really putting all D1 teams on the schedule their first year, and have some quality on there, they might not be as much of an RPI-killer as I'd thought. Rick has shown that he likes the games that might have some extra interest (i.e. regional games, all-Jesuit, etc.), so I wouldn't be surprised to see them on there soon.

Ironically, I spoke with Forrester earlier this year. I asked about scheduling SLU. He said he was trying to do just that, but they wouldn't return his calls. He said that SLU was doing to him what probably had been done to them for years. He wasn't happy about how they were treating him.

[Timmy]

They will be an RPI killer for a while - at least until they can get D-1 facilities.

[Box and Won]

They will be an RPI killer for a while - at least until they can get D-1 facilities.

Agreed. I still think it would be worth doing though - makes more sense than the RPI killing buy-in games like Chicago State.

I wouldn't mind playing SEMO and UMKC on a regular basis instead of some of the lower-level programs we play every year (Savannah State, etc.).

[satrap]

I actually live in Edwardsville and speak with Coach Forrester occasionally at games and at basketball camps as my boys usually attend all of those. He has told me they are looking very hard at the Ohio Valley Conference. I believe they are going to be an independent next year, 2008/2009 which will be their first year. He further indicated you have like a 4-5 year transition period to gradually increase your D1 schedule to be fully D1 at the end of the 5th year. However, he stated they were going in feet first with 100% D1 games next year.

It is a true and crying shame that SIU is leaving their fairly lofty place in DII to join the huge pool of chaff in DI. They have a great league, great facility ( I think the Vadalabene Center is great) and a very good thing going right now. And they are jettisoning it for some strange belief that somehow DI hoops is going to generate more interest in the sport, school and city. No way. No friggin way will that happen.

[Pistol]

Agreed. I still think it would be worth doing though - makes more sense than the RPI killing buy-in games like Chicago State.

I wouldn't mind playing SEMO and UMKC on a regular basis instead of some of the lower-level programs we play every year (Savannah State, etc.).

I agree completely. If you're going to play buy-in games, might as well play the ones close by- higher demand for tickets due to locals who go to schools in the region, fans will be somewhat familiar with opponent, travel schedules easier for the team, etc. Playing Savannah State is probably the best example of why it makes more sense to play SEMO, UMKC, SIUE, and the like. SSU has been one of the very bottom teams in the RPI, is nowhere near St. Louis, and has one of the worst records mathematically possible since joining D1. Even if SIUE turns out to be that bad for a few years, they're only 30 minutes away and it could potentially mean something to fans on both sides- there's no interest in Savannah State whatsoever.

[Bay Area Billiken]

I agree completely. If you're going to play buy-in games, might as well play the ones close by- higher demand for tickets due to locals who go to schools in the region, fans will be somewhat familiar with opponent, travel schedules easier for the team, etc. Playing Savannah State is probably the best example of why it makes more sense to play SEMO, UMKC, SIUE, and the like. SSU has been one of the very bottom teams in the RPI, is nowhere near St. Louis, and has one of the worst records mathematically possible since joining D1. Even if SIUE turns out to be that bad for a few years, they're only 30 minutes away and it could potentially mean something to fans on both sides- there's no interest in Savannah State whatsoever.

SIUE is not foreign to the SLU basketball schedule. SLU actually lost once to SIUE at the old Checkerdome during Rich Grawer's first year.

Of course, before SIUE Soccer was forced to drop to D-2, SIUE was a huge soccer rival of SLU. The old Bronze Boot games at Busch Stadium II drew good crowds, 22,000 my Senior year at SLU.

The Ohio Valley would be a decent place for SIUE, where it would be united with nearby schools like Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri State.

One of the worst cases of home cooking I have ever seen occurred at the Edwardsville High School Gym, when Quincy played at SIUE before SIUE had its own facility. Quincy had a powerhouse team then, led by former Quincy High great Keith Douglas. Seventeen (17) seconds mysteriously disappeared from the game clock at crunch time to Quincy's detriment.