Covid Chaos Has Hit The Valley – Updated! 2nd Weekend on Pause!

Valpo on Pause

(St. Louis, MO) – The first postponement of conference games is here. Valparaiso announced that “a pause in all team activities due to positive COVID-19 test results among the team’s personnel”. Covid Chaos has hit the Valley.

The pause has postponed Valpo’s conference opening series with Bradley. New dates for the games will be announced by the league. Depending on how long the Valparaiso program is paused, it could affect their second series at Illinois State.

So, what’s next?

Breaking! Now the Second Weekend is Canceled Too!

The Missouri Valley Conference has postponed the Illinois State-Valparaiso men’s basketball series (Jan. 2-3) due to positive COVID-19 test results among the Valparaiso team’s personnel, which consists of student-athletes, coaches, managers and staff.   The Conference will announce make-up dates for the series/games at a later date.

Built In Opportunities

Missouri Valley leaders wisely built in two weekends to make up games. The weekends are January 22-24 and February 19-21. Valpo and Bradley could utilize one of those. Now that Covid Chaos has hit the Valley, there is warranted concern about a full Valley season being played.

Since league games are being played during weekends, Valley schools could utilize some mid-week dates to play postponed games. While Bradley and Valpo are 195 miles apart, Illinois State and Bradley are separated by 39. Though demanding, perhaps the Crusaders could play Illinois State during the season’s second weekend and travel to Bradley for a game on the following Tuesday.

While we’re excited about great starts by Drake, Southern Illinois and Bradley, we maintain a wiser course would have been to play a ‘league-only’ schedule. The NCAA missed that golden opportunity and now delays, and postponements are baked in to conference play.

Southern Illinois, Loyola, Indiana State and others have had run-ins with Covid Chaos. Currently the SIU women’s program is on pause. Will the virus leak back into the men’s program?

Unbalanced Standings

It is very possible for the season to end with Valley teams having played a different number of conference games and obviously not competing against every other MVC team. Winning percentages will be the only way to settle the standings. Some fan bases will feel cheated but arriving in St. Louis during that first weekend in March will still be magical.

Covid Chaos could be slowing down as vaccines are being distributed. Media reports say college-aged citizens will be among the last to be vaccinated, so relief isn’t on the near horizon.

Arch Madness could be played before small or no crowds but playing in the annual ‘family reunion’ will be extremely valuable for the players, programs and fans.

Grateful For Television Packages

Since Covid Chaos has hit the Valley, we are even more grateful for the various television and streaming packages managed by the league. Commissioner Doug Elgin’s vision and wisdom has paved the way for fans of the league to see virtually every game they desire. While I greatly prefer attending many of these games in person, we can consume a massive number of games on ESPN, CBS Sports Network and Fox Sports Midwest.

When conference play tips off Sunday, league games are widely available and we’ll be watching, Covid Chaos or not.

Merry Christmas

 

 

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