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Yeah I’m not buying the MVC was deep this year.

I don’t think the top was very good at all so it just made the “midpack” 2-8 instead of 4-8.
 
I mean, he makes good points that Purdue plays the top teams in the MAC (Akron/Kent/Toledo), so Purdue is giving good mid-majors those opportunities.

But the complaints aren’t directed at Purdue (who’s one of the exceptions). They’re directed at a lot of the other P4 schools who load up on 250+ teams.
 
I'm calling a little b.s.

Did Purdue play any of these quality mid-majors on the road or a neutral court?

I do credit Purdue for doing better than most P5 🏀 programs with scheduling (I respect Painter & their program), but even what they do doesn't provide true parity.

Scheduling parity would need to be created from the NCAA. People more knowledgeable than me could figure out that system. Keep it simple & transparent. Carrots and sticks. Would love a system where Sycamores had 2 P5 home & 2 P5 away games each season, & perhaps one A-10 or equivalent.

However, if Matt Painter's staff reads this, what I really meant to say is Purdue rocks. Now please schedule another buy game with the Sycamores.
 
Centralized scheduling, equal #’s of home and away games for everyone, randomized scheduling. That way, Purdue (or Duke, or HPU, etc. ) has as much chance of playing in HC as we have of playing at their place. Do away with metrics that are predictive and just focus on how you did in the games you played. One thing I’ve learned from 56 years of observation is that computer models suck. Just look at what each team did against the teams they played.
 

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He also
Prisonmate said:
I mean, he makes good points that Purdue plays the top teams in the MAC (Akron/Kent/Toledo), so Purdue is giving good mid-majors those opportunities.

But the complaints aren’t directed at Purdue (who’s one of the exceptions). They’re directed at a lot of the other P4 schools who load up on 250+ teams.
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He will only play home games, though. I get if Akron wants to play, then Mackey or it’s nothing. Last time he brought his team to The Haute, they were smoked, and his team played in the NCAA. But he is right about having to do what’s best for his institution.
 
This doesn’t make things “even”, but it seems pretty simple to say all teams (P5 conferences included) have to play a minimum of one road game at a non-P5’s home court. This would allow every single mid/low-major to have one opportunity at P5 on their home order. That’s only one game a year and no one can say that a team come selection Sunday hasn’t played anybody.
 
SycamoreBlue3209 said:
This doesn’t make things “even”, but it seems pretty simple to say all teams (P5 conferences included) have to play a minimum of one road game at a non-P5’s home court. This would allow every single mid/low-major to have one opportunity at P5 on their home order. That’s only one game a year and no one can say that a team come selection Sunday hasn’t played anybody.
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Opportunity yes....but the supply is low. P5s will start playing the same away game every year.
 

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RunSyc said:
Nothing (sports related) would make me happier. To know ISU diverted the funds to finally build a sustainably successful men's 🏀 program would be amazing.

I bet a move like this would also inspire increased individual & corporate giving.
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1000000%

I always have trouble with giving money to ISU because the school has, for so long, been dedicated to awesome mediocrity. As if to say, it’s enough to have sports, we don’t need to worry about being good at them. It’s a chicken and the egg conundrum, but giving to ISU always seems to be enabling the drunk who says he’s gonna stop. Building a sustainably excellent basketball program by redirecting $$$ from football would be a step towards building trust that funds will be used in pursuit of excellence.
 
It's literally the only "have your cake and eat it too" scenario left on the table for State at this point.

Here is what we know:

- College enrollments have steadily declined for well over a decade
- There is major uncertainty with regards to higher education with the introduction of future tech like AI, robotics, etc.
- Despite that, our athletics department is heavily subsidized off the backs of student fees -- 55% ($11m of $20m total revenues)
- This makes opting in to revenue sharing essentially a losing proposition which could force cuts at the athletics admin level or, worse, at the University level like you're now seeing occurring at power conference schools because they have to find $20m+ to hand over
- Our 2024 football spend ($4.77m) is the highest it has even been in the history of the program.
- FCS football does not move the needle nationally.
- College basketball is the only sport that generates revenue directly to the NCAA that gets redistributed to membership
- March Madness still opens every year paying homage to "When March Went Mad" featuring Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores.

Being able to keep football at the non-scholarship level where it can still compete at the same division in a conference that has an automatic playoff berth keeps the sport alive giving you the same potential experience for the football supporters while diverting funding to where the money can potentially make a fundamental difference for the school.
 

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Terre Haute is such a Mecca… So much weird hoops history.

John Wooden
Larry Bird
Greg Oden

Dusty May born in TH. Two coaches coaching today with ties to the Haute. Two players Avila and Conwell playing today with ties to the Haute.

You’d have to go to huge metro areas like NYC, Chicago, LA or Philly to find anything comparable.

Invest in basketball!!!
 
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