SIUE Approved for DI

[Shockerman]

I know this doesn't really relate to the Valley but something about this really bugs me. SIUC has worked long and hard at establishing the "SIU" name to a point where it is now a word in the average College basketball fans vocab. With that said, is SIUE move to DI going to muddy the waters? I don't really see SIUC being hurt by their move as they are clearly well defined university, but what about SIUE? Wouldn't they want to look at some sort of name change to break away from the big-bro's shadow? Or are they going for the IUPUI "ewey Pooey" type name that people remember because it is not mainstream? Anyways, just wanted to get some SIU fans perspective on this.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/02/26/daily32.html

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/3C82BAB490E3E9E78625729000129B4B?OpenDocument

:valley:

:no: :aces: :no:

[pbutler]

I agree, it is going to confuse things a lot for non-valley fans. God help us if they joined the valley. LOL

[Ron Mexico]

i for one do not think siue deserves this and they will not succeed for some time

[dawg]

Deserve? Why shouldn't they "deserve" it? I'm all for our little sister school going D1A.

[Ron Mexico]

Deserve? Why shouldn't they "deserve" it? I'm all for our little sister school going D1A.

They have an attitude around here like they have already been to a Final Four, the coach was on the radio yesterday with Slaten saying they should start a conference with SIU, SLU, etc. He also said he thinks that they could win a group like the Horizon or Mid-Con right away. Just a slap in the face to other schools, conferences, etc. To be honest I would like to simply see them knocked down a peg.

Also how do you guys feel about now being SIU-C everywhere when you have established SIU?

[TreeHugger]

Southern Indiana University was started by InSU as an extension. When they received their autonomy they changed their name from InSU-E to Southern Indiana.

I believe they have plans to go Div. I sometime in the future. currently they are a very strong Div. II program.

[chuckywang]

Deserve? Why shouldn't they "deserve" it? I'm all for our little sister school going D1A.

D1A? Do they even have a football team?

[gus_dog]

They have an attitude around here like they have already been to a Final Four, the coach was on the radio yesterday with Slaten saying they should start a conference with SIU, SLU, etc. He also said he thinks that they could win a group like the Horizon or Mid-Con right away. Just a slap in the face to other schools, conferences, etc. To be honest I would like to simply see them knocked down a peg.

Also how do you guys feel about now being SIU-C everywhere when you have established SIU?

We are not "SIU-C" everywhere. That's pretty much just the Saint Louis market. Just about everywhere else, SIU denotes the flagship campus in Carbondale.

I think the Edwardsville campus should change their name to prevent confusion with the flagship campus.

[Ron Mexico]

I think the Edwardsville campus should change their name to prevent confusion with the flagship campus.

Agree. The SIU-C comment was simply directed towards if they keep the name, what else would everyone do to designate which SIU you are?

I mean it just seems like a joke to hear them hype it in the paper and on the radio when they are not even close to winning there own DII conference, but rather are barely .500. And they think they can jump in the Valley or Horizon right out of DII? Please. Then have the audicity to talk about winning a conference title in one of those conferences, even though they could not go to a tourney yet, PLEASE. No football at SIUe, good soccer and track though from what I read.

[BearChief]

Anyone else think they should close the door on new D-1 basketball affiliation? Where does it end? 400 teams? 500 teams?

More teams come in, more conferences are formed, and eventually those conferences are granted automatic bids. Suddenly you either have to expand the tournament or there will only be a handful of at-large bids to hand out. And we all know where those at-large bids will go.....BCS conferences. In the long run the Valley becomes a 1-2 bid conference because all these rinky dink colleges are getting automatic bids from the 33rd and 34th rated conferences in the country.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Anyone else think they should close the door on new D-1 basketball affiliation? Where does it end? 400 teams? 500 teams?

More teams come in, more conferences are formed, and eventually those conferences are granted automatic bids. Suddenly you either have to expand the tournament or there will only be a handful of at-large bids to hand out. And we all know where those at-large bids will go.....BCS conferences. In the long run the Valley becomes a 1-2 bid conference because all these rinky dink colleges are getting automatic bids from the 33rd and 34th rated conferences in the country.

Maybe just limit the number of conferences. If the schools don't have any place to go, they won't be so quick to move to D-1

[dawg]

D1A? Do they even have a football team?

Lol mispoke -- and no I don't think they have one.

[dawg]

They have an attitude around here like they have already been to a Final Four, the coach was on the radio yesterday with Slaten saying they should start a conference with SIU, SLU, etc. He also said he thinks that they could win a group like the Horizon or Mid-Con right away. Just a slap in the face to other schools, conferences, etc. To be honest I would like to simply see them knocked down a peg.

Also how do you guys feel about now being SIU-C everywhere when you have established SIU?

I don't know anything about their coach -- maybe he is an ahole. I still don't have any problem with our sister school stepping up their bball program. Just one more SIU for me to root for. Just image the day when 2 SIUs are kicking all your Valley butts. LOL.

The SIUC thing does bug me a bit, but its common amongst Universities with multiple campuses. I want to keep the SIU system intact -- not split it up and rename its smaller half. Thus, I'll live with the stupid SIUC name where I have to. I honestly can't image a time when anyone in the state thinks of SIU as anything other than Carbondale. Most people calls SIUE "Edwardsville."

[indymoon]

Isn't Marty Simmons the coach? former Aces player

I agree that there should be some limitation on moving to D1. There's nothing wrong with D2 and it's a better fit for some of these schools. Are SIUE and IPFW D1 calaber? (whatever that means) Too much $$ to ignore I guess. NCAA needs to do something.

[dawg]

Isn't Marty Simmons the coach? former Aces player

I agree that there should be some limitation on moving to D1. There's nothing wrong with D2 and it's a better fit for some of these schools. Are SIUE and IPFW D1 calaber? (whatever that means) Too much $$ to ignore I guess. NCAA needs to do something.

I could buy into the larger argument that there are enough D1s, but to say SIUE doesn't deserve it just doesn't make any sense to me.

[indymoon]

I could buy into the larger argument that there are enough D1s, but to say SIUE doesn't deserve it just doesn't make any sense to me.

you might want to reread my post. I never said SIUE doesn't deserve D1. I asked whether they do. I don't know much about the school. I do know the Great Lakes Valley Conference is one of the best D2 bball conferences in the country with KY Wesleyan, USI, UIndy, etc. SIUE and IPFW were in this conference.

[dawg]

you might want to reread my post. I never said SIUE doesn't deserve D1. I asked whether they do. I don't know much about the school. I do know the Great Lakes Valley Conference is one of the best D2 bball conferences in the country with KY Wesleyan, USI, UIndy, etc. SIUE and IPFW were in this conference.

My bad ...

[Log]

Isn't Marty Simmons the coach? former Aces player

I agree that there should be some limitation on moving to D1. There's nothing wrong with D2 and it's a better fit for some of these schools. Are SIUE and IPFW D1 calaber? (whatever that means) Too much $$ to ignore I guess. NCAA needs to do something.

Yes, Marty Simmons went to Lawrenceville (IL) High School, was recruited and played for Bob Knight and Indiana, and transferred to play at Evansville for former Indiana assistant, Jim Crews.

[Ron Mexico]

I don't know anything about their coach -- maybe he is an ahole. I still don't have any problem with our sister school stepping up their bball program. Just one more SIU for me to root for. Just image the day when 2 SIUs are kicking all your Valley butts. LOL.

The SIUC thing does bug me a bit, but its common amongst Universities with multiple campuses. I want to keep the SIU system intact -- not split it up and rename its smaller half. Thus, I'll live with the stupid SIUC name where I have to. I honestly can't image a time when anyone in the state thinks of SIU as anything other than Carbondale. Most people calls SIUE "Edwardsville."

The Edwardsville thing is the opposite of the Carbondale thing up here....down there people call it Edwardsville, up here its SIUE and Carbondale.

[dawg]

The Edwardsville thing is the opposite of the Carbondale thing up here....down there people call it Edwardsville, up here its SIUE and Carbondale.

Well I actually live up North, so I was commenting more on the common practice up here.

[Bigcityp]

Southwestern Illinois Univeristy. Then they can be like MSU and change it!!

[gus_dog]

Anyone else think they should close the door on new D-1 basketball affiliation? Where does it end? 400 teams? 500 teams?

More teams come in, more conferences are formed, and eventually those conferences are granted automatic bids. Suddenly you either have to expand the tournament or there will only be a handful of at-large bids to hand out. And we all know where those at-large bids will go.....BCS conferences. In the long run the Valley becomes a 1-2 bid conference because all these rinky dink colleges are getting automatic bids from the 33rd and 34th rated conferences in the country.

From what I have read from the ncaa, they will expand the tourney to 68 teams soon, such that each regional will have a play-in game.

I understand that they are looking to eventually expand the tournament to 128 teams.

[BearsCountry]

From what I have read from the ncaa, they will expand the tourney to 68 teams soon, such that each regional will have a play-in game.

I understand that they are looking to eventually expand the tournament to 128 teams.

That will happen when the Big East splits in half.

[gus_dog]

That will happen when the Big East splits in half.
IMO, it kind of cheapens, or dilutes the tourney. At least it removes some of the prestige from just making the tourney.

[dawg]

Why not expand it to 400 and let the best D2 into it?

[89rabbit]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/3C82BAB490E3E9E78625729000129B4B?OpenDocument

SIUE to get an answer

By Vahe Gregorian
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/28/2007

When the Southern Illinois University board of trustees convenes today in Carbondale, Ill., a major order of business will be its vote on the Edwardsville campus' proposal to move from NCAA Division II to Division I athletics.

The setting itself brings into focus some of the questions surrounding the potential move:

What impact, if any, would SIUE's change in identity have on Southern Illinois Carbondale? And would the shift clarify the schools' differences or further muddle them?

Confusion is common.

"We struggle with that every day; the people who have graduated from both institutions struggle with that," SIU board chair Roger Tedrick said.

John Meisel, the longtime SIUE faculty athletics representative, has traveled with Cougars teams and heard people call, "Go Salukis!" He recalls thinking, "That's a nice thought, and I'm glad you're cheering for us. But ... we're not the Salukis."

He added, "It's made it difficult for us to kind of see a separate identity."

More recently, The New York Times called SIUE sports information director Eric Hess to set up interviews. When Hess asked, "Is this about Division I?" the reporter paused and said, "Well, yeah." Ultimately, it became clear that the Times was seeking a story about the 11th-ranked Salukis.

"Some day, I hope The New York Times will call us" on purpose, Hess said. . . . (read more)