Moving forward both are in the same position. Both leagues are extremely good at the top, the middle makes or breaks the league, and the bottom is...well...the bottom.
Both are going to be between 8-11 in the NET in any given year moving forward. Both will have 5-7 teams in the top 100-120. However, the way the bids are moving, the way the metrics work and will be tweaked to favor the big boys even more, the way the NIT has been changed, etc. both are going to be 1 bid with a second on a weak bubble that may or may not burst.
The A10 put off losing that second bid a bit longer than the Valley but the time has come. Even without WSU and Creighton the Valley has had multiple bids multiple times (and lost a 2-bid year because of Covid) and when we get teams in the win games.
I'd love to see an A10/Valley type set up.
St Louis makes too much sense for the Valley, which is why it will never happen. That's a topic that's been beat to death a million times over by Valley fans. They are convinced they are next in line for the Big East, who has no reason to expand with how their TV deal is set up. They are hoping that being "marginally close" to Creighton and Marquette makes them look good, but it doesn't.
If Missouri State leaves for CUSA (I highly doubt it, but rumors and whatever) I'd love to see a full press put on for St Louis to replace them but who knows what that then causes with Belmont and Bradley and the A10. Though I'd guess St. Thomas gets a call from the Valley at that point.
So many "what ifs" that lead to a billion other "what ifs".
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