(St. Louis, MO) – The future of the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences is at stake and there are two potential heroes out there to save the day. If the MVC and OVC are going to thrive in this new era of realignment, SIUE and Loyola-Chicago have to lead the way.
The OVC and the MVC have gone as far as they can without some infusion of big market interest. In the case of the OVC, drawing interest from the St. Louis can push the league beyond the existing the regional notoriety . A similar need is found in the MVC.
Generating interest in Chicago (the third largest TV market) could be key to the Valley navigating the troubled waters ahead. That’s where Loyola comes in. Already the Ramblers, Bradley and Illinois State have shown an increased ability to recruit the Windy City, but can any of the schools grab the consciousness of the Chicago sports fan?
Sports dollars, TV ratings, jersey sales and concessions are critical pieces of the pie.
The OVC is very Tennessee-centric with Nashville at the hub of the league fan base and interest level. The Music City is the 29th largest media market in America and the league tournament is hosted there each year. What would the 21st largest market (St. Louis) add to the league if there were legitimate interest in the OVC.
That’s where SIUE comes in. If the Cougar basketball program could become a regular OVC power and even occasionally gain entrance to the NCAA tournament, St. Louis fans and media buyers could be persuaded to enrich the league coiffures.
MVC officials know that Wichita State can’t be the singular league headliner for only so long. The addition of Loyola opened the Chicago market, but some program has to grab the interest of a very crowded sports calendar if that addition is to be maximized.
Sure Southern Illinois and Missouri State are important to St. Louis sports fans and Bradley and Illinois State to spark some interest in Second City, but no one can reach those towns like SIUE and Loyola. These two conferences need that infusion of television sets, advertising dollars, increased exposure and basketball talent.
What does it take? There are a couple of key ingredients. Both programs have to begin to win and the Ramblers are ahead of the Cougars in that department. Both teams are young and growing, but Loyola has established a bit more of a talent base.
Secondly those programs have to promote, promote and promote. A few games on FSMidwest won’t do it for SIUE. They need their own television package to create a fan base that goes beyond Edwardsville.
Loyola has to gain major inroads into the rich Chicago talent base. City and county players have to see Loyola as a place where they can go, get an education and maybe find their way to professional basketball.
If the Ramblers can be a significant rival to Wichita State and Northern Iowa, suddenly the 8 million Chicagoans could be opened up to the MVC.
If the Cougars can battle Belmont, Murray State and cultivate even-handed rivalries with SIUC and Southeast Missouri, then even the fans that have to drive through that seemingly invisible wall, called the Mississippi River separating Missouri and Illinois would pack up and make the hike.
Here’s wishing Loyola and SIUE become prominent programs in their respective leagues.
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