This week has been a rather busy news week for the Missouri Valley Conference. The changes to Arch Madness was to use an Analogy was kind of like a modern-day version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
The Bears when they discovered the news they were not pleased.
To many MVC Fans the Changes were “Too Hot”
For Some MVC fans the Changes were “Too Cold”
The Reality is of the Arch Madness Changes that were enacted we could not find any MVC Fans on Social Media that thought the changes were “Just Right”.
On the Dr. Bowser show the day the news was released, we discussed the Changes in Depth. We tried to find what was “Just Right” about the changes. Change is hard, so we had to dig for the positives.
It is an emotional thing – Dr. Bowser and Brian Dutler sat on the bench with UNI at Arch Madness (Dr B. also did at Mo. State RIP to the MVC Bears). Chad Harberts covers the UNI for the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier and is heavily invested as a former College SID and UNI graduate. I am “the fan part” of the team. I have a vested interest as I have family members who played for UNI Men and Bradley Women. They brought me into the MVC family, and I fell in love with the MVC and Arch Madness.
Between the 4 of us we have 50+ trips to Arch Madness. From the Keil Center days to the Enterprise Center and all the names in between. Sometimes the stay was short for some of us – one and done, and other times it was all the way through Sunday.
Dr. Bowser and Dutler are the show up and stay Thursday to Sunday MVC Super fans, no matter who advances. They arrange their lives around March Madness.
Dr. Bowser had only missed Arch Madness once since 1991 and rumor has it was for the birth of one of his daughters. We heard it was a coin flip choice. We tell him often, do not second-guess that decision. Being there for your daughter’s birth was the right choice.
Dr. Bowser is not alone, we know so many fans who have the MVC Arch Madness Tattoo. I was sitting in a marketing seminar long ago where a marketing professor said “A person with a Harley Davidson Tattoo is unlikely to buy a Kawasaki.” Many MVC Fans have that same Harley Davidson loyalty to Arch Madness…and you are unlikely to support changes to something that you love.
What is “Too Hot” or ‘Too Cold” for the majority of MVC Fans
The double bye protection of the 1 and 2 seeds. That is almost unanimously “Too Hot” for Regular MVC Arch Madness fans. The MVC Tattoo owners do not like the protection of the top two seeds.
There is post after post like Bill Battisone above on X. It’s a big change and sudden. This reaction to this change took the room from 70 degrees to Sauna level when the news broke.
The change of keeping the last place #11 team home for finishing in the basement was, as they say buried by the lead. That is a big change also, but it was lost. Even on our in-depth podcast (above) we had to remind ourselves….Like yeah, do not forget team #11 is off the Christmas Card List.
The only debate was why? Brian Hardin Drake AD gave a solid Why answer on our SGI Deep in the Valley podcast yesterday. Trying to best set up the Chance for two teams to make the Mens and Womens Tourney in the NCAA and improve seeding of the teams when they get in was the message.
Of course, not all fans agreed with that approach as on the men’s side getting two NCAA teams will require a team that does not win Arch Madness to have an incredible year. On the mens side it’s not probable to get two teams in the NCAA today, but with the 76-team format it is more possible in 2027.
What is “Just Right” about the New MVC Arch Madness
I would say what is Just Right is bringing the Women’s Basketball Tourney up one week on the Calendar and together with the Men is HUGE for the MVC Women.
In terms of the 2 Team NCAA dream, the MVC Women have a statistically much better chance of being a two-bid league more often. In the NCAA, the Power 4 Women’s programs do not freeze out the Mid-majors like the Men’s Game does today.
For example, Drake and UNI have home and homes every year with Perennial NCAA Power 4’s Iowa and Iowa State. The top programs have a go anywhere and play anyone attitude. Programs like South Carolina will go on the road to play South Dakota State in the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD.
MVC Women’s BB teams are going to get more opportunities to play P4 teams in the non-conference and sometimes even get them at home.
The past few years the MVC Women’s tourney has been what many would term a Traveling Circus. The last three years it moved from Moline IL to Evansville, IN to Coralville, IA. In 2027, the plan was to return to Moline again.
Well….I’ll leave some thoughts unwritten, as I do not know the reasons that caused the MVC Women’s Traveling Circus Postseason tourney. There is alot that goes into events and much outside your control so who knows why, but stability is a wonderful thing.
One comment stood out to me from Allison Pohlman Drake, Women’s Basketball Coach on our Deep in the Valley Show today about what she thought about being part of Arch Madness.
  “Very excited, and just looking forward to a great new venue to call home.” Allison Pohlman
It is “Just Right” that the MVC Women have found a Home to compete with the men at the same site at the same time.
I don’t know who Griff’s Main Groupie is, but I love his attitude on combining the M&W….It will be fun. It is going to bring stability and more exposure to MVC Women Basketball. I think it is great and a Game Changer for the Women in the Valley.
The MVC I hope all the fans will agree got that part of the Arch Madness Changes “JUST RIGHT”.
We can argue about the double bye from now until next March. I hope we do just that as that passion means MVC Fans are invested.
As always, we thank you for the support and comments.
