Post by phearthephoenix on May 10, 2017 14:32:47 GMT -6
I thought I would post this article from the local paper in PA regarding Robert Morris and a potential move to the Horizon League. Here's the link but I'll post the whole article below since it looks like it's behind a pay wall now:
Would Robert Morris be a good fit in the Horizon League?
Tuesday, the commissioners of the Missouri Valley Conference voted to invite Valparaiso to join that circuit, the next in a series of chain reaction moves among colleges that started when Wichita State left the MVC for the American Athletic Conference in early April.
That chain will continue, as the Horizon League will seek a school to replace Valpo and find an even number of teams. Where it will end is anybody’s guess, but you can count Moon Township among the places it might land next.
Robert Morris has committed to building a new, 4,000-seat, on-campus basketball facility to open for the 2018-19 season as part of a $50-million commitment to athletics facilities that was announced in January.
"With a new venue of this quality and size, RMU cements its status as a university on the rise," president Chris Howard said at the unveiling of the plan for the facility.
If the school wants to rise in men’s basketball, it’s going to have to eventually outgrow the Northeast Conference. The NEC, where the Colonials have played since 1981, is one of the least-successful basketball conferences in Division I. In the 2016-17 season, KenPom.com rated the NEC’s teams next-to-last in the country.
PROS
The Horizon League is a conference that was built on men’s basketball. From its Indiana roots, it has helped make programs like Butler, Dayton, St. Louis, Valparaiso and Xavier into household names.
If that’s the aspiration RMU has, there’s little doubt that the Horizon League is a good place to fulfill it. It should be a good two-way street, as well, with the facilities commitment showing league officials that RMU is serious about competing at a higher level.
The move to a higher-profile league should make it easier to keep coach Andy Toole long-term and if he were to leave, it would make the job much more appealing to potential candidates.
Two-way street
Bringing in Robert Morris and the Pittsburgh media market would be a win for the Horizon League. The circuit currently has schools in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay and Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh would fit right in that regard.
It’s not a bad deal for RMU, either. The farthest opponent in the Horizon League would be Green Bay, which is about 10 hours by bus. That’s not a lot farther than the Colonials’ current trip to Bryant University in Rhode Island.
There would also be a built-in geographic rivalry with Youngstown State. The two schools’ campuses are just 55 miles apart.
No net losses
A move from the NEC to the Horizon League wouldn’t effect the university’s other marquee programs, the men’s and women’s hockey teams. Those teams play in hockey-only conferences.
CONS
Football — and the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs — would be left without a home because the Horizon League does not sponsor those sports. Staying in the NEC as associate members might not be an option, either. When Monmouth left that conference for the MAAC in 2013, the football and bowling teams were told to take a hike.
The only Horizon League team that sponsors football is Youngstown State. The Penguins play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which will have 11 members when North Dakota joins in 2020, so there could be a fit.
Is it enough?
The Horizon League is still usually a one-bid league, and while it has produced many of college basketball's great mid-major programs, many of them have moved on to bigger and better things.
The Colonials are going to have to fill a 4,000-seat venue when they couldn’t regularly fill the 3,056-seat Sewall Center. The best returning teams in the Horizon League from 2016-17 will be Oakland and Northern Kentucky. Those aren’t exactly names that are going to send fans flocking to the ticket office.
Show me the money.
The Horizon League is an unquestioned upgrade in men’s basketball difficulty from the NEC. KenPom.com rated the Horizon 17th, one spot above the SEC. Competing at that level is going to mean bigger recruiting budgets and more staff members.
That’s not just an issue that affects men’s basketball, either. The Horizon League would represent a step up for most of the school’s 15 teams. Each would need the same type of upgrades to remain competitive. Football and lacrosse may have to play as independents for a time, which could mean increased travel costs.
That could all add up to a significant investment. With the university just shelling out big dough for the arena, is there more in the coffers to fund a competitive shift to a tougher conference?
Would Robert Morris be a good fit in the Horizon League?
Tuesday, the commissioners of the Missouri Valley Conference voted to invite Valparaiso to join that circuit, the next in a series of chain reaction moves among colleges that started when Wichita State left the MVC for the American Athletic Conference in early April.
That chain will continue, as the Horizon League will seek a school to replace Valpo and find an even number of teams. Where it will end is anybody’s guess, but you can count Moon Township among the places it might land next.
Robert Morris has committed to building a new, 4,000-seat, on-campus basketball facility to open for the 2018-19 season as part of a $50-million commitment to athletics facilities that was announced in January.
"With a new venue of this quality and size, RMU cements its status as a university on the rise," president Chris Howard said at the unveiling of the plan for the facility.
If the school wants to rise in men’s basketball, it’s going to have to eventually outgrow the Northeast Conference. The NEC, where the Colonials have played since 1981, is one of the least-successful basketball conferences in Division I. In the 2016-17 season, KenPom.com rated the NEC’s teams next-to-last in the country.
PROS
The Horizon League is a conference that was built on men’s basketball. From its Indiana roots, it has helped make programs like Butler, Dayton, St. Louis, Valparaiso and Xavier into household names.
If that’s the aspiration RMU has, there’s little doubt that the Horizon League is a good place to fulfill it. It should be a good two-way street, as well, with the facilities commitment showing league officials that RMU is serious about competing at a higher level.
The move to a higher-profile league should make it easier to keep coach Andy Toole long-term and if he were to leave, it would make the job much more appealing to potential candidates.
Two-way street
Bringing in Robert Morris and the Pittsburgh media market would be a win for the Horizon League. The circuit currently has schools in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay and Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh would fit right in that regard.
It’s not a bad deal for RMU, either. The farthest opponent in the Horizon League would be Green Bay, which is about 10 hours by bus. That’s not a lot farther than the Colonials’ current trip to Bryant University in Rhode Island.
There would also be a built-in geographic rivalry with Youngstown State. The two schools’ campuses are just 55 miles apart.
No net losses
A move from the NEC to the Horizon League wouldn’t effect the university’s other marquee programs, the men’s and women’s hockey teams. Those teams play in hockey-only conferences.
CONS
Football — and the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs — would be left without a home because the Horizon League does not sponsor those sports. Staying in the NEC as associate members might not be an option, either. When Monmouth left that conference for the MAAC in 2013, the football and bowling teams were told to take a hike.
The only Horizon League team that sponsors football is Youngstown State. The Penguins play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which will have 11 members when North Dakota joins in 2020, so there could be a fit.
Is it enough?
The Horizon League is still usually a one-bid league, and while it has produced many of college basketball's great mid-major programs, many of them have moved on to bigger and better things.
The Colonials are going to have to fill a 4,000-seat venue when they couldn’t regularly fill the 3,056-seat Sewall Center. The best returning teams in the Horizon League from 2016-17 will be Oakland and Northern Kentucky. Those aren’t exactly names that are going to send fans flocking to the ticket office.
Show me the money.
The Horizon League is an unquestioned upgrade in men’s basketball difficulty from the NEC. KenPom.com rated the Horizon 17th, one spot above the SEC. Competing at that level is going to mean bigger recruiting budgets and more staff members.
That’s not just an issue that affects men’s basketball, either. The Horizon League would represent a step up for most of the school’s 15 teams. Each would need the same type of upgrades to remain competitive. Football and lacrosse may have to play as independents for a time, which could mean increased travel costs.
That could all add up to a significant investment. With the university just shelling out big dough for the arena, is there more in the coffers to fund a competitive shift to a tougher conference?
